What do you think?
Rate this book
Billy Bones #1
Billy Bones: Tales From The Secrets Closet
Deep within High Manners Manor, Billy and his skeleton parents live in the Secrets Closet, where they're in charge of filing all the secrets and lies of the unscrupulous Biglum family. Then Billy meets Millicent, Sir Biglum's niece who has been recently orphaned. Together, Billy and Millicent encounter ghosts and other uncanny creatures as they explore each other's worlds and uncover the biggest secret of Billy was once a Biglum.
Chris Lincoln has created a richly imaginative, highly original world. In this spooky adventure in the tradition of filmmaker Tim Burton, friendships bloom, betrayals linger, schemes entangle - and heroism appears in the most unexpected places.
Chris Lincoln has created a richly imaginative, highly original world. In this spooky adventure in the tradition of filmmaker Tim Burton, friendships bloom, betrayals linger, schemes entangle - and heroism appears in the most unexpected places.
287 pages, Hardcover
First published April 4, 2008
13 people are currently reading
144 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Lincoln
9 books49 followersChristopher Lincoln is the author of the Billy Bones series. He graduated from the School of Visual and Performing Arts at Syracuse University and spent nearly a decade working as an animator. He credits animation for teaching him how to write, because an animator must learn how to inhabit a character's body and move him in a world of his own.
His work is influenced by creatives and authors such as Charles Dickens, J.M. Barrie, Roald Dahl, J.K. Rowling and Tim Burton.
His work is influenced by creatives and authors such as Charles Dickens, J.M. Barrie, Roald Dahl, J.K. Rowling and Tim Burton.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
July 26, 2013
The Bones family is in charge about the secrets in the closet until a family moved in the house. Bones family was trying to keep them away from the closet. The bone family are always worried about them the humans that they would find out about the closet. Billy bones didn't really care about it but their parents did. But Billy still needed to take care of the closet because he was responsible for it. Billy didn't really want to disappoint his parents so he took care of it. Barely heard footsteps so he checked and it was a little girl and the little girl's saw him. Billy did not know what to do so he just told the truth to his parents and the girl told her parents too. Billy was scared that his parents would do something but they didn't. The little girl's parents did not believe her so the parents went in the closet and there they were the parents were freaking. The two different families were trying to get together but they just couldn't it was hard for them but billy and the girls were getting along. But the parents didn't get along so they didn't speak at all
To each other but the kids did me and the girl we're like best friends until the parents were trying to separate them. Billy and the little girl was trying to make the parents get along but nothing was working but they almost gave up but they didn't because Billy is not a quitter. It was hard but they were still trying.They would not stop. Bones kid and the little girl were going to change their parents mind. Bones kid and the girl change changed their parents mind. Then they all went to a picnic at night.
The
End
To each other but the kids did me and the girl we're like best friends until the parents were trying to separate them. Billy and the little girl was trying to make the parents get along but nothing was working but they almost gave up but they didn't because Billy is not a quitter. It was hard but they were still trying.They would not stop. Bones kid and the little girl were going to change their parents mind. Bones kid and the girl change changed their parents mind. Then they all went to a picnic at night.
The
End
February 17, 2018
Lincoln, Christopher Billy Bones: Tales from the Secrets Closet, pgs 284 Little Brown and Co. Language-G, Sexual Content-G, Violence G.
This book starts out with a silly "Guide to the Afterlife" which starts the chuckles off right away. The main story is about a skeleton named Billy Bones, his parents, one Sir Barkley Braggety Biglum VI, Miss Primly, Sir Barkley Braggety Biglum VI niece, Millicent, a kind old lady, and a ghost and the Grim Reaper. A cute little story a lot like Tim Burton's claymations.
I think any one could read this book and be thoroughly entertained. The characters are ones you could love or hate (depending on the character) and the story has a good moral.
EL, MS, HS - ESSENTIAL Student Reviewer: RH
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2008/...
This book starts out with a silly "Guide to the Afterlife" which starts the chuckles off right away. The main story is about a skeleton named Billy Bones, his parents, one Sir Barkley Braggety Biglum VI, Miss Primly, Sir Barkley Braggety Biglum VI niece, Millicent, a kind old lady, and a ghost and the Grim Reaper. A cute little story a lot like Tim Burton's claymations.
I think any one could read this book and be thoroughly entertained. The characters are ones you could love or hate (depending on the character) and the story has a good moral.
EL, MS, HS - ESSENTIAL Student Reviewer: RH
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2008/...
January 28, 2025
Uzun süredir okuduğum en sürükleyici çocuk edebiyatı kitabıydı diyebilirim.
August 29, 2011
I enjoyed the fun writing & verbiage here; I saw another review where someone complained that the writing was too boring or drawn out to be read aloud, and this may be so (it happens, especially if you're reading a book to someone quite young), but to me it was a charming style. Like another reviewer, I thought the slightly unusual descriptive writing lifted this book a little above some of its peers in the supernatural juvie fiction genre (which is getting pretty full).
It turns out this is more of a mystery type ghost story (you know, where someone gets to help investigate his or her own death), which was fine with me, because I like that sort of thing. I wasn't immediately grabbed by the "skeleton closet" idea with the excessively bureaucratic otherworld because the latter is done so often it didn't seem that exciting, so I liked the mystery aspect (though the main idea grew on me after a while). The appearance of the Grim Reaper (always a favorite "character" of mine) cheered me up, and although the solution to the main mystery is totally obvious, there were a few unexpected twists to the plot. I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish reading this (well, an hour or two) and luckily the ending was satisfying and I felt content when I went to sleep.
For parents, I'd recommend this book for supernatural stuff that won't induce nightmares. It's written in a very light style and even during the bits of the plot where the characters are in danger, etc, there's never a feeling of fear, only a question of how they'll get out of it.
It turns out this is more of a mystery type ghost story (you know, where someone gets to help investigate his or her own death), which was fine with me, because I like that sort of thing. I wasn't immediately grabbed by the "skeleton closet" idea with the excessively bureaucratic otherworld because the latter is done so often it didn't seem that exciting, so I liked the mystery aspect (though the main idea grew on me after a while). The appearance of the Grim Reaper (always a favorite "character" of mine) cheered me up, and although the solution to the main mystery is totally obvious, there were a few unexpected twists to the plot. I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish reading this (well, an hour or two) and luckily the ending was satisfying and I felt content when I went to sleep.
For parents, I'd recommend this book for supernatural stuff that won't induce nightmares. It's written in a very light style and even during the bits of the plot where the characters are in danger, etc, there's never a feeling of fear, only a question of how they'll get out of it.
May 21, 2008
Oh, it's fine. Just your average skeleton boy fare. A bit like other hereafter books, but nice enough.
October 13, 2024
Dentro ogni armadio si nasconde un segreto... e uno scheletro!
Al maniero delle Buone Maniere c'è un armadio molto speciale: è quì che vivono Billy, uno scheletrino dolce e sognatore, e mamma e papò Bones, i custodi dei bauli che contengono i segreti e le bugie della ricca famiglia Granserioso. Mentre i signori Bones si affaticano a gestire l'ingombrante e pericoloso bottino, Billy passa il tempo a fantasticare di pirati e tesori insieme al suo inseparabile amico Sgambetto, un maggiolino impavido e stravagante. Quando al maniero arriva Melisenda, nipote di Sir Granserioso da poco rimasta orfana, Billy diventa subito suo amico, salvandola dalla solitudine e dalla tristezza e aiutandola a difendersi dalle terrificanti incursioni della governante, Miss Superbetti. Insieme Billy e Melisenda incontrano fantasmi e altre misteriose creature, insieme vanno a caccia di avventure, scheletri e bugie, fino a quando non scoprono il più incredibile dei segreti...
Anch'io voglio uno scheletrino come Billy nel mio armadio, lo faccio andare anche in giro...è troppo carino e tenero!
Un libro per ragazzi (a un bambino non penso lo leggerei, alcune immagini sono un pò troppo forti) molto tenero.
La famigliola Bones è un pò la famiglia ideale...anche loro hanno i loro segreti di famiglia rinchiusi in un baule, ma sono pieni di amore. Altro rapporto speciale e pieno di affetto quello tra Billy e Melisande (che causa la trilogia di Kushiel faccio fatica ad associare questo nome a un personaggio buono, quindi mentre leggevo dovevo dissociare e non è che il mio cervello lo faccia così facilmente ;)... piccola divagazione). In sintesi una lettura molto piacevole, senza impegno.
"Quando Melisande gli parlò dei verdi campi ondulati, Billy volle saperne di più.<>
Al maniero delle Buone Maniere c'è un armadio molto speciale: è quì che vivono Billy, uno scheletrino dolce e sognatore, e mamma e papò Bones, i custodi dei bauli che contengono i segreti e le bugie della ricca famiglia Granserioso. Mentre i signori Bones si affaticano a gestire l'ingombrante e pericoloso bottino, Billy passa il tempo a fantasticare di pirati e tesori insieme al suo inseparabile amico Sgambetto, un maggiolino impavido e stravagante. Quando al maniero arriva Melisenda, nipote di Sir Granserioso da poco rimasta orfana, Billy diventa subito suo amico, salvandola dalla solitudine e dalla tristezza e aiutandola a difendersi dalle terrificanti incursioni della governante, Miss Superbetti. Insieme Billy e Melisenda incontrano fantasmi e altre misteriose creature, insieme vanno a caccia di avventure, scheletri e bugie, fino a quando non scoprono il più incredibile dei segreti...
Anch'io voglio uno scheletrino come Billy nel mio armadio, lo faccio andare anche in giro...è troppo carino e tenero!
Un libro per ragazzi (a un bambino non penso lo leggerei, alcune immagini sono un pò troppo forti) molto tenero.
La famigliola Bones è un pò la famiglia ideale...anche loro hanno i loro segreti di famiglia rinchiusi in un baule, ma sono pieni di amore. Altro rapporto speciale e pieno di affetto quello tra Billy e Melisande (che causa la trilogia di Kushiel faccio fatica ad associare questo nome a un personaggio buono, quindi mentre leggevo dovevo dissociare e non è che il mio cervello lo faccia così facilmente ;)... piccola divagazione). In sintesi una lettura molto piacevole, senza impegno.
"Quando Melisande gli parlò dei verdi campi ondulati, Billy volle saperne di più.<>
June 29, 2017
Comencé la historia sin muchas expectativas ya que no sabía nada del libro ni de la saga ni de nada... pero la verdad es que lo terminé disfrutando ❤
La trama se centra en Billy, un niño esqueleto quien vive con sus papás en el clóset de los secretos de una gran mansión victoriana. Ahí, Billy pasa sus días soñando con ser un pirata. La (no)vida de Billy da un giro de 360° cuando la sobrinita del amo de la mansión queda huérfana y es acogida a regañadientes en la casa. La niña, que responde al nombre de Millicent, es una pequeña muy especial que es capaz de ver fantasmas y otras apariciones. Tras una serie de enredos, la humana y el esqueleto se conocen y comienzan a explorar la mansión juntos, topándose con intrigas, peligros y secretos familiares que afectarán directamente a Billy y a su nueva mejor amiga.
Este librito es una delicia gracias a su interesante versión de lo que nos aguarda más allá de la vida y de la muerte, pero, lamentablemente, comencé a sentirlo pesado como a unas 100 páginas de terminarlo. Hubo un punto en que parecía que el autor sólo quería enredar más y más las cosas y la actitud de los personajes (que no encuentran nada raro el que un esqueleto ande caminando por la casa -aunque se nos menciona varias veces de que eso no es normal ni legal-) me confundió y desorientó un poco.
Como quiera, planeo quedármelo en mi colección de libritos darks para adornar la mansión embrujada que espero tener algún día :P O para cuando tenga sobrinos, hahah. Eso sí: considero que pudieron haber hecho un mejor trabajo con la portada.
3.5 estrellas
La trama se centra en Billy, un niño esqueleto quien vive con sus papás en el clóset de los secretos de una gran mansión victoriana. Ahí, Billy pasa sus días soñando con ser un pirata. La (no)vida de Billy da un giro de 360° cuando la sobrinita del amo de la mansión queda huérfana y es acogida a regañadientes en la casa. La niña, que responde al nombre de Millicent, es una pequeña muy especial que es capaz de ver fantasmas y otras apariciones. Tras una serie de enredos, la humana y el esqueleto se conocen y comienzan a explorar la mansión juntos, topándose con intrigas, peligros y secretos familiares que afectarán directamente a Billy y a su nueva mejor amiga.
Este librito es una delicia gracias a su interesante versión de lo que nos aguarda más allá de la vida y de la muerte, pero, lamentablemente, comencé a sentirlo pesado como a unas 100 páginas de terminarlo. Hubo un punto en que parecía que el autor sólo quería enredar más y más las cosas y la actitud de los personajes (que no encuentran nada raro el que un esqueleto ande caminando por la casa -aunque se nos menciona varias veces de que eso no es normal ni legal-) me confundió y desorientó un poco.
Como quiera, planeo quedármelo en mi colección de libritos darks para adornar la mansión embrujada que espero tener algún día :P O para cuando tenga sobrinos, hahah. Eso sí: considero que pudieron haber hecho un mejor trabajo con la portada.
3.5 estrellas
July 25, 2023
Absolutely wonderful read! Found in it the children's section of the library and read it to my son. Delightful story of family secrets, love, and the pain family can put you through. Yet no matter what family will always be there for you. I can't wait to read the second book.
October 18, 2017
Oh...this was a sweet book...I envisage this as a Burtonesque stop motion animation....and I would pay to see it.
June 2, 2025
had a good start but kinda fizzled at the end
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2013
Billy Bones is a skeleton living in the skeleton’s closet of High Manners Manor, home of the obsessively greedy, Sir Barkley Braggety Biglum VI. Billy’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bones, file and maintain all household secrets. Allowing a secret to escape can be explosive! Billy can’t wait till he’s trusted to begin training to become a secret’s keeper himself. What he doesn’t know, is that some of those closely guarded secrets are his own.
After the death of her parents, Sir Biglum’s niece, Millicent, must move to High Manners Manor, and is forced to live upstairs in the attic. But she is not totally alone. She is visited often by her parents, ghosts from the Afterlife. She is also closely watched by the housekeeper, Miss Hester Primly who is not a ghost or a skeleton, but is infinitely more frightening.
Millicent, a natural explorer, finds that there are secret passages in the mansion and as a result, learns she’s not the only person living upstairs. Both Millicent and her new found friend have the uncommon ability to see ghosts. It’s not long before Millicent stumbles upon the secrets closet and meets the Bones family.
The secrets in the closet are piling up. The Bones have signed for an unauthorized shipment for Millicent, that has nothing to do with secrets, and which clearly violates rules of the Afterlife. Commissioner Pickerel, from the Investigative Branch of the Righteousness Department, pays them a visit and forces them through a glowing portal to the afterlife.
Without Mr. and Mrs. Bones to keep the mounting secrets organized, filed, and locked away, generations of Biglum secrets begin exploding at an alarming rate. Just as lies pile upon lies, one secret revealed, reveals another, and another. It’s up to Billy and Millicent to discover the real truth of High Manners Manor.
BILLY BONES: A TALE OF THE SECRETS CLOSET is a delightful, playful book. Christopher Lincoln’s creativity is astounding and is knack for description is enviable. I completely enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who’s ever wished they could meet a pirate, scare a ghost, or…shhh…tell a secret.
After the death of her parents, Sir Biglum’s niece, Millicent, must move to High Manners Manor, and is forced to live upstairs in the attic. But she is not totally alone. She is visited often by her parents, ghosts from the Afterlife. She is also closely watched by the housekeeper, Miss Hester Primly who is not a ghost or a skeleton, but is infinitely more frightening.
Millicent, a natural explorer, finds that there are secret passages in the mansion and as a result, learns she’s not the only person living upstairs. Both Millicent and her new found friend have the uncommon ability to see ghosts. It’s not long before Millicent stumbles upon the secrets closet and meets the Bones family.
The secrets in the closet are piling up. The Bones have signed for an unauthorized shipment for Millicent, that has nothing to do with secrets, and which clearly violates rules of the Afterlife. Commissioner Pickerel, from the Investigative Branch of the Righteousness Department, pays them a visit and forces them through a glowing portal to the afterlife.
Without Mr. and Mrs. Bones to keep the mounting secrets organized, filed, and locked away, generations of Biglum secrets begin exploding at an alarming rate. Just as lies pile upon lies, one secret revealed, reveals another, and another. It’s up to Billy and Millicent to discover the real truth of High Manners Manor.
BILLY BONES: A TALE OF THE SECRETS CLOSET is a delightful, playful book. Christopher Lincoln’s creativity is astounding and is knack for description is enviable. I completely enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who’s ever wished they could meet a pirate, scare a ghost, or…shhh…tell a secret.
September 4, 2010
Billy Bones lives with his family, "the skeletons in the closet" in the Biglum mansion. For the most part, they are a happy family, relegated to keeping the family secrets--and the Biglums have plenty.
Children who see the cover will want to read the story because of the skeleton on the cover, but the tale here is more of a mystery than a ghost story. The current Biglum in charge at the mansion has fallen on hard times and has "adopted" his newly-orphaned niece Millicent whose mother had disgraced the family by marrying a poor artist--an artist whose death has now increased the worth of all his paintings. When Millicent discovers Billy and his family, they befriend her. Millicent in turn introduces Billy to Biglum's mother, a recluse at the top of the mansion.
Billy also realizes that the Biglum secrets are not the only secrets his parents are keeping: there is a dark secret about his true identity, a mystery that Billy wants to solve.
Millicent and Billy work together to piece together the clues they find as they roam the house and listen to pieces of conversation.
Children who see the cover will want to read the story because of the skeleton on the cover, but the tale here is more of a mystery than a ghost story. The current Biglum in charge at the mansion has fallen on hard times and has "adopted" his newly-orphaned niece Millicent whose mother had disgraced the family by marrying a poor artist--an artist whose death has now increased the worth of all his paintings. When Millicent discovers Billy and his family, they befriend her. Millicent in turn introduces Billy to Biglum's mother, a recluse at the top of the mansion.
Billy also realizes that the Biglum secrets are not the only secrets his parents are keeping: there is a dark secret about his true identity, a mystery that Billy wants to solve.
Millicent and Billy work together to piece together the clues they find as they roam the house and listen to pieces of conversation.
May 3, 2012
A delightful middle grade read that has a Roald Dahl meets Beetljuice feel to it, Billy Bones follows a family of skeletons charged with keeping the secrets of the rotten human family dwelling within the house where they live in a secret closet. Of course, not everyone in the Biglam family is rotten, least of all Millicent, the recently orphaned little girl who has been in the care of her most rotten uncle. Millicent reminded me of Maltida (from the Dahl book of the same title). She's the kind of character you root for not only because of the unfairness of her condition, but also because of the positive nature of her spirit. She quickly befriends Billy, a young skeleton boy with secrets of his own. From there, the secrets of the house begin to surface in explosive fashion, literally. I really enjoyed spending time with this cast of characters and the wonderful illustrations added to the story's appeal. A perfect book for fans of Series of Unfortunate Events.
October 15, 2014
This book was adorable. It was perfect to read during the Halloween season, due to its connections with skeletons and ghosts but not scary. The lighthearted tone added to its themes and lessons learned. One of my favorite parts of this book was the fact that the skeletons worked in "secrets closets", which tied into the modern saying "skeleton in the closet." From the exciting and happy adventures of Billy and Millicent to the much deeper lessons of people's souls and morals, this book had it all. I even learned a bit about myself, that when I'm feeling down or jealous, to imagine there is an actual force trying to make its way into me and to just not allow it, to barricade myself against that. I believe Billy Bones, however childish it may seem, is a must read for all ages.
May 26, 2017
Billy Bones is a decent book and I would read it again if I had the chance to. One reason it just wasn't to good was because at the beginning everything was so confusing and the story really didn't get to explaining it in a good amount of time. The rest of the book was a lot better though, and the action in the book was pretty constant and it purely entertained me. I love the lessons it teaches, because it teaches us not to lie or your future may have a bad taste and keeping secrets can be good, but also can be very bad. This book was nice but it also had some flaws. I think you should read it.
November 14, 2010
Pensavo di meglio, e mi ha delusa.
Non so se mi aspettassi una favola o una storia un po' più sul dark ma divertente, so che mi sono ritrovata con un racconto che parte con delle idee carine e originali ma che, a mio parere, sono sviluppate in modo noioso. Leggo spesso e volentieri libri per bambini, e questo proprio non l'ho retto.
Ce la faranno i bambini a divertirsi nella lettura?? Chissà.
Non so se mi aspettassi una favola o una storia un po' più sul dark ma divertente, so che mi sono ritrovata con un racconto che parte con delle idee carine e originali ma che, a mio parere, sono sviluppate in modo noioso. Leggo spesso e volentieri libri per bambini, e questo proprio non l'ho retto.
Ce la faranno i bambini a divertirsi nella lettura?? Chissà.
March 24, 2016
una storiella light-gothic che potrebbe essere stata generata dalla mente di Tim Burton. Non e' semplice definire il lettore target: dall'appena adolescente all'adulto che ricorda senza vergogna di quando tanti anni prima, in una casa grande e, possibilmente, di legno, udiva nella notte i rumori piu' vari, quasi tutti provenienti dall'armadio... .
La scrittura necessita di maturazione e di "osare" un po' di piu'.
La scrittura necessita di maturazione e di "osare" un po' di piu'.
October 22, 2013
This was entertaining. I thought it had somewhat of a fairy tale quality. There was kind of a lesson in it about good and bad. The illustrations were charming. However, like many books, the ending was a bit, "And they all lived happily ever after" which can be disappointing. It is really easy to make you endings like that. I'm not saying I like sad endings, but just more realistic ones.
December 16, 2008
Fun little mystery about a skeleton who lives in a closet (where else) with his parents the secret keepers. It's a rather dull existance for Billy until a girl named Millicent comes to live with her mean and greedy uncle Mr. Biglum at High Manners Manor.
February 2, 2009
A clever story about the skeletons who live in your closet, and keep track of your secrets and lies. Billy Bones lives with his skeleton parents in a closet of a mansion, but he never suspects that his parents are hiding some pretty big secrets of their own.
January 6, 2009
The book that I have been reading is Billy Bones the arthur of the book is Christopher Lincoln. I would say that this book is fiction because it is about a skeleton boy that his name is Billy. The main character is Billy, the setting is sometimes at his house or other places.
August 5, 2009
Billy Bones lives with his skeleton parents in a secret closet in High Manners Manor. His parents have the very important job of filing all the lies and secrets of the Biglum family. Billy's adventure begins when he meets Millicent, Mr. Biglum's niece.
July 17, 2010
I tried to read this to my daughter but it was so boring I couldn't finish it. The story line is good. I think the problem is the writing. This book is 287 pages long but it should only have been about 150. There is just too much verbiage in this book and as a result it waters down the story.
May 9, 2009
I like it, but the plot is predictable.
September 21, 2009
These are wonderful books i heartily enjoy.
January 1, 2010
Fun ,inventive and a great story.
Currently reading
October 22, 2009;l';kljkgefdq ASDFGHJJHGFDSASCJHGFDSDBN B HVCYJGRFJ
August 21, 2010
Great book. Well written. It does a good job of keeping your attention. Looking forward to reading the sequal.
January 9, 2010
This is a good book, but there needs to be a lot more going on.
January 16, 2010
This is an adventurous, great book, so you should READ IT!!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews