Usborne Puzzle Adventure series

The Puzzle Adventure book series from Usborne Publishing Ltd was first created in 1984 with the release of Escape from Blood Castle. The first three volumes of the series were originally released as "Usborne Solve It Yourself". Each book contains a vividly illustrated story, with a plot-related puzzle to solve on each double page.

The series's success inspired the creation of three related series: Advanced Puzzle Adventures, Young Puzzle Adventures and Science Puzzle Adventures.

Many of the Puzzle Adventures and Young Puzzle Adventures series have been re-released over the past few years.

Puzzle Adventures
This is the original series of books, aimed at 8 to 13 year-olds.

Some of these books were re-printed in the following omnibuses:

Collecting: The Incredible Dinosaur Expedition, The Intergalactic Bus Trip, Time Train to Ancient Rome. Collecting: Danger at Demon's Cove, Search for the Sunken City, Journey to the Lost Temple. Collecting: The Pyramid Plot, The Emerald Conspiracy, The Invisible Spy. Collecting: Voyage to the Edge of the World, Mutiny at Crossbones Bay, Castle of Intrigue. Collecting: Agent Arthur's Desert Challenge, The Dark, Dark Knight, The Crimebusters Investigate. Collecting: Escape from Blood Castle, The Curse of the Lost Idol, Murder on the Midnight Plane. Collecting: Danger at Demon's Cove, Incredible Dinosaur Expedition, Ghost in the Mirror, Escape from Blood Castle. Collecting: Escape from Blood Castle, The Curse of the Lost Idol, Murder on the Midnight Plane, The Incredible Dinosaur Expedition, The Intergalactic Bus Trip, Time Train to Ancient Rome, Danger at Demon's Cove. Collecting: Agent Arthur's Jungle Journey, Agent Arthur on the Stormy Seas, Agent Arthur's Arctic Adventure, The Haunted Tower, The Vanishing Village, The Ghost in the Mirror, Search for the Sunken City. Collecting: Mutiny at Crossbones Bay, Agent Arthur's Island Adventure, The Pyramid Plot, Castle of Intrigue, The Emerald Conspiracy, Journey to the Lost Temple, The Dark, Dark Knight. Collecting: Agent Arthur's Jungle Journey, Agent Arthur on the Stormy Seas, Agent Arthur's Arctic Adventure.
 * 1) The Usborne Book of Puzzle Adventures (ISBN 9780746001554)
 * 1) The Second Usborne Book of Puzzle Adventures (ISBN 9780746003107)
 * 1) The Third Usborne Book of Puzzle Adventures (ISBN 9780746005125)
 * 1) The Fourth Usborne Book of Puzzle Adventures (ISBN 9780746020715)
 * 1) The Fifth Usborne Book of Puzzle Adventures (ISBN 9780746021484)
 * 1) The Usborne Book of Solve Your Own Mystery Stories (ISBN 9780746000151)
 * 1) The Usborne Big Book of Puzzle Adventures (ISBN 9780746054246)
 * 1) Puzzle Adventure Omnibus Vol.1 (ISBN 9780746087336)
 * 1) Puzzle Adventure Omnibus Vol.2 (ISBN 9780746087343)
 * 1) Puzzle Adventure Omnibus Vol.3 (ISBN 9780746095799)
 * 1) Agent Arthur's Puzzle Adventures (ISBN 9780746001479)
 * 1) Ghost Puzzle Adventures (ISBN 9780746003367) Collecting: The Vanishing Village, The Haunted Tower, The Ghost in the Mirror.

Advanced Puzzle Adventures
This is a more difficult series aimed at older children, currently out of print.


 * 1) Codename Quicksilver
 * 2) Cobra Consignment
 * 3) Mystery on Main Street

The series was reprinted in an omnibus edition.


 * 1) The Usborne Book of Advanced Puzzle Adventures (ISBN 9780746007532)

Science Puzzle Adventures
The Science Puzzle Adventures series written by Clive Gifford contains science-related puzzles. Each tale pits the wits of Dr. Genius and his resourceful team against the world's most evil criminal superbrains. This series is also currently out of print.


 * 1) The Flask of Doom
 * 2) The Time Warp Virus

Young Puzzle Adventures
This series uses softer illustrations and is aimed at younger children.

Some of these books were re-printed in the following omnibus:

Collecting: Molly's Magic Carpet, Wendy the Witch, Uncle Pete the Pirate, Lucy and the Sea Monster.
 * 1) Young Puzzle Adventures (ISBN 9780746060056)

Superpuzzles
In 1995 Usborne released a 3-in-1 collection of even more advanced puzzles, The Usborne Book of Superpuzzles by Sarah Dixon, Mark Fowler, Radhi Parekh (illustrator) (ISBN 9780746007358). This includes the books Maps and Maze Puzzles, Codes and Ciphers and Logic Puzzles.