Usborne Puzzle Adventure series

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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. ^[1]

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:

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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, 0746007353). This includes the books Maps and Maze Puzzles, Codes and Ciphers and Logic Puzzles.

• Usborne.co.uk, the official site of Usborne Publishing