This Book Is Not Good for You facts for kids
US cover
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| Author | Pseudonymous Bosch |
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| Illustrator | Gilbert Ford |
| Cover artist | Gilbert Ford |
| Country | United States, England, Ireland |
| Language | English |
| Series | Secret Series |
| Genre | Mystery / Adventure / Fantasy |
| Publisher | Little, Brown Books for Young Readers |
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Publication date
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2009 |
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Published in English
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September 2009 |
| Media type | Hardcover |
| Pages | 394 |
| Preceded by | If You're Reading This, It's Too Late |
| Followed by | This Isn't What It Looks Like |
This Book is Not Good for You is an exciting mystery and adventure novel written by the mysterious author Pseudonymous Bosch. It's the third book in the "Secret Series," following The Name of This Book is Secret and If You're Reading This, It's Too Late. In this story, a famous chef named Señor Hugo kidnaps Cass's mom. He wants Cass to bring him a special item called the legendary Tuning Fork. This fork is important to the Midnight Sun, a secret group trying to find a way to live forever.
Contents
The Story Begins
The book starts with a girl named Simone in Africa. She's a "Supertaster," meaning she can taste tiny differences in food. She tries a piece of chocolate made for the Midnight Sun. After tasting it, she suddenly faints.
Meanwhile, our three main heroes, Cass, Max-Ernest, and Yo-Yoji, are looking for clues about Cass's past. Cass recently found out she was adopted. They search the old fire station where Cass's grandfathers live. They find a box of magazines. Max-Ernest spots a magazine with the Skelton Sisters, who are teen pop stars. The kids know the sisters are part of the Midnight Sun.
They discover the Skelton Sisters are working with Ms. Mauvais, a very powerful leader of the Midnight Sun. Their headquarters are in Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) in Africa. There, they run a chocolate plantation and take care of orphans. Cass and Max-Ernest go to tell the Terces Society about this. Mr. Wallace, a member of the Terces Society, thinks the legendary Tuning Fork is connected to the Midnight Sun's chocolate plan.
A Dangerous Cooking Class
Later, Cass and her mom, Melanie, join a cooking class taught by the famous blind chef, Señor Hugo. Cass mentions the Tuning Fork. Because of this, Hugo invites Cass, her mom, Max-Ernest, and Yo-Yoji to his restaurant. The restaurant is very dark so that diners can focus on their sense of taste. After trying many foods, Cass realizes her mom is gone. Outside, she gets a note from Señor Hugo. He demands the Tuning Fork in exchange for her mother.
Back at the fire station, Cass and her friends search for the Tuning Fork. Mr. Wallace had told them it might end up in a junk shop, and Cass thinks he meant her grandfathers' home. While searching, Cass finds the box she was left in as a baby. Then, they see on TV that their school principal, Mrs. Johnson, has the Tuning Fork! The trio goes to her house. They find out she acts very differently at home than at school. They convince her to give them the Fork. Cass then gives the Tuning Fork to Señor Hugo at her house. She learns that he is part of the Midnight Sun. He refuses to give her mom back because Cass told her friends about the kidnapping, which she was told not to do.
Simone's Story and a New Clue
Meanwhile, Simone wakes up from her faint. She finds Melanie, Cass's mom, in her cell. Melanie comforts Simone and tells her about her own daughter. She also tells Simone that her parents must have loved her very much to send her to the plantation. Melanie is then called to the Tasting Room. Simone warns her not to eat any chocolate.
At Yo-Yoji's house, Cass, Max-Ernest, and Yo-Yoji look at pictures of the Midnight Sun's plantation in the magazine. They find a "don't feed" sign and an American bird. This makes them realize they are not in Africa. The plantation is actually inside an artificial rainforest park somewhere in the United States. The author says he can't reveal the exact location. The kids take a train to the park and camp there. They almost get eaten by a lion! Later, a Capuchin monkey helps them find the plantation.
The Midnight Sun's Plan
Hiding in the cacao trees, the kids see Ms. Mauvais talking to an old man named Itamar. They also learn Ms. Mauvais's first name is Antoinette. The trio finds a building called the "Pavilion," where the Tasting Room is located. Inside, they find three pieces of chocolate on a table. It's a trap set by the Midnight Sun. Cass and Yo-Yoji each eat a piece. Max-Ernest doesn't eat any because he thinks he's allergic to chocolate.
As Max-Ernest watches, Cass and Yo-Yoji fall into trances. Cass "dreams" about talking to the Jester, who is her ancestor and the founder of the Terces Society. When Cass wakes up, Ms. Mauvais, Dr. L, and Señor Hugo demand she tell them the Secret. They believe the chocolate sent her back in time to learn it. Cass truthfully says she doesn't remember the Secret. They take her to Simone's cell, which is next to her mother's. Yo-Yoji has disappeared, so Max-Ernest is the only one left to rescue them.
The Rescue and the Aftermath
Max-Ernest finds Yo-Yoji. Yo-Yoji is in a trance, believing he is an ancient Samurai warrior. Max-Ernest uses this to his advantage, controlling Yo-Yoji and commanding him to rescue Cass, her mother, and Simone. The kids then get the Tuning Fork back from Hugo. They also rescue the orphans, who were actually forced to work as slaves by the Midnight Sun. Finally, they escape the Midnight Sun. Later, at Cass's house, Cass and Max-Ernest use the Tuning Fork to bring Yo-Yoji back to normal.
The book ends with Pietro telling Cass that she is the new Secret-Keeper. Max-Ernest tells Cass his parents are back together and he starts to like chocolate. Cass then eats the piece of chocolate Hugo made for her and falls into another trance. The story continues in the next book, This Isn't What It Looks Like. In that book, Cass is in a coma because the chocolate was so strong, and Max-Ernest tries to rescue her.
Meet the Characters
Here are some of the main characters you'll meet in This Book is Not Good for You:
- Cass-- Cassandra, or "Cass," is the main hero of the series. She's a smart, sarcastic 12-year-old girl who was adopted. Cass goes on adventures with Max-Ernest and Yo-Yoji to stop the Midnight Sun's evil plans. She is related to the Jester, who first knew the Secret and started the Terces Society. Cass is always ready for anything, like natural disasters.
- Max-Ernest-- Max-Ernest talks a lot! He wants to be a comedian and magician. He's very logical and a bit obsessive. His parents divorced because they couldn't agree on his name, so he ended up with both their choices. He's good friends with Cass and Yo-Yoji and is part of the Terces Society.
- Yo-Yoji-- Yoji, or "Yo-Yoji," lived in Japan for a year. His ancestors might have been Japanese, as the chocolate he ate made him act like a Samurai. He plays the violin, but he's more interested in his rock band. He's also a member of the Terces Society.
- Melanie-- Melanie, or "Mel," is Cass's adoptive mother. She adopted Cass when Cass appeared on her grandparents' doorstep. Señor Hugo kidnapped her to force Cass to give him the Tuning Fork.
- Larry and Wayne-- These two men are Cass's adoptive grandfathers. They love collecting old, broken things and store them in their home, which is an old fire station.
- Mr. Wallace-- William Wilton Wallace III is the record-keeper for the Terces Society. He's an older, grumpy man who was the one who left Cass with her grandparents.
- Pietro Bergamo-- Pietro Bergamo leads the Terces Society. He's a retired magician whose twin brother, Luciano (Dr. L), was captured and is now a leader of the Midnight Sun. Pietro and Luciano both have synesthesia, a condition where senses get mixed up. Pietro gives advice to Cass, Max-Ernest, and Yo-Yoji.
- Lily Wei-- Lily Wei, or Master Wei, is a Chinese woman in the Terces Society. She was once kidnapped by Ms. Mauvais. She teaches Yo-Yoji the violin and is also in charge of physical defense for the Terces Society. She even hides a sword inside her violin bow!
- Señor Hugo-- Hugo is a famous chef who secretly works for the Midnight Sun. He kidnapped Melanie to get the Tuning Fork. He makes the special chocolate that sends Cass and Yo-Yoji into trances.
- Ms. Mauvais and Dr. L-- Ms. Antoinette Mauvais and Luciano Bergamo (Dr. L) are the two main leaders of the Midnight Sun. They are trying to find the Secret to live forever. Dr. L is Pietro's twin brother. Ms. Mauvais is a French woman who is secretly over 200 years old!
- Simone-- Fourteen-year-old Simone is the African chocolate taster for the Midnight Sun. She's a "super taster" with many tastebuds, so she's used to test Hugo's magical chocolate. She was taken from her parents and held prisoner until Cass and Mel rescued her.
- Romi and Montana Skelton-- The Skelton Sisters are twin pop stars who are secretly part of the Midnight Sun. They are probably very old and wear gloves like other Midnight Sun members.
