This Isn't What It Looks Like facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
This Isn't What It Looks Like

The U.S. cover
Author	Pseudonymous Bosch
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
Publication date	2010
Published in English	September 2010
Media type	410
Preceded by	This Book Is Not Good for You
Followed by	You Have to Stop This

This Isn't What It Looks Like is an exciting mystery and adventure book. It was written by the mysterious author Pseudonymous Bosch. This book is the fourth part of "The Secret Series", a five-book saga. It continues the story from This Book Is Not Good for You.

The book focuses on the sense of sight. The other books in the series explored scent, sound, and taste. In this story, Cass eats a special "Time-Travel" chocolate. This causes her to fall into a coma. She needs to find an ancestor, the Jester. Her goal is to discover the Secret of immortality. Cass has just become the new Secret-Keeper of the Terces Society. Meanwhile, Max-Ernest tries to help Cass. He uses a special monocle to save her.

A big secret hinted at in the book is that Pseudonymous Bosch might be Max-Ernest himself. Max-Ernest sees his future self writing about him and Cass. This suggests the author could be an older version of the character.

What Happens in the Story

The story begins with Cass waking up in a strange place. She doesn't know who she is or where she is. She soon learns she is 500 years in the past. Cass sees a boy stuck in a tree. She tries to help him. The boy shouts "Goat!" and runs away. Neither he nor his father see her.

Confused, Cass looks into a puddle. She sees no reflection. She realizes she is invisible. The boy was shouting "Ghost," not "Goat."

Meanwhile, Max-Ernest visits Cass. She is in the hospital, still in a coma. Max-Ernest is sad about his friend. He eats chocolate, even though he used to think he was allergic. He hopes to find a way to help Cass.

Back in the past, Cass realizes she has time-traveled. She is in the Renaissance or Middle Ages. She also knows she is invisible. On the streets, she meets a Seer. The Seer can see Cass because she has "Second Sight." This power comes from an object called the Double Monocle.

The Seer uses tarot cards to tell Cass's fortune. The Ace of Wands card is upside down. This means an old wrong needs to be fixed. The Seer suggests something was stolen. She also shows Cass the Fool card. It shows the same fool Cass saw earlier.

When the Seer says her name, Clara or Cassandra, Cass's memories return. She remembers the Magician, the Jester, and the Secret. Cass realizes she must find the Secret. She is the new Terces Society Secret Keeper. The Seer disappears, leaving Cass the Double Monocle.

Max-Ernest visits Pietro, who is playing cards. Pietro talks about tarot cards. He says the upside-down Ace of Wands means the Tuning Fork should go back to Mrs. Johnson. He explains the Fork won't work otherwise. Pietro tells Max-Ernest he must "bring her home from her head." This means reading Cass's mind.

Cass tries out the Double Monocle. She finds she can see through walls. A parade comes by, announcing gifts for the King. Cass, still invisible, joins the parade. She hopes it will lead her to the palace and the Jester.

Anastasia and her bandits raid the parade. They return the jewels to the poor. Cass also finds a lodestone, a magnetic rock, and keeps it.

Back at school, Max-Ernest tries to return the Tuning Fork. He meets Opal, the new secretary. Opal tricks him, and Mrs. Johnson scolds him. Mrs. Johnson is dressed like a queen for a Renaissance fair. Max-Ernest sees her wearing the lodestone. She says her great-great-aunt Clara wore it.

At the palace, Cass sees a man tell a creature to sleep in dog kennels. This creature is Mr. Cabbage Face. When Cass calls his name, he looks at her. This means he can see her! Cass realizes Lord Pharaoh, the evil founder of the Midnight Sun, must be there too. She also realizes the story "The Tale of Mr. Cabbage Face" got it wrong. He stayed in dog kennels, not a pigsty.

Benjamin Blake arrives at school. He is completely changed. He wears a tuxedo and has the Double Monocle. He eats lunch with Max-Ernest and his friends. Benjamin reveals a strange note on Max-Ernest's back. It says "LORD PHARAOH LIVES."

In the kennels, Cass talks to Mr. Cabbage Face. She gives him chicken because he is hungry. The Jester arrives and talks with the homunculus. The Jester frees Mr. Cabbage Face. But then, the Jester is caught and sent to the dungeon.

At Max-Ernest's house, his parents announce they are having a baby boy. Max-Ernest is surprised.

In the dungeon, Lord Pharaoh bumps into invisible Cass. Her Double Monocle falls off. Lord Pharaoh uses it and sees Cass. He takes all her things and throws her into a cell with the Jester. Cass tells the Jester she is invisible and his great-great-granddaughter. He slowly believes her.

At school, Amber invites Max-Ernest for fortune telling. She says he is in love with Cass. Benjamin reads her mind and tells everyone she lied. Benjamin tells Max-Ernest he can read minds. He agrees to read Cass's mind. Max-Ernest will pretend to be hurt so Benjamin can sneak in.

Anastasia frees everyone from the dungeon. They flee to her camp. At the hospital, a janitor hears Cass whisper about "The Secret." Max-Ernest rushes into the emergency room. He pretends to have a fit. His cover is blown, and he returns to Cass's room. Benjamin was about to see something.

Max-Ernest gets an email from Yo-Yoji. He learns Benjamin's old school is run by the Midnight Sun. Dr. L is the principal. Max-Ernest realizes why Benjamin wanted to read Cass's mind.

At the camp, soldiers ambush the bandits. At school, Max-Ernest overhears Benjamin and Amber. Amber begs to try the monocle. She grabs it and sees through walls. She almost catches Max-Ernest. He realizes Benjamin's power comes from the monocle. Max-Ernest runs with it. He trips, and Opal catches the monocle. She reports Benjamin and Amber. Max-Ernest goes to the nurse's office. Opal leaves her purse, giving Max-Ernest a chance to get the monocle.

At the camp, soldiers and dogs search for Cass. Mr. Cabbage Face saves her by leading the dogs away. He leaves Cass a treasure chest. Inside, Cass finds the lodestone. The Jester and Cass use the lodestone to trick the soldiers. The Jester throws a sword onto the lodestone. It instantly attracts the sword. The soldiers think something supernatural happened and beg for forgiveness.

At the hospital, Max-Ernest finds Cass is gone. Doctors couldn't help her. Max-Ernest uses the monocle. He sees himself in the mirror. He sees his future self eating chocolate and writing a book. This suggests Pseudonymous Bosch is Max-Ernest.

At the camp, Anastasia learns the Jester befriended an invisible girl. Cass draws herself on a scroll. Anastasia leaves. The Jester promises to find the Secret from Lord Pharaoh. He will leave clues for Cass.

At Cass's house, everything is messy. Melanie is sad. Melanie, Larry, and Wayne go out. Max-Ernest watches over Cass. He talks to her for a long time. He plays Yo-Yoji's guitar music. It turns out Yo-Yoji is in the room, playing live.

Suddenly, the power goes out. Benjamin cut the power lines. He breaks into Cass's house. He demands the monocle. A fight is about to start. Someone throws Yo-Yoji's guitar at Benjamin, knocking him out. It's Cass! She woke up because of Max-Ernest's speech, Yo-Yoji's music, and the power jolt. Max-Ernest ties Benjamin up. Melanie, Larry, and Wayne return.

Max-Ernest's brother is born. He is named Paul-Clay. At the Ren-Faire, Glob live-blogs his food blog. He writes about seeing the Midnight Sun chanting "SECRET" around a fire. He sees Ms. Mauvais drink from a goblet. She gives it to an invisible Lord Pharaoh. The Midnight Sun catches Glob. He hides in a cave.

At the fair, the trio and a normal Benjamin are at a camera obscura. They view the fair. Cass goes into a tent. The Seer talks to her. When Cass goes back in, the Seer is gone. There is a robot that tells fortunes. The robot gives Cass cards with things the Seer said. The words turn normal after Cass reads them.

At the joust, an armored man, Sir Unknown (Lord Pharaoh), battles Yo-Yoji. Sir Unknown says he represents Mary Queen of Scots (Ms. Mauvais). Opal stops the joust because a student participated. Yo-Yoji has to leave. Mrs. Johnson declares Unknown the winner. He snatches the lodestone from her neck. He knows the Secret is on it. The Midnight Sun, disguised as guards, flee. Mrs. Johnson demands the lodestone back.

At the camera obscura, Opal reveals he is Owen. He is a spy for the Terces Society. This explains why he helped Max-Ernest. Cass uses the monocle. She sees the Jester there. Daniel-not-Danielle calls Max-Ernest. He tells him about Glob's blog post.

The trio rushes to the riverbank. Max-Ernest and Yo-Yoji rescue Glob. Glob eats Cass's trail mix. Cass rushes to the fireplace. She meets Sir Unknown, who is Lord Pharaoh, invisible. Lord Pharaoh demands to know how the lodestone works. Cass distracts him by throwing the monocle. She runs away with the lodestone. Max-Ernest hears Cass's calls. Yo-Yoji trips Lord Pharaoh with a branch. He hangs upside down.

That night, Cass, Max-Ernest, Yo-Yoji, Paul-Clay, and Benjamin have dinner. They try to solve a message from the Jester but fail. Later, Max-Ernest brings Paul-Clay's toy. It has magnetic powder. The lodestone attracts the powder. It spells "AS ABOVE SO BELOW." Cass is disappointed.

The postman arrives. He gives Cass a trunk. He says it has been to all seven continents. Cass finds the password is "AS SO." She unlocks it. Inside is treasure from Anastasia's earlier theft. When Cass goes home, Melanie finds a scroll. It has Cass's drawing from 500 years ago. There is a piece of papyrus stuck to it. Cass snatches it, knowing the Secret is on it. She rushes to her room to read it. But the papyrus quickly turns to dust. The story ends, to be continued in the next book.

Main Characters

• Cass (Cassandra) - She is the main character and a great survivor. Cass is known for her big, pointed ears that turn red when she's embarrassed or angry.
• Max-Ernest - Cass's best friend and partner. He is a very loyal friend. He visits Cass every day she is in the hospital. The book hints that he might be the author, Pseudonymous Bosch, when he sees his future self writing.
• Yo-Yoji - Cass and Max-Ernest's Japanese classmate. He spent a year in Japan. He is part of the Terces Society. He plays the guitar and knows music. This helped them learn Mr. Cabbage Face's name in an earlier book.
• The Jester (Hermes) - He founded the Terces Society. He was the King's Jester. He gets jailed for helping Mr. Cabbage Face. He helps Anastasia escape. Later, he marries Anastasia and learns the Secret. He is an ancestor of Cass, sharing her unusual ears.
• Anastasia - The leader of a group of bandits. She helps the Jester and Cass escape the dungeon. She later marries the Jester.
• Lord Pharaoh - The founder of the evil Midnight Sun group. Cass meets him in the past.
• Mr. Cabbage Face - A creature created by Lord Pharaoh. Cass feeds him in the past and encourages him to speak. Cass learns that the story "The Tale of Cabbage Face" got some facts wrong about him.
• Glob - A member of the "Nuts Table" at school. He has a popular food blog.
• Amber - She was known as the nicest girl in school. Her reputation is ruined when Benjamin reveals she lied about Max-Ernest's feelings for Cass.
• Benjamin - A member of the Midnight Sun. He trained with Dr. L. He comes back to use the monocle on Cass to find the Secret. By the end, he returns to his usual quiet self.
• Daniel-not-Danielle - Another member of the "Nuts Table."
• Melanie - Cass's adoptive mother.
• Grandpa Larry - Cass's adopted grandfather.
• Grandpa Wayne - Cass's adopted grandfather.
• The Seer (Clara or Cassandra) - A fortune teller who helps Cass in the past. She can see Cass because of her "Second Sight."
• Mrs. Johnson - The principal of Max-Ernest, Yo-Yoji, and Cass's school. She is also a descendant of the Seer.
• Opal (Owen) - The new secretary at school. He is actually Owen, a spy for the Terces Society.