This delightfully Snicket-esque series was fun to reread even as an adult as Penelope Lumely’s adventures with the feral Ashton children are filled with humor, wit, and mystery.

1. The Unmapped Sea: The Incorrigible Children seem to have met their match with the savage Bubshkinov children. So with six wild kids Penelope definately has her hands full as she and Simon try to puzzle out the real meaning to Grandfather Pudge’s riddle and how it relates to the wolfish curse of the Ashtons. The madcap sea shanties, Alexander in the throes of a crush and the ridiculous farce Lady Constance believes that their sea side vacation is actually a trick for a surprise Italian getaway all put this at the top for me.
2. The Long-Lost Home: This is a thrilling finale as many of the series’ secrets and mysteries are unraveled from Penelope and the children’s true origins, the rift of the Ashton family and where everyone will end up. It’s whimsical as Penelope’s journey from Russia to England contrasts with the children using all the knowledge their Lumawoo imparted to them to solve the family curse themselves.
3. The Mysterious Howling: A great introduction that sets the tone for the series while planting the themes of the importance of reading, education, and a good sense of humor. I loved meeting all the characters especially the distinct personalities of the kids.
4. The Interrupted Tale: Bringing the kids to her alma matar’s CAKE seminary, Penelope finds out Agatha’s Swanburne’s Academy for Poor Girls is in danger of being closed down and converted to a school fit for Oliver Twist. Determined to stop the closure, it turns out the shifty Edward Ashton is part of the troubles as the solution to the riddle seems to be part of Agatha’s documents. Seeing all the creative(ly boring in some cases) lectures offered combined with the surprise announcement of Lady Constanc, and Lord Fredrick confiding/relying on Penelope makes it a memorable read.
5. The Hidden Gallery: I was surprised that this ended lower on the ranking since this is where the mystery really begins thanks to Madam Inesco’s prophetic warning-“The hunt is on!” Plus the suspicion that Edward Ashton is not really dead, and the chaotic rendition of Simon’s play (that I believe is loosely based on the Pirates of Penzance) made me really take notice of the continuous nature of the series.
6. The Unseen Guest: The only reason that this gets last place is because as exciting as an ostrich hunt should be, I’ve never gotten into it. And the fear Penelope has that Alexander, Beaowulf and Cassiopia may return to their wild ways never feels urgent as it should be as it is a forgone conclusion that they’d want to stay with their Lumawoo.