Get ready for belly laughs, thrilling mysteries, and wild adventures with the delightful Bridget Vanderpuff series. Perfect for middle-grade readers (9-12) who love a good mystery with a dash of heart and a sprinkle of silliness, this series follows Bridget Vanderpuff, a whipsmart inventor and amateur sleuth who’s always in the thick of the action — whether she likes it or not.

With quirky characters, dastardly villains, and outrageous situations, these books are a recipe for fun!

Bridget Vanderpuff and the Baked Escape
In this hilarious debut, we meet Bridget, the last orphan at the Orphanage for Errant Childs, where she’s left at the mercy of the dreadful Miss Acrid and her foul-smelling fish sandwiches. When kindly baker Mr. Vanderpuff adopts Bridget, she believes her luck has finally changed. But Bridget quickly discovers she's absolutely terrible at baking. When Miss Acrid returns with plans for revenge, Bridget must rely on her quick thinking, clever inventions, and unique “baking” skills to save herself and Mr. Vanderpuff. Full of mischief, mystery, and cake, this first book sets the tone for a series packed with wild adventure and heart.

Our expert reviewer Andrea Reece described this first installment as an "Orphanage escape story without compare".

Bridget Vanderpuff and the Ghost Train
Belle-on-Sea is gearing up for the Night of the Hungry Ghosts, but all is not well. A ghost train is rattling into town, people are disappearing, and an eerie warning from Captain Lufty and his rat companion suggests something terrible is coming. When Mr. Vanderpuff is taken by the ghost train, Bridget and her friend Tom spring into action. They must uncover the mystery behind the ghost train and save the missing townspeople before it’s too late. With spooky settings and nail-biting suspense, this second installment brings even more fun and danger!

Andrea's review deemed it "Spooky sleuthing, mysterious vanishings, and super-hungry ghosts — this race-against-time adventure is a delight of detection, invention and delectable bakes!"

Bridget Vanderpuff and the Great Airship Robbery
Bridget sets sail for Paris in this thrilling third book, where she’s tasked with recovering Mr. Vanderpuff’s stolen golden whisk. Teaming up with her new friend Stacy, Bridget follows a trail of impossible puzzles through the city’s museums and the secret bakers’ network. Meanwhile, back in Belle-on-Sea, Tom and Pascal are hot on the trail of skullduggery. With codes to crack and villains to outwit, can Bridget save the day and the bake shop in time? This action-packed adventure whisks readers away on a puzzle-filled journey through the streets of Paris.

Andrea says this is "One to recommend to fans of Jenny Pearson and Sam Copeland."

Bridget Vanderpuff and the Monster Mountain Mystery
In the final book of the series, Bridget and Tom travel to Butterälp, home of the world’s finest chocolatier, Vivienne Velvete. But a terrifying monster is causing chaos, the chocolate festival is shut down, and the world’s most perfect chocolate bar has been chomped! Bridget and Tom must follow a trail of perplexing clues to unravel their most fiendish mystery yet. With Halloween thrills and spooky twists, this final adventure is the perfect blend of humor, suspense, and sweetness.

Andrea summed it up nicely when she said, "Book four this may be, but there are apparently no limits to Martin Stewart’s imagination and subsequently no limits to Bridget’s ingenuity and resourcefulness. "

From locked doors and booby traps to monster hunts and bakery mysteries, the Bridget Vanderpuff series is a laugh-out-loud joyride through magical towns, delicious treats, and larger-than-life characters. With each book more delightful than the last, this wildly inventive series is sure to captivate readers of all ages!

Click on the books below to read our expert reviews, download an extract or add the books to your basket, knowing that with every purchase on LoveReading4Kids a school close to your heart benefits.