House of Secrets (House of Secrets, #1)

House of Secrets is a 2013 children's novel by Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini. The book was first published on April 23, 2013, through Balzer + Bray and is the first book in the House of Secrets series. The book follows the three Walker family children as they attempt to find a secret book and rescue their parents in the process. Rights to the book were sold in 12 foreign territories.Of the book, Columbus has commented that he was inspired to write the series after seeing the popularity of the Harry Potter series and its effect on young readers. Columbus has also remarked that he views the book as a "cousin" to his 1985 film The Goonies.