Buy new:
$11.34
FREE delivery: Thursday, Jan 18 on orders over $35.00 shipped by Amazon.
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
List Price: $11.99 Details

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Save: $0.65 (5%)
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
Return this item for free
  • Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges
  • Learn more about free returns.
FREE delivery Thursday, January 18 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery Wednesday, January 17
In Stock
$$11.34 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$11.34
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime
FREE delivery Thursday, January 18 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Used: Good | Details
Sold by Jenson Books Inc
Fulfilled by Amazon
Condition: Used: Good
Comment: This item shows wear including moderate wear to edges and cover.

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service we offer sellers that lets them store their products in Amazon's fulfillment centers, and we directly pack, ship, and provide customer service for these products. Something we hope you'll especially enjoy: FBA items qualify for FREE Shipping and Amazon Prime.

If you're a seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you grow your business. Learn more about the program.

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
New & Used (107) from
$1.23  + $3.98 shipping
Other Sellers on Amazon
Added
$5.98
+ $3.99 shipping
Sold by: Riley-Destiny Eclectics :)
Sold by: Riley-Destiny Eclectics :)
(1381 ratings)
89% positive over last 12 months
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Shipping rates and Return policy
Added
$10.56
& FREE Shipping
Sold by: BOOK_DEPOT
Sold by: BOOK_DEPOT
(394 ratings)
87% positive over last 12 months
In stock
Usually ships within 4 to 5 days.
Shipping rates and Return policy
Added
$10.99
& FREE Shipping
Sold by: T&N Enterprises
Sold by: T&N Enterprises
(1541 ratings)
98% positive over last 12 months
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Shipping rates and Return policy
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Paul B. Janeczko
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Top Secret: A Handbook of Codes, Ciphers and Secret Writing Paperback – Illustrated, April 11, 2006

by Paul B. Janeczko (Editor), Jenna LaReau (Illustrator)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 356 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$11.34","priceAmount":11.34,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"11","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"34","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"crzUQaGu%2FdRzTZlVarcv79stQvk6QwH4KNctPaFTMTB4%2BnJpH6J0FBP%2FTDe%2FPVCu9IxJrb6Ufr%2Bd3Z%2FOqi8ubUaXPGTmb0sgJzAQ3tfiad0PPwFhzb3aXZk%2BaTY66jtrXNuolvQIMas%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$6.54","priceAmount":6.54,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"6","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"54","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"crzUQaGu%2FdRzTZlVarcv79stQvk6QwH44IG8p9fU%2BnMsIfv2waoLsKKm%2F03Ta2GW3bV6gLfuAfdQyIUPBmHWnF%2BUAqsV6Mf1r8obWkFRDOiLC9cfnOVssQu%2Btn5FXUbcsBH4BPJeMpDV6NZ09yu4poMVsLLjRvUfwDnULlCCGpCfI1DY7xHBnGKAdDqdlkvB","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

"The author's upbeat, positive tone is refreshing and his enthusiasm about his topic is contagious." — School Library Journal (starred review)

Pssst! Do you know the difference between a code and a cipher? Can you tell a St. Cyr slide from a Cardano grille? Did you know that the discovery of a substitution cipher caused Mary Queen of Scots to lose her head? Don’t look now, but packed into this practical field guide is everything a young person needs to know about the art of concealment — making and breaking codes, mastering cipher systems, and experimenting with secret writing. Offering plenty of hands-on practice sessions, tips for creating a code-making kit, sidebars on secret codes in history, and an amusing pair of spies to illustrate techniques, Paul B. Janeczko’s tantalizing Top Secret won’t stay a secret for long. Back matter includes suggestions for further reading, an author’s note, an answer key, and an index.

Review

The author's upbeat, positive tone is refreshing and his enthusiasm about his topic is contagious.
—School Library Journal (starred review)

Thoroughly engrossing.
—FamilyFun

Janeczko gives aspiring codemakers and codebreakers everything they need for staging their own information exchanges. . . . Fascinating historical anecdotes keep things lively, as do LaReau's stylish black-and-white illustrations.
—Booklist (starred review)

About the Author

  

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

As long as I can remember, I’ve been interested in codes and ciphers. There are a lot of reasons. For one thing, I’ve always enjoyed a good puzzle, whether it’s a math puzzle or a word game. I’ve also been a fan of spy novels and movies. I love all that cloak-and-dagger stuff, all those mysterious meetings in exotic places. And I’ve been something of a history buff, especially interested in how individuals shaped history. All of these interests find their way into any exploration of codes and ciphers.

I’m sure you have your own reason for picking up this field guide, but I suspect that you’re a lot like me. There is something about codes and ciphers — how to make them, how to break them, how they changed history — that fascinates you. Maybe you’ve dreamed of designing a cipher that is "unbreakable." Or working against time to break a secret code. Or trying to create the perfect invisible ink. If this sounds like you, then this guide is just for you.

This book is about making codes and ciphers, not just reading about them. To get the most out of this book, I suggest you create a codemaker’s field kit. You might want to think of it as your spy kit, a place where you can store all your tools for codemaking and codebreaking. I suggest you use a shoe box or a plastic storage box. That should give you enough room, at least for starters, to store the cipher tools and codebooks you will make. You can also keep the invisible ink and the pens, toothpicks, and developers that go along with it. By the time you work your way through this book, you will have many things to keep in your field kit.

While you don’t need a cloak or a dagger for your field kit, I think it’s a good idea for you to have a notebook or journal in which you can keep track of some of the things you will create along the way — things like code names and suitable keywords for a number of different ciphers. The notebook is also the perfect place to work out solutions for intercepted messages and to design the new codes and ciphers you will dream up.

But don’t just rely on what you read about in this book to decide what to put in your field kit and in your notebook. Be inventive. Use your imagination to think of other things that can help you as a codemaker and codebreaker.

One of the ways to get new ideas about codes and ciphers is to read books and stories that show how spies carry out their business. I hope you get some ideas from the stories that are scattered throughout the book. They tell about some of the famous codes, codemakers, and codebreakers in history. At the end of this book, I’ve suggested some other books that will give you even more information about the world of codes and espionage.

Since even a real spy doesn’t work alone, making and breaking codes is much more fun if you work with a partner. And it’s even more fun if you pick a partner who wants to be inventive. You know the kind of person I mean — someone who is willing to try something clever to make a good code better. Someone who is willing to take chances or makes guesses to break a code.

If you are nuts about codes and ciphers and secret writing, this guide has it all: codes, ciphers, invisible inks, concealment techniques, spy stories, and even a little bit of history (but only the exciting parts). Find a friend and start reading this book and building your codemaker’s field kit. The fun has just begun!
Previous page
  1. Reading age
    9 - 12 years, from customers
  2. Print length
    144 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    4 - 7
  5. Dimensions
    7.19 x 0.37 x 9.06 inches
  6. Publisher
    Candlewick
  7. Publication date
    April 11, 2006
  8. ISBN-10
    0763629723
  9. ISBN-13
    978-0763629724
  10. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Frequently bought together

Top Secret: A Handbook of Codes, Ciphers and Secret Writing
$11.34
Get it as soon as Thursday, Jan 18
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Break the Code: Cryptography for Beginners (Dover Kids Activity Books)
$8.99
Get it as soon as Tuesday, Jan 16
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Retroworks Caesar Cipher Medallion Original
$19.99
Get it as soon as Wednesday, Jan 17
In Stock
Sold by Retroworks and ships from Amazon Fulfillment.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
These items are shipped from and sold by different sellers.
Show details Hide details
Choose items to buy together.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Candlewick; Reprint edition (April 11, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 144 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0763629723
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0763629724
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 9 - 12 years, from customers
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 4 - 7
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.19 x 0.37 x 9.06 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 356 ratings

Important information

To report an issue with this product or seller, click here.

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Paul B. Janeczko

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
356 global ratings
All Photos
It is a Secret, do not tell anyone.
5 Stars
It is a Secret, do not tell anyone.
It is a Christmas present for someone. Book looks good, I have not read it.
MoreHide
It is a Secret, do not tell anyone.
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

Sparty
5.0 out of 5 stars It is a Secret, do not tell anyone.
Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2022
Verified Purchase
Customer image
Sparty
5.0 out of 5 stars It is a Secret, do not tell anyone.
Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2022
It is a Christmas present for someone. Book looks good, I have not read it.
Images in this review
Customer image
Customer image
Helpful
 Report
Not Sharing My Name
5.0 out of 5 stars Such a great book!
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2021
Verified Purchase
5 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Erin
5.0 out of 5 stars PERFECT intro to secret codes
Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2021
Verified Purchase
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
StoneHenge
VINE VOICE
4.0 out of 5 stars Great for pre-teens and Jr. High kids
Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2018
Verified Purchase
12 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
pj
5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this book for tons of fun!
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2020
Verified Purchase
13 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
sugarbelle
5.0 out of 5 stars Eatgray Urchasepay
Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2013
Verified Purchase
7 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Solaris
5.0 out of 5 stars Not too old for a 6-year-old
Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2008
Verified Purchase
48 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
uayfb1
3.0 out of 5 stars Good introduction
Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2013
Verified Purchase
9 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

techmad
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 1, 2023
Verified Purchase
Report
Jacques Batteson
4.0 out of 5 stars As expected
Reviewed in Germany on May 24, 2021
Verified Purchase
Report
Aug
1.0 out of 5 stars Too basic
Reviewed in Canada on January 21, 2016
Verified Purchase
Report
Daniel Collyer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 9, 2017
Verified Purchase
Report