The Legend of Chocolate Hills is the 85th entry in a series that has basically become the "cheat code" for getting reluctant readers to actually finish a book. If you’ve got a kid who treats a wall of black-and-white text like a chore, Geronimo Stilton is the solution—and this Philippine mystery about giant footprints and geological oddities is a particularly strong showing for the neurotic mouse.
TL;DR: The Legend of Chocolate Hills is a high-energy, visually frantic mystery that takes Geronimo Stilton to the Philippines to investigate "giant" sightings. It’s the perfect pick for 7-to-10-year-olds who need the "comic book energy" of colorful fonts and illustrations to stay engaged with a chapter book. For more high-engagement picks, check out our best books for kids list.
If you aren’t familiar with the Geronimo Stilton universe, here is the deal: Geronimo is the editor of The Rodent’s Gazette. He is also a total disaster. He’s afraid of heights, germs, travel, and basically everything else.
In #85, he’s dragged to the Chocolate Hills of Bohol in the Philippines. The mystery involves a local legend about a giant’s dried tears (the hills themselves) and some very fresh, very large footprints that have the locals spooked.
The reason this works—and has worked for 85 books—is that Geronimo is the anti-hero kids actually relate to. While most kid-lit protagonists are brave and adventurous, Geronimo is a relatable nervous wreck. Watching him navigate the humidity and the "threat" of giants while screaming "Holey Cheese!" is slapstick gold for the elementary school set.
The real magic of The Legend of Chocolate Hills isn't just the plot; it’s the typography. Every few sentences, a word will be written in a font that matches its meaning. If something is "stinky," the word is green and wavy. If something is "cold," it’s blue and covered in icicles.
For a "serious" reader, this can feel like a fever dream. For a kid who struggles with focus or finds traditional blocks of text intimidating, it’s a lifeline. It turns reading into a visual scavenger hunt. It’s the bridge between a graphic novel like Dog Man and a "real" novel. If your kid is stuck in that middle ground, this book is exactly where they should be.
One of the best things about the later Stilton books is their commitment to real-world locations. The Legend of Chocolate Hills isn't set in a generic jungle. It’s specifically Bohol.
Your kid is going to learn about:
- The Chocolate Hills: These are real geological formations that turn brown in the dry season (hence the name).
- Tarsiers: The book features these tiny, bug-eyed primates, which are a real-world icon of the Philippines.
- Filipino Culture: There are nods to the food and the hospitality that feel genuine, not like a Wikipedia copy-paste job.
It’s "stealth learning" at its finest. They think they’re reading a goofy story about a mouse and a giant; they’re actually getting a 101 on Southeast Asian geography.
If your kid is already deep into the Geronimo Stilton world, they might be branching out. Here is how this one stacks up against the competition:
While Stilton is about slapstick and mystery, Last Kids is about the "monster apocalypse." If your kid likes the illustrations in Stilton but wants more "action-movie" energy and slightly older humor, that’s the next logical step.
If the pun-heavy humor of the mouse world is what's hitting, InvestiGators is the graphic novel equivalent. It’s fast, it’s absurd, and it rewards kids who pay attention to visual gags.
These are the "big" Stilton books—hardcover, thicker, and full of scratch-and-sniff stickers. The Legend of Chocolate Hills is a quicker read. If your kid is intimidated by the size of the Kingdom of Fantasy books, #85 is a much lower-stakes entry point.
The one thing to be aware of: the vocabulary in these books is surprisingly sophisticated. Because they use visual cues to help define words, the authors don't shy away from "big" words like cacophony, petrified, or exasperated.
Pro-tip: If your kid is a struggling reader, have them read a chapter to you. When they hit one of those stylized words, ask them why they think the font looks like that. It’s a great way to build context-clue skills without it feeling like a phonics lesson.
- The "Scaredy-Mouse" Dynamic: Geronimo is terrified of everything. Ask your kid: "Do you think Geronimo is actually brave because he does the adventure even though he's scared?" It’s a better conversation about courage than any 'hero' story.
- Fact vs. Fiction: After they finish, look up a photo of the real Chocolate Hills or a Tarsier. It blows their mind to see that the "weird stuff" in the book actually exists.
- The Mystery Mechanics: Ask them when they figured out the "giant" wasn't what it seemed. It’s a great way to see if they’re actually tracking the plot or just looking at the pictures.
Q: Is Geronimo Stilton #85 appropriate for a 7-year-old? Absolutely. The "scary" elements (like giant footprints) are always resolved with a logical, non-supernatural explanation, and the humor is very much in the slapstick/G-rated lane.
Q: Do you need to read the first 84 books to understand this one? Not at all. The series is episodic. Every book starts with a quick intro of who Geronimo is and his life at the newspaper. You can jump in anywhere.
Q: Is this book better for boys or girls? It’s truly neutral. While the lead is a male mouse, the supporting cast (like his sister Thea Stilton) is just as capable and often much smarter than he is.
Q: How long does it take an average 3rd grader to read? Because of the heavy illustration and font work, most 8-to-9-year-olds can knock this out in two or three sittings. It’s designed for quick wins.
The Legend of Chocolate Hills is a solid, reliable win. It’s not "high art," but it is high-engagement. If you want a book that your kid will actually choose over a screen, this is a top-tier contender. It’s funny, it’s fast, and it might actually teach them where the Philippines is on a map.
- If they loved the mystery aspect, try our best podcasts for kids list for some great audio mysteries like Mars Patel.
- Check out our digital guide for elementary school to find games that hit the same "adventure and puzzle" notes.
- Find more books for reluctant readers
