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I love me a practiced mystery. I desire to exist Miss Marple when I abound upward and Flavia de Luce is absolutely my best friend in my head. But long earlier Agatha Christie and Alan Bradley filled my bookshelves, I was a kid enraptured by spies named Harriet and kids living in boxcars. Mystery books for kids are neat considering they foster logical thinking and deductive reasoning. They're too only plain fun.

Classics like Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys nonetheless have a salubrious readership, but the genre has come a long mode. There are so many fantastic mystery series and standalone works out in that location by a various mix of authors and illustrators. I've compiled a list of 50 mystery books for kids, both new and tried & true. The list spans everything from cake theft capers in picture books to fine art heist novels for heart course readers.

mystery books for kids

A notation about reading levels…

I've broken this list up into two broad sections, pic books and chapter books, with the chapter books listed in a mostly ascending order based on grade level. This process was a tricky one! I consulted various sources to come upwards with the best estimates: Scholastic's handy Book Wizard tool; the Renaissance Accelerated Reader Bookfinder; conversations with local librarians and, of course, input from parents. Using a combination of these resources, I've listed a grade level for each of these 50 selections, but these are past no means a universal one-size-fits-all guide.

Lastly, while this list focuses on mystery books for kids in the fifth class or younger, the reading level range on several titles creeps into college grade levels, i.e. titles with a range of grades 5–7. I've gone ahead and included those since they exercise at minimum work for 5th graders. Again, use your own discretion.

Now become crevice some cases!

Picture Mystery Books For Kids (infants, toddlers, preschool, Kindergarten)

Sherlock Holmes in the Hound of the Baskervilles (A Babylit Sounds Primer) by Jennifer Adams, Illustrated by Allison Oliver

And so, funny story—a lot of mystery books for kids like to riff off the Sherlock thing. This one is for the really little humans so information technology's sort of in a league of its own! The books in the Babylit Sounds Primer series all use unproblematic give-and-take pairings to introduce young minds to classic works of literature, like this one about the famed quirky detective of London's Baker Street.

The Eleventh Hr: A Curious Mystery by Graeme Base

In this beautifully illustrated flick book—seriously, the detail in these drawings is stunning—Horace the elephant throws himself an improvident costume party to celebrate his eleventh birthday. Then disaster strikes among the festivities: someone has eaten the lavish birthday banquet! Horace must figure out who the culprit is in the eleventh hour—which of his friends has dunnit?!

Where's the Big Bad Wolf ? by Eileen Christelow

In this remix of the classic tale, Detective Adamantly is trying to catch the huffing, puffing, house-blowing wolf before he eats the three little pigs for dinner. With the help of some observant cows and his own canine spidey-sense, he'll sniff out the culprit, doggone it!

Pigeon P.I. by Meg McLaren

Well, this picture book certainly isn't helping my theory that all pigeons are tiny cooing spies. It reads like a criminal offence noir comic, the story of a plumed private investigator who'due south come out of retirement to pursue a birdnapping instance. He looks equally the detective as ane can as a pigeon—he'southward got a fedora on and so you know he means business.

The Dot & Jabber series past Ellen Stoll Walsh

Meet Dot & Jabber, a pair of teeny mouse detectives who solve a different mystery in each of the books from this adorable series. These mysteries are both fun and informative for young readers, introducing them to the wonders of science with the help of some beautiful little critters. Each book includes an afterword with facts nigh the book's subject; Dot & Jabber and the Great Acorn Mystery, for example, includes like shooting fish in a barrel-to-empathize tidbits nearly oak trees and acorns.

Betty's Burgled Bakery by Travis Nichols

Of all the dirty, underhanded crimes I've come up across in my life equally a mystery reader, this takes the cake. Someone has stolen the pastries! Betty'southward Bakery has been burgled by a bread bandit who cleared the cupboards and counters of carrot cake, cornbread and crackers. The animal detectives of Gumshoe Zoo are on the case in this awesome, alliterative comic film volume.

Detective Larue: Letters from the Investigation by Marking Teague

This is the 2nd volume in the Dear Mrs. Larue series about a canis familiaris named Ike Larue with a knack for mad-cap hijinx. The rest of the books in the series aren't mysteries, but this one finds Ike putting on a detective lid to solve a cord of canary burglaries in the neighborhood. The problem is that Ike's been defendant—wrongly, of form!—of a crime himself, and is trapped in doggy jail! In that location's merely one thing for Ike to practise when the local police force strength can't seem to get the chore done: break complimentary and take matters into his own easily. Err, paws.

The Mystery of the Missing Cake by Claudia Boldt

"'Today is the perfect day for solving mysteries and eating cheese,' thinks Harold, tucked up warm in bed. Though, for Harold every mean solar day was the perfect day for solving mysteries and eating cheese." And those, folks, are some words I can relate to. Harold the flim-flam attends a costume birthday party for his friend Donkey. The festivities are soured when the birthday burro's cake is stolen during a game of monster tag. Harold steps in to save the party and the solar day by putting the pieces together to observe the culprit of this cake caper. It'south a keen lesson on the importance of honesty, sharing, and the joys of a yummy piece of cake.

Infant Monkey, Individual Eye by Brian Selznick, Illustrated past David Serlin

Don't allow the format fool you—while it looks similar a chapter volume from the outside, the easy, sparse linguistic communication reads like a picture book. Infant Monkey is just the cutest piddling gumshoe, sitting in his giant part waiting for cases to solve. He finds the thieving culprits for everything from an opera singer's missing jewels to an astronaut'south misplaced spaceship using some serious detective work. I love, dearest, beloved that he never begins a case before stopping for a snack and how laborious an effort it is for him to put on pants. Pants are hard!

Inspector Brunswick: The Case of the Missing Eyebrow by Angela Keoghan, Illustrated by Chris Sam Lam

You might take a look at that title and think, "Is this about Vanessa in her twenties when Mr. Tweezer went rogue and defiled her confront?" Simply no, this picture book is virtually cat detective Inspector Brunswick. He and his assistant Nelson take a trip to the art museum where they find something missing from a very famous painting. The two put their heads together to figure out what happened in this charming story about art, teamwork and a very sneaky caterpillar.

Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar? by Bonnie Lass, Illustrated by Philemon Sturges and Ashley Wolff

This picture show book is the perfect companion to the archetype kids song. You know—the one you started singing as before long as you read the title, and don't you deny it! Mr. Skunk discovers the same cookie jar and dang it, he's going to find the thief. Follow forth equally he confronts each of his animal friends to run across which one of them nabbed those cookies!

7 Ate 9 past Tara Lazar, Illustrated by Ross MacDonald

Ok, I tin't write up a better blurb for this book than what's already been done. Alas, I bring you lot this spot-on, punny piece of plot-summary perfection from the author's website: "Word on the street is that 7 ate ix. If that's truthful, 6'due south days are numbered. Lucky for him, Private I is on the example. Simply the facts just don't add up. It'south odd. Will Private I put two and two together and solve the problem…or is half dozen next in line to be subtracted?" Run into? Told you lot.

The Keen Pie Robbery and other Mysteries past Richard Scarry

I'm a fan of Richard Scarry books in full general, but this is 1 of my favorites. Sam Cat and Dudley Sus scrofa are these cute and quirky creature sleuths who do cute and quirky detective things. In this drove of three stories, their capers include catching shoplifters, pearl thieves and fifty-fifty more than shockingly: pie thieves. Sam and Dudley are often hilariously clueless and love to apparel themselves in some pretty ridiculous disguises. The illustrations are one-half the fun.

Mama the Alien past Rene Colato Lainez, Illustrated by Laura Lacamara

This isn't exactly your typical mystery—there'due south no crime to be solved, no whodunnit to unravel. The mystery hither is whether Sofia's mom is who she says she is—similar from planet Earth! It all starts one twenty-four hours when an ID card falls out of Mama's handbag. Sofia sees the words "Resident Alien" on it and wonders: does this mean Mama is an alien?! This bilingual story is a funny, lighthearted lesson on immigration and how words sometimes hateful more one thing.

Chapter Mystery Books For Kids (Grades i–5)

The Haunted Library serial past Dori Hillstead Butler (Grades i–3)

This delightful serial feels a piffling like a bookish Casper the Friendly Ghost. It's nearly a library-lurking ghost named Kaz who gets separated from his family and fears he'll never see them once more. Then one 24-hour interval he meets Claire, a young girl who can actually see him! The pair become friends and solve ghostly mysteries while they search for Kaz's family unit.

The Mysteries of Maisie Hitchins series past Holly Webb, Illustrated by Marion Lindsay (Grades ane-iv)

Remember when I told y'all that a lot of kids mystery books are a re-imagining of the Sherlock Holmes stories? I assume you lot'll now have that I'thousand no liar! In the Mysteries of Maisie Hitchins series, Maisie is a twelve-year-old working in her grandmother'due south boarding house with dreams of being a big, bad, lady detective. She only knows she'd be good at it, she only needs a case to prove it! In The Instance of the Stolen Sixpence , the first of viii in the series, she finally gets her big break. Maisie is our reimagined Holmes and her sidekick Eddie is her Watson; Eddie just then happens to be a canis familiaris, but hey! He proves to exist every bit every bit helpful.

Nancy Clancy, Super Sleuth by Jane O'Connor, Illustrated by Robin Toll Glasser (Grades 1-four)

Nancy puts on her detective cap to help a classmate find a stolen particular of priceless value. Little ones may recognize our stylish petty sleuth from the Fancy Nancy picture show books. Back in activity in affiliate volume class, Nancy solves mysteries in a pink trench glaze and a bedazzled magnifying glass. She's…well, fancy!

Julian, Secret Agent by Ann Cameron (Grades 2-5)

Julian and his buddies Huey and Gloria consider themselves some pretty sweet clandestine agents. They take later all rescued a neighborhood canis familiaris, saved a small child from drowning… only these kids have their sights set on solving some serious crime. They determine they're going to nab themselves a bank robber merely get in the style of the police. When theyfind themselves in some hot water, they'll need to use their super sleuthing and spy skills to save themselves!

Malcolm at Midnight past Due west. H. Beck, Illustrated past Brian Lies (Grades 2-5)

Malcolm is jazzed to exist the new fifth grade grade pet at schoolhouse: he's well fed, well loved and has some comfy digs. Even ameliorate: he finds out that the rest of the classroom pets are role of a secret society chosen The Academy whose charge is to continue the students of the school safe. When Aggy the iguana goes missing, the rest of the class pets accuse Malcolm of the crime. Run across, he chose to hibernate the fact that he'south not so much a mouse as a rat, and rats are not to be trusted—or are they? This is a delightful mystery with some valuable lessons on acceptance and inclusion.

The Geronimo Stilton series by Geronimo Stilton (Grades 2-5)

I went back and along as to whether this originally Italian serial should be labeled as mystery or adventure and I recall information technology'southward a lilliputian scrap of both! The books are about globetrotting mouse Geronimo Stilton, a acknowledged author, investigative reporter and editor for the Rodent Gazette in New Mouse City, Mouse Island. Stilton embarks on all sorts of wild adventures with his sis Thea, cousin Trap, and nephew Benjamin, keeping a diary of his travels as inspiration for his books. Outset with The Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye where Geronimo and Thea observe a mysterious map that leads the pair on a hunt for treasure.

The Sherlock Sam series by A.J. Low (Grades 2-v)

Yes. Another Sherlock book, just with a few twists! It's set up in Singapore, our sleuth Samuel Tan Cher Lock (aka Sherlock Sam) is a ten twelvemonth sometime foodie, and his sidekick is a robot named Watson. In Sherlock Sam and the Missing Heirloom in Katong, Sherlock & friends set out to find his auntie's stolen cookbook. Fun fact: A.J. Depression is actually a husband and wife duo! Adam Jimenez is a Mexican American author who grew up in California and later moved to Singapore where he met wife Felicia Depression. A.J. Jimenez plus Felicia Low = A.J. Depression.

Lulu's Mysterious Mission by Judith Viorst, Illustrated by Kevin Cornell (Grades 2-5)

So I definitely grabbed this book off a library shelf because young Lulu looks like a teeny tiny Edna Mode. Y'all see information technology also, right?! In Lulu's Mysterious Mission , Lulu is shocked and appalled to find out that her parents are going on vacation…without her! She enacts all sorts of elaborate schemes to get rid of babysitter Sonia Solinsky, only Ms. Solinsky has a secret that may just brand Lulu see the error in her ways. Note: this volume is one in a series, but this is the only ane I'd classify every bit a mystery.

The Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler Warren (Grades three-5)

The Boxcar Children books were start published back in 1942 and are pretty much considered classic mystery books for kids. The series follows the four orphaned Aiden children who make up one's mind to live in an abandoned boxcar in the forest. In the first book, The Boxcar Children , the kids learn that they take a grandfather but initially run from him, assertive him to be a brutal and scary old man. This turns out happily not to be the example, and the books that follow in the series each revolve around a mystery that the children solve together. My personal favorite is The Mystery Bookstore, a super fun caper set in the New Orleans French Quarter about…you lot guessed it! A mystery bookstore.

The Meg Mackintosh Solve It Yourself Mysteries series by Lucinda Landon (Grades 3-5)

The Meg Mackintosh books are interactive "solve it yourself" mysteries—they invite readers to analyze visual and written clues throughout the unraveling of the mystery. There are at to the lowest degree 8 books in the series, my favorite of which is Meg Mackintosh and the Mystery in the Locked Library . In it, Meg, her brother and her grandfather pay a visit to Meg's Aunt Alice, the caput librarian at a local library. The problem is Aunt Alice has gone missing, but she has left behind a trail of clues that pb Million & visitor to the library.

The Bunnicula serial by Deborah and James Howe (Grades three-5)

In that location's no mode I was going to forget to include this series in a list of mystery books for kids. Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery is a middle course mystery-comedy about a fanged rabbit who might be a vampire. Sign me up! When the Monroe family unit finds a peculiar little bunny at a screening of Dracula, they decide to bring him home with them. They call him Bunnicula and innovate him to pets Harold the dog and Chester the cat. Strange things kickoff to happen around Bunnicula, convincing Chester that this fluffy bunny guy is a vampire. He sets out to prove his theory—is Bunnicula really a bloodsucking bunny, or is it all a big misunderstanding?

T he Clubhouse Mysteries by Sharon Draper, Illustrated by Jesse Joshua Watson (Grades 3-5)

In The Buried Bones Mystery, Ziggy and his friends Rico, Rashawn and Jerome decide to form a club. They've built a clubhouse in Ziggy'southward lawn to serve equally their headquarters and decide to call themselves the Black Dinosaurs—considering what's cooler than dinosaurs? They presently make a startling discovery: someone has cached a box of bones behind their clubhouse! The boys fix off to solve this strange and scary mystery and observe themselves on an adventure across their wildest imaginations.

The Encyclopedia Brown series by Donald J. Sobol (Grades 3-5)

Leroy Dark-brown is his boondocks's star detective, solving cases for all of the kids in the neighborhood. Why is he known as Encyclopedia Brown? Considering of all the random facts, figures and trivia stored in his pretty remarkable memory. He's then good that his own dad picks his brain every night to solve catchy cases, and he's the caput of their town'south police force section! Each book in the series is interactive and contains ten stories for readers to follow forth and solve. Start with Encyclopedia Chocolate-brown, Boy Detective and get from in that location—there are 25+ books in this series, plenty of leads to pursue!

The Great Mouse Detective Series past Eve Titus, Illustrated by Paul Galdone (Grades iii-5)

Basil is a mouse, but not just whatsoever mouse: he'southward the mouse who lives in the cellar of Sherlock Holmes's business firm on Baker Street. Every bit such he has observed the genius of the crime-solving mad man upstairs and has picked up a thing or 2 in the art of sleuthing. In Basil of Baker Street , Basil must attempt and solve his toughest case however: a mousenapping (hehe) with seemingly zero clues to go along!

The Nate the Corking Series by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, Illustrated by Marc Simont (Grades 3-5)

Nate the Great is enjoying his morning pancakes when he gets a call from his friend Annie. She's lost something important and needs Nate'due south help to find it. Nate throws on a very Sam Spade–ish trench glaze and gets right on it. He follows clues, asks questions, makes a list of suspects—you know, all the stuff keen detectives do. These books are clever and funny and there's plenty to dearest: this series for kickoff readers is 26 books long!

The Olivia Abrupt: Amanuensis for Secrets series by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and Mitchell Sharmat, Illustrated by Denise Brunkus (Grades 3-v)

Olivia Sharp isn't new to mystery—she'south Nate the Smashing's cousin, after all! She considers herself less a solver of mysteries and more than an agent of secrets: she helps her clients with warm & friendly approach and past digging into what'south going on beneath the surface. Kickoff with The Sly Spy and go from there.

The A to Z Mysteries series past Ron Roy, Illustrated by John Steven Gurney (Grades 3-5)

Dink, Josh and Ruth Rose are 3 friends who solve mysteries in this much loved collection. As you may have guessed, the volume titles in this series follow the alphabet: The Absent Author, The Bald Bandit, The Canary Antic, etc. Start with The Absent Author where Dink'due south favorite author is a no-show at a book signing. It's up to the three amigos to find out where he went.

Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew series by Carolyn Keene, Illustrated by Macky Pamintuan (Grades 3-5)

You've surely heard of the original Nancy Drew series from the 1930s—yes, you read that right. The '30s! But did you lot know that there'due south a newer series out for middle grade readers? Well there is! Nancy'due south adventures include finding her missing City Girls doll at a sleepover and tracking downwards the thief that stole a special handbasket of treats from a doggy fashion show. Still, Nancy remains ever the resourceful little sleuth and always cracks the instance.

The Wollstonecraft Detective Bureau series past Jordan Stratford, Illustrated by Kelly White potato (Grades three-7)

The concept of this series is just and then, so brilliant. It's a reimagined 1826 where Ada Lovelace and Mary Shelley are BFFs and have come up together to course a secret detective agency in London. In volume i, The Case of the Missing Moonstone , this girl duo reminiscent of Holmes and Watson (yep, more Holmes stuff!) uses math, science and deductive reasoning to solve a mystery surrounding a stolen heirloom. This series is funny, activeness-packed, and dripping with brainy girl power.

Me, Frida and the Cloak-and-dagger of the Peacock Band by Angela Cervantes (Grades 3-7)

Pamela Cervantes is eleven years old when she and her mother travel to Mexico City, the birthplace of Pamela'southward deceased father. She meets siblings Lizzie and Gael who inquire for her assistance in finding a ring that in one case belonged to her father'southward favorite artist, beloved Mexican icon Frida Kahlo! Pamela agrees to assist, but it seems similar Lizzie and Gael'southward motives may non be as pure every bit they seem.

Harriet the Spyby Louise Fitzhugh (Grades iii-seven)

I couldn't compile a list of mystery books for kids without this classic. Harriet is an astute and spunky piffling girl who goes around scribbling thoughts and observations in a notebook. When she misplaces that notebook, it ends upwardly in the wrong hands. Shortly the contents (some hurtful, though true) make their way to her friends…awkward! Now Harriet must find a way to fix things with her pals and evidence that she'southward no hateful girl. She just really, really loves the truth.

The Cloak-and-dagger Series by Pseudonymous Bosch, Grades 3-vii

I really dig the witty subversiveness of this serial'due south secrecy: the titles, the plot descriptions, and fifty-fifty the authors' name are all cloaked in an air of mystery that's perfect for young mystery readers and fans of a expert riddle. The Proper noun of this Book is Underground is the outset of v books in The Cloak-and-dagger Series and is most certainly not almost a couple of eleven-yr-olds chasing a missing sorcerer. Nope, no audacious pursuit of villains here, folks. Zilch to see at all.

The Style to Bea by Kat Yeh (Grades 3-7)

Beatrix Lee is going through some stuff. Her all-time friend has ghosted her right at the showtime of seventh grade and a new babe is virtually to stop her reign equally an only child. Feeling isolated, Bea finds comfort in the haiku she crafts in invisible ink, poems she hides in a cloak-and-dagger hiding spot. Then 1 day, she's shocked to discover that someone has started writing back. She sets out to try and figure out who her secret pen pal might be and finds her manner back to herself in the process. Annotation: I don't think this book is usually classified as a mystery. The clandestine poem pen pal and a mysterious labyrinth requite it a mystery vibe though.

Explorer: The Mystery Boxes edited by Kazu Kibuishi (Grades iii-7)

The Explorer series is comprised of iii volumes to date, all edited by Kazu Kibuishi. Each volume is a collection of seven graphic stories from seven unlike comics creators around a central theme. Explorer: The Mystery Boxes is a creative, clever collection of stories about boxes of mysterious origin, but the stories could not be more different both in written content and artistic style. In one story, a immature girl hears a tapping noise nether her bed and discovers a box with a ambiguous notation; inside she finds a wax doll who seems sugariness at first but…Another story follows a Japanese girl whose grandmother is convinced that spirits are stealing butter from the kitchen. Thing is, Obaasan miiiight non be wrong. And then fun!

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliet (Grades iii-7)

Set in Hyde Park, this art mystery opens with a mysterious letter sent to three unknown recipients from an bearding sender. The letter asks each of them to solve a offense that has wronged one of the earth's greatest painters. Next we meet Petra Andalee and Calder Pillay, students in the same sixth grade course who aren't exactly friends. A mysterious volume brings them together and they soon find themselves wrapped up in an international fine art scandal. They'll have to follow a trail of complicated clues and coded messages to get to the truth.

The Mysterious Benedict Society serial by Trenton Lee Stewart (Grades iii-7)

A mysterious ad in a local paper reads: "Are yous a gifted child looking for special opportunities?" Many children reply but only four are chosen later on numerous rounds of vigorous testing. The four are introduced to Mr. Nicholas Benedict; he reveals that they've been enlisted to take down an evil force behind a mind-control plot. To do this, they must get underground to penetrate a shady org called the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened. Secret and societies and kid espionage—what'due south not to dear?

The Sammy Keyes series past Wendelin Van Draanen (Grades 3-7)

When we first meet Sammy in Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief, she's got a lot going on—she's managed to make an enemy of the meanest mean girl at schoolhouse, she's been expelled, and she's living with her grandma in a seniors-simply building because her mom is off trying to make information technology as a movie star. Things go from bad to worse when she witnesses a burglary at the hotel beyond the street, and at present the thief is after her. Tin't get enough of Sammy? Follow her adventures in the 17 other books in this series.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg (Grades four-5)

I'm pulling this blurb directly from my shelf talker at the bookstore where I work. Information technology'south 1 of my favorite books ever! " I probably read this xx times when I was a child. It is just and so expert! Little Claudia Kincaid decides she wants to run away, but not just anywhere: she'south going to run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and notice a way to alive there. She bamboozles her little brother into going along for the ride and pulls off her primary plan. The two finish up stumbling upon a headline-making mystery in the process. I've been reading mysteries (and trying to live inside a swanky museum, sssh) ever since."

Smashie McPerter and the Mystery of Room 11 by Due north. Griffin, Illustrated by Kate Kindley (Grades 4-half dozen)

"The twenty-four hour period Patches was stolen from Smashie McPerter's course started out like whatsoever other 24-hour interval. Well, except for the fact that her teacher was out sick and Smashie'due south class was stuck with the worst substitute in the world. And except for the mysterious business concern with the glue. And except for the fact that Patches himself had become Smashie'south new archenemy." Patches, naturally, is her class's best hamster, and Smashie is rather distraught about his disappearance. I would have been all over these books as a kid, both considering how can you not honey the proper name Smashie McPerter and considering the plot is just so Ramona-esquely relatable.

The Math Inspectors series by Daniel Kenney, Illustrated by Emily Boever (Grades 4-6)

Mind up, parental figures: these books are the best of both worlds. Each i is a really fun, continue-you-guessing detective story AND a math lesson! Four 6th graders accept banded together to form a detective agency. In The Case of the Claymore Diamond, the foursome hear about the burglary of a local jewelry store. When they arrive on the scene, they find the shop owner unconscious; what's more, his prized Claymore diamond is missing too! The police think they've solved the example, but they don't have all the facts straight. All of this plus math—it'south woven in throughout to brand for a fun and educational care for for bookworms.

The Book of Elsewhere series by Jacqueline West (Grades 4-6)

You should read these books because there are three talking cats in the series. Yes please! They're too a fast-paced, page-turnery blend of mystery and adventure. In The Shadows, eleven-twelvemonth-old Olive and her parents movement into a crumbling mansion filled with all sorts of weird and interesting paintings. Olive finds a dusty pair of spectacles in some abandoned drawer and makes a startling discovery. It seems she tin travel within the paintings to a creepily silent place called Elsewhere! Peril awaits as she tries to unravel the mystery she's unwittingly stepped into. And did I mention that at that place are talking cats??

The Chinatown Mystery series by Laurence Yeah (Grades iv-7)

In The Case of the Goblin Pearls, the first in this series, Lily Lew is excited to learn that her Great Auntie Tiger Lil, a famous motion-picture show star, is coming to visit her family in San Francisco. When Tiger Lil invites Lily to be in Chinatown'due south New year's day'southward Parade, she of grade jumps at the risk. During the parade, someone steals the priceless Goblin Pearls correct from under Lily's face up. Great Auntie Tiger Lil decides it's up to her to find the thieves and invites young Lily forth for the ride.

The 39 Clues series by multiple authors (Grades 5-7)

The books in The 39 Clues series are a adventure/mystery mashup series. A collaboration of authors have written these stories, including Rick Riordan, Patrick Carman, Linda Sue Park and Sarwat Chadda. In that location are five sub-serial that make upwardly one big series and each sub-series contains multiple volumes. The beginning book, The Maze of Bones , introduces us to Amy and Dan Cahill, a brother and sis duo who learn that their family is the near influential in all of history. The ii embark on a dangerous, twisty, action-packed quest to detect the 39 clues, ingredients that are the secret to their family'south power. Bonus: readers can become their hands on collectors cards that stand for to each book. The cards incorporate a code that when entered online will reveal that book'southward inkling.

The Enola Holmes Mystery series past Nancy Springer (Grades 5-8)

Yes, I am sneaking in i final Sherlock book simply hear me out! In this serial, Enola is Sherlock's sister and is trying to cleave out her own place in the world. Nosotros get-go come across Enola in The Case of the Missing Marquess . She's traveling to London to track downwards her missing female parent, but she'southward pulled into a kidnapping and murder example when she arrives. She must try to solve this instance while also figuring out what's become of her female parent. A fun, feminist branch-off with 6 books in the series. Run into? Skillful, correct?

The Harlem Charade past Natasha Tarpley (Grades 5-eight)

Twelve-year-quondam Jin is studying at her grandparents' Harlem bodega when a classmate named Alex walks in. She doesn't say a give-and-take and leaves just as speedily as she came. Jin decides she has to know more well-nigh this mysterious girl and pairs up with her for a class projection. While out delivering food to a adult female's shelter, the girls meet Elvin, a homeless male child whose grandfather was attacked in a customs garden. The 3 form an unlikely friendship as they join forces to find his attacker. They don't expect to find themselves involved in an fifty-fifty big mystery having to do with priceless works of art.

Agree Fast by Blueish Balliet (Grades 5-eight)

Early Pearl's father is non the kind of human being who'd leave his family, yet he has. At least it appears he has, leaving a mess behind that's put Early and her family unit in danger. When the three of them are forced to motility into a shelter, Early starts asking questions. She soon discovers that at that place are clues to her father's mysterious disappearance and she may be the only one who can cleft them. And male child oh boy, does Blue Baillet'southward signature love of beautiful words actually sets this piece of work autonomously.

What are your favorite mystery books for kids? Striking the comments to share your favorites.

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Source: https://bookriot.com/must-read-mystery-books-for-kids/