Mysteries for Upper Elmentary

Grades 3-5

Updated May 23, 2025
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Woof : a Bowser and Birdie novel
Quinn, Spencer
Paper Book
"I defy anyone to read this book -- kid or adult -- without a big, goofy grin." -- HARLAN COBEN, #1 New York Times bestselling authorThe New York Times Bestselling MysteryThere is trouble brewing in the Louisiana swamp -- Bowser can smell it. Bowser is a very handsome and...
R.L. 4.3
Capture the flag
Messner, Kate
Paper Book
Three kids get caught up in an adventure of historic proportions!Anna, José, and Henry are complete strangers with more in common than they realize. Snowed in together at a chaotic Washington D.C. airport, they encounter a mysterious tattooed man, a flamboyant politician, and a rambunctious...
R.L. 4.5
A royal conundrum
Yee, Lisa
Paper Book
" When a notorious thief is out for priceless treasure (gems! cats! general decorum!)--who're you gonna call? An elite team of crime-fighting underdogs, that's who! The Misfits are on the case in this hilarious illustrated series from Newbery Honoree Lisa Yee and Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat!...
R.L. 5.8
Insignificant events in the life of a cactus
Bowling, Dusti
Paper Book
"Aven is a perky, hilarious, and inspiring protagonist whose attitude and humor will linger even after the last page has turned." --School Library Journal (Starred review) Aven Green loves to tell people that she lost her arms in an alligator...
R.L. 4.6
Three times lucky
Turnage, Sheila
Ebook
Newbery honor winner, New York Times bestseller, Edgar Award Finalist, and E.B. White Read-Aloud Honor book. A hilarious Southern debut with the kind of characters you meet once in a lifetime Rising sixth grader Miss Moses LoBeau lives in the small town of...
R.L. 3.9
Wretched waterpark
White, Kiersten
Paper Book
A middle-grade mystery series that's spooky, creepy, and filled with gothic twists!Meet the Sinister-Winterbottom twins, who solve mysteries at increasingly bizarre summer vacation destinations in the hopes of being reunited with their parents-or at the very least finally finding a good churro....

R.L. 4.9

The Swifts : a dictionary of scoundrels
Lincoln, Beth
Paper Book
#1 New York Times bestseller! "Knives Out feel by way of Lemony Snicket...This archly told, never muddled debut whodunit reveals a roster of distinct characters, a labyrinthine setting and plot, and a mystery that is as clever as its heroine." - Publishers Weekly...
R.L. 6.0
Bunnicula : a rabbit-tale of mystery
Howe, Deborah
Paper Book
THIS book is written by Harold. His full time occupation is dog. He lives with Mr. and Mrs. X (here called Monroe) and their sons Toby and Pete. Also sharing the home are a cat named Chester and a rabbit named Bunnicula. It is because of Bunnicula that Harold turned to writing. Someone had to tell...
R.L. 4.2
The Parker inheritance
Johnson, Varian
Paper Book
A Boston Globe / Horn Book Honor winner * Four Starred Reviews * Over Ten Best-of-Year Lists"Powerful.... Johnson writes about the long shadows of the past with such ambition that any reader with a taste for mystery will appreciate the puzzle Candice and Brandon must solve." -- The New York Times...
R.L. 4.2
The lost library
Stead, Rebecca
Paper Book
Now a New York Times bestseller and a #1 Indie Bestseller, readers won't want to miss this story of a little free library guarded by a cat, and a boy who takes on the mystery it keeps. A TODAY SHOW Kids' Read Pick! * The Amazon #1 Best Book for Kids * "A...
R.L. 4.3
From the mixed-up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Konigsburg, E. L.
Paper Book
A Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021) Run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art with E. L. Konigsburg's beloved classic and Newbery Medal­-winning novel From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler! When Claudia decided to run away, she...
R.L. 4.7
The sisters Grimm, book one : the fairy-tale detectives
Buckley, Michael
Paper Book
With the winning combination of Nancy Drew meets Shrek, this first book in the new Sisters Grimm series will entertain with a hilarious mix of mysteries and fairy tale twists.In the tradition of Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events and The Spiderwick Chronicles comes a new humorous mystery...
R.L. 5.2
The real McCoys
Swanson, Matthew
Paper Book
The first book in an illustrated middle-grade series in which a precocious detective solves mysteries with her super-smart little brother. Her name's Moxie. Moxie McCoy. Bold, opinionated, and haplessly self-confident, the world's greatest fourth-grade detective...
R.L. 5.2
The Westing game
Raskin, Ellen
Paper Book
When an eccentric millionaire dies mysteriously, 16 very unlikely people are gathered together for the reading of the will--and what a will it is. A Newbery Medal-winning novel.
R.L. 5.3
York. Book one, The shadow cipher
Ruby, Laura
Paper Book
"The pleasures of the novel go far beyond the crackling, breathless plot and the satisfaction of watching the puzzle fall into place. The book is shot through with humor, both laugh-out-loud and subtle." --New York Times Book Review From National Book Award finalist and Printz Award winner...
R.L. 5.3
Absolutely Truly
Frederick, Heather Vogel
Paper Book
An unsent letter in a first edition copy of Charlotte's Web leads to a hunt for treasure in this heartwarming middle grade mystery from the author of The Mother-Daughter Book Club. Now that Truly Lovejoy's father has been injured by an IED in Afghanistan and is...
R.L. 5.4
Book scavenger
Bertman, Jennifer Chambliss
Paper Book
A New York Times-Bestseller! "Full of heart and replete with challenging ciphers for readers to decode, Bertman's debut is literary cousin to classic puzzlers like The Westing Game." ―Publishers Weekly, starred review "Fans of Escape...
R.L. 5.5
The name of this book is secret
Bosch, Pseudonymous
Paper Book
Read the series that's sold more than 2 million copies--if you dare! Warning: this description has not been authorized by Pseudonymous Bosch. As much as he'd love to sing the praises of his book (he is very vain), he wouldn't want you to hear about his...
R.L. 5.6
The detective's assistant
Hannigan, Kate
Paper Book
Based on the extraordinary true story of America's first-ever female detective, this fast-paced adventure recounts feats of daring and danger...including saving the life of Abraham Lincoln! Eleven-year-old Nell Warne arrives on her aunt's doorstep lugging a heavy sack of...
R.L. 6.2
The case of the missing marquess
Springer, Nancy
Audiobook
A Netflix original movie starring Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, and Helena Bonham Carter! Meet Enola Holmes, teenaged girl turned detective and the younger sister to Sherlock Holmes. When Enola Holmes, sister to the detective Sherlock Holmes,...
R.L. 6.6
The Fenway foul-up
Kelly, David A.
Ebook
Now leading off the line-up--book #1 in a brand-new early chapter book mystery series where each book is set in a different American ballpark! Thanks to Kate's mom, a sports reporter, cousins Mike Walsh and Kate Hopkins have tickets to the Red Sox game and All Access passes to Fenway...
R.L. 3.9
A to Z mysteries: The absent author
Roy, Ron
Paper Book
Don't miss A to Z Mysteries--alphabetic adventures that are full of thrills, chills, and cases to crack!   A is for Author...  In the first book of the A to Z Mysteries--an early chapter book mystery series featuring strong boy and girl characters--Dink writes to...
R.L. 3.4
Scream for ice cream
Keene, Carolyn
Audiobook
The Clue Crew adventures revamp the classic Nancy Drew character for the 21st century. Jim & Barry's Ice Cream factory is opening soon, and the town is abuzz. All the kids are excited about a super sweet contest to create a brand new flavor using any ingredients they want. But things go sour when a...
R.L. 3.4
Cam Jansen and the mystery of the stolen diamonds
Adler, David A.
Paper Book
No mystery is too great for super-sleuth Cam Jansen and her amazing photographic memory!  Can Cam help catch the diamond thief? Cam and her friend Eric are sitting at the mall when the jewelry store is robbed. Cam sees the thief, but the police arrest the wrong person. Now...
R.L. 3.2

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