5th and 6th Graders: Mysteries and Thrillers

This list includes titles from the Hartford School 2026 suggested summer reading list, as well as recommendations from staff at the Mount Laurel Library. Remember, you do not need to choose a title from the list; you can fulfill your summer reading obligations by reading any middle grade book.

Updated May 13, 2026
M
Mount Laurel Library
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Dead voices
Arden, Katherine
Paper Book
New York Times bestselling author Katherine Arden returns with another creepy, spine-tingling adventure in the critically acclaimed Small Spaces Quartet. Having survived sinister scarecrows and the malevolent smiling man in Small Spaces, newly minted best friends...
Small spaces
Arden, Katherine
Paper Book
New York Times bestselling adult author of The Bear and the Nightingale makes her middle grade debut with a creepy, spellbinding ghost story destined to become a classic. After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie who only finds solace in books discovers a...
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...
The Mystery of Locked Rooms
Currie, Lindsay
Paper Book
*Instant New York Times and USA Today bestseller!* Crack the codes. Find the treasure. Escape the house. From the acclaimed author of Scritch Scratch and What Lives in the Woods comes a action-packed adventure...
Guest
Hahn, Mary Downing
Digital file
Blood in the Water
Jackson, Tiffany D
Paper Book
The instant New York Times bestseller! Winner of the Edgar Award! Mega bestselling and award-winning author Tiffany D. Jackson (The Weight of Blood; White Smoke) makes her thrilling middle-grade debut with a can't-put-it-down murder mystery set...
The Last Resort
Kelly, Erin Entrada
Paper Book
The next evolution in storytelling from New York Times bestselling, Newbery Medal Winning author Erin Entrada Kelly! Twelve-year-old Lila has two goals for the summer: 1. Win back the friends who ditched her for being "too dramatic" 2. Stop being so dramatic ...
Ali Cross
Patterson, James
Paper Book
In this blockbuster story from the world's #1 bestselling author, Alex Cross's son Ali is eager to follow in his father's footsteps as a detective, but when his best friend goes missing, what price will he have to pay to solve the mystery?   ...
Framed!
Ponti, James
Ebook
A budding genius gets recruited by the FBI to find stolen art in this first book in the hilarious middle grade mystery series that has "elements of Alex Rider, James Bond, and Sherlock Holmes" (School Library Journal) from New York Times bestselling, Edgar Award­-winning James Ponti...
The Sherlock Society
Ponti, James
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller! In the tradition of Nancy Drew, four kids and one grandfather in Miami tackle a decades-old mystery in this first book full of "atmosphere, history, and lively humor" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) in the Sherlock Society middle...
City of ghosts
Schwab, Victoria
Paper Book
From #1 NYT bestselling author Victoria Schwab comes a sweeping, spooky, evocative adventure, perfect for fans of "Stranger Things" and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.A New York Times bestseller!Ever since Cass almost drowned (okay, she did drown, but she doesn't...

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