Children's Book Suggestions | Mystery

Great reads for mystery-loving kids, from picture books for preschoolers to spy thrillers for middle school sleuths.

Updated December 15, 2023
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County)Oregon City Public Library
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The case of the vanishing caterpillar
Hogan, Eric
Paper Book
As Scout tends to his garden he notices something is missing -- his caterpillar friend has vanished! But where did she go? Join Scout and Daisy as they search for clues to solve the Case of the Vanishing Caterpillar. Titles in The Gumboot Kids series:

This picture book series illustrated with photos of felted mice combines science concepts with mysteries for the youngest readers. (Picture Book Age 4-7)

Everyone here is lying a novel
Lapena, Shari
Paper Book
Another thrilling domestic suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door "The most addictive book I've read in ages--so slick and disquieting and clever. Just brilliant." --Lisa Jewell, #1 New York Times bestselling author of...

Inspired by the classic series, a new group of friends solve animal-themed mysteries in this new series from disability advocate and author Kayla Whaley. (Bridging Fiction Grades 2-4)

InvestiGATORS
Green, John
Paper Book
With more than three million copies in print, John Patrick Green's goofy graphic novel series is a colossal comics hit! Join super spy alligator duo MANGO and BRASH as they surf the sewers and fight the forces of evil. With their Very Exciting Spy Technology and their tried...
Goofy alligator spies solve crimes! The toilet travel system ensures Dav Pilkey fans will love this one. (Children's Graphic Novels Grades 3-5)
From the mixed-up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Konigsburg, E. L.
Paper Book
When Claudia decided to run away, she planned very carefully She would be gone just long enough to teach her parents a lesson in Claudia appreciation.  And she would live in comfort-at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  She invited her brother Jamie to go, too, mostly because he was a miser and would...

While there's definitely a mystery in this classic novel, it takes a backseat to the detailed description of living in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Sleepover sleuths
Keene, Carolyn
Paper Book
Nancy and her two best friends, George and Bess, are so excited! They have been invited to Deirdre's sleepover party! There will be pizza, cake, and even a pajama fashion show. But the most exciting thing is that the party has a City Girls doll theme. All of the guests are bringing their dolls with...

Newly independent readers can meet Nancy, Bess, and George in this beginning chapter books series inspired by the classic 1950s novels. (Bridging Fiction Grades 2-4)

Nancy Clancy, super sleuth
O'Connor, Jane
Paper Book
For young readers who grew up with the bestselling Fancy Nancy picture books, Nancy Clancy is now starring in her own chapter books! In this first in a series of delightful chapter books, Fancy Nancy takes on the role of detective. When one of Nancy's classmate's most treasured possessions...

Fancy Nancy fans who've aged out of Easy Readers can keep growing with Nancy Clancy, Super Sleuth. All the glamour, now with a sprinkle of mystery! (Bridging Fiction Grades 2-4)

The absent author
Roy, Ron
Paper Book
Help Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose solve mysteries from A to Z! Kids love collecting the entire alphabet and super editions! With over 8 million copies in print, the A to Z Mysteries have been hooking chapter book readers on mysteries and reading for years. Now this classic kid...

This classic 90s series is a perfect introduction to mystery novels for young readers. (Bridging Fiction Grades 2-4)

Poppy & Sam and the mole mystery
Cathon
Paper Book
Strawberry-sized sleuths Poppy and Sam are back on the case! It's a new day in the garden, and Poppy and Sam are paying a visit to their friend Snuggles Molesy. But Snuggles is in a pickle, looking for a lost pair of pretty pink glasses! Sleuths Poppy and Sam begin to investigate: all...
This sweet graphic novel series is perfect for young sleuths who like fairy gardens as much as they like solving mysteries. (Bridging Graphic Novels Grades 2-4)
City spies : golden gate
Ponti, James
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller! A GMA3 Summer Reading Squad Selection! "Ingeniously plotted, and a grin-inducing delight." --People "Will keep young readers glued to the page...So when do I get the sequel?" --Beth McMullen, author of Mrs. Smith's Spy School...

A perfect way to introduce middle school readers to suspenseful, action-packed spy thrillers. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

The maze of bones
Riordan, Rick.
Paper Book
The first book in the #1 bestselling phenomenon sends readers around the world on the hunt for the 39 Clues!Minutes before she died Grace Cahill changed her will, leaving her decendants an impossible decision: "You have a choice - one million dollars or a clue."Grace is the last matriarch of the...

An action-packed mystery series by some of the world's most popular children's authors! Each book is written by a different author, with online mysteries to solve in between each book. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

The tower treasure
Dixon, Franklin W.
Paper Book
A dying criminal confesses that his loot has been stored "in the tower." Both towers of the looted mansion are searched in vain. It remains for the Hardy boys to make an astonishing discovery that clears up the mystery and clears the name of a friend's father.

The original Hardy Boys mystery series opener! Perfect for fans of classic mysteries and historical fiction. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

The secret of the old clock
Keene, Carolyn.
Paper Book
Read the original Nancy Drew mystery, the first book in the iconic mystery series that introduced readers to America's favorite teenaged sleuth! The accidental rescue of a little girl who lives with her two great-aunts leads to an adventurous search for a missing will....

Join the most famous sleuth in children's literature on her first mystery! (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Greenglass House
Milford, Kate.
Paper Book
New York Times Bestseller * National Book Award Nominee * Winner of the Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery It's wintertime at Greenglass House. The creaky smuggler's inn is always quiet during this season, and twelve-year-old Milo, the innkeepers' adopted son, plans to spend his...
Winter break has arrived. Instead of a quiet week at his family's inn with just his parents, a group of mysterious guests descends just as a snowstorm breaks out--leaving them snowed in with someone sinister. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)
The boxcar children
Warner, Gertrude Chandler
CD
Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny, four orphaned brothers and sisters, suddenly appear in a small town. No one knows who these young wanderers are or where they have come from. Frightened to live with a grandfather they have never met, the children make a home for themselves in an abandoned red boxcar...

It blows my mind that the first book in this popular series was published 100 years ago in 1924! With over 150 books in the series to date, it's still going strong. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

The bad beginning (Book #1)
Snicket, Lemony.
Paper Book
NOW A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES In the tradition of great storytellers, from Dickens to Dahl, comes an exquisitely dark comedy that is both literary and irreverent, hilarious and deftly crafted. Never before has a tale of three likeable and unfortunate children been quite so enchanting, or...

A story in which everything that can go wrong, does. Orphaned siblings Violet, Klaus, and Sunny solve increasingly bizarre mysteries in this quirky, somewhat scary series. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

39 Clues: the Maze of Bones: a Graphic Novel (39 Clues Graphic Novel #1)
Riordan, Rick.
Paper Book
The graphic novel adaptation of the mega-bestseller that launched a global phenomenon! Minutes before she died Grace Cahill changed her will, leaving her descendants an impossible decision: "You have a choice - one million dollars or a clue." Grace is the last matriarch of...

A graphic novel adaptation of the popular mystery/adventure series. (Children's Graphic Novels Grades 3-5)

Restart
Korman, Gordon
Paper Book
The amazing New York Times bestseller about what you can do when life gives you a second chance. Chase's memory just went out the window. Chase doesn't remember falling off the roof. He doesn't remember hitting his head. He doesn't, in fact, remember anything. He wakes...

A tween with amnesia tries to solve the mystery of who he was before the accident and learns he might not like the answer. (Young Teen Grades 5-7)

The case of the missing marquess : an Enola Holmes mystery
Springer, Nancy
Paper Book
When Enola Holmes, the much younger sister of detective Sherlock Holmes, discovers her mother has disappeared--on her 14th birthday nonetheless--she knows she alone can find her. Disguising herself as a grieving widow, Enola sets out to the heart of London to uncover her mother's...

The Sherlock Holmes spinoff that inspired the series starring Millie Bobbie Brown, featuring the youngest Holmes sibling solving mysteries in 19th century London. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)


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