Children's Book Suggestions | Mystery

Great reads for mystery-loving kids, from picture books for preschoolers to spy thrillers for middle school sleuths. For more recommendations, check out our 2024 mysteries list or browse the online catalog.

Updated December 5, 2024
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County)Oregon City Public Library
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Inspector Flytrap
Angleberger, Tom
Paper Book
From husband-and-wife team Tom Angleberger, creator of the New York Times bestselling Origami Yoda series, and Cece Bell, author/illustrator of the Newbery Honor graphic novel El Deafo, comes the start to a funny and clever illustrated chapter-book series about a mystery-solving Venus flytrap....

A very weird, very silly story about a carnivorous plant detective. The wacky humor and illustrations make this a great choice for fans of Dog Man who are building their stamina for reading narrative fiction. (Bridging Fiction Grades 2-4)

Mitzi Tulane, preschool detective, in What's that smell?
McLaughlin, Lauren
Paper Book
Mitzi Tulane may be only three years old, but she sure knows how to follow a trail of evidence and solve tough mysteries. From the strange happenings in the kitchen to the sudden arrival of every family member she's ever met, Mitzi pieces together the clues and (finally) realizes that she's . . . in...

A preschooler solves everyday mysteries around the house. (Picture Book Age 2-5)

The absent alpacas
Whaley, Kayla
Paper Book
Solve Animal Mysteries from A to Z! Young clue hunters Abbi, Daniel, and Lydia sniff out the mystery behind a group of missing alpacas. Inspired by Ron Roy's beloved A to Z Mysteries series, this spin-off is perfect for budding young chapter-book readers--and future detectives!

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)

King and Kayla and the case of the missing dog treats
Butler, Dori Hillestad
Paper Book
King & Kayla are back on the case in this laugh-out-loud mystery from the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Award-winning series. Kayla made peanut butter treats for Thor, Jillian's new puppy. But now the treats are missing, and King is under suspicion. Analytical Kayla...

An elementary school student solves mysteries with the help of her canine sidekick in this advanced beginning reader. (Easy Reader Level 4)

The pizza mystery
Warner, Gertrude Chandler
Paper Book
The Boxcar Children are helping at a pizzeria, but it seems that someone is trying to shut it down. Can they find out who is causing trouble? Adapted from Gertrude Chandler Warner's story of the same name, this early reader allows children to start reading by themselves with a Boxcar Children...

The beloved Boxcar Children series now has installments for beginning readers who aren't quite ready to read the full-length chapter books on their own. (Easy Reader Level 4)

The haunted library
Butler, Dori Hillestad
Paper Book
A brand-new young chapter book series from Edgar Award winner Dori Hillestad Butler! When ghost boy Kaz's haunt is torn down and he is separated from his ghost family, he meets a real girl named Claire, who lives above the town library with her parents and her grandmother. Claire...

A not-too-scary ghost story from an author who's mastered the art of writing mysteries for young readers. (Bridging Fiction Grades 2-4)

The Chicken Squad
Cronin, Doreen.
Paper Book
Now an animated series on Disney Junior! They're darling. They're daring. They know their shapes! They're chicks on a mission--and on this, their first (mis)adventure, the Chicken Squad launches a galactic backyard expedition. Meet the Chicken Squad: Dirt,...

Another great chapter book option for Dog Man fans featuring a group of young chickens who may or may not be a step behind the reader in solving the crime. (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)
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's library
Grabenstein, Chris
Paper Book
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets A Night in the Museum in this action-packed New York Times Bestseller from Chris Grabenstein, coauthor of I Funny, Treasure Hunters and other bestselling series with James Patterson!...

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets The Westing Game in this chapter book about a group of kids whose favorite game-maker builds a new library that also happens to be an escape room. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

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...

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)

Secrets of Camp Whatever. 1
Grine, Chris
Paper Book
Eleven year-old Willow doesn't want to go to her dad's weird old summer camp any more than she wants her family to move to the weird old town where that camp is located. But her family--and fate itself--seem to have plans of their own. Soon Willow finds herself neck-deep in a confounding mystery...
Willow isn't thrilled about going to camp, especially since it seems there's something strange going on. A great choice for readers looking for books with D/deaf characters! (Young Teen Graphic Novels Grades 5-7)
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...

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
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
A special treat for Nancy Drew fans, and any reader who's new to the series! We're releasing a stunning new edition of an old favorite-The Secret of the Old Clock, the first book in the incredibly popular, long-running series. It's the same exciting mystery that readers have fallen in love...

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 Westing game
Raskin, Ellen
Paper Book
For twenty-five years, Ellen Raskin's Newbery Medal-winning The Westing Game has been an enduring favorite and is now being reissued with a brand-new jacket by Kevin Hawkes and an introduction by Ann Durell. This highly inventive mystery involves sixteen people who are invited to...
An eccentric millionaire dies and leaves his fortune to an unusual group of people, who must solve the mystery of his death before they can claim his inheritance. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)
The boxcar children
Warner, Gertrude Chandler
Paper Book
Four brave siblings were searching for a home - and found a life of adventure! Join the Boxcar Children as they set out on their own in the first book in this illustrated chapter book series beloved by generations of readers. Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny are brothers and...

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
Snicket, Lemony.
Paper Book
It's a good thing that Violet Baudelaire has a real knack for inventing things. When misery comes to call, the right invention at the right time can mean everything. It's also fortunate that her brother, Klaus, has read lots of books and knows many important things, like how to tell an alligator...

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)

The maze of bones
Young, Ethan
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 decendants an impossible decision: "You have a choice - one million dollars or a clue." Grace is the last matriarch of the...

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

Shirley & Jamila save their summer
Goerz, Gillian
Paper Book
This middle-grade graphic novel for fans of Roller Girl and Smile introduces Jamila and Shirley, two unlikely friends who save each other's summers while solving their neighborhood's biggest mysteries. Jamila Waheed is staring down a lonely summer in a new...

Two unlikely friends team up to solve mysteries in their Canadian neighborhood during an otherwise boring summer. (Children's Graphic Novels Grades 3-5)

The secret letters
Haddix, Margaret Peterson
Paper Book
In this page-turning middle grade series by New York Times bestseller Margaret Peterson Haddix, Colin and Nevaeh, whose parents own rival junk-removal businesses, uncover mysteries hidden in attics and basements and discover how trash can become treasure. In The Secret Letters, Colin and Nevaeh...
Two kids from rival junk removal family businesses team up to solve a mystery found in a box of letters from the 1970s. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)
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 leak : for the love of truth
Petty, Kate Reed
Paper Book
In this compelling middle-grade graphic novel The Leak, Ruth, a young journalist, is determined to uncover a secret that threatens her town. Ruth Keller is brash and precocious; she argues with her dentist, her parents, and her teachers. So, when she discovers a strange...

A middle school girl gets to the bottom of a local mystery while honing her reporting skills. (Young Teen Graphic Novels Grades 5-7)

The Mona Lisa vanishes : a legendary painter, a shocking heist, and the birth of a global celebrity
Day, Nick
Paper Book
A "witty thriller" (The New York Times) for middle-grade readers about how the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre, how the robbery made the portrait the most famous artwork in the world--and how the painting by Leonardo da Vinci should never have existed at all. ...

A true crime story featuring one of history's most notorious art heists--the theft of the Mona Lisa--and how it turned an obscure painting into a global sensation. (Children's Nonfiction Age 10-14)

Escape at 10,000 feet : D.B. Cooper and the missing money
Sullivan, Tom (Writer of children's books)
Paper Book
An ALA Top Ten Best Graphic Novel for Children A thrilling new graphic nonfiction series about real FBI cases, launching with a gripping, minute-by-minute account of the only unsolved airplane hijacking in the U.S. CASE NO. 001: NORJAK NOVEMBER 24, 1971 ...

An illustrated guide to an unsolved mystery from right here in the Pacific Northwest involving a stolen fortune, an airplane hijacking, and still-unidentified criminal. (Children's Nonfiction Age 8-12)


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