Spies and Detectives

A list of suggested titles for this summer's Reading is an Adventure Challenge: Mystery. Features picture books and chapter books about spies and/or detectives.

Updated June 24, 2024
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Gabby Duran and the Unsittables
Allen, Elise
Ebook
Mac undercover /
Barnett, Mac.
Paper Book
A thrilling, hilarious fully-illustrated spy adventure series, from the esteemed New York Times bestselling and multi-award-winning author Mac Barnett!A New York Times bestsellerAn Amazon Best Book of 2018Before Mac Barnett was an author, he was a kid.And while he...
The spy catchers of Maple Hill /
Blakemore, Megan Frazer.
Paper Book
Hazel Kaplansky is a firm believer in the pursuit of knowledge and truth-and she also happens to love a good mystery. When suspicions swirl that a Russian spy has infiltrated her small town of Maple Hill, Vermont, amidst the fervor of Cold War era McCarthyism, Hazel knows it's up to her to find a...
Double vision /
Bradley, F. T.
Paper Book
Fans of 39 Clues and Artemis Fowl will enjoy the fun, fresh thrill ride through this humorous, action-packed adventure from debut author F. T. Bradley. In the trilogy opener, twelve-year-old Lincoln Baker finds himself in a world of trouble! First, Linc's seemingly harmless prank on a...
NERDS : National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society
Buckley, Michael.
Paper Book
NERDS combines all the excitement of international espionage with all the awkwardness of elementary school, and the results are hilarious. A group of unpopular fifth graders run a spy network from inside their school. With the help of cutting-edge science, they transform their nerdy qualities into...
Winterborne Home for vengeance and valor /
Carter, Ally.
Paper Book
"This is the kind of read that makes your soul sit up straight. At once a heart-wrenching tale of found family and a thrilling, atmospheric mystery that keeps you guessing at every page, Ally Carter's middle grade debut is a triumph. I loved April's character down to the barb wire wrapped around...
Concealed
Gonzalez, Christina Diaz
Paper Book
The 2022 Edgar Award Winner for Best Juvenile Mystery! What if you had no name, no past, and no home? Ivette. Joanna. And now: Katrina Whatever her name is, it won't last long. Katrina doesn't know any of the details about her past, but she does know that she...
Mission unstoppable /
Gutman, Dan.
Ebook
The most exciting road trip in history begins! In this action-packed, New York Times bestselling adventure, twelve-year-old twins Coke and Pepsi McDonald embark on a family vacation you'll have to read to believe. Coke McDonald and his twin sister, Pepsi, think their family's...
Spy penguins /
Hay, Sam.
Ebook
Hide and GEEK /
Jagger, T. P.
Paper Book
A puzzlemaker's last clue. A friendship's last chance. The GEEKs- Gina, Edgar, Elena, and Kevin have been best friends for as long as they can remember. So when their arch-nemesis points out that their initials make them literally GEEKs, they...
Spy cat /
Kehret, Peg.
Paper Book
Pete the cat can't actually talk to his owner, Alex, but he's a crime-solving cat, and he knows when things aren't right. And now, Pete knows something is wrong. Someone's been breaking into houses in the neighborhood, and they're not just stealing people's property150they're kidnapping pets! When...
Mystery on Magnolia Circle
Klise, Kate
Paper Book
Rear Window meets Nancy Drew in this middle-grade novel by Kate Klise about a girl who believes she has witnessed a crime What happens when two best friends take on the world's worst summer? On the first day of vacation, ten-year-old...
Notorious /
Korman, Gordon.
Paper Book
A funny, suspenseful mystery and unlikely friendship story from New York Times bestselling author Gordon Korman--perfect for fans of Swindle and Ungifted. Keenan has lived all over the world but nowhere quite as strange as Centerlight Island, which is split between the...
Undercover Latina /
De LeOon, Aya.
Paper Book
A Latina teen spy goes undercover as a white girl to stop a white supremacist terrorist plot in a fast-paced young adult debut from a seasoned author of contemporary crime fiction. In her debut for younger readers, Aya de León pits a teen spy against the ominous workings of a...
Swift and Hawk :
Macx, Logan.
Paper Book
For fans of the Alex Rider and Spy School series comes a twenty-first-century spin on the spy novel, featuring a girl and boy whose brilliant minds and cutting-edge technology make them unstoppable. When their families are violently kidnapped, Swift and Hawk--teen experts in AI...
The case of the missing cheetah
Mang, Veronica
Paper Book
"This book is a delight. Fun. Funny. And full of adventure." --AndreaBeaty, #1New York Timesbestselling author ofRosie Revere, Engineer The first book in a highly illustrated new chapter book series about three delightfully mischievous young girls and some of the most...
My mom is a spy!
McNab, Andy
Paper Book
"A fast-paced spy caper complete with good guys to root for, nefarious villains, and plot twists....Thoroughly entertaining and suspenseful. Kids will eagerly await the next volume."--Kirkus Reviews "Idris and Lucía must combine their veterinarian and secret agent skills to...
Detective mole /
Pintonato, Camilla.
Paper Book
A charming, tongue-in-cheek picture book about a mole who exchanges his chef's apron for a detective's trench coat and sets out to solve his first case! Oscar is a whiz in the kitchen, but he's always dreamed of being a detective. When a squirrel is reported missing, Oscar hopes this will...
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...
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...
Nina Soni, Snow Spy
Sheth, Kashmira
Paper Book
Lovable, distractable Nina Soni and her friends and family return in another entertaining tale of big plans gone awry and amusing solutions with unexpected consequences.   A long weekend and lots of snow sounds like a recipe for super-special fun to Nina. Best friend...
Liar & spy /
Stead, Rebecca.
Paper Book
The instant New York Times bestseller from the author of the Newbery Medal winner When You Reach Me: a story about spies, games, and friendship.   The first day Georges (the S is silent) moves into a new Brooklyn apartment, he sees a sign taped to a door in...
Geronimo Stilton, secret agent
Stilton, Geronimo.
Paper Book
Enter the world of Geronimo Stilton, where another funny adventure is always right around the corner. Each book is a fast-paced adventure with lively art and a unique format kids 7-10 will love.My sister, Thea, is the mystery-loving rodent, not me! But somehow I found myself going undercover to get...
Long lost
West, Jacqueline
Paper Book
Winner of the Minnesota Book Award * A Texas Bluebonnet Book "Perfect to be read late into the night."--Stefan Bachmann, internationally bestselling author of The Peculiar "A spooky sisterhood mystery that is sure to be a hit with readers."--School Library Journal (starred...
Detective Small in the amazing banana caper
Yee, Wong Herbert.
Paper Book
All the bananas are missing. Every single one, from uptown to downtown, have been stolen! The police are stumped. Who is taking all the bananas? Time to call in Detective Small! When all the clues lead to the obvious, Detective Small follows his hunch, leading to sweet victory in...
Spy runner /
Yelchin, Eugene.
Paper Book
In Spy Runner, a noir mystery middle grade novel from Newbery Honor author Eugene Yelchin, a boy stumbles upon a secret that jeopardizes American national security. It's 1953 and the Cold War is on. Communism threatens all that the United States stands for, and America...
Spy Guy : the not-so-secret agent
Young, Jessica
Paper Book
Spy Guy is a spy--but not a very good one. He's too loud, too squeaky, and in need of a good disguise. All Spy Guy wants is to figure out the secret to spying. But as the Chief says, that he must discover for himself. With a lot of trial and even more error, can Spy Guy figure out the secret to...

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