Middle Grade Mysteries and Thrillers

This list includes titles from the Harrington Middle 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 11, 2026
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Mount Laurel Library
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Blood in the Water
Jackson, Tiffany D
Paper Book
The instant New York Times bestseller! 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 on Martha's Vineyard. R.L. Stine,...
The Misfits #1: A Royal Conundrum
Yee, Lisa
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER . 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 series from Newbery Honoree Lisa Yee and Caldecott...
The Naturals
Barnes, Jennifer Lynn
Paper Book
Cold cases are about to get hot. Don't miss this exhilarating crime thriller--perfect for fans of Criminal Minds and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder--from Jennifer Lynn Barnes, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The...
After Life
Forman, Gayle
Paper Book
A Good Morning America Book Club YA Pick "Gayle Forman has an uncanny ability to create characters in which we see ourselves, and her latest--which looks at where love goes, after a loss--is an honest, heartbreaking elegy to how memory makes relationships...
Nightmare on Nightmare Street
Stine, R L
From the master of spine-tingling horror for young audiences, A Nightmare on Nightmare Street is full of strange sounds, terrifying visions, and things that go bump in the night. Includes a forward by James "Murr" Murray, bestselling author of Don't Move and creator of Impractical Jokers. ...
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...
The mysterious Benedict Society
Stewart, Trenton Lee.
Paper Book
For fans of Lemony Snicket and Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library, this first book in the bestselling, award-winning Mysterious Benedict Society series is not to be missed! "Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?" Dozens of...
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...

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