If you’re like me, you enjoy a good mystery! Fortunately, the mystery genre is not limited to adult audiences. Many of you probably have fond memories of reading Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, The Boxcar Children and Encyclopedia Brown when you were growing up. Red Apple Reading has compiled a list of ten great mystery books that we think your kiddos will enjoy. There’s also an added bonus: many of these books are part of a series of mysteries! So if your little one finds one she enjoys, there’s a good chance that there are more to come!
Big Max (Kin Platt) –Beginning readers will appreciate this fun mystery featuring Big Max the detective. Can Max find the king of Pooka Pooka’s missing elephant?
The Great Cake Mystery: Precious Ramotswe’s Very First Case (Alexander McCall Smith) – Adult fans of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series of books will enjoy getting this prequel of sorts for their young children. McCall Smith has written a book about Precious’ first case for 7 – 10 year olds to enjoy. Precious Ramotswe sets to find out who is stealing treats from the school classroom.
Danger at the Zoo: A Kit Mystery (American Girl Mysteries) – Kit has a job writing a children’s column for the local paper. When she begins research for her article at the Cincinnati Zoo, Kit discovers some odd information that leads to an investigation! 3rd to 5th grade girls who are fans of the American Girl series will love this mystery!
The Spy Catchers of Maple Hill (Megan Frazer Blakemore) 8 – 12 year olds will enjoy this exciting read set in 1953 Vermont. Rumor has it that there is a communist spy in Hazel’s town and she suspects the local gravedigger. Join Hazel and her friend Samuel as they discover that things are not always as they appear.
The Mystery of Smuggler’s Cove (The Mystery Series, Part 1) (Paul Moxham) – This fast paced adventure is set in 1950’s Britain and follows 12 year old Joe and his two younger sisters as they vacation in Smuggler’s Cove. Older elementary students will love this thrilling adventure!
Third Grade Detective Series: The Clue of the Left-Handed Envelope/The Puzzle of the Pretty Pink Handkerchief (George E. Stanley) – Mr. Merlin’s 3rd grade class is good at solving mysteries. Young elementary students will get to tag along on their adventures in this 2 in 1 flip book. Kids will discover who is sending anonymous letters to Amber Lee and who is trespassing in Todd’s treehouse.
Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery (Deborah and James Howe) – Is the newest pet in the Monroe household actually a bunny vampire? Harold the dog and Chester the cat try to work out the answer in this amusing mystery for grades 2 – 6.
Secret Agent Sixth Grader (Marcus Emerson) – Older elementary school students will love following Brody Valentine (accidental secret agent) on this funny adventure. Find out what secret he knows that results in his being hunted.
The London Eye Mystery (Siobhan Dowd) – Kat and Ted follow clues around London in an attempt to find their cousin Salim who disappeared on the London Eye. This brother and sister duo learn to overcome their differences in order to work together to solve this mystery. An exciting read for 8 – 12 year olds.
Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children (Ransom Riggs) Sixteen year old Jacob has found an abandoned orphanage off the coast of Wales and his discovery leads to some very troubling information. Once they begin, teens will find this thrilling read (accompanied by vintage photographs) hard to put down.
