 Inspector Flytrap
by Tom Angleberger, Cece Bell
Ages 6–9
Inspector Flytrap, a Venus flytrap detective, is wheeled around on a skateboard by his assistant, Nina the Goat. In their first case, Inspector Flytrap heads to the Art Museum to figure out why there is a mysterious glob on a recently discovered flower painting by Leonardo da Vinci. Other cases include “The Big Deal Muster of the Stinky Cookies” and “The Big Deal Mystery of the Missing Rose.” Quirky humor and a silly cast of characters add to the fun in this lavishly illustrated early chapter book. |
|
 The
Seer of Shadows
by Avi
Ages 9–12
This scary ghost story, set in
19th century New York City, is narrated by 14-year-old
Horace Carpentine, apprentice to a photographer intent
on duping a wealthy client. |
|
 Chasing
Vermeer
by Blue Balliett
Ages 9–12
Petra and Calder, two bright
sixth-graders, join together to find a missing Vermeer
painting. This mystery sends them on a quest full of
patterns, puzzles, as they investigate the meaning of
art. (1st in series) |
|
 The
Wright 3
by Blue Balliett
Ages 9–12
Sixth-graders Petra and Calder
are joined by Tommy in this architectural mystery as
they try to prevent the destruction that threatens Frank
Lloyd Wright’s Robie House. (2nd in series) |
|
 The
Calder Game
by Blue Balliett
Ages 9–12
Now in 7th grade, series heroes
Petra, Tommy, and Calder participate in the Calder Game,
trying to join five ideas or things that move in relationship
to each other. This provocative mix of mystery, art concepts,
and philosophy will appeal to motivated readers. (3rd
in series) |
|
 Finding Serendipity
by Angelica Banks, Stevie Lewis
Ages 8–up
Tuesday McGillycuddy’s mother writes popular children’s books under the pen name Serendipity Smith. Tuesday is looking forward to the day her mother finishes her latest book so they can spend more time together. But then her mother mysteriously disappears, leaving behind only the words "The End" floating above her computer. Tuesday begins typing her own story, which magically transports her along with her dog Baxterr into a story tale world. With the help of her mother’s character Vivienne, Tuesday sets off to find her mother. |
|
 The
Mostly True Story of Jack
by Kelly Barnhill
Ages 9–12
Jack’s parents are too caught
up in the emotions of their divorce to pay attention
to their son, so Jack is sent to spend the summer with
his eccentric aunt and uncle in Hazelwood, Ohio. Used
to feeling invisible and playing with imaginary friends,
Jack is amazed to suddenly be the center of attention.
He makes some real friends, is beaten up by the town
bully, and fears the town’s richest man wants to see
him dead. On top of all that, his aunt and uncle’s
house seems to be possessed. This suspenseful mystery
explores themes of the struggle between good and evil,
and the power of love and sacrifice. |
|
 The Worst Class Trip Ever
by Dave Barry
Ages 8–12
Wyatt Palmer and his best friend Matt Diaz are off to Washington, D.C. with the rest of the 8th grade civics students from Culver Middle School in Miami. On the plane, Wyatt and Matt spot some suspicious passengers who have aerial photos of the White House and a backpack they are strangely protective of. Matt scoops up an electronic device that falls from the bag, and gets into trouble with both their teacher and the FSA. For the remainder of the trip the two boy, with the help of some of their classmates, track the bad guys, determined to save the president who just may be in danger. This suspenseful and hilarious book is a winner. |
|
 Enigma
by Graeme Base
Ages 5–10
Bertie Badger arrives at his grandfather’s
house expecting a magic show, but the magic props have all
disappeared. Readers are encouraged to crack codes and find
hidden pictures to solve the mystery, told in rhyming quatrains.
A set of bonus challenges will keep kids, and their relatives,
glued to the pages for weeks. |
|
 Useless Bay
by M.J. Beaufrand
Ages 13–up
The Gray quintuplets live on Whitby Island,Washington. Pixie has a reputatation for finding things with the help of her bloodhound Patience and her four brothers. When 10-year-old Grant Shepherd, the younger brother of Pixie’s friend Henry, goes missing, his millionaire father is frantic and asks the Gray quintuplets for help. Pixie discovers the body of Henry’s stepmother and suspects that something very sinister is going on. This atmoshpheric thriller includes a touch of the supernatural. |
|
 Sleuth on Skates
by Clémentine Beauvais, Sarah Horne
Ages 7–11
Sesame Seade (11) roller skates around Cambridge University, searching for a mystery to solve. When Jenna Jenkins, a Cambridge student, ballerina, and aspiring journalist, goes missing, Sesame is delighted that her opportunity has finally arrived. With the help of her friends Gemma and Toby, Sesame skates off to solve the mystery. This hilarious novel is the first in a series. |
|
 Raucous
Royals:
Test
your Royal Wits: Crack Codes, Solve Mysteries, and Deduce Which
Royal Rumors are True
by Carlyn Beccia
Ages 9–12
This fascinating mix of costumed
caricatures, interactive text, and quizzes encourages the
reader to participate in history rather than just read
about it. The combination picture book/graphic novel is
sure to appeal to middle grade kids. |
|
 The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place
by Julie Berry
Ages 10–14
The students of St. Etheldreda’s School for Young Ladies in Cambridgeshire England have a problem — their stern headmistress Constance Plackett and her despised brother drop dead at the dinner table, apparently poisoned. The girls decide to pretend that everything is normal while hunting for the murderer. This hilarious Victorian farce is full of mystery, surprising plot twists, and a hint of romance. |
|
 Echo After Echo
by Amy Rose Capetta
Ages 14–up
Zara Evans, a Pennsylvania high school senior, sends an audition tape to Broadway’s Aurelia Theater, hoping for a role in her favorite Greek tragedy Echo and Ariston. She is stunned and delighted to be offered the role of Echo, and when the world-famous director asks Zara to promise she will have no outside commitments to distract her from the play, she is eager to comply. Zara finds a dead body during her first visit to the theater, a second death occurs during rehearsals, and Zara receives ominous warnings. Zara doesn’t know if the deaths are accidents or murders, and she finds it very easy to be distracted by assistant lighting designer Eli Vasquez, a multi-tattooed girl as passionate about her work as Zara is about hers. |
|
 Book Scavenger
by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
Ages 9–14
Emily Crane (12) has lived all over the country. Her parents blog is called 50 Homes in 50 States. When the family moves to San Francisco, Emily is thrilled since that’s the home of Garrison Griswold, creator of the online game Book Scavenger where books hidden all over the country are located by solving clues within puzzles. But Griswold was recently attacked by thieves and is now in a coma, leaving the game in limbo. Emily and her new friend James discover an odd book that just may contain the only copy of Griswold’s new game. |
|
 What
I Saw And How I Lied
by Judy Blundell
Ages 12–up
This noir mystery is set in 1947.
Evie (15) and her mother set off for Florida with her
stepfather Joe. Evie falls in love with Peter, an army
buddy of Joe’s. A suspicious boating accident forces
Evie to re-examine her relationships with Peter, her
mother, and her stepfather. This stylish novel has the
atmosphere of a glamorous old movie. |
|
 Masterpiece
by Elise Broach, Kelly Murphy
Ages 8–12
Two very different families share a
Manhattan apartment. Marvin the beetle follows his family’s
rules about staying hidden from the humans, though he worries
that the human family does not appreciate their 11-year-old
son James. Tempted by the pen and ink set James receives for
his birthday, Martin draws an intricate picture for James and
then reveals himself as the artist. Before James can hide the
drawing, his parents have discovered it and proclaim him a
talented artist. Soon a museum curator is asking James to forge
a Dürer miniature to catch a thief. The fast moving story
and wonderfully detailed drawings will captivate young readers. |
|
 Missing
on Superstition Mountain
by Elise Broach, Antonio Javier
Caparo
Ages 8–12
Simon, Henry, and Jack Barker
have just moved from Illinois to Arizona, and their
parents have warned them that Superstition Mountain
is totally off limits. But when their cat goes missing,
the three brothers chase after her and discover three
human skulls. Joining up with their neighbor Delilah,
the children research local history and folklore,
preparing for a secret return to Superstition Mountain
to solve the mystery of the skulls. This exciting
novel is the first in a new series. |
|
 Treasure on Superstition Mountain
by Elise Broach, Antonio Javier Caparo
Ages 9–12
Two weeks after their last adventure on Superstition Mountain, Henry, Simon, Jack, Delilah, and Josie the cat, continue their quest to find the hidden gold mine and discover who is trying to stop them. A sinister librarian, anonymous warnings, threatening rattlesnakes, and a terrifying rock slide make this sequel as exciting as the first book in the series: Missing on Superstition Mountain. |
|
 No Such Person
by Caroline B. Cooney
Ages 12–up
Miranda (15) and her college-bound sister Lander are spending the summer with their parents on the Connecticut River. The two sisters see a water-skiing accident, but only Miranda notices that the motorboat driver intentionally steers the skier in front of a barge. Lander begins dating the motorboat driver though Miranda urges her not to trust him. A week later Lander is found on a boat carrying drugs with a gun in her hand and a dead body next to her. Lander is charged with murder, but Miranda is sure her boyfriend is the real culprit. |
|
 The
Trouble with Chickens: A J.J. Tully Mystery
by Doreen Cronin, Kevin Cornell
Ages 8–12
After seven years working as
a search-and-rescue dog, J.J. Tully and retired to
the country. Despite his considerable ego, J.J. agrees
to help a mother hen find her missing chicks, in exchange
for a cheeseburger. Working against J.J. is Vince the
Funnel, who looks like a cross between a dachshund
and a lamp because of the collar he is forced to wear.
Fast-paced and funny, this illustrated book is perfect
for readers making the transition between picture and
chapter books. |
|
 These Shallow Graves
by Jennifer Donnelly
Ages 12–up
It’s 1890 and rich and beautiful Josephine Montfort is expected to marry a suitable man as soon as she graduates from Miss Sparkwell’s School for Young Ladies in New York City. Secretly, Jo dreams of becoming a newspaper reported like Nellie Bly. When Jo’s father is found dead, presumably in an accident while cleaning his pistol, Jo knows he was far too smart to clean a loaded gun. She doesn’t believe the rumors of suicide either, and teams up with Eddie Gallagher, a young reporter, to discover the truth. |
|
 The
London Eye Mystery
by Siobhan Dowd
Ages 8–12
Ted and Kat take their cousin
Salim to ride on the London Eye. While waiting in a long
line, a stranger gives them a free ticket and Salim boards
the ride. When his pod arrives back in half an hour,
Salim is missing. Ted and Kat overcome
their usual sibling friction to work together to solve
the mystery. Ted, the endearing narrator, has
an unnamed Asberger’s-like syndrome which adds an intriguing
dimension to this clever puzzle. |
|
 The Golden Day
by Ursula Dubosarsky
Ages 12–up
In 1967 Miss Renshaw takes her class from the Australian all-girls school on a field trip to a public garden. They meet a strange grounds keeper named Morgan who takes them into a cave to view ancient Aboriginal paintings. The 11 girls exit the cave, but Miss Renshaw and Morgan never reappear. The girls are questioned about the disappearance, but band together to keep part of the day secret. This chilling novel is told from multiple perspectives. |
|
 Buzz Kill
by Beth Fantaskey
Ages 12–up
Millie Ostermeyer (17), a reporter for her school newspaper, discovers the body of the head football coach “Hollerin’ Hank” Killdare. Millie is determined to scoop her rival Viv Fitch, while also clearing the name of her father, the assistant football coach and prime suspect in the murder of the detested coach. While Millie’s mother was dying of cancer, the two read Nancy Drew books together, and Millie is sure the detective skills she learned from Nancy Drew will help her track down the real killer. The off-beat Millie is assisted by quarterback Chase Albright, whose good looks and astounding vocabulary mask a secretive past. |
|
 The
Big Splash
by Jack D. Ferraiolo
Ages 10–14
Seventh grader Matt Stevens walks the
mean hallways of Franklin Middle School in this clever and
funny middle school noir. Tough guy Vinny Biggio and his gang
of trigger girls and boys armed with squirt guns rule the campus
until Matt decides to figure out who took down Nikki Fingers
in this exciting mystery. |
|
 The
Dunderheads Behind Bars
by Paul Fleischman, David Roberts
Ages 6–10
School is out for the summer
and the Dunderheads are thrilled to be cast as extras
in a movie starring teen idol Ashley Throbb-Hart. Unfortunately
Miss Breakbone, their terrifying teacher, also lands
an extra spot. When Spider is arrested for stealing
a necklace, it takes the combined efforts of the whole
Dunderhead gang to identify the real thief and clear
his name. This delightful darkly comic mystery is the
sequel to The
Dunderheads. |
|
 The
Morgue and Me
by John C. Ford
Ages 12–up
Christopher Newell takes a summer
job in the morgue before heading off to college and stumbles
across $15,000 in cash and a dead body that the medical
examiner has ruled a suicide despite multiple bullet
wounds in the torso. Tina, a young reporter for the local
paper, joins Christopher’s investigation and the two
uncover blackmail and corruption going back for years.
This dark teen novel holds its own as a mainstream mystery. |
|
 The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle
by Janet Fox
Ages 10–up
Katherine (12) and her two younger siblings are sent away from London along with a group of classmates to keep them safe during the bombings of the 1940s Blitz. Rookskill Castle, owned by a distant relative, is an ancient place in the Scottish highlands. But the castle appears to be haunted, and by something far more dangerous than ghosts. Kat believes that Lady Eleanor is hiding a Nazi spy, but when her classmates begin disappearing one by one she fears that the danger may be even older and more terrifying. |
|
 The
Girl in the Park
by Mariah Fredericks
Ages 14–up
Rain and Wendy used to be best
friends, but by their junior year of high school the
two have grown apart. Rain, self-conscious because
of her speech impediment, is an observer, and Wendy
is an out-going party girl. When Wendy’s body is found
in Central Park after a party, the tabloids and school
gossips have a field day trashing Wendy. But Rain knows
Wendy had secret depths, and puts herself in danger
trying to protect her dead friend’s reputation in this
haunting psychological thriller. |
|
 Escape Theory
by Margaux Froley
Ages 14–up
Scholarship student Devon Mackintosh (16) has always felt a bit of an outsider in the ritzy Keaston School, a boarding school in California. Devon, hoping to add to her Stanford application, becomes the school’s first peer counselor, assuming that it will be a job in name only. But when popular Jason “Hutch” Hutchings dies in a presumed suicide, Devon’s therapy sessions with grieving students become intense. Haunted by her own past relationship with Hutch — he was the only one who accepted her freshman year — Devon decides that Hutch could never have killed himself and sets out to find his killer. |
|
 Dead
End in Norvelt
by Jack Gantos
Newbery
Medal 2012
Ages 10–up
Jack Gantos’s summer 1962 vacation
plans take an unexpected turn when he is grounded “for
life” by his bickering parents. But then his mother
loans him out to a neighbor, and Jack finds himself typing
obituaries of the strange and wonderful people who founded
his small town. This funny and mysterious semi-autobiographic
mix of fact and fiction is fast-paced and immensely entertaining. |
|
 The
Diamond of Drury Lane
by Julia Golding
Ages 10–14
Cat has lived in the Drury Lane
Theater Royal ever since she was abandoned as a baby
and taken in by Mr. Sheridan, the owner of the theater.
After Cat sees Mr. Sheridan hiding a valuable diamond,
she and her friends decide to help safeguard the treasure.
Set in 1790s London, England, this thrilling mystery
will keep readers glued to the pages. (first in a projected
quartet) |
|
 The
Museum of Mary Child
by Cassandra Golds
Ages 11–up
Heloise is kept secluded by
her stern god mother. When the lonely girl discovers
a beautiful doll, Maria, hidden under the floorboards,
she hides the doll from her godmother who prohibits
play, beautiful things, and talk of love. When Maria
is discovered, Heloise learns the dreadful truth about
the museum adjoining her godmother’s cottage. This
mysterious and creepy novel is enthralling. |
|
 Picture
the Dead
by Adele Griffin, Lisa Brown
Ages 12–up
When Jennie’s twin brother
dies in the Civil War in 1864, Jennie feels his loss
like a wound. A year later, her cousin Quinn arrives
home to Massachusetts with the news that his brother
Will, Jennie’s fiancé, is also dead. Quinn, who is
much changed by the war, begins to court Jennie, who
responds though she senses that something mysterious
surrounds Will’s death. Jennie is haunted by both her
dead brother and Will, and suffers a recurring sensation
of being choked. Newspaper clippings, scrapbook entries,
and black-and-white drawings illustrate Jennie’s first
person narration in this effective gothic ghost story
portraying a country recovering from the horrors and
loss of war. |
|
 The Lie Tree
by Frances Hardinge
Ages 14–up
On the surface Faith Sunderly (14) is a dull and proper young lady, but she is secretly a budding scientist consumed with curiosity. Her father, Reverend Erasmus Sunderly, unexpectedly moves his family to a remove island to escape a scandal that threatens to destroy his reputation. Though the intellectual talents of girls and women are deprecated in Victorian society, Faith helps discover a mysterious tree that feeds upon lies, rewarding the liar with amazing visions. When her father is found dead, a presumed suicide, Faith is determined to clear his name and expose his murderer. |
|
 Clarity
by Kim Harrington
Ages 14–up
Clarity “Clare” Fern (16)
works for the family business doing psychic readings for summer
tourists in Cape Cod. Clare can retrieve memories and emotions
by touching objects, her mother can read minds, and her brother
is a medium. When a tourist is found murdered, Clare is eager
to help the police. When two more people are murdered, and
her brother becomes a suspect, Clare realizes she needs to
find the truth quickly before she becomes the next victim.
(1st in a planned series) |
|
 Steeplejack
by A.J. Hartley
Ages 13–up
Ang Stonga (16) works as a steeplejack, cleaning and maintaining the towers and spires of Bar-Selehm, an alternative 19th-century South African city. On the same day her young apprentice is murdered, the city’s Beacon, an incredibly valuable piece of luxorite that shines a bright light from the highest tower, is stolen. A secret government agency hires Ang to find the killer, sure that the murder is connected to the theft. Ang’s investigation reveals a far-reaching conspiracy that could destroy the city. This intense thriller is the first in the Alternative Detective series. |
|
 Blank
Confession
by Pete Hautman
Ages 12–up
Shayne Blank, a 16-year-old
stranger, appears at the police station to confess
to a murder. Detective Rawls, a veteran cop, listens
to Shayne’s story about Mickey Martin, the smallest
junior at Wellstone High, who discards a bag of drugs
given to him for safekeeping by his sister’s drug-dealing
boyfriend. This gripping story is told from both the
viewpoints of Mickey, narrating the back story, and
Detective Rawls, listening to the confession. Snappy
dialog, skillful pacing, and great characters make
this exciting mystery hard to put down. |
|
 The
Black Book of Secrets
by F.E. Higgins
Ages 10–14
Young Ludlow Fitch, fleeing a
terrible past, arrives in a peaceful village. Ludlow
becomes the assistant to the mysterious pawnbroker who
trades cash for people’s deepest, darkest secrets. It’s
Ludlow’s job to record the secrets in the leather bound Black
Book of Secrets. The vaguely Dickensian late 1800s
atmosphere is the perfect backdrop for this historical
fantasy. |
|
 The
Bone Magician
by F.E. Higgins
Ages 10–14
Young Pin Carpue is left to survive
on his own in the crime-ridden city of Urbs Umida when
his father, a suspected murderer, disappears. Pin gets
a job as a corpse watcher, standing guard in the morgue
for three days to ensure that the deceased really are
dead and not just sleeping. There he meets the Bone Magician
who claims to be able to reanimate the dead to answer
last questions from the living. This dark and funny fantasy
is a companion volume to The
Black Book of Secrets. |
|
 Department
19
by Will Hill
Ages 14–up
Jamie Carpenter’s father died
a traitor when Jamie was 14. Now 16, Jamie is rescued
by Frankenstein from vampires and taken to Department
19, the top-secret government organization founded
by Dracula’s killers, dedicated to protecting mankind
from the supernatural. When Jamie’s mother is kidnapped
by vampires, Jamie sets off with Frankenstein and an
untrustworthy vampire girl to rescue her. This non-stop
adventure is part mystery, part classic horror story,
and all thriller. |
|
 The Great Trouble: A Mystery of London, the Blue Death, and a Boy Called Eel
by Deborah Hopkinson
Ages 10–up
Eel is an orphan and a mudlark, combing through the filthy banks of the Thames for anything he can sell to earn enough to survive. 1894 London is a dangerous place during the cholera outbreak, but Eel is also pursued by his evil stepfather. Polluted air is blamed for the cholera epidemic, but Eel and his mentor Dr. Snow believe the disease is being spread through a local water pump. This exciting tale mixes mystery, science, medicine, and history. |
|
 Mr.
and Mrs. Bunny—Detectives Extraordinaire!
by Polly Horvath, Sophie Blackall
Ages 8–12
When 5th grader Madeline’s parents
are kidnapped by the Grand Poobah of foxes, Madeline
asks Mr. and Mrs. Bunny, a fedora-wearing pair of neophyte
detectives, to track them down. This hilarious and witty
adventure story, narrated by Mrs. Bunny and translated
from Rabbit by Polly Horvath, is hopefully the first
in a series. |
|
 The
Reformed Vampire Support Group
by Catherine Jinks
Ages 12–up
The members of this group know
they must admit their addiction and conquer it before
they are staked, so they attend the hated meetings
every Tuesday night. When one of the vampires is destroyed
by a silver bullet, the group of misfits bands together
to find the killer. Plot twists and character development
combine to make this murder mystery a winner. |
|
 The May Queen Murders
by Sarah Jude
Ages 14–up
Ivy Templeton (16) loves the ancient traditions and time-honored superstitions of Roway’s Glen, a remote farming community in the Ozarks of Missouri, where her family has lived for generations. Ivy’s cousin Heather is her best friend, and Ivy thinks they share all their secret thoughts until the night Heather goes missing. Heather was crowned May Queen at the first May Day celebration in 25 years. Until this year the May Day celebration was not held, cancelled after Birch Markle killed a woman and disappeared into the forest before vanishing. Heather’s disappearance causes Ivy to investigate the secrets her best friend and beloved town have hidden from her. |
|
 Nothing
but Ghosts
by Beth Kephart
Ages 12–up
Katie (16) and her father are
grieving the recent death of her mother. Her father,
an artist who restores paintings, tries to lose himself
in his work while pondering what color would be used
to paint regret. Katie takes a summer job gardening
for Miss Martine, the town recluse, and stumbles over
clues about the mystery of Miss Martine’s abrupt withdrawal
from the world. With her fellow teen worker Danny,
and the help of the town librarian, Katie researches
town history to solve the mystery and distract herself
from her own grief. |
| |
|
 Nooks & Crannies
by Jessica Lawson, Natalie Andrewson
Ages 8–12
Six English schoolchildren just about to turn 12 are summoned to a country estate by Countess Camilla DeMoss in 1907 to participate in a competition. Tabitha Crum, whose parents plan to abandon her to an orphanage, has only one friend — her pet mouse Pemberley. Tabitha, who loves mystery books and plans to work for Scotland Yard when she grows up, finds the competition perfectly suited to her talents. |
|
 Audacity Jones to the Rescue
by Kirby Larson
Ages 8–12
Audacity Jones (11) is an orphan living in Miss Maisie’s School for Wayward Girls in Swayzee, Indiana, in 1910. Audie has a pet cat named Minivar, a good friend, and plenty of books to read, but longs for adventure. When Commodore Crutchfield whisks her off to Washington, DC, Minivar slips into the car. Audie isn’t sure she can trust the Commodore, and makes friends with a newsboy named Juice and his grandfather, who works in the White House stables. This clever historical mystery is the first in a planned series. |
|
 invisible
i
by Stella Lennon
Ages 12–up
Callie, our narrator, Nia,
and Hal are three unlikely allies who join forces to
find 15-year-old Amanda who has vanished. Before disappearing,
Amanda told each person a different story about her
past and gave each a different animal totem. This intriguing
mystery is the first in “The Amanda Project” series,
written by different authors under the pen name Stella
Lennon. |
|
 The Half Life of Molly Pierce
by Katrina Leno
Ages 13–up
Molly Pierce (17) suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder, characterized by frequent blackouts and memory loss. After witnessing a fatal motorcycle accident where the dying stranger seems to recognize her, Molly begins to remember pieces from her blackouts. She feels an unexplained attraction to the victim’s brother, which accelerates her memory and alternative identity called Mabel, and of events farther and farther back into their shared past. |
|
 Murilla Gorilla, Jungle Detective
by Jennifer Lloyd, Jacqui Lee
Ages 5–8
Murilla Gorilla has the job of figuring out who ate the banana muffins that Ms. Chimpanzee had baked to sell at the Mango Market. Murilla isn’t the most skilled detective — she can’t find her own backpack and badge and tends to fall asleep on the job. A perfect blend of mystery and humor will appeal to young readers eager to tackle a short chapter book. |
|
 Genuine Fraud
by E. Lockhart
Ages 12–up
Jule and Immie are two orphans who look similar but have very different lives. Jule is a fierce fighter and a master of disguise, determined to do just about anything to escape her past. Immie has an easy life, living on Martha’s Vineyard while taking time off from college. A case of mistaken identity sweeps Jule into Immie’s privileged inner circle and the two form an intense friendship. This haunting mystery thriller pays tribute to Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley. |
|
 Nobody’s Secret
by Michaela MacColl
Ages 12–up
Emily Dickinson (15) is restless growing up in 1845 Amherst, Massachusetts, seeing her daily round of chores as the path to a boring grown-up life as a housewife. She meets a handsome traveler who flirts with her, but refuses to give his name, so Emily calls him Mr. Nobody. When he turns up dead in her family’s pond, Emily is determined to find out his identity before he is buried in an anonymous grave. Lines from Dickinson’s poems open each chapter in this intriguing mystery, first in a planned series featuring literary figures as detectives. |
|
 The
Night Tourist
by Katherine Marsh
Ages 10–up
Jack Perdu is a 9th grade classics
prodigy. One evening Jack goes to New York City, a place
he has not visited since his mother died there eight
years ago. In Grand Central Station he meets Euri, a
mysterious girl who offers to show him the train station’s
secret places. Eight flights below, Jack realizes he
is in New York’s ghostly underworld and hopes to meet
his mother. The ghosts are suspicious of Jack, who becomes
increasingly uncertain if he himself is dead or alive.
This intricate adventure is a magical combination of
modern characters, New York history, and classical mythology. |
|
 The
Great Cake Mystery: Precious Ramotswe’s Very First Case
by Alexander McCall Smith, Iain
McIntosh
Ages 7–10
Precious Ramotswe, one of
the nicest girls in Botswana, is a natural sleuth.
When cakes and other treats go missing at her school,
everyone suspects a plump boy, but he swears he’s
not guilty. Precious believes him and sets out to
track down the real culprit. Striking woodcut illustrations
present a colorful view of the African setting. (A
Number 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Book for Young
Readers) |
|
 The Incident on the Bridge
by Laura McNeal
Ages 12–up
After Thisbe Locke (17) is wooed and then abandoned by Clay Moorehead, she becomes depressed and loses interest in school. She is last seen standing on the edge of the Coronado Bridge, a common suicide spot, before disappearing. The police decide it is a suicide, but Thisbe’s younger sister Ted doesn’t believe that Thisbe jumped off the bridge and begins her own search to find the truth along with the help of Fen, the new kid in town. |
|
 Amber House
by Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed, Larkin Reed
Ages 14–up
Sarah (15) and her family move to Amber House, a mansion that has been in the family for generations, after the death of her grandmother. With her new friend Jackson, Sarah searches for the treasure that is said to be hidden in the house, discovering that the house is full of ghosts and memories of the past. The two are drawn into a mystery that spans generations, a mystery only Sarah can solve before tragedy strikes again. This haunting gothic tale is the first in a planned series. |
|
 Ruined
by Paula Morris
Ages 12–up
Rebecca Brown (15) is sent from New
York City to live with her aunt in New Orleans while her father
travels overseas for a year. Rebecca feels out of place at
the snooty prep school. In fact, to the rich girls she is nearly
invisible. Rebecca befriends Lisette, a ghost who has haunted
the cemetery since her mysterious death 155 years earlier.
This atmospheric ghost story captures the rich history of New
Orleans, and doesn't shy away from issues of race, ethnicity,
class, and culture. |
|
 Trash
by Andy Mulligan
Ages 12–up
Raphael is a 14-year-old trash-picker
in an unnamed 3rd world Latin American country. One day he
finds a leather bag containing a wallet, a map, and a key.
Raphael and his two friends are soon involved in exposing political
corruption and abuse of the poor as they puzzle out a secret
code and follow clues to a hidden cache of money. Realistic
details of the lives of desperate children living in the dump
provide a sobering background to this gripping adventure tale. |
|
 The Disappearances
by Emily Bain Murphy
Ages 12–up
It’s 1942, and Aila Quinn (16) and her younger brother Miles are sent to their mother’s hometown of Sterling to live with the Cliftons when their father is drafted. Malcolm and Matilda Clifton are old friends of their mother Juliet, who died recently. The Cliftons welcome Aila and Miles, but the rest of the town is not happy to see them. The Quinns discover that eveyr seven years, beginning with the year Juliet was born, the town residents lose something, like the ability to smell the flowers or see reflections. No one knows why the Disappearances happen, but they always suspected Juliet was somehow responsible. As the next seventh year approaches, Aila follows a sequence of literary clues her mother left behind, hoping to solve the mystery of the Disappearances. |
|
 Lost
Boy
by Linda Newbery
Ages 8–12
Just after moving to Wales, Matt
imagines a car crash and finds himself next to the grave
of a boy with his initials. Soon he is involved in trying
to solve the mystery of three lost boys while trying
to fit into a village with well-kept secrets. |
|
 Vanishing Girls
by Lauren Oliver
Ages 14–up
Though completely different, sisters Dara and Nick are inseparable until the accident that left Dara scarred and created a rift between them. Nick tries to recreate their bond, but Dara vanishes on her birthday. At first Nick thinks Dara is just trying for attention, but the disappearance of another girl cause Nick to fear that something has happened to Dara. Alternating perspectives from both sisters before and after the accident along with blog and news reports from the media fill in the mystery. |
|
 The Crown Affair
by Jeanie Franz Ransom, Stephen Axelsen
Ages 6–9
Detective Joe Dumpty is back to investigate another nursery rhyme case. When Jack and Jill tumbled down the hill Jack’s crown went missing. Suspicion falls on the other Jack, the nimble and quick one, but his alibi holds up so Detective Dumpty heads off to the Spratt house to question yet another Jack, before visiting the beanstalk to interview another suspect. This funny companion to What Really Happened to Humpty? has plenty of puns to amuse the adults reading aloud. |
|
 Captain Coconut and the Case of the Missing Bananas
by Anushka Ravishankar, Priya Sundram
Ages 8–up
Captain Coconut so brilliant he often outsmarts himself. When four of Mrs Y’s bananas disappear, Captain Coconut must use his mathematical skills to identify the thief. Musical interludes punctuate the goofy narration, just right for readers ready to take on short chapters. Bright digital collage illustrations add to the fun. |
|
 Creepy
Crawly Crime
by Aaron Reynolds, Neil Numberman
Ages 8–12
Joey Fly is an experienced
private investigator with an eager young apprentice
named Sammy Stingtail. The pair are hired by a clueless
butterfly to find her missing diamond pencil box. Full
of insect humor, puns, and nifty similes, this classic
mystery will keep young readers glued to the pages.
A graphic novel with a film noir look, this is the
first in the Joey Fly, Private Eye series. |
|
 The
39 Clues: A Maze of Bones
by Rick Riordan
Ages 9–14
In this first of 10 books, orphans
Amy and Dan Cahill take on the challenge of winning a
fortune by collecting all 39 clues. They also hope to
find their parents along the way. Unfortunately they
are competing against the rest of the Cahill clan, many
of whom are less than honorable. Riordan created the
story arc for the series; authors will write also for
the series. This fast-paced book has plenty of suspense,
danger, and puzzles. Readers between the age of 6–14
can also create online accounts to play the online
game and compete for $100,000 in prizes. |
|
 She Is Not Invisible
by Marcus Sedgwick
Ages 12–up
Laureth Peak (16) is blind, but her father has taught her to look for recurring patterns in events and numbers. When her novelist father goes missing during a trip to Switzerland doing research about coincidence, Laureth is concerned. Then she receives an email from New York from someone claiming to have found her father’s notebook. Laureth’s mother doesn’t think there is a problem, so Laureth borrows her mother’s credit cards and journeys from their home in England to New York with her seven-year-old brother to see for her. This mystery thriller narrated from the perspective of an observant blind person is enthralling. |
|
 The Amateurs
by Sara Shepard
Ages 14–up
It’s been five years since Helena Kelly was murdered, and her killer still hasn’t been caught. Younger sister Aerin, still consumed by grief, posts a request for help on the Case Not Closed (CNC) online forum that specializes in cold cases. Seneca Frazier (18) and Maddy Wright (19) answer, and join Aerin in the hunt for new evidence, uncovering secrets that Helena was concealing. (first in a new series) |
|
 As Red as Blood
by Salla Simukka
Ages 13–up
Lumikki Andersson (17) visits the darkroom at her prestigious school in Finland and finds thousands of Euros covered in fresh blood. Living alone in a studio apartment far from her home and parents, Lumikki has been totally focused on studying rather than making friends, but the gruesome discovery leads to an alliance with Eliza, the spoiled daughter of a local narcotics officer, as they try to trace the origins of the money. This intense mystery is the first in the Snow White Trilogy. |
|
 Friday Barnes, Girl Detective
by R.A. Spratt, Phil Gosier
Ages 8–12
Friday Barnes (11) is used to being invisible. Ignored by her parents, theoretical physicists. Friday reads detective novels and watches Agatha Christie films. With the reward earned by solving a bank robbery, Friday sends herself to an exclusive boarding school. She shrugs off the taunts of the pampered students and begins to solve a series of crimes ranging from disappearing homework to a Yeti who haunts the nearby swamp. This hilarious novel is the first in a series. |
|
 Wilson
and Miss Lovely:
A
Back-to-School Mystery
by John Stadler
Ages 4–8
After his first week of school, Wilson
is enthusiastic about his new teacher. But something is wrong.
The school bus never arrives, and the school is empty. Wilson
goes through his normal school routine, completing his math and
science lessons alone, sending himself to the principal’s office
when he misbehaves, but he grows more and more worried. Fold-out
flaps reveal a first green foot with claws, and then more details
until the surprise conclusion. A bit scary, but funny and sweet. |
|
 Spyology:
The
Complete Book of Spycraft
by Dugald A. Steer
Ages 8–12
It's 1958 and Agent K, a British
spy, reveals his secret techniques in a manual for
new recruits. As he pursues the evil Operation Codex,
Agent K sets challenges and reveals clues. Included
are a magnifying glass, a code-breaker, and a secret
compartment in the spine. |
|
 Murder Is Bad Manners
by Robin Stevens
Ages 10–up
Hazel Wong, a shy new girl from Hong Kong, and Daisy Wells, an outspoken English beauty, are best friends at the Deepdean School for Girls, bonded by their love for detective fiction and the intelligence they try to hide from their classmates in 1930s England. The two form the secret Wells & Wong Detective Society, and open their first big case when one of their teachers dies under mysterious circumstances. |
|
 The
Romeo And Juliet Code
by Phoebe Stone
Ages 8–12
In the middle of WWII, eleven-year-old
Felicity’s parents send her from the dangers of England
to the safety of her father’s family in Maine. When
her Uncle Gideon begins to receive mysterious letters
in her father’s handwriting from Portugal, Felicity
and her new friend Captain Derek set out to crack the
code of the letters and figure out what is being hidden
from her. Themes of culture shock, adaptation, and
perseverance are explored in this romantic mystery. |
|
 The Harlem Charade
by Natasha Tarpley
Ages 8–12
Jin (12) helps her Korean grandparents run their corner store in Harlem, and is fascinated by Alex, an African-American girl who is ashamed of her family’s wealth and does secret good deeds. Jin orchestrates working with Alex on a school project, alone with Elvin, whose grandfather was recently attacked and is in a coma. The three join forces to figure out who attacked him, sharing Harlem landmarks and history with Elvin, who just moved from Berkeley, California. |
|
 Trouble is a Friend of Mine
by Stephanie Tromly
Ages 12–up
Zoe Webster (16) is living with her mother in upstate New York after her parents divorce. Philip Digby, a loner neighbor, convinces Zoe to help him look for Marina Miller, a missing classmate. Digby’s sister also vanished eight years earlier, and Digby is convinced the new kidnapping is connected to his sister’s disappearance. Digby is annoying but brilliant, and Zoe can’t seem to say no to him, and the pair are soon joined by the high school quarterback, a cheerleader, and a science genius. This funny mystery is a winner. |
|
 Three
Times Lucky
by Sheila Turnage
Ages 10–up
Moses LoBeau washed ashore
in Tupelo Landing, North Carolina eleven years earlier.
The newborn baby girl was rescued by the Colonel, a
stranger who can’t remember anything of his own past.
The two are taken in by Miss Lana, the owner of the
Tupola Cafe. Mo loves Miss Lana and the Colonel, but
is curious about her own past, sending regular messages
in bottles to her “Upstream Mother.” Then
a detective arrives investigating a murder with a connection to Tupelo Landing,
and Mo and her best friend, Dale Earnhardt Johnson
III, set out to find the truth and protect Miss Lana
and the Colonel. |
|
 The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing
by Sheila Turnage
Ages 10–up
Sixth grade has started, and Mo LoBeau and her friends have been assigned to interview the town’s elderly residents in preparation for the town’s 250th anniversary. Then Miss Lana, Mo’s guardian, makes an accidental bid and ends up owning a dilapidated inn that appears to be haunted. So the Desperado Detective Agency (Mo and her friend Dale) open up a paranormal division to solve the mystery of the ghost’s identity. This funny mystery is the sequel to Three Times Lucky. |
|
 Last in a Long Line of Rebels
by Lisa Lewis Tyre
Ages 10–up
In the summer of 1999, Lou Mayhew (12) learns that her beloved 175-year old home in Zollicoffer, Tennessee, right next to her father’s junkyard, is due to be torn down through the process of eminent domain to build new city offices. Isaac, the star of the high school football team who works weekends for her father, has just learned that he was not awarded a scholarship to the University of Tennessee because of the coach’s prejudice. With the help of her friends, Lou works to find a way to save her home and get Isaac to UT by solving a Civil War mystery and locating a cache of missing gold. |
|
 Moon
Over Manifest
by Clare Vanderpool
Newbery Medal 2011
Ages 9–12
In 1936, while her father is away on
a railroad job, 12-year-old Abeline Tucker spends the summer
in her father’s hometown of Manifest, Kansas. Based on her father’s
stories, Abeline expects something magical, and is disappointed
to find only a worn out old town. But Abeline is determined to
find out what her father was like at her age, and explores the
past through stories and newspaper columns. When she finds a
hidden cigar box full of old letters, Abeline and her new friends
are quickly involved in a spy hunt, eager to unveil the secrets
of the past. |
|
 Loot
by Jude Watson
Ages 8–12
March McQuinn (12) has lived a live of ease as the son of a very successful cat burglar until the day his father falls to his death during a burglary. With his dying breath, March’s father reveals that March has a twin sister Jules, who has been traveling with their aunt’s street performance group. They two unite and use their father’s cryptic notes to reclaim seven cursed moonstone gems once stolen by their father and earn the reward of seven million dollars. |
|
 The
Shadows
by Jacqueline West
Ages 9–12
Soon after Olive Dunwoody (11)
and her mathematician parents move into an old Victorian
house, Olive realizes that something isn’t right. She
discovers that wearing a pair of spectacles allows
her to enter the unsettling paintings into Elsewhere,
where she meets Morton (9), who tells her about the
secrets the house and the previous owner are hiding.
With the help of three talking house cats, Olive begins
to patch together a series of clues she hopes will
help her save those living inside the paintings from
their dark fate. This deliciously creepy novel is the
first in a series: The Books of Elsewhere. |
|
 Where
Things Come Back
by John Corey Whaley
Ages 14–up
Cullen Witter (17) is bored
to death living in the small town of Lily, Arkansas
until the summer before his senior year. Then the Lazarus
woodpecker, long thought to be extinct, allegedly reappears,
and his younger brother Gabriel goes missing. Meanwhile,
Benton Sage, a young missionary in Africa loses his
faith and leaves Ethiopia for the University of Atlanta.
Told in alternating chapters, the two stories narrated
from two completely different viewpoints gradually
converge into the surprising and disturbing finale
of this darkly humorous thriller. |
|
 The
Space between Trees
by Katie Williams
Ages 14–up
Evie (16) is an outsider with
a vivid imagination she uses to make her lonely life
in a small midwestern town livable. When Zabet McCabe,
a childhood friend, is murdered, Evie finds herself
involved in a story even she couldn’t imagine. Zabet’s
reckless and emotionally unstable best friend Hadley
becomes obsessed with finding Zabet’s murderer, and
drags Evie into her investigation. Evie’s honesty and
unwise decisions make for some difficult reading, but
this dark coming-of-age story beautifully portrays
the anguish of those who don’t fit in with their peer
group. |
|
 The
Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious
Howling
by Maryrose Wood
Ages 8–12
Penelope Lumley, a 15-year-old
educated at the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females,
has just accepted her first post as governess. The three
children in her charge were found running wild in the
woods, and are now living in a barn on the estate of
Lord Frederic Ashton. More animal than human, Alexander
keeps his younger siblings in line with gentle nips while
Beowulf chases squirrels and Cassiopeia barks. First
in a new series, this cleverly funny book will have readers
clamoring for the next. |
|
 Blink & Caution
by Tim Wynne-Jones
Ages 14–up
Blink has been living on the streets
ever since he ran away from his abusive step-father. While
trying to steal leftover food from room service in a hotel,
he witnesses a fake kidnapping of an oil executive. Caution
is on the run from her abusive drug-dealing boyfriend, and
trying to deal with her guilt over the accidental shooting
of her brother. The two teens try their hands at blackmail,
and are quickly caught up in racial and environmental issues
that they can’t fix in this compelling noir crime novel. |
|
 Boy Nobody
by Allen Zadoff
Ages 15–up
The unnamed 15-year old protagonist in this spy adventure lost his identity when his parents were murdered and he was kidnapped. Raised to be an assassin, he befriends the children of the powerful, wrangles an invitation to visit their homes, and kills their parents. His current assignment is to infiltrated a private school with the mission to kill the mayor of New York City. His attraction to the mayor’s daughter causes him to wonder about the true purpose of the secretive agency that has trained him. |
|
 Marina
by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Ages 12–up
Oscar Drai (15) leads a dreary life in a boarding school in 1979 Barcelona, Spain. During his free time, Oscar explores the city and follows the sound of music into an old dilapidated house. The eccentric German owner frightens Oscar and he flees, accidentally taking a watch with him. When he returns the watch, he meets the mysterious Marina, who invites Oscar to come with her to a cemetery to watch a cloaked woman who regularly leaves a red rose on an unmarked grave. While trying to solve the mystery of the unknown woman, Oscar and Marina discover the story of hereditary disease, murder, and unspeakable scientific experiments that took place many years earlier. |
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