60 2025 Middle Grade Mystery and Detective Stories

Today’s post is sponsored by Naseem Jamnia and The Glade!

Title The Glade
Author Naseem Jamnia
Intended Target Audience Middle Grade
Publication Date May 27th 2025 by Aladdin
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Ellen Oh’s Spirit Hunters meets Katherine Arden’s Small Spaces in this middle grade supernatural mystery following a girl whose discovery of a magical clearing near her summer camp ends up putting her best friend in danger.

Pina’s first trip to summer camp is a chance to escape her overbearing parents and finally go on an adventure with her best friend, Jo. But Camp Clear Skies hides a secret: a clearing in the deep woods the older kids call “the Glade.” After falling asleep here, Pina and Jo are able to enter one another’s dreams, transforming into superheroes and knights in shining armor, fighting back their nightmares in epic adventures.

At first, the friends think they’ve discovered a secret more exciting than any video game — until Pina’s nightmares start leaking out into waking life. Worse, something seems to have followed them back from those dreams…and whatever it is, it’s taking over Jo. Jo has always been the superhero in their friendship, but Pina can’t just abandon them to their fate.

To save her friend, Pina journeys deeper into the Glade than she ever has before, facing the worst of her own fears and Jo’s. There, she must confront the consciousness trying to steal her friend’s body and learn what happened twenty years ago that shut down Camp Clear Skies and changed the Glade forever.

From Howard Wallace, P.I. to Drew Leclair Gets A Clue, Kazu Jones and The Denver Dognappers to Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen, there are few things that bring me more joy than a middle grade mystery! It’s empowering to see the young protagonist solve the mystery they’re investigating and fun to see the often unique and creative methods they use to solve it. From murder to monsters, capers to kidnapping, there’s an exciting variety of stories in this list of 60 middle grade mystery and detective stories published in 2025!

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Publication Date January 7th 2025 by Random House Books for Young Readers
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When San Francisco is under strange attacks — like earthquakes affecting only two city blocks at a time — who’re you gonna call? An elite team of crime-fighting underdogs, that’s who! The Misfits are on the case in this hilarious illustrated series!

Oof! After solving the case of the Royal Rumpus, Olive Cobin Zang and her elite team of underdogs are on top of the world. As the awkward, crime-fighting Misfits, they’re acing every mission thrown at them from NOCK (aka No One Can Know, the covert agency they work for).

But when their classmate Zeke starts receiving threatening notes, the Misfits are stumped. They’re no strangers to danger, but this case is a total head-scratcher. Who would target kind, friendly Zeke…unless he’s not what he seems to be?

At the same time, unusual earthquakes start shaking up San Francisco just as priceless art goes missing, and the Misfits are called to investigate. Is it a coincidence that the city is under attack while Zeke is getting mysterious messages? Or is it all just a cover for a scheme bigger than any they’ve faced before?

Publication Date January 7th 2025 by Amazon Crossing Kids
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Mika will do what it takes to make sure there are no more lost ones ― and to bring the infamous killer, the Dark Angel, out into the light.

It’s summer in 1880 Stockholm, and the city bakes in the heat ― but the heat on twelve-year-old Mika is lifting. After lying low following the dramatic blast at the jail, Mika’s relieved to learn her name is finally cleared. And it’s not a moment too soon ― because Detective Hoff has a perplexing case involving the disappearance of a local teen. The girl’s wealthy family wants to make sure things stay quiet. Why would a girl who has everything want to run away? And why is her family so afraid to go public?

Then Tekla reaches out to Mika with a truly chilling discovery at a construction site in the city ― a discovery that might hit a little too close to home for Mika. Could it be the work of the Dark Angel?

As the summer heats up, Mika will make some tough choices as she works to uncover these mysteries, including the biggest mystery of all: her own family. Join Mika and Detective Hoff in this thrilling new installment of the Moonwind Mysteries series!

Publication Date January 21st 2025 by Aladdin
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Nancy investigates a string of accidents at the theater in the twenty-sixth Nancy Drew Diaries, a fresh approach to a classic series.

When Ned is cast in a stage production of Macbeth, led by the famous but peculiar director Bear Larouche, Nancy volunteers to help with the set. She’s also allowed to sit in on a few rehearsals, where she gets an earful from the director about theater superstitions: never say “Macbeth” out loud — only refer to it as “The Scottish Play” — never wear blue, no peacock feathers onstage, and so on.

The play is off to a promising start until Ned breaks the most important rule and accidentally says “Macbeth” in the theater. And then accidents begin happening during rehearsals. It quickly goes from odd to scary, and the director is ready to cancel the show.

Nancy might not believe in superstition, but she does believe in intuition, and hers is telling her that the cause behind these incidents isn’t a curse, but someone in the cast. It’s up to her to find out who before opening night.

Publication Date January 28th 2025 by Amulet Books
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From award-winning author Chad Lucas comes an enthralling new story about a strange island where boys go missing — and the two boys intent on uncovering the truth about it.

On Rhodenroode Island, a remote colony of the Homeland, there sits a Mission on the Hill, where boys are taken in and taught the ways of the faith.

Darian is the only trainee of his race there, and he doesn’t remember how he came to the Mission. All he remembers are brown hands and the belly of a ship. Life among the other boys and the cantankerous Brothers is not always easy, but Darian is determined to live up to the lofty calling the leaders of the Mission have laid out for him: that one day he will carry the Sacred Word to places it has yet to reach.

But when another trainee at the Mission disappears — the latest in a string of vanishings — Darian is determined to solve the mystery that begins to shake his faith in what he’s always been taught.

When he and his friend Micah sneak away from the Mission and head east to see what they can learn about the rebel sect supposedly responsible for the vanishings, they discover that the island holds far more secrets than they ever could have imagined — and somehow, they must save the other boys at the Mission from a danger that’s even greater than they realized.

Publication Date February 4th 2025 by Shadow Mountain
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A curious girl named Raven — think Wednesday Addams meets Sherlock Holmes — uses her budding skills as a mortician and a scientist to investigate an old and mysterious death at her small town’s haunted hotel.

Raven Gallows lives in a funeral home and is determined to become a famous detective. Her first case is one close to home — find the truth surrounding her mother’s puzzling death six years ago.

When a mummified man falls out of the wall at the Moonrise Manor Hotel, Raven is shocked to discover the body is clutching her mother’s silver locket.

Raven gathers her friends — Cosmina Wilde, who thinks she can talk to ghosts, Miles Farnsworth, who works at the haunted hotel, and Eric Wong, who possesses unparalleled computer skills — and sets out to learn the identity of the mummy. As they follow the clues, they discover more than they bargained for, including a stash of stolen art and a legend of a secret society.

The Secret of Moonrise Manor is a story about family, friendship, and the courage it takes to pursue the truth.

Publication Date February 4th 2025 by Groundwood Books
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A mystery spans decades at the Rehearsal Club in this story of sisterhood, friendship and following your dreams under marquee lights.

Twelve-year-old Pal Gallagher is a newly minted New Yorker who loves to make people laugh and is hoping to find kindred spirits in her new city. Her older sister, Naomi, lives at the Rehearsal Club, a historic boarding house for aspiring actresses. Pal quickly gets swept up in the glamor and high-stakes of the theater world, and is drawn into a decades-old mystery about Posy, a boarder who was kicked out of the Club for reasons unknown.

In 1954, Olive feels like she is working harder than anyone to make it to Broadway ― along with the forty-four other young women who live at the Rehearsal Club. In comparison, her carefree friend Posy is making it look easy. Tensions rise when the two audition for the same part, kicking off a series of events that lead to Posy’s departure.

What really happened all those years ago? The truth involves a Broadway play called The Weekend House, a necklace and a secret that Olive has kept all these years ― until Pal and her new friends start digging into the past. What they learn could change the very fate of the Rehearsal Club itself.

Publication Date February 4th 2025 by Delacorte Press
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A chilling middle school novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Mystery of Locked Rooms, three kids must discover who — or what — is terrorizing them after receiving an ominous meme on Halloween night.

On Halloween night, Josie and her two best friends, Jackson and Alison, sneak into the infamously haunted Bachelor’s Grove cemetery. They are hoping to prove the existence of a famous ghost to secure coveted editorial spots on the school newspaper. Instead, they are chased out by a security guard before they gather any evidence…or so they think.

Later, a sinister meme appears on their phones. It’s an image of the “phantom farmhouse,” an evil apparition rumored to appear to unlucky visitors at Bachelor’s Grove — luring them in…and never letting them out — with the words I’m watching dripping down the screen.

Soon, strange and scary things begin to happen all around them. When a second meme from the same number arrives, this time with a countdown, they realize they have only three days to figure out who is terrorizing them. As they investigate, the trio must use their journalistic skills to uncover the truth, or risk becoming a part of the graveyard’s sinister past forever.

Publication Date February 11th 2025 by Labyrinth Road
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A girl who has spent her life in disguise tackles a mission that uncovers lies and surprises around every corner. Nothing is as it seems in the next cozily creepy monster mystery from acclaimed author Shaun David Hutchinson.

Sam Osborne may have helped her new friend Hector Griggs save St. Lawrence’s Catholic School for Boys from a terrifying monster, but she is still trying to prove herself as a member of Kairos, the secretive and shadowy government agency devoted to investigating the strange and unusual. And her unique ability to control how others see her makes her the perfect agent…if she can learn to play by Kairos’ rules.

Her next mission? Use her powers of disguise to infiltrate the family of a former agent to find top secret information about monsters hiding in plain sight. But even though Sam is well versed in deception, she may not be prepared for the web of secrets she uncovers. Especially since she may not be the only one pretending to be someone — or something — she’s not. And once the clues are unraveled and the truth is revealed, the monsters she’s searching for might just be closer to home…

Publication Date February 11th 2025 by Candlewick
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From a rising stand-up comedian and exciting new talent in children’s fiction comes a brilliantly funny murder mystery series that BBC Radio called “Knives Out meets Poirot — but for children!”

Bonnie Montgomery is the world’s greatest detective. Not that anyone — other than Grampa Banks — has heard of her. But they will have heard of Montgomery Bonbon, the gentleman detective with the bristly mustache, fashionable beret, and accent that’s hard to place. Montgomery Bonbon is responsible for solving many high-stakes crimes, including unmasking the Emmental Bandit, restoring the Rusakova diamonds to their rightful owner, and busting an international owl-smuggling ring, resulting in the arrest of over twelve owls.

But now Montgomery Bonbon is needed on a case much closer to home, at the Hornville Museum in Bonnie’s hometown of Widdlington, where a mysterious death has occurred. Don’t look too carefully, however — from certain angles, Montgomery Bonbon looks suspiciously like a ten-year-old girl…

Brimming with charm and wit, this debut offering from comedian and writer Alasdair Beckett-King and best-selling illustrator Claire Powell is a delightful modern take on the classic whodunit.

Publication Date February 11th 2025 by Candlewick
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Bonbon is back in the second installment of this illustrated murder mystery series. The gentleman detective can’t get away from murder — even on vacation.

Bonnie Montgomery is finally getting a vacation from cracking cases as her alter ego, Montgomery Bonbon. But something terribly fishy happens the moment she and Grampa Banks arrive on Odde Island — and it’s not just the smell of the harbor. There’s been a mysterious death at the lighthouse, and what everyone assumed was an accident is setting Bonbon’s mustache all aquiver: something is Highly Suspicious. When a second death takes place, Bonnie is sure the two are connected. But can she solve this case alone, or will she need double the detectives to solve double the murders?

Publication Date March 4th 2025 by Random House Books for Young Readers
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Solve Animal Mysteries from A to Z! Inspired by Ron Roy’s A to Z Mysteries series, this exciting animal adventure mystery is perfect for budding young chapter book readers. This time, 8-year-old Abbi and her friends solve the mystery of missing emu egg!

E IS FOR EMU EGG…

Crack that case! While visiting her cousin in Australia, Abbi learns that a valuable carved emu egg has been stolen. Who is the thief? Could it be Abbi’s aunt who hates the egg? Or the visiting couple who likes to collect rare items? Or…is it Abbi’s favorite cousin? With the help of her friends, Abbi and her friends, Lydia and Daniel, will crack this case wide open!

Publication Date March 4th 2025 by Sourcebooks Young Readers
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Two hundred years ago, an island disappeared. Benny has just two weeks to find it.

Everly “Benny” Benedict and her mom have always managed to get by, though they’re broke most of the time. But all that could change. Benny’s just learned she’s the sole heir to the vast fortune of Evelyn Terry, a mysterious ancestor from the 1800s!

There’s a catch, though. First Benny needs to play ― and win ― a game: following clues that are more than a century old, she must find her way to the tiny island Evelyn wrote about in her diary. It was somewhere off the shoreline of Evelyn’s home town, but according to legend, it vanished long ago and hasn’t appeared on maps for hundreds of years. Yet Benny has only a couple weeks to locate it.

If she’s successful, she’ll collect the inheritance. But what if there’s more than a fortune at stake in this game? What if Benny has to break an ancient curse to win?

Publication Date March 11th 2025 by Peachtree
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Magical creatures and mystery abound in this lighthearted whodunit fantasy.

Princess Lyss can’t wait another second to meet the griffin that’s joining her father’s royal menagerie, so she ditches her lessons and heads for the stables. But the griffin isn’t the only new creature she finds. A boy is hiding — or at least trying to — in the griffin’s stall. The boy is Devin, the griffin’s trainer, and he’s refusing to leave his beloved Tam. Lyss agrees to help him.

But their arrival coincides with the revelation that someone is stealing creatures from the king’s menagerie. Devin is an obvious suspect, though Lys believes someone else is to blame. Determined to clear Devin’s name and put a stop to the endangerment of any more animals, she turns to her favorite magical creatures for help.

Publication Date March 18th 2025 by Nosy Crow
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A fast-paced adventure full of daring action and delicious cakes!

Alice Éclair, Spy Extraordinaire will whisk you away on a glamorous and high-stakes adventure, full of daring action and delicious cakes!

Baker by day, spy by night — Alice Éclair leads an exciting double life!

A mysterious message sends Alice on a mission aboard France’s most glamorous train, the Sapphire Express . Alice must sneak on board posing as a pastry chef and discover which passenger is an enemy agent before they reach their final stop. But everyone on the train seems to be hiding something…

Armed with her whisk, her wits, and her will to succeed, Alice has a spy to catch.

Publication Date April 1st 2025 by HarperAlley
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Need your magical crime solved?

Call the Witch Coven.

Hester, Anadil, and Dot are legendary across the Endless Woods as vigilante detectives and protectors of the peace. The famed trio are not only talented witches but also ride-or-die friends who’ve never left a case unsolved.

That is, until the Coven answers a call for help from a mysterious new world — Red Isle, where the Light and Dark Lands are on the brink of all-out war, each blaming the other for a grim spree of deaths. Now the Coven must work together and unmask the killer before Red Isle tears itself apart. Little do they know: The real enemy might be hiding in plain sight…

From New York Times bestselling author Soman Chainani and artist Joel Gennari comes a bold graphic novel experience that explores how, even in our darkest moments, the truest of friends can bring us back into the light.

Publication Date April 1st 2025 by Scholastic Press
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The sequel to the USA Today bestseller! The Inheritance Games and One Of Us Is Lying for middle grade – beloved author Alyson Gerber’s new series is an unforgettable mystery featuring a secret society, a mysterious island, and dangerous family secrets.

Deadly stakes, dangerous secrets, and a cut-throat game where the winners are set for life. Welcome to the Boston School, and the world of the Liars Society.

Weatherby and Jack have been tapped to join Last Heir, the most powerful secret society in the world, but the night of the first gambit, the game takes a terrifying turn. Now, Jack and Weatherby are in a race against time to discover the truth about the game – and themselves. But how do you know who to trust when everyone is a liar?

Beloved author Alyson Gerber is back with a highly-anticipated sequel full of twists and turns, secrets and lies, friends and foes. Can you spot the difference?

Publication Date April 15th 2025 by Storytide
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Opal Watson, Private Eye introduces an exciting new middle grade mystery series based on the popular original Pinna podcast that feels like a modern-day version of Harriet the Spy.

Opal Watson loves being a detective. When her neighbor’s cat goes missing or her grandmother loses her cherished cookbook, Opal is on the case. And there is no mystery she cannot solve.

Returning home to Chicago after spending the summer with her Meme Augustine in New Orleans, Opal is nervous to begin school. Despite her parents’ confidence, they worry about her making new friends and dealing with her Retinitis Pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease. When Opal gets paired with a new student, Ivy, to work on their history project together, she is hesitant — after all, she only needs her cousin, Frank, and her best friend, Madison.

But school quickly becomes the least of her worries. Madison has heard disturbances in the apartment building she and Opal live in, the Crescent. Renovations are being done, but it’s unclear where the noises are coming from that are upsetting all her neighbors. Even worse, the old building is the target of developers wanting to tear it down. As Opal begins to investigate, she realizes this will be her toughest case yet.

Can Opal solve the mystery at the Crescent and save her home? And what hidden truths will she uncover along the way?

Publication Date April 22nd 2025 by Holiday House
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Clue meets Knives Out for the younger set in this twisty-turny middle grade mystery-comedy with dry humor, impeccable plotting, and fun interactive bonus content.

Eleven-year-old orphan Nico Lombardi has been unfairly indentured at a remote mountain inn for five years now.

Just as he gathers the courage to escape, the inn gets booked by the remaining members of a “tontine,” an investment scheme where a cash prize is awarded to whomever lives the longest. In other words, every guest wants access to the fortune. Preferably as soon as possible.

During their stay, a chaotic race to control the fate of the tontine takes over the normally sleepy inn. Nico watches in horror as a series of comically disastrous events unfolds — some of which might aid his escape, and some of which might get him in big trouble. Before he can even put the right clues together, three unexpected revelations change the course of everyone’s future!

Arch humor and an incredible cast of strange and calculating characters keep the pages turning in this Wes Anderson-esque mystery filled with funny mishaps and misunderstandings.

With illustrations, a hotel map, character dossiers, a personality quiz, and a test to see how YOU would fare in a tontine caper, this read is perfect for fans of Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and The 39 Clues series.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Publication Date April 29th 2025 by Pajama Press
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The LaRue Detective Agency has gained a reputation at The Biltmore as the investigators to call, so it’s no surprise when they are asked to solve the catnapping case. What is a surprise: being asked to keep this investigation top secret! Will the LaRue detective agency have what it takes to solve this challenging case?

A murder mystery movie is being filmed in the courtyard of the Biltmore, starring a celebrity building resident, Bijou, the fluffy white cat famous for inheriting the entire fortune of a popular designer — including his Biltmore apartment. But when filming is paused for the day, Tiya, the daughter of Bijou’s nanny, reports that the famous feline was catnapped! The LaRue detective agency is hired…but there is just one catch, the investigation must remain top secret. How can Elodie question suspects when she can’t admit Bijou is missing? This investigation will require new tactics, a keen eye, and help from her friends!

Colored illustrations by award-winning artist, Peggy Collins, are scattered throughout the story, bringing additional humor to the cast of quirky characters.

From the award-winning author of The Umbrella House, Colleen Nelson brings another New York apartment building to life in Mystery at the Biltmore. Written with charm and wit, Mystery At The Biltmore is Only Murders In The Building meets Harriet the Spy.

Publication Date May 6th 2025 by Melissa de la Cruz Studio
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National Treasure gets a Harlem Renaissance twist in this epic adventure through New York City, filled with history, humor, and heart.

Twelve-year-old Zeus Jones is just about the only person in the world who believes in his grandfather’s stories about the Harlem Renaissance. To be fair, they are a bit far-fetched. After all, what are the chances that there was a renowned magazine called Burn! whose headquarters literally burned down, destroying almost every single copy? And who would believe that a secret page was actually hidden amongst the ashes, said to be the key to unlocking a lost fortune? No one, that’s who.

But when Zeus accidentally stumbles upon the secret page on the same day that his grandfather disappears without a trace, he finally has proof that his grandfather’s stories are more than just stories — they’re real. And now he knows that the secret page is more than just a secret page — it’s a treasure map, leading to a prize beyond all imagining.

Follow the map, find the treasure, save his grandfather. Seems simple enough. But as Zeus and his friends work to solve the riddles of the map, long-buried secrets about the Harlem Renaissance, Black history, and Zeus’s own family are unraveled. And what’s more, they aren’t the only ones intent on seizing this prize…

Filled with interactive clues and puzzles, young readers will love solving this mile-a-minute mystery right alongside Zeus!

Publication Date May 13th 2025 by Christy Ottaviano Books
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Zander and Natasha must reverse an evil spell threatening the Number Nine Plaza’s very existence in this puzzle-bending mystery for fans of The Swifts.

Summer is in full swing at The Number Nine Plaza, the world’s largest and most fabulous department store, and best friends Zander and Natasha are looking forward to weeks of discovery after thwarting the vengeful Darkbloom’s attempt to destroy The Nine. But has the danger truly passed? Store employees begin acting oddly, a long-lost clue to an ancient store mystery is uncovered, and Zander and Natasha themselves become targets for attack. When a devastating magic spell places The Nine under new peril, the two friends find themselves in a race against the clock to solve the store’s ever-deepening riddles and preserve the world-famous Number Nine Plaza from destruction.

Featuring word puzzles, clues, and lavish illustrations, this enchanting, out-of-this-world mystery delivers an unforgettable read full of magic and adventure.

Publication Date May 13th 2025 by Penguin Workshop
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YEE-HAW! Willa is back in this standalone sequel to Horse Girl. This time, she tackles summer camp, new and old frenemies, and worst yet: a horse that’s mysteriously gone missing.

Seventh-grader Willa is head-over-hooves when she finds a secret note inviting her to Juniper Ranch — a sleepaway camp that’s all about horses. The camp promises trail rides, horseback swims, and “ghorst” stories, plus tons of new horse-girl and (gasp!) horse-boy friends. Even better? Willa’s pals from Oakwood Riding Academy — including her sworn frenemy, Amara — are all coming along for the fun.

But when Willa makes a dangerous mistake and a beloved steed goes missing, everyone at Juniper Ranch is suddenly a suspect. Wills isn’t sure who to trust (including herself) as she tries to figure out who’s behind the mysterious horsenapping. And where they might be lurking. And just how she’ll save her “forever herd” before a frightening storm rolls into camp. Gulp!

Publication Date May 13th 2025 by Union Square Kids
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Maya Murtagh can’t wait to spend a week at Black House, a looming seaside mansion that was once home to her favorite mystery author, Augusta Black. After a falling out with her best friend and journalism partner, she needs ideas for a juicy new story that will repair their friendship and earn them a coveted regular column in the school newspaper. Black House is the perfect place to spark inspiration.

But when Maya and her family arrive at the mansion, the host who greets them is totally creepy. So are the thirteen doors inside Augusta Black’s old office, each one carved with an eerie symbol. Add in the unshakeable feeling that someone — or something — is watching her, and Maya becomes convinced: there’s a mystery to be solved here, real…or supernatural. Each of the thirteen doors hides a secret but opening them leads to dire consequences. When too many doors are open and Maya and her cousins are unable to close them, not only are they and the mansion at risk, so are their parents who are left stranded in town. Maya receives some help from an unexpected place, but will it be enough to save them?

Told over the course of one thrilling day, The Thirteen Doors of Black House is a fast-paced mystery that is sure to hook young readers. A little bit spooky, and a little bit funny, it perfectly pairs the magic of vacationing with your family with the magic of an old, storied house.

Publication Date May 13th 2025 by Tundra Books
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Set in the ’60s at a summer camp, The Mystery Of The Haunted Dance Hall is a spooky, atmospheric middle-grade story for fans of classic ghost stories, unlikely friendships and intriguing mysteries.

Bee’s mom has a job in New York City for the summer, so Bee is being sent to summer camp. She’s not excited about it. Being around other people is hard for her, plus she knows nothing about campfires, she’s not a good swimmer and she’s never even been in a canoe.

When she first arrives, things go pretty much as she expected. The other girls either make fun of her or ignore her, and the woods surrounding the camp give her the creeps: she keeps hearing elusive music coming from somewhere in the distance, and there’s something unearthly about it.

But then Zippy comes on the scene — an oddball like Bee, but with a lot more confidence and hard-won knowledge gleaned from many summers spent at this exact camp. And most importantly, Zippy has also discovered mysterious behavior going on at the camp: the older girls from the Hawks cabin are sneaking out to do…something. They’re always exhausted, and their flashlight batteries are running out at an alarming rate. But their counselors are never woken up by girls sneaking out, no one on staff doing nightly rounds ever sees them outside the cabin, and even when they start doing a bed check at night, the girls all seem to be in their bunks.

Zippy and Bee are on the case, and with the help of an unlikely ally, they try to figure out what the Hawks are up to. But they soon discover there’s more going on than just the usual summer-camp hijinks. How are the Hawks getting out at night? What is the deal with the (very cute) mysterious boy who seems to be working with the groundskeeper? Where is the distant music coming from? And what does the reclusive camp founder know about all of it?

Publication Date May 27th 2025 by Dial Books
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A whimsical, adventure-filled mystery about a young orphan at the edge of society who finds herself at the center of a city’s secrets. For fans of The Swifts and A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Maggie Fishbone is not expecting much when she’s sent to the Midwatch Institute for Orphans, Runaways, and Wayward Girls — the last resort after causing a ruckus at the orphanage where she was living. Except…the Institute isn’t some dreadful, dreary place like she thought.

Instead it’s full of curious girls training to solve mysteries, fight bad guys, and keep the city safe. In between fencing lessons and discovering all the shortcuts in the building, Maggie finds herself making friends at the Midwatch and finally feeling like she’s home. And when a woman goes missing, Maggie’s off on her first assignment, with each step leading her deeper into the secrets of the city.

With gorgeous black-and-white illustrations and pages of “Useful Things Every Girl Should Know” (like how send messages in morse code and how to shout extremely loudly), The Midwatch is a whimsical, adventure-filled mystery from internationally bestselling author-illustrator Judith Rossell.

Publication Date May 27th 2025 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
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Inspired by the global phenomenon of the Murdle puzzle books comes the first novel in a new thrilling mystery series, for fans of Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and The Swifts.

It’s a cloudy day on the Sacred Kidney playground, but Jake likes it that way — dark and uncertain. For a junior detective like Jake, standing up to bad guys is a piece of cake. After all, she’s the only detective at Sacred Kidney Elementary with a hard-earned badge to her name. But just as Jake and her sidekick Sterling prepare to face off against the biggest bully in school, there’s a scream from inside the library.

The kids are sure they heard Miss Saffron cry out, but when they arrive at the scene of the crime, the library is how it’s always been: filled with books, but no Miss Saffron to be found! None of the adults still there after school are talking, but Jake, Sterling, and Brick the bully are determined to find out what happened. This unlikely trio pinky promises to solve…the crime at Sacred Kidney!

The second Murdle Jr. puzzle book Ready, Set, Solve! is a companion for this novel, with some Easter egg puzzles to solve between the pairing of books, for readers with the keenest of eyes!

Publication Date May 27th 2025 by Aladdin
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Ellen Oh’s Spirit Hunters meets Katherine Arden’s Small Spaces in this middle grade supernatural mystery following a girl whose discovery of a magical clearing near her summer camp ends up putting her best friend in danger.

Pina’s first trip to summer camp is a chance to escape her overbearing parents and finally go on an adventure with her best friend, Jo. But Camp Clear Skies hides a secret: a clearing in the deep woods the older kids call “the Glade.” After falling asleep here, Pina and Jo are able to enter one another’s dreams, transforming into superheroes and knights in shining armor, fighting back their nightmares in epic adventures.

At first, the friends think they’ve discovered a secret more exciting than any video game — until Pina’s nightmares start leaking out into waking life. Worse, something seems to have followed them back from those dreams…and whatever it is, it’s taking over Jo. Jo has always been the superhero in their friendship, but Pina can’t just abandon them to their fate.

To save her friend, Pina journeys deeper into the Glade than she ever has before, facing the worst of her own fears and Jo’s. There, she must confront the consciousness trying to steal her friend’s body and learn what happened twenty years ago that shut down Camp Clear Skies and changed the Glade forever.

Publication Date June 3rd 2025 by Candlewick
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Bonbon is back in the third installment of the clever and funny illustrated murder mystery series. But tensions run high when she’s surrounded by crooks.

Bonnie Montgomery (as her case-cracking alter ego Montgomery Bonbon) has been tasked with delivering a priceless diamond to Adderstone Manor, the home of retired master thief Fergus Croke. The plot thickens faster than a good roux when Croke is found dead hours later, and every one of his four protégés is suspected of the dirty deed. But when everyone is a crook, how does even the great Bonbon know where to begin?

With the help of Grampa Banks and an undercover best friend, it’s not long before Bonbon uncovers hidden identities, motives a-many, and a rather surprising hedge maze full of monkeys. But can they catch the killer before it’s too late?

Publication Date June 10th 2025 by Amulet Books
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An exciting and twisty middle-grade debut mystery novel — perfect for fans of From The Desk of Zoe Washington and The Parker Inheritance — about the disappearance of a famous magician, and one boy’s quest to find the truth

Spending the summer with his aunt as the only Black kid in a small Midwestern town was bad enough, but now Andy Carter’s summer has been effectively ruined.

His dad’s parole hearing is postponed, he misses his friends, and — when an old barn burns down — he’s stuck taking the blame. Andy is sentenced with helping the barn’s owner, a cantankerous old man, renovate his crumbling mansion — a mansion that hides a mystery.

It was once owned by the famous magician the Red Nave. In 1954, the Nave was a wanted suspect in the town’s most infamous murder before disappearing without a trace.

The whole town is sure the Red Nave is guilty, but to Andy, things just don’t add up. Investigating a mystery from the ’50s isn’t the same as spending time with his dad, but Andy can’t help but be drawn into the Red Nave’s exciting world of magic and illusion. To solve the Nave’s final vanishing act, Andy teams up with another boy he doesn’t quite trust. Secret by secret, they try to uncover the Red Nave’s identity and learn why his last performance came to such a tragic end.

With a gripping combination of hidden doors, shocking twists, and deep emotional heart, Smoke & Mirrors asks the question: How much of the truth is what you can get people to believe?

Publication Date July 1st 2025 by Scholastic Press
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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, bestselling author of Goosebumps, says, “Don’t miss this one!”

This summer, beware of sharks…

Brooklyn girl Kaylani McKinnon feels like a fish out of water. She’s spending the summer with family friends in their huge house on Martha’s Vineyard, and the vibe is definitely snooty. Still, there are beautiful beaches, lots of ice cream, and a town full of fascinating Black history. Plus a few kids her age who seem friendly.

Until the shocking death of a popular teenage boy rocks the community to its core. Was it a drowning? A shark attack? Or the unthinkable – murder?

Kaylani is determined to solve the mystery. But her investigation leads her to uncover shocking secrets that could change her own life as she knows it…if she survives.

New York Times bestselling author Tiffany D. Jackson makes her thrilling middle-grade debut with this heart-pounding mystery packed with twists and turns that will keep readers guessing until the end.

Publication Date July 1st 2025 by Random House Books for Young Readers
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When a stock-pile of confiscated classroom items go missing, (self-appointed) seventh grade PI Maya is on the case. From the New York Times bestselling author of Kill The Boy Band comes a whip-smart middle grade debut and the start of a sharp cul-du-sac crime-solving series.

9:48 AM. Math class. Marlowe Middle School.

Life isn’t easy on the streets, er, hallways of Marlowe Middle School. Luckily, private eye Maya Mendoza never stops paying attention. She knows who is passing notes in class. Spots which teacher wore shoes a half-size too tight. And she certainly notices when her former best friend Jordan suddenly stops talking to her.

Then, the legendary Contraband Closet is robbed. Every Hotwheels car, spray paint canister, bouncy ball, and other prized possession teachers have collected since the dawn of time are seemingly lost forever–including an item of Jordan’s. Suddenly, Maya sees a case that may set things back to the way it used to be because contraband–and friendships–don’t vanish into thin air…right?

A wise-cracking start to a new mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Goldy Moldavsky.

Publication Date July 1st 2025 by Walker Books US
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In this rollicking transatlantic romp set in 1910, a plucky girl named Patch accidentally stows away on a glamorous steamship, finding herself in the midst of a mystery.

Twelve-year-old Patch hasn’t found a real home yet, despite being passed like a package from one distant relative to the next. When she runs up the gangway of the massive steamship RMS Glorious, she isn’t planning to hang around. But it’s too late — the ship is setting sail! Patch has become an accidental stowaway. Luckily, she’s fearless and resourceful and finds friends on board in both high and low places. But hiding from the stowaway-hunting chief steward becomes harder and harder. And to make matters worse, Patch’s new friends urgently need her help: it turns out that some passengers are not what they seem, and there’s a mystery that needs solving before they reach New York.

Can Patch protect her friends and stop some dastardly criminals? And will she find a home at last, or will the excitement of life on the move keep calling her name? The elegant allure of Titanic-era steamships meets madcap escapades as our intrepid heroine finds adventure on every deck.

Publication Date July 8th 2025 by Andrews McMeel Publishing
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Get ready to join Hitch the Hedgehog and his sidekick, Vinnie the Rat, on a whirlwind adventure that proves even the smallest creatures can solve the biggest mysteries. This charming, hilarious, and fully illustrated chapter book will captivate young readers and encourage their problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

It’s merry-go-round mischief for Hitch the hedgehog! Hitch, a shrewd and edgy hedgehog detective, and his food-loving sidekick, Vinnie, are back with another mystery to solve: someone’s stolen the wooden cheetah from the City Zoo’s carousel, and, according to Vinnie, “The longer it takes to pinpoint those pranksters who took that cheetah, the more animals they’ll likely steal, which could mean more pinching, more plundering, more pilfering! IT’LL TURN WILD AROUND HERE!”

A wild and ruckus-filled zoo is exactly what Hitch does not want, so he agrees to postpone his nap and solve the case. But that’s easier said than done. From sneaky meerkats to a dramatic cabbage-eating contest, Hitch and Vinnie must navigate a series of comical and challenging events to catch the culprits and let Hitch take a nap, once and for all.

Through clever deduction, teamwork, and a few hilarious mishaps, Hitch and Vinnie manage to outwit the thieves and restore order to the carousel. Their journey is filled with witty dialogue, humorous illustrations, and engaging twists that keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Hedgehog Whodunit: The Carousel Caper is a delightful and engaging chapter book that encourages young readers to solve puzzles and think critically. It’s sure to inspire budding detectives and provide animal enthusiasts with endless enjoyment.

Publication Date July 8th 2025 by Delacorte Press
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Is Area 51’s cover blown?! Sky and her otherworldly friends scramble to protect its secrets when a UFO goes missing in the fourth installment of this laugh-out-loud, Edgar Award-nominated series for young readers.

For the first time since Sky got to Area 51, things seem to be under control. No bunker hideouts. No incoming space toilets. No kidnappings of beloved relatives. In fact, everyone is in a celebratory mood because a special government visitor is coming to Area 51!

But on the morning of the visit, a UFO goes missing from the science lab. And then a mysterious whistleblower goes to the media saying they have evidence of a UFO landing! Did someone steal the UFO in order to reveal it to the whole wide world? Sky and her friends have less than a week to solve the mystery of the missing UFO, or all of Area 51’s secrets will be at risk. Guess things aren’t so calm after all!

Publication Date July 15th 2025 by Storytide
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Half-siren Elvira Vance doesn’t trust outsiders. Especially not the human detective who’s been hired to investigate the disappearances of a chupacabra and the crown for the Marfa Monster Festival. While humans are convinced the monster skipped town with the crown, Elvira knows there’s more to the story. As the daughter of Vince Vance — founder of Vince Vance’s Vintage Trailer Park Inn for Monsters — Elvira cares too much about her home to let this mystery go unsolved.

With her two best friends, Elvira collects clues and investigates humans, banshees, vampires, and ghosts. But when more creatures start disappearing and antimonster attitudes rise, Elvira realizes that her friends could be in real danger.

Now time is running out, and Elvira must use her siren powers and sleuthing skills to solve this mystery — or lose everything she loves.

Publication Date July 22nd 2025 by Storytide
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The pulse-pounding sequel to Dead Good Detectives, from the UK’s bestselling author of the Land of Roar series. A hauntingly fun read!

Sid Jones successfully freed a pirate ghost named Bones from spending eternity trapped in a graveyard prison and, along with her best friend, Zen, helped Bones complete his unfinished business on Earth. But there are plenty more ghosts who are trapped in the in-between like Bones was. While they try to help the others, Sid, Zen, and Bones will have to avoid being caught by Old Scratch, the creepy specter who guards the prisoners.

When their ghost friends start disappearing bit by bit, the pressure is on to free them all before they disappear completely and become wraiths, never to be at peace. But Sid soon finds out that Old Scratch isn’t the only terrifying ghoul guarding the prisoners. With a mysterious figure tracking her every move, Sid will have to find the power within herself to save her friends — before she gets turned into a ghost, too.

Publication Date July 29th 2025 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
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For fans of Beth Lincoln’s The Swifts and Margaret Peterson Haddix’s Greystone Secrets series comes an exciting mystery filled with cryptic clues and wonderful word puzzles as two cousins search for their grandmother’s missing portrait.

Twelve-year-old Bea from Passaic, New Jersey, is visiting her family in Paris for the summer when her grandmother’s most precious heirloom — a drawing by Henri Matisse — goes missing. After a cryptic clue arrives on Bea’s doorstep suggesting its whereabouts, Bea is determined to pursue the lead.

Without the French skills to navigate her way around the landmarks of Paris, she teams up with her cousin, Céline, whose clear-eyed French directness makes her a perfect partner for curious, problem-solving Bea. The girls embark on a city-wide search, deciphering riddles, solving puzzles, and cracking codes as they try to locate the Matisse, find a thief, and identify their mysterious benefactor.

Publication Date July 29th 2025 by Tundra Books
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A whoopee cushion turns deadly in this new middle-grade mystery from acclaimed author Vicki Grant.

The best Halloween costumes. The funniest pranks. An endless supply of chocolate fudge that looks exactly like dog poo. Most kids would love it if their parents owned a joke shop.

But twelve-year-old Manya isn’t like most kids. She’s an aspiring scientist. The cheap laughs at Pranks-A-Million don’t interest her – but the science behind the pranks does. After all, even edible snot and stink bombs rely on chemical reactions.

Manya and her best friend, Isaac, are thrilled when their parents agree to sign them up for Serious Science. The after-school class is everything they’ve ever dreamed of: the science is fascinating, their teacher is supersmart, and none of the experiments he gives them is designed to stink, explode, or embarrass anyone.

Things are looking up until one day Manya comes back from Serious Science to find two police officers in the store. A trick cigar bought at Pranks-A-Million burned off a customer’s eyebrows. Later, one of their Toe Jam Donuts makes someone sick. Just a couple of pranks gone wrong? Maybe. But when a whoopee cushion kills an innocent person, the joke is over. The cops swoop in and arrest Manya’s parents for murder.

It’s up to Manya now to prove their innocence. Suddenly, the science behind all those embarrassing pranks becomes very important indeed.

Publication Date August 5th 2025 by Papercutz
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Crime-solving has never been this cheesy!

The annual Grilled Cheese Festival is ruined when someone steals all the sandwiches, and it’s up to Paw & Order detectives, Purrlock and Marlowe, to figure out who did it! Was it Jinny Giraffe, who was upset that the Grilled Cheese Festival kept her from putting on her Art Festival? Was it Coach Allan Alligator, who was banned from the festival the year before? OR was it Purrlock’s arch nemesis, Meowiearty, who was behind the dastardly deed?

In Jason Platt’s funny and delightfully illustrated book, readers will have the opportunity to put their Paw & Order detective hat on and try to solve the crime alongside Purrlock and Marlowe!

Publication Date August 5th 2025 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
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Based on the webcomic of the same name, this spooky graphic novel mystery from the creator of Misfit Mansion follows a kid detective whose search for her missing father leads her into eerily enchanted woods full of strange, otherworldly creatures.

After her father’s sudden disappearance, thirteen-year-old aspiring detective Marietta travels to where his trail went cold, the town of Perdita, to ask for help. But with nobody believing her claim that something paranormal is to blame, her questions go nowhere. Determined to find out what happened — even if she has to do it alone — Marietta enters the nearby woods, where people are known to have vanished.

Armed with a peculiar magnifying glass that has the power to reveal lies and a mysterious letter containing clues about her father, Marietta stumbles into the alternate world hidden in the woods. There, she meets a friendly spirit who leads her to a phantom train where the Conductor says he’ll help Marietta find her father — for a price. With the help of Wyatt Weiss, a mysterious boy with his own secrets, Marietta escapes without bargaining away something she can’t afford to lose and finally learns where she’s ended up: the Oddity Woods, an endless forest where monsters and ghosts roam freely.

Marietta and Wyatt work together to navigate the woods but become increasingly lost. A search for magical keys and solving a puzzling murder offer them ways to get home, but Marietta has yet to find her father…and the Conductor hounds her every step. Can she get what she came for and make a clean getaway, or will the woods claim another victim?

Publication Date August 12th 2025 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
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In this endlessly charming sequel to middle grade graphic novel Wizkit, the titular magical cyclops cat must use all her wits to solve the mystery of a missing (and book-shaped) friend!

Life is going swimmingly for Wizkit and her bustling bakery. After returning Book to the library, our favorite magical one-eyed cat isn’t just baking the softest bagels in town—she’s learning powerful (if disruptive) new magic, too!

But when Book is kidnapped from the Library, leaving behind a trail of strangely familiar magical clues, Wizkit must embark on yet another quest to track down her pilfered pal. Book seems to have been led astray by the sweet smell of pancakes, but who is really behind this bogus booknapping? With the help of the birdbrained Earheart Triplets and a few new friends, Wizkit follows the clues back to Book, and discovers that she has more in common with the culprit than she could have ever expected.

Publication Date August 12th 2025 by Disney Hyperion
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A pint-sized Only Murders In The Building meets Land of Stories in this fantastical middle grade mystery where three kids’ search for a missing mother leads them to a world where every story ever told is real — making a hit web series about their search along the way.

Five months ago, Maggie Woodrow’s mom disappeared without a trace. Now, the world has given up the search and Maggie and her dad may lose their house. But Maggie has a plan: hire a private investigator, find her mom, and everything will go back to normal.

When the private investigator wants $3,000 to take on Maggie’s case, she knows just who to turn to: Griffin, the school’s entrepreneur-influencer. Maggie and her friend Petra approach him for help. Intrigued by Maggie’s mom’s story, Griffin agrees to film the investigation and create a web series, splitting the profits with Maggie.

Except their search takes a totally unexpected turn when they are sucked into a world where every story ever told is real — and so is magic. From Sherlock Holmes to Baba Yaga to terrifying mythical monsters, Maggie and her new friends never know what’s around the corner. Still, they are determined to work together and uncover the truth about Maggie’s mom.

As Maggie, Griffin, and Petra close in on the answers they seek, a mysterious (and dangerous) man known as The Reaper sends increasingly deadly threats after them. Will they find Maggie’s mom? Or will their own disappearance become the latest mystery?

Publication Date August 26th 2025 by Tundra Books
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Twelve-year-old Mizzy wants to prove to the world that she can solve mysteries just like Sherlock Holmes, despite a reputation for tall tales. A charming new mystery series for middle-grade readers, starring a girl with Down syndrome.

Twelve-year-old Mizzy dreams of being a detective and she won’t let anything stand in her way — not her reputation for tall tales, or her embarrassing fear of escalators, and definitely not her Down syndrome. Dumped for the summer with cousins who’ve outgrown her, Mizzy feels even more sidelined than usual. But when she discovers Great Aunt Jane’s diaries in a locked wardrobe in their spare room, and realizes her aunt didn’t just die in her sleep but under suspicious circumstances, everything changes. What’s more…someone in the family appears to have been involved.

Under the guise of a family tree project for school, and armed with a brand-new set of Pip-Squeaks markers, Mizzy grabs the chance to prove herself to her cousins — and the world.

Publication Date September 2nd 2025 by HarperAlley
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Clue meets The Baby-Sitters Club in this heartwarming middle grade graphic novel perfect for fans of Kayla Miller and Terri Libenson.

Amy has always loved a good mystery.

So when her classmate Reagan invites her to a murder-mystery-themed birthday party, she should be ecstatic. But…she’s not. Instead, she’s worried that her social anxiety will mess everything up. Thankfully, all the guests are given characters to play for the night, so Amy doesn’t have to go to Reagan’s party as herself — she’ll go as “Millie Morgan,” a scientist looking to solve the murder and clear her name.

With newfound confidence as Millie, she must work with the other partygoers to solve the crime. But when evidence piles up and clues begin to incriminate her alter ego, Amy’s anxiety comes rushing back. With the help of her new friends, Amy must learn to navigate her own anxiety as Millie works to solve the mystery and prove her innocence.

Publication Date September 2nd 2025 by Scholastic Press
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In this alternating narrative by bestselling author Erin Soderberg Downing, a decades-old family secret is buried within the sand, water, and woods…waiting for cousins Avery and Jax to find it and uncover the truth.

Avery is a firecracker. In a crayon box of colors, she’s the shocking pink and laser lemon, when all she wants is to be a quiet tan or soft cornflower blue. Her cousin, Jax, is a wall flower, because sometimes it’s better to stay quiet when the alternative is to be told that you’re doing or saying everything wrong. They seem to be the only ones who don’t know what happened years ago when their family shattered and went off in different directions.

When their beloved Aunt Robbie summons the large, estranged family together for a gathering at their broken-down family cabin on Crooked Lake, instead of getting the answer, Aunt Robbie delivers some devastating news. Avery and Jax learn that by the end of the summer, the island that’s been a part of their family for generations is going up for sale.

Forced to stay on the island with their estranged family to get it into shape to sell, Avery and Jax begin to dig through the history of the long-abandoned house and its contents…including a sprinkling of diary pages that were hidden around the island decades ago, the summer their family was torn apart.

In this alternating narrative by bestselling author Erin Soderberg Downing, two cousins are finally beginning to understand the joy of family – however cracked and imperfect theirs might be. But if they have any chance of gluing their broken family back together, they’ll have to first figure out what happened then.

Publication Date September 2nd 2025 by Scholastic Press
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The next evolution in storytelling from New York Times bestselling, Newbery Medal Winning author Erin Entrada Kelly!

Twelve-year-old Lila has two goals for the summer:
1. Win back the friends who ditched her for being “too dramatic”
2. Stop being so dramatic

But then Lila’s estranged Grandpa Clem dies, throwing a wrench in her plans. Now she’ll have to spend the summer in Ohio while her parents decide what to do with Grandpa Clem’s creepy Victorian Inn. It’s supremely unfair. How can she show off the “new and improved” Lila from so far away?

Even worse, strange things keep happening. En route to Ohio, the family gets into a scary car accident. No one’s hurt, but the remainder of the trip is… odd. At every rest stop, Lila sees people in weird old-fashioned clothes. People no one else can see or hear…

Lila convinces herself it’s just her overactive imagination until the day of the funeral when she spots an old man sitting in her grandfather’s favorite chair. She does a double take – it’s him, Grandpa Clem. He tells Lila that he didn’t die of a heart attack: he was murdered. Possibly by someone who wants to control the inn. Because it’s not a normal bed & breakfast: it’s a portal between the land of the living and the realm of the dead. A hotel for ghosts passing onto the afterlife.

With the help of her skeptical brother, Caleb, and their new ghost-obsessed neighbor, Teddy, Lila – the girl who’s vowed to be less dramatic – must uncover her grandfather’s killer AND stop the evil spirits desperate to make their way back into the human world.

Enter the world of The Last Resort! Ghosts from the story will emerge from the pages of the book, allowing readers to talk to spirits from the past and help solve the mystery!

Publication Date September 2nd 2025 by Aladdin
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When a hurricane uncovers new information in a cold case, the Sherlock Society investigates a decades-old heist in this second book in the action-packed and funny New York Times bestselling Sherlock Society middle grade series from Edgar Award–winning author James Ponti!

When a category three hurricane hits Miami Beach, it uncovers a body buried at the renowned Moroccan Hotel. The body is identified as the man who served as the hotel’s bell captain sixty years ago…and the presumed culprit of the million-dollar jewel heist that took place just before his disappearance.

Since the bell captain clearly didn’t take off with the goods as had been long believed, the Sherlock Society sets their sights on uncovering the real culprit of the theft. But when the thief may also be implicated in the bell captain’s murder, even sixty years later, there are people who want the truth to stay buried.

Publication Date September 9th 2025 by Carolrhoda Books
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In 1970, twelve-year-old Zeyna has grown up in London but has never quite felt like she fits in.

Her monotonous life is suddenly interrupted when Zeyna’s parents decide to visit their native Pakistan ― where Zeyna feels she doesn’t fit in either. But then her parents disappear, leaving behind a string of clues that connect them to an international jewel heist. Along with her annoying little brother and her clever Pakistani cousin, Zeyna sets out to find her parents and clear their names. Along the way, she discovers that being shaped by two cultures doesn’t have to mean she’s always an outsider.

Publication Date September 9th 2025 by First Second
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Tackle tricky cases in this solve-along Investigators adventure, along with everyone’s favorite sleuths Mango and Brash!

Special agents Mango and Brash are back again, and this time they’ll be asking their readers for help in cracking the case! The gators have been given a brand new add-on for their V.E.S.T.s to help with gathering evidence and making sense of clues – the G.R.I.D. (Gator Reasoning, Inquiry, Deduction) – and with that powerful tool in hand, kids can follow along as they solve six brand-new mysteries! Featuring plenty of familiar faces from investigations past, as well as a few brand new suspects, Mango and Brash and YOU (the reader) will get to the bottom of cases big and small!

Publication Date September 9th 2025 by Andrews McMeel Publishing
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The world’s cutest cat detective is back on the case in this indie bestselling series. Li Chen’s newest Detective Beans adventures are a must-read for anyone who loves mystery stories, cute animals, and hilarious original storytelling.

Detective Beans is back on the case! In this series of mysteries and adventures, the world’s cutest cat detective comes to the aid of her fellow villagers, searching for a cookie thief (with surprising results!), aiding a deceptive duck in the recovery of lost goods, and even doing his best to help a confused bear prove that the moon is made of cheese. In addition to these small capers, Adventures in Cat Town features behind-the-scenes footage of the crime-solving documentary directed by Beans best friend, Biscuits, as well as comics, stories, and even horoscopes illustrated by Beans himself. Called a “must-read” by School Library Journal and “absurdly funny and clever” by Kirkus, it’s no mystery why this new series is such a hit!

Publication Date September 16th 2025 by Delacorte Press
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Abandoned in a cemetery and raised in a funeral home, a girl who can see and smell the supernatural must solve the mystery of a priceless heirloom stolen from her family’s business. Perfect for fans of Netflix’s Wednesday and Beetlejuice!

13-year-old Mystery — who was abandoned in a cemetery and raised in a funeral home — is plagued by sleep paralysis and the smell of ghosts, but she’s used to that. Even though her life might seem “strange” on the outside, she loves it.

That is until a priceless heirloom goes missing and her family’s funeral home is in danger of being shut down. To clear her Tia’s good name, Mystery embarks on an adventure to figure out what really happened to the misplaced necklace.

But to do so, she must contend with the angry patriarch of the town’s wealthiest family, a sleep paralysis demon, a graverobber, and the ghastly half-vampire, half-ghost that’s lurking in the Olde Ellis Town Cemetery.

Publication Date September 30th 2025 by Aladdin
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Glass Onion meets Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library in this twisty, laugh-out-loud middle grade mystery about an inexperienced detective who plans to solve a local murder to achieve greatness.

Only you can solve the mystery of my murder.

Grady Jones has spent nearly all twelve years of his life trying to find a way to be great at something. So when a mysterious note is delivered to his door, addressed to him, asking Grady to solve the murder of his town’s reclusive billionaire, Grady believes his search is over. He’ll be a Great Detective! The only problem is he is not known for being very observant…or intuitive…or clever.

Oh, and he has no idea how to solve a mystery.

Luckily, he has some friends who have skills of deduction, and together, they might have the chops to figure out the murderer. Then a stranger also named Grady Jones comes to town, and Grady fears the note might not have been meant for him at all. And if that’s the case, how will he ever become Great?

In this hilarious mystery about mistaken identity, one boy must make life-changing decisions, perhaps most important of all: is it more important to be a Great Detective, or a great friend?

Publication Date October 7th 2025 by Charlesbridge
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National Book Award nominee Mitali Perkins crafts a contemporary chapter-book mystery about a Nepali girl who sets out to solve the disappearance of her Bengali friend’s missing jewelry. Set within a tea plantation in Darjeeling, 7-10-year-old readers are transported across the world to a politically and culturally rich setting, following our brave heroine, Sona.

Sona, a 12-year-old Nepali girl, has struck up a friendship with Tara, the niece of the greedy tea plantation manager who has promised Tara’s hand in marriage in order to get his hands on her inheritance of precious jewelry. Then Tara’s gold jewelry goes missing. The search is on for the culprit, and Sona must use all her wits in order to prove it wasn’t her beloved brother, Samiran Daju, who stole it.

Filled with vivid characters against a complex and multilayered political and cultural backdrop, this novel showcases a strong girl protagonist whom readers will root for. The Golden Necklace is award-winning author Mitali Perkins’s latest and most compelling story yet.

Publication Date October 14th 2025 by Random House Graphic
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Discover what James Patterson calls “the coolest library in the world.” Follow along and solve the clues in this interactive graphic novel featuring Mr. Lemoncello’s first-ever Library Olympics! From the co-author of Murdle Jr.: Sleuths On The Loose and illustrator of The Last Kids On Earth.

The world-famous game maker Luigi Lemoncello is at it again! This time Mr. Lemoncello has invited teams from across America for the debut of the Library Olympics. Kyle Keeley knows that the competition is fierce. But something suspicious is going on — books are missing from the shelves! Is someone trying to censor what the kids are reading? Now it’s not just a game, and Kyle and his friends will have to band together to get to the bottom of this mystery. Let the games begin!

Publication Date October 14th 2025 by Norton Young Readers
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First Daughters Marissa and Clara journey back to FDR’s presidency to solve a mystery at the heart of Great Depression–era Washington, DC, in this new entry in the White House Clubhouse series.

White House kids Clara and Marissa Suarez find themselves on the hunt for a stolen eagle sculpture and on the front lines of the labor movement in this noir-style mystery that takes them through the streets of Great Depression–era Washington, DC. Along with Roosevelt grandchildren Buzzie and Sistie, the chase takes Clara and Marissa from the factory floor to the skies with Amelia Earhart, through encounters with historical figures ― and keeps readers guessing up to its dramatic end on a river cruise with Franklin and Eleanor.

Funny, fast-paced, and filled with action, White House Mystery continues Sean O’Brien’s exciting middle grade series that “masterfully weaves together history, adventure, and purpose” (Ruby Shamir).

Publication Date November 4th 2025 by Oni Press
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Go undercover and crack the case in Agent Cupcake, perfect for fans of Mac B., Kid Spy and Spy School!

Twelve-year-old Miguel Mangayayam has always loved one thing: mystical beasts. So he’s thrilled when he’s hired by the Mystical Beasts Bureau (MBB) to be their first ever human spy where he’ll use his encyclopedic knowledge of hippogriffs, mermaids, dragons, and more to solve the latest cases. Even better? He’s partnered with the supercool unicorn superspy, Agent Cupcake! Together, they’ll go undercover, gather intel, crack codes, and collect clues to solve the MBB’s toughest mysteries. But when they receive reports that unicorns are losing their magical powers, Miguel and Agent Cupcake will have to put their spy skills to the test to figure out why, even if it means going up against a mega corporation like HOARD. Could someone be trying to steal magic to put unicorns out of business?

Join the MBB and solve the case in the candy-colored mystical world of Agent Cupcake, all while learning facts about real life spies and spycraft in the next graphic novel from the dream team that brought you Debian Perl: Digital Detective: Mel Hilario, Lauren Davis, and Katie Longua!

Publication Date November 11th 2025 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
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Two podcasting sleuths help their neighbor solve a cold case — one that’s literally etched into the walls of their Brooklyn apartment building — in this cozy, twisty-turny middle grade whodunnit from the author of The Queen of Ocean Parkway.

Twelve-year-old globetrotter Thea Lim-Lambert is spending a rare summer at home in Brooklyn, when she discovers a secret room in the back of her closet. There, among her grandfather Errol’s old diaries and peculiar carvings, is a clue Errol left to a massive hidden treasure. But to find it, she’ll need the help of two experienced sleuths — lucky for her, two of the best live in her building!

Roya and Amin’s mystery podcast has earned them a stellar reputation, but they never could have guessed that their latest case would send them on a wild scavenger hunt in their own building. Clue by clue, they search the building from roof to cellar (thanks to Roya’s mom’s master key). But just when a solution seems near, they realize an essential piece is missing — locked away where none of them can reach it. And unless Thea finds the courage to stand up to her family the treasure of Ocean Parkway may be lost forever…

Publication Date November 11th 2025 by Feiwel & Friends
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In Harper and The Horse Show Sabotage, the second book in the charming middle grade Windy Creek Stables series from author Kaitlyn Sage Patterson, Harper and Presley must uncover the mystery behind who is undermining the stables before it’s too late!

Every year, the team at Windy Creek Stables packs up the trailer and makes the trip to the famous Kentucky Horse Park for the best and biggest horse show of the year. Usually, the competition is Harper’s favorite thing in the world, and she can’t wait to show off for her new best friend, Presley, who is competing for the first time. This year, though, she’s more than a little nervous. It’s her first time competing against her old barn, Foxcroft Equestrian Center, and she isn’t looking forward to seeing the mean girls who still ride there. Her anxiety only increases when she gets a midnight call that Isolde, her beautiful grey Andalusian mare, is sick.

Luckily, Isolde recovers, but when another Windy Creek Stables horse starts to show signs of illness, Harper and Presley know something is up. One sick horse is just a sick horse, but two sick horses are a mystery. The girls must don their detective hats and figure out who’s sabotaging the stables before anything else happens…and ace their competition as well, of course!

Publication Date November 18th 2025 by Random House Childrens Books
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Solve Animal Mysteries from A to Z! Inspired by Ron Roy’s A to Z Mysteries series, this exciting animal adventure mystery is perfect for budding young chapter book readers. This time, 8-year-old Abbi and her friends solve the mystery of a missing ferret!

F IS FOR FERRET…

Follow that ferret! Abbi and her friends and family are pet-sitting at a petting zoo and animal sanctuary. The kids are in charge of the ferret, Marcie. There’s just one problem: Marcie is acting very strange. She seems upset! Then she runs off, escaping her crate, and sending Abbi, Lydia, and Daniel on a hunt for the missing ferret! Little do they know that finding Marcie will lead to an even bigger mystery…

Publication Date December 2nd 2025 by Walker Books US
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When Caro finds a stolen masterpiece in her missing mother’s suitcase, she’s thrust into a thrilling art-heist caper in 1950s London.

When Caro Monday’s mother disappears on one of her jaunts across the globe, Caro is forced to stay with her miserable great-aunt all the way across town. To make matters worse, Caro’s beloved rabbit, His Nibs, isn’t allowed to come with her. Of course, Caro sneaks him into her aunt’s strict household anyway. Although Caro’s wild behavior exasperates her dour aunt, she never dreamed of the trouble she finds herself in when she discovers a small painting of a thrush hidden in the lining of her suitcase — a stolen masterwork that some dangerous art thieves are desperately searching for!

Catapulted into a caper with more twists and turns than the alleys of London, Caro and her friends, including budding fashion designer Horace, expert knitter Albie, and a wise “gentleman of the road” — not to mention His Nibs himself — must unravel a decades-old mystery and return the purloined picture before the thieves hunt them down. Plenty of surprises and a diverse cast of memorable characters await in this rousing art-themed adventure.

Publication Date December 2nd 2025 by Union Square Kids
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An action-packed early chapter book full of humor and adventure, featuring pigeon detectives and a cohort of other animals.

Lights. Camera. Heartbreak.

The residents of City Park are ready for this year’s beloved baking competition, The Great Bake-a-Thon: Valentine’s Edition, but someone keeps stealing the props! Without essential items like whisks, cake tins, and cookie cutters, the show may come to a grinding halt. Luckily, the Pigeon Private Detectives — PPD for short — are on the scene and determined to get to the heart of the matter. But the clues on the case are quite curious, leaving the PPD perplexed. Have they finally met their match in a case they can’t crack?

Once again, author-illustrator Christee Curran-Bauer pokes fun at detective procedurals with kid-friendly humor, as she did in The Case of the Missing Tarts and The Case of the Poached Painting.