I spent countless afternoons of my adolescence exploring old clocks, hidden staircases, dusty attics, haunted houses and much more with my fictional best friends, Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden, and learned to love the excitement and satisfaction in exercising my little grey cells alongside everyone’s favourite Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot.
As a result, today there are few things that bring me greater joy than a middle grade mystery, especially one that’s helmed by an inquisitive, persistent, and precocious child detective! From Goldie Vance to Aggie Morton, Kazu Jones to Howard Wallace, middle grade mysteries and the characters that populate them have stolen my heart and brightened my days, and I wanted to share a little of the joy I’ve found in this genre by compiling this list of books that are sure to put your sleuthing skills to the test and enchant and intrigue readers of all ages. From stolen gems to missing friends and everything in between, I sincerely hope there’s at least one case below you can’t wait to crack!
If you enjoyed today’s post and found it helpful, I hope you’ll consider checking out Pop! Goes The Reader’s Patreon! In addition to exclusive rewards like an extensive edition of Hot Off The Press that details over 250+ new middle grade and adult books being published each month as well as digital downloads for your desktop and devices, I also share curated book lists like this one on a specific theme or subject every month. Membership on Patreon makes a real, tangible difference in helping to support Pop! Goes The Reader and allowing me to do what I love and makes posts like this one, that are accessible to all readers, possible. Thank you!
Please Note: Upcoming publication dates might be subject to change.
Publication Date November 22nd 2022 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
The Hardy Boys meets We Dream of Space in this tender middle grade adventure about a girl with the heart of an explorer who discovers more than she bargained for with her two brothers over the course of one fateful week.
Finley Walsh and her best friend Sophie were adventurers, like the ones they grew up reading about in 100 of the World’s Greatest Female Adventurers — that is, until Sophie found new friends. Between losing her best friend and feeling overlooked by her mother and older brother, Finley is determined to prove herself by becoming a great adventurer like the ones in her book.
The perfect opportunity comes when she and her brothers stay with an estranged relative in Stone Creek, a remote tourist town dedicated to the legend of a local adventurer who went missing two decades before. Finley knows that if she finds the missing woman, she’ll not only be able to prove herself to Sophie and her family, but also be able to meet a real, live adventurer just like her.
Finley convinces her brothers to join her in her rescue mission. But as they delve deeper into Stone Creek’s painful past, it becomes harder to know who they can trust — including each other — and they realize some places are better left unexplored.
Publication Date July 19th 2022 by Sourcebooks Young Readers
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
The first book in an exciting new middle grade mystery series from actress, artist, and YouTube star Hayley LeBlanc!
In Hayley Mysteries: The Haunted Studio, when Hayley is cast as the lead in a Nancy Drew like kids TV show, strange things start happening around the studio and she becomes a real-life sleuth. Hayley needs YOU to help her solve a terrifying ghost mystery in this fun-filled, action-packed story. Plus, get a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to be an actress IRL!
When Hayley gets the lead role in a new TV show called Sadie Solves It, she’s so excited…even if there are rumors of hauntings surrounding the Silver Screen Studios. It’s LA, she thinks ― there are ghost stories everywhere!
But to her surprise, strange things actually start happening as production ramps up. Lights flicker, cold blasts of air come out of nowhere, and one day the electricity is cut to the studio entirely with no clear cause. Can Hayley and her two best friends solve the mystery of the haunted studio…before it means curtains for their show?
Publication Date July 19th 2022 by Holiday House
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
The case of a missing father is hard to crack…even for Felix, a tiny kid with a huge heart and an eye for detail.
Eleven-year-old Felix likes being the smallest kid in school.
At least he knows where he fits in. Plus his nickname, “Short-lock Holmes,” is perfect for someone who’s killing it in forensic science club. To Felix, Growth Hormone Deficiency is no big deal.
And then Felix learns that his biological dad was short, too. This one, tiny, itty-bitty piece of information opens up a massive hole in his life. Felix must find his father. He only has a few small clues to work from, but as Sherlock Holmes said, “To a great mind, nothing is little.”
The further Felix gets in his investigation, though, the more he starts to wonder: What if his dad doesn’t want to be found? And what if Felix’s family — his mom, his stepdad, the baby on the way — needs him right where he is?
Tender and uplifting, this warm novel from Christopher Award–winner Carmella Van Vleet celebrates little differences in us that can make a big impact.
Publication Date July 12th 2022 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
A moving, voice-driven novel about friendship, responsibility, and fighting against unfair expectations, for fans of Rebecca Stead and Erin Entrada Kelly.
Max wishes he could go back in time to before he was diagnosed with ADHD, before he grew to be the tallest kid in his class, and before he and his best friends went into the woods in the middle of the night. Max doesn’t remember what happened after he left his friends Will and Joey and the older kids who took them there. He’s not sure if he wants to remember. Knowing isn’t going to make Joey talk to him again, or bring Will out of his coma.
When the local authorities run out of leads, Max realizes that without his help, they may never know what really happened to Will. Charged by the idea that he may be the key to uncovering the truth, Max pairs up with classmate and aspiring journalist Sam to investigate what really happened that night. But not everyone in the community wants that night to be remembered.
Publication Date June 30th 2022 by Nimbus Publishing Limited
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Globe & Mail bestselling Lesley Crewe’s new novel brings readers to 1960s Montreal & features a nosy would-be child detective searching for the truth about her mother.
It’s 1967 in Montreal, the Expo is in full swing, and Audrey Parker has just moved with her dad to Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, a whole new neighbourhood full of different kinds of people to spy on. Audrey is a lot of things: articulate, disarming, forthright. And, as her father reminds her often, indecently nosy.
Audrey scribbles every observation down in her notebooks ― from which foods her new teacher eats for lunch, to how blue the water is in Greece, to what time the one-legged man across the street gets home. She is certain she will soon root out a murderer or uncover a mystery. But there’s only one mystery that really matters to her: her mother. Who was she? How did she die? Why won’t her father ever talk about her?
Over a year of Audrey’s life, we bike with her through the streets of NDG, encountering stray animals, free-range kids, and adults both viciously cruel and wonderful. And we walk with Audrey across the threshold from childhood to adolescence, where she will discover the truth about her mother.
Balancing humour and sadness as expertly as ever, author Lesley Crewe ― who has so often captured Cape Breton perfectly on the page ― turns her incisive observations for the first time to the NDG of the 1960s, where she grew up.
Publication Date June 14th 2022 by Walker Books US
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Nell is determined to find her beloved missing au pair in this vibrant adventure set in, and underneath, Paris.
Penelope Magnificent spends as little time as possible with her awful parents — a grocery-mogul father and a fashion-obsessed mother who loves expensive purses more than she does her daughter. But when they mention an important trip to Paris, Nell begs to come along. Paris holds something very dear to her: her old au pair Perrine — Pear — who lives there. Pear used to write to Nell every week, promising to come to her rescue, but recently the letters stopped.
With the help of a savvy bellboy named Xavier, Nell sets out from her parents’ ultra-fancy Parisian hotel to find her beloved Pear. But Pear’s old neighbors and coworkers are strangely tight-lipped. And as Nell’s search for the truth takes her and Xavier to some of the darkest, most mysterious parts of the city, a sinister plot comes to light involving the destruction of a cherished — and delicious — part of Parisian life. Food, fashion, and intrigue abound in this delightful caper from the author of The Secret Starling.
Publication Date June 7th 2022 by Pixel+Ink
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Follow the world’s greatest detective you’ve never heard of in this madcap middle grade mystery for fans of A Series of Unfortunate Events and Enola Holmes.
After twelve-year-old John Boarhog’s mom dies, the last thing he wants is to be schlepped off to the Jersey Home for Boys, where kids are forced to make skinny jeans for hipsters and are fed nothing but kale. Instead, he makes himself a snug home in the ceiling of the New York Museum of Natural History, where he reads anything he get his hands on and explores the artifacts afterhours.
But when a rare Egyptian ruby — the highlight of the museum’s new exhibit — goes missing, John is accused of the crime. That is until the unpredictable Inspector Toadius McGee sweeps in to wrestle control of the case, certain that the true culprit is a notorious criminal he’s been tracking for years.
John quickly becomes the Watson to Toadius’s Holmes as they race from Broadway to back alleys to a speak-easy that only serves root beer. And along the way, John uncovers secrets about his own past, including that he’s a lot more involved in this web of endearing ne’er-do-wells than he ever could have imagined.
A love letter to classic middle grade, Egypt’s Fire introduces a remarkable new duo that will steal your heart as surely as it leaves you begging for their next grand adventure.
Publication Date May 31st 2022 by Feiwel & Friends
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
After inheriting a grieving fox spirit, a Chinese American boy must learn to embrace his heritage to solve the mystery of his brother’s death in Jesse Q Sutanto’s magical, action-packed middle grade fantasy, Theo Tan and The Fox Spirit.
Theo Tan doesn’t want a spirit companion. He just wants to be a normal American kid, playing video games, going to conventions, and using cirth pendants to cast his spells like everyone else. But, when his older brother dies, Theo ends up inheriting Jamie’s fox spirit, Kai.
Kai isn’t happy about this either. Theo is nothing like Jamie, and the two of them have never gotten along. But, when they realize the mysterious journal Jamie left Theo is filled with clues and secret codes, it’s clear that something strange was going on with Jamie’s internship at Reapling Corp.
But the only way onto the campus is the highly competitive “Know Your Roots” summer camp program, a celebration of Chinese and Indian cultures designed to help connect students with their heritage. Theo and Kai will have to put aside their differences long enough to honor Jamie’s last wishes, or the mystery he died for will remain unsolved forever…
Publication Date May 17th 2022 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Better Nate Than Ever meets The Parker Inheritance in this heartwarming mystery about finding your people and accepting others as they are.
Twelve-year-old Maren is sure theater camp isn’t for her. Theater camp is for loud, confident, artsy people: people like her older sister, Hadley — the last person Maren wants to think about — and her cinema-obsessed, nonbinary bunkmate, Theo. But when a prank goes wrong, Maren gets drawn into the hunt for a diamond ring that, legend has it, is linked to the camp’s namesake, Charlotte “Charlie” Goodman, a promising director in Blacklist Era Hollywood.
When Maren connects the clues to Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, she and her new friends are off searching through lighting booths, orchestra pits and costume storages, discovering the trail and dodging camp counselors. But they’re not the only ones searching for the ring, and with the growing threat of camp closing forever, they’re almost out of time.
Publication Date May 10th 2022 by HarperCollins
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
From Ali Standish, award-winning author of The Ethan I Was Before, August Isle, How To Disappear Completely, and The Mending Summer, comes a captivating historical fiction middle grade novel about a boy on the home front in World War II who must solve the mystery of the disappearance of his best friend. Perfect for fans of Alan Gratz and Lauren Wolk, this riveting adventure explores what true heroism means.
Danny Timmons has looked up to Jack Bailey ever since Jack saved two small children from drowning during the Great Flood of 1940. Now, with his father away fighting in World War II and his mother about to have a new baby, Danny relies on Jack’s friendship and guidance more than ever.
So when Jack goes missing without a trace from their small Appalachian town, Danny is determined to find him. He wonders if Jack’s abusive father could be behind his disappearance, or if it has anything to do with Yonder — a hidden magical town Jack once spoke of, where flocks of rainbow birds fly through the sky and they’ve never heard of war. As answers elude him, Danny begins to fear that he didn’t know Jack as well as he thought.
Ultimately, Danny’s investigation forces him to reckon with even larger questions: What is America fighting for in this war? What role do each of us play in stopping injustices, big and small? And is there such thing as a true hero?
Publication Date April 26th 2022 by Delacorte Press
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
An hilarious coming-of-age story about home, friendship, and learning that sometimes the most exciting adventures happen behind-the-scenes.
Alex Davis is convinced that seventh grade is going to be his year. After spending all summer at skate camp, he knows he’ll finally be seen as one of the “cool kids”…until he’s mistakenly put in the wrong elective. Now, instead of taking a popular video games class with his friends, he’s stuck in Filmmaking with hipster teacher Pablo and a group of eccentric classmates.
But when it’s announced that their films will be entered in the school’s annual Golden Reel competition, Alex becomes determined to claim first prize and salvage his seventh-grade year.
With the help of his longtime crush, his best friend, and a peculiar new student, Alex sets out to make a masterpiece. Soon he discovers that someone is trying to sabotage his film and finds himself embroiled in a mystery — one that leads him and his crew to conniving classmates, traitorous teachers, and even corrupt city politicians!
Publication Date March 8th 2022 by Aladdin
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
One Day At A Time meets Mindy Kim in this first book in a charming new chapter book series about Catalina Castaneda, a Mexican American girl with a magical sewing kit!
Catalina Castaneda is not persnickety, even though that’s what her parents and sister, Coco, like to think. Catalina just likes things the way she likes them — perfect.
That’s why it’s very hard to hide her disappointment when her glamorous Tía Abuela, a famous telenovela actress, gives her an old sewing kit for her eighth birthday. However, Catalina soon discovers the sewing kit isn’t as boring as she thinks — it’s magic, turning ordinary clothing into magical disguises.
When Tía Abuela’s most famous costume has rhinestones stolen from it where it’s being displayed at the local library, Catalina gets to work on creating the perfect disfraz (disguise) to track down the thief. But, as Tía Abuela warned her, the magic is only as strong as her stiches, and Catalina doesn’t always have the patience for practice…
Publication Date March 1st 2022 by Clarion Books
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
In this modern take on Harriet The Spy, twelve-year-old Drew uses her true crime expertise to catch the cyberbully in her school — only to discover that family, friendship, and identity are the hardest mysteries to solve.
Drew Leclair knows what it takes to be a great detective. She’s pored over the cases solved by her hero, criminal profiler Lita Miyamoto. She tracked down the graffiti artist at school, and even solved the mystery of her neighbor’s missing rabbit. But when her mother runs off to Hawaii with the school guidance counselor, Drew is shocked. How did she miss all of the clues?
Drew is determined to keep her family life a secret, even from her best friend. But when a cyberbully starts posting embarrassing rumors about other students at school, it’s only a matter of time before Drew’s secret is out.
Armed with her notebooks full of observations about her classmates, Drew knows what she has to do: profile all of the bullies in her grade to find the culprit. But being a detective is more complicated when the suspects can be your friends. Will Drew crack the case if it means losing the people she cares about most?
Publication Date November 2nd 2021 by Carolrhoda Books
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Thirteen-year-old Eddie needs to do a community service project in preparation for his bar mitzvah. Against his better judgment, he ends up with a volunteering gig at Silver Brook Pavilion retirement home, where the residents call him “Eddie Whatever” rather than worry about remembering his last name. These old folks soon upend all Eddie’s assumptions about the boringness of the elderly. There’s a dramatic courtship unfolding, long-hidden secret identities, a rumor of a vengeful ghost, and a thief on the loose.
When suspicion falls on Eddie, he teams up with his fellow volunteer (and crush), Tessa, to solve the mysteries of Silver Brook.
Publication Date November 2nd 2021 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
When seventh grade enemies research a missing set of jewels for a class project, they realize that the answers to the unsolved case might be much closer to home than they thought in this fun-filled mystery “as satisfying as hot soup on a cold day” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).
If you told Sloane Osburn and Amelia Miller-Poe that they’d be hiding in their town cemetery from an evil mastermind, they would have been hard-pressed to believe you. If you also told them that person was intent on beating them to a cache of long-lost jewels using nothing more than a slingshot and wicked aim, they’d have been sure you got your facts wrong. Finally, if you told them they’d be doing all of this as friends…well, they would have been sure you needed medical attention.
Whether through serendipity (really, really good luck) or zemblanity (really, really bad luck), someone tricked their teacher into using their seventh-grade class to investigate the mystery of their town’s long-missing treasure. From there, things have escalated. Quickly. Now, the girls are stuck hiding behind a gravestone, dodging acorns (who knew acorns could be so threatening?), and just a few clues short of those jewels.
It’s up to these enemies-turned-partners to uncover centuries-old clues to find the treasure at the end of this book before the mysterious person on their trail can get to it first…
Publication Date October 19th 2021 by Scholastic Press
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
What if you had no name, no past, and no home?
Ivette. Joanna. And now: Katrina
Whatever her name is, it won’t last long. Katrina doesn’t know any of the details about her past, but she does know that she and her parents are part of the Witness Protection Program. Whenever her parents say they have to move on and start over, she takes on a new identity. A new name, a new hair color, a new story.
Until their location leaks and her parents disappear. Forced to embark on a dangerous rescue mission, Katrina and her new friend Parker set out to save her parents ― and find out the truth about her secret past and the people that want her family dead.
But every new discovery reveals that Katrina’s entire life has been built around secrets covered up with lies and that her parents were actually the ones keeping the biggest secret of all. Katrina must now decide if learning the whole truth is worth the price of losing everything she has ever believed about herself and her family.
Publication Date August 31st 2021 by Crown Books for Young Readers
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nic Stone comes a challenging and heartwarming coming-of-age story about a softball player looking to prove herself on and off the field.
Shenice Lockwood, captain of the Fulton Firebirds, is hyper-focused when she steps up to the plate. Nothing can stop her from leading her team to the U12 fast-pitch softball regional championship. But life has thrown some curveballs her way.
Strike one: As the sole team of all-brown faces, Shenice and the Firebirds have to work twice as hard to prove that Black girls belong at bat.
Strike two: Shenice’s focus gets shaken when her great-uncle Jack reveals that a career-ending — and family-name-ruining — crime may have been a setup.
Strike three: Broken focus means mistakes on the field. And Shenice’s teammates are beginning to wonder if she’s captain-qualified.
It’s up to Shenice to discover the truth about her family’s past — and fast — before secrets take the Firebirds out of the game forever.
Publication Date August 3rd 2021 by Feiwel & Friends
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Rear Window meets Nancy Drew in this middle-grade novel by Kate Klise about a girl who believes she has witnessed a crime
What happens when two best friends take on the world’s worst summer?
On the first day of vacation, ten-year-old Ivy Crowden falls down the stairs and breaks her leg. Stuck in a plaster cast, she’s certain her summer is doomed. Not even Teddy, her neighbor and best friend, can cheer her up because he’s dealing with his own pain: the loss of a beloved dog.
But when Ivy witnesses a possible burglary from her living room window, her summer takes a sudden turn from meh to mysterious. Who are the criminals? Might a classmate be involved? And…uh-oh. A second mystery is nipping at Ivy’s heels. Cue the best friends, the best dog, and the best chance that summer can be saved!
Publication Date July 31st 2021 by Yali Books
Goodreads ● Amazon ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Cousins Arj, Tam, and Mira are spending their summer vacation in Elathoor, a little village in Kerala when their family home, Lili Villa, is broken into and some jewelry is stolen. The Terrific Three set out to solve the mystery but soon discover that there is no shortage of suspects. Is it Pinching Kodavis or Dumdumchecchi, the milking lady? Is it the mean fisherwoman who starves the cat or the retired nurse who owns a luxury car? Or is it Mani with his upside-down Russian secret? Who could the thief possibly be?
In a throwback to unscheduled summer vacations, this cozy mystery set in India will charm young readers with plenty of sibling sparring, some intrepid sleuthing, and an endless parade of mouth-watering snacks.
Publication Date July 13th 2021 by Aladdin
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Fact-loving Paige sets out to prove imaginative Penn wrong about a neighborhood monster in this first book in the mystery graphic novel chapter book series Paige Proves It!
Paige loves facts! She records interesting information in her facts journal and shares it with anyone who will listen. Wombats’ poop is cube-shaped! Her street’s buildings have seventy-three windows. And a boy named Penn lives next door.
The two couldn’t be more different. The craziest thing Paige believes is that bananas are actually berries (scientifically proven!), but Penn thinks there’s a monster in the neighborhood! Paige will prove Penn wrong and that monsters aren’t real, one fact at a time.
Publication Date June 8th 2021 by Walker Books US
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
A tattered ballet slipper found under the floorboards of Braithwaite Manor may be the key to Clara’s sinister family secrets in this delightful, lightly Gothic mystery for fans of Maryrose Wood and Claire Legrand.
Clara Starling lives a life of dull rules, deadly routine, and flavorless meals under her cold uncle’s strict regime — until the day Uncle disappears, leaving Clara alone in his old mansion. When streetwise orphan Peter and his rescue cat arrive unexpectedly, the children seize the chance to live by their own rules. But when the pair’s wild romps through the halls of Braithwaite Manor reveal a single, worn ballet slipper, they are hurled into a mystery that will lead to London’s glittering Royal Opera House and the unraveling of twisted Starling family secrets of poison, passion, and murder.
Diabolical villains, plucky orphans, and glamorous ballet stars populate this absorbing adventure with a classic feel.
Publication Date May 4th 2021 by Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
From the acclaimed author of The Great Shelby Holmes comes a new middle grade story about two summers – three decades apart – and the box of secrets linking them together.
This is going to be the worst summer ever for Peyton. Her family just moved, and she had to leave her best friend behind. She’s lonely. She’s bored. Until…she comes across a box buried in her backyard, with a message: I’m so sorry. Please forgive me. Things are about to get interesting.
Back in 1989, it’s going to be the best summer ever for Melissa and Jessica. They have two whole months to goof around and explore, and they’re even going to bury a time capsule! But when one girl’s family secret starts to unravel, it’s clear things may not go exactly as planned.
In alternating chapters, from Peyton in present day to Melissa three decades earlier (a time with no cell phones, no social media, and camera film that took days to develop, but also a whole lot of freedom), beloved author Elizabeth Eulberg tells the story of a mystery that two sets of memorable characters will never forget.
Publication Date April 6th 2021 by Peachtree
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
A homing pigeon teams up with a parrot and their human owners to investigate an animal crime spree in this action-packed, illustrated detective story from Henry Cole.
Homing pigeon Homer and realizes something is afoul when he witnesses four-legged criminals stealing valuables from both animal and human members of his community. Having learned how to read, Homer models himself on his favorite newspaper comic detective, Dick Tracy — he’s on the case! With the help of new friend Lulu, a parrot who can speak, Homer tries to figure out how to communicate with humans about the threat in their midst. Can Homer and Lulu solve the case and capture the perpetrators?
New York Times-best-selling author-illustrator Henry Cole offers a middle grade mystery that will keep readers guessing.
Publication Date October 6th 2020 by Algonquin Young Readers
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Introducing Myrtle Hardcastle, your favorite new amateur detective: a wickedly smart twelve-year-old with a keen interest in criminology and a nose for murder in Victorian England.
Twelve-year-old Myrtle Hardcastle has a passion for justice and a Highly Unconventional obsession with criminal science. Armed with her father’s law books and her mum’s microscope, Myrtle studies toxicology, keeps abreast of the latest developments in crime scene analysis, and Observes her neighbors in the quiet village of Swinburne, England.
When her next-door neighbor, a wealthy spinster and eccentric breeder of rare flowers, dies under Mysterious Circumstances, Myrtle seizes her chance. With her unflappable governess, Miss Ada Judson, by her side, Myrtle takes it upon herself to prove Miss Wodehouse was murdered and find the killer, even if nobody else believes her — not even her father, the town prosecutor.
With sparkling wit and a tight, twisty plot, Premeditated Myrtle, the first in a series from an award-winning author, introduces a brilliant young investigator ready to take on hard cases and maddening Victorian rules for Young Ladies of Quality in order to earn her place among the most daring and acclaimed amateur detectives of her time or any other.
Publication Date September 29th 2020 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Nancy Drew meets Harriet The Spy in this action-packed and heartfelt debut middle grade following an overzealous amateur sleuth as she investigates a shocking family secret — and unravels the mystery of her developing feelings for girls.
Rule One: Your loyalty is to the case.
Amateur detective Pepper Blouse has always held true to this rule, even if it meant pushing people away. But when the results of Pepper’s latest case cost her any hope of the girl she likes returning her feelings, she decides that maybe she should lay low for a while.
That is, until her Great Aunt Florence passes away under mysterious circumstances. And even though her dad insists there’s nothing to investigate, Pepper can’t just ignore rule fourteen: Trust your gut.
But there’s nothing in the rulebook that could’ve prepared her for the family secrets her investigation uncovers.
Maybe it’s time to stop playing by the rules.
Publication Date September 29th 2020 by Imprint
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Three kids have everything they need to solve the decades-old mystery of Idlewood Manor, in this middle grade novel full of real ciphers, puzzles, riddles, and codes that Kirkus Reviews calls “a worthy call to unravel a mystery.”
Idlewood Manor has been uninhabited for decades, until now…
Math whiz Charlie won admission in a puzzle contest ― and he’s intrigued by the strange numbers he finds on Idlewood’s walls. His restless sister Anna had to be dragged to the house ― but then she discovers its hidden floor. Emily’s parents brought her to the mansion on a secret mission―and she’s determined to prove herself to them.
All three kids soon unlock clues to Idlewood’s mysterious past and the famous female explorer who’s connected to it ― and the secret treasure she left behind. But the adults around them are also hunting for the treasure. Charlie, Anna, and Emily will have to overcome their differences and work as a team to solve Idlewood’s puzzles before it’s too late, in Allison K. Hymas’s The Explorer’s Code.
Publication Date September 22nd 2020 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Stranger Things meets The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl in this lightly spooky debut about Maggie, an aspiring young naturalist, and her YouTuber best friend, Nate, who use their smarts and science to solve the mystery behind a mutant fungus that’s threatening the town.
Ever since Magnolia Stone’s scientist dad left Shady Pines to find a new job, Maggie’s been stuck in her gramma’s mobile home with her grumpy older brother, Ezra. Now she’s on a mission to put her family back together by winning the Vitaccino Junior Naturalist Merit Award.
When Maggie and her best friend, Nate, a wannabe YouTube star and alien conspiracy theorist, scout out a rare bioluminescent fungus, Maggie is certain she’s a shoo-in to win. But after animals around town start sprouting unusual growths and Ezra develops a bluish glow and hacking cough, Maggie wonders what they’ve really stumbled onto.
As things in Shady Pines become stranger and more dangerous, and conversations with her dad get complicated, Maggie must use her scientific smarts and Nate’s impressive knowledge of all things spooky to put things back in order and prevent these peculiar glowing mushrooms from taking over their home.
Publication Date August 25th 2020 by Viking Books for Young Readers
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Hunting ghosts and solving the case before checkout? All in a weekend’s work.
Read the novel that New York Times bestselling author, Chris Grabenstein calls, “My kind of mystery!”
When JJ Jacobson convinced his mom to accept a surprise invitation to an all-expenses-paid weekend getaway at the illustrious Barclay Hotel, he never imagined that he’d find himself in the midst of a murder mystery. He thought he was in for a run-of-the-mill weekend ghost hunting at the most haunted spot in town, but when he arrives at the Barclay Hotel and his mother is blamed for the hotel owner’s death, he realizes his weekend is going to be anything but ordinary.
Now, with the help of his new friends, Penny and Emma, JJ has to track down a killer, clear his mother’s name, and maybe even meet a ghost or two along the way.
Publication Date July 28th 2020 by Feiwel & Friends
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
In The Highland Falcon Thief: Adventures On Trains, a middle-grade series starter from M. G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman, a young boy is swept up in an investigation to uncover the perpetrator of a jewel theft.
When eleven-year-old Harrison “Hal” Beck is forced to accompany his travel-writer uncle on the last journey of a royal train, he expects a boring trip spent away from video games and children his age.
But then Hal spots a girl who should not be on board, and he quickly makes friends with the stowaway, Lenny. Things get even more interesting when the royal prince and princess board for the last leg of the journey ― because the princess’s diamond necklace is soon stolen and replaced with a fake! Suspicion falls on the one person who isn’t supposed to be there: Lenny.
It’s up to Hal, his keen observation, and his skill as a budding sketch artist to uncover the real jewel thief, clear his friend’s name, and return the diamond necklace before The Highland Falcon makes its last stop.
Publication Date July 14th 2020 by Dial Books
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
This middle-grade graphic novel for fans of Roller Girl and Smile introduces Jamila and Shirley, two unlikely friends who save each other’s summers while solving their neighborhood’s biggest mysteries.
Jamila Waheed is staring down a lonely summer in a new neighborhood – until she meets Shirley Bones. Sure, Shirley’s a little strange, but both girls need a new plan for the summer, and they might as well become friends.
Then this kid Oliver shows up begging for Shirley’s help. His pet gecko has disappeared, and he’s sure it was stolen! That’s when Jamila discovers Shirley’s secret: She’s the neighborhood’s best kid detective, and she’s on the case. When Jamila discovers she’s got some detective skills of her own, a crime-solving partnership is born.
The mystery of the missing gecko turns Shirley and Jamila’s summer upside down. And when their partnership hits a rough patch, they have to work together to solve the greatest mystery of all: What it means to be a friend.
Publication Date June 30th 2020 by Tu Books
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
From The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler meets Merci Suarez in this smart young middle-grade mystery about a diamond gone missing from the Louvre and the sweet and spunky girl who cracks the case.
Nine-year-old Julieta is finally about to put a purple pin in her family’s world traveling map! She’s off to Paris to help her art-handler dad collect pieces for a new exhibit at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Sadly, they must leave Julieta’s very pregnant mother behind, but they’re sure they’ll be back before the baby is born.
Julieta sees the best of Paris: the Eiffel Tower, the Sacré-Coeur, and plenty of great art. But things go awry when she and Dad walk in on a thief stealing the Louvre’s most prized piece – a priceless cursed diamond with a shady history. When Julieta runs for help, she accidentally frees the thief instead! Now Dad’s job is in danger and he’s become a suspect. Can Julieta determine who the thief really is before it’s too late?
Publication Date June 30th 2020 by Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Amelia Earhart’s famous aviator goggles go missing and eleven-year-old Millie has to find them before the night is over in this girl-powered middle grade mystery.
Eleven-year-old Amelia Ashford — Millie to her friends (if she had any, that is) — doesn’t realize just how much adventure awaits her when she’s given the opportunity of a lifetime: to spend the night in Amelia Earhart’s childhood home with five other girls. Make that five strangers. But Millie’s mom is a pilot like the famous Amelia, and Millie would love to have something to write to her about…if only she had her address.
Once at Amelia’s house in Atchison, Kansas, Millie stumbles upon a display of Amelia’s famous flight goggles. She can’t believe her good luck, since they’re about to be relocated to a fancy museum in Washington, DC. But her luck changes quickly when the goggles disappear, and Millie was the last to see them. Soon, fingers are pointing in all directions, and someone falls strangely ill. Suddenly, a fun night of scavenger hunts and sweets takes a nosedive and the girls aren’t sure who to trust.
With a blizzard raging outside and a house full of suspects, the girls have no choice but to band together. It’s up to the Amelia Six to find the culprit and return the goggles to their rightful place. Or the next body to collapse could be one of theirs.
Publication Date June 23rd 2020 by HarperCollins
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Bestselling author Chris Grabenstein and the Mystery Writers of America bring together twenty peerless puzzles — from bestselling authors such as Peter Lerangis, Stuart Gibbs, Lauren Magaziner, Kate Milford, and, of course, Grabenstein himself — in an anthology of mystery short stories that invite readers to try to unravel the riddles themselves.
From tales of hapless superheroes and stolen squirrel monkeys to murderous triplets and haunted basements, these thrilling, puzzling, and hilarious cases have one thing in common — YOU get a chance to be the detective before the author reveals the solution.
With twenty never-before-published mystery stories, this collection will leave young detectives sleuthing for more!
Publication Date April 14th 2020 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
The best mysteries can only be solved with your best friends. The perfect summer read for fans of Stuart Gibbs.
Paul Marconi has always thought that Bellwood was a strange town, but also a boring one. Not much for an eleven-year-old to do. Fires are burning nearby, Paul’s parents are obsessed with winning a bratwurst contest, and his best friend, one of the founding members of their only-child detective club, the One and Onlys, is about to acquire a younger sister, sort of undoing their whole reason for existing. But then! Hundreds of rubber duckies have appeared on the lawn of poor Mr. Babbage without any explanation. Finally! There is something that Paul and his friends can actually investigate.
In the face of all these bizarre occurrences, Paul is convinced that uncovering who deposited the duckies will finally bring some sense to what has become an upside-down world. Soon the three friends have a long list of suspects, all with their own motives, but no clear culprit. When everything comes to a head at the town’s annual Bellwood Bratwurst Bonanza, Paul discovers that some things don’t have an easy explanation and not every mystery can be solved.
A perfect summer story about friends, amateur sleuthing, and a whole lot of rubber duckies.
Publication Date March 17th 2020 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Move over, Nancy Drew – there’s a new sleuth in town! Inspired by the beloved comic series, Goldie Vance is ready to sleuth her way through never-before-seen mysteries in this original novel series by Lilliam Rivera featuring 16 full-color comic pages!
Marigold “Goldie” Vance lives and works at the Crossed Palms Resort Hotel in Florida with a whole slew of characters: her dad, Art, the manager of the joint; Cheryl Lebeaux, the concierge and Goldie’s best friend; and Walter Tooey, the hired hotel detective. Her mom, Sylvie, works nearby at the Mermaid Club.
While life at the Crossed Palms is always busy, the resort is currently overrun with Hollywood-types filming the hottest new creature feature, and tensions are at an all-time high. Even Goldie’s mom is in on the movie act, doing what she does best: playing a mermaid. Just when Goldie thinks the movie biz couldn’t get any more exciting, a diamond-encrusted swimming cap goes missing, and all fingers point to Goldie’s mom as the culprit. Can Goldie uncover the true thief before it’s too late?
Based on Hope Larson and Brittney Williams’s critically acclaimed Goldie Vance comic, this thrilling novel explores a never-before-seen caper and features 16 full-color comic pages essential to unraveling the mystery.
Publication Date February 25th 2020 by First Second
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
They’re Alligators – and Investigators! InvestiGators, written and illustrated by John Patrick Green, is the full colour, laugh-out-loud series perfect for emerging readers and fans of Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man.
Mango and Brash are the InvestiGators: sewer-loving agents of S.U.I.T. and scourge of supervillains everywhere!
With their Very Exciting Spy Technology and their tried-and-true, toilet-based travel techniques, the InvestiGators are undercover and on the case! And on their first mission together, they have not one but two mysteries to solve!
Can Mango and Brash uncover the clues, crack their cases, and corral the crooks? Or will the criminals wriggle out of their grasp?
Publication Date February 4th 2020 by Tundra Books
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
A smart and charming middle-grade mystery series starring young detective Aggie Morton and her friend Hector, inspired by the imagined life of Agatha Christie as a child and her most popular creation, Hercule Poirot.
Aggie Morton lives in a small town on the coast of England in 1902. Adventurous and imaginative but deeply shy, Aggie hasn’t got much to do since the death of her beloved father…until the fateful day when she crosses paths with twelve-year-old Belgian immigrant Hector Perot and discovers a dead body on the floor of the Mermaid Dance Room!
As the number of suspects grows and the murder threatens to tear the town apart, Aggie and her new friend will need every tool at their disposal – including their insatiable curiosity, deductive skills and not a little help from their friends – to solve the case before Aggie’s beloved dance instructor is charged with a crime Aggie is sure she didn’t commit.
Publication Date December 10th 2019 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Welcome to Bohring – Home to 453 people, 2,053 alligators, and one monster curse.
Correction: home to 454 people, now that Kick Winter is living in the swamp Hollows with her Grandma Missouri, the town (fake) psychic. Bohring is anything but boring for Kick who has already blown a hole through the kitchen floor, befriended a chicken-eating gator, and discovered that the town’s hundred-year curse is upon them.
It’s the Bohring curse and all the kids are about to become monsters – or so the legend goes. People are worried – except for Kick. She knows there’s a scientific explanation for everything, especially curses and monsters. But Kick is the new kid in school and she’s determined to make a name for herself…by pretending to be psychic.
According to her calculations: one teeny-tiny life + (fake) psychic skills = popularity. But when kids start disappearing and glowing creatures start showing up, Kick’s theory quickly evaporates in a puff of foul-smelling swamp gas. Can Kick use her (real) science smarts to prove the curse is a hoax? Or is it just-maybe-sort of-somehow possible the curse is here?
Author Romily Bernard weaves a fast-paced middle-grade mystery filled with humor and scientific intrigue, set in a perfectly eerie Southern town.
Publication Date September 24th 2019 by Katherine Tegen Books
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
New York Times bestselling author Margaret Peterson Haddix, the master of cliffhangers, delivers a pulse-pounding mystery perfect for fans of Jacqueline West and Kat Yeh, full of secrets, surprises, and the power of family.
One minute they’re there: laughing and having fun at the house next door. The next minute, the teens are gone. Like magic. Marin can’t believe her eyes. Who are they? Can anyone else see them? What makes them so happy?
Marin is lonely in this new town of hers and eager to figure out more. Then she meets Charley, who reveals that he knows about them, too.
He calls them the “Remarkables.” Charley warns her to stay away from the Remarkables ― and him. Charley and Marin both have painful secrets they’re holding on to, but could solving the mystery of the Remarkables help them both?
In addition to building an intriguing world filled with mystery, Haddix also grounds the story with real issues that many children face. Characters deal with the complexities of bullying, the guilt children experience when parents have addiction issues, and the uplifting power found in strong families of all shapes and sizes.
Publication Date September 3rd 2019 by Harper Collins Children’s Books
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Meet thirteen-year-old Agatha Oddly – a bold, determined heroine, and the star of a stylish new detective series.
Agatha Oddlow has been a detective for as long as she can remember – she’s just been waiting for her first big case. And nothing gets bigger than saving the City of London from some strange goings-on.
With a scholarship to the prestigious St Regis School, a cottage in the middle of Hyde Park, a room full of beloved sleuthing novels, and a secret key that gives her access to a whole hidden side of London, Agatha is perfectly poised to solve the mystery of what’s going on. But just who can she trust when no one is quite who they seem…
Publication Date September 3rd 2019 by Carolrhoda Books
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Ever since Mattie Waters lost her mother, she’s been sharing a trailer with her aunt Molly, the proud owner of Owl’s Outstanding Donuts. This hoot of a donut shop serves up delicious snacks to people driving down California’s Highway One ― treats like the Turkey Talon, the Banana Slug Bar, and the Strawberry Iced Classic.
Mattie loves her aunt and the shop, even if she’s still dealing with a life without her mom. But not everybody is a fan of Owl’s Outstanding Donuts.
When an owl taps on Mattie’s window one night, Mattie looks out to see suspicious activity not far from the shop. A shady duo is dumping gloop near the highway. And soon people want to blame Aunt Molly! With help from her friends, Mattie sets out to find the real gloopers. Along the way, she’ll face fears that have followed her since her mother’s passing ― and get to know Alfred, a stuffy, donut-loving owl who’s also on the case.
Publication Date July 9th 2019 by Scholastic Press
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
“Let the official record show that, I, Nikki Tesla, did not intend to destroy the world.”
There are only so many times a kid can invent an instrument of global destruction without getting grounded. So when Nikki’s death ray accidentally blows up her bedroom (if you can call a pet ferret with an itchy trigger finger an accident), she’s sent to the only place that can handle her. Genius Academy is a school for history’s greatest brains. Leo da Vinci? Charlotte Darwin? Bert Einstein? All extraordinary. Yet even among her fellow prodigies, Nikki feels like an outsider thanks to a terrible secret she can’t let anyone discover. Ever.
But when her death ray is stolen, Nikki must stop worrying about fitting in and learn to play nice with her new classmates. Because it doesn’t take a genius to track a thief around the world, outwit the authorities, and keep a French fry-fanatic ferret happy. It takes all of them.
Publication Date May 14th 2019 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Jada Sly, a hilarious and spunky artist and spy, explores New York City on a mission to find her mom in this “fast paced, fun” illustrated novel from an acclaimed author (School Library Connection).
Ten-year-old Jada Sly is an artist and a spy-in-training. When she isn’t studying the art from her idols like Jackie Ormes, the first-known African American cartoonist, she’s chronicling her spy training and other observations in her art journal.
Back home in New York City, after living in France for five years, Jada is ready to embark on her first and greatest spy adventure yet. She plans to scour New York City in search of her missing mother, even though everyone thinks her mom died in a plane crash. Except Jada, who is certain her mom was a spy, too.
With the stakes high and danger lurking around every corner, Jada will use one spy technique after another to unlock the mystery of her mother’s disappearance – some with hilarious results. After all, she’s still learning.
Publication Date April 23rd 2019 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Packed with high stakes mystery and tons of heart, this first installment in a new series introduces Kazu Jones-a spunky, scrappy detective who’s this generation’s Harriet the Spy.
When a string of dognappings grips her Denver neighborhood, Kazu Jones vows to track down the culprits. She can’t stand to see more dogs go missing – especially once her neighbors’ beloved pet is taken because of her gigantic mistake.
With the help of her gang – including her best friend and expert hacker, March; and her ginormous, socially anxious pup, Genki – Kazu uncovers evidence that suggests the dognapping ring is bigger than she ever imagined. But the more she digs, the more dangerous her investigation becomes. The dognappers are getting bolder, and Genki could be next…
Publication Date April 9th 2019 by Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
For fans of Book Scavenger, a smart and funny math camp middle-grade mystery with built-in logic puzzles that readers can solve.
Twelve-year-old painter Esther can’t wait to attend Camp Vermeer, the most prestigious art camp around. But when her stepdad accidentally drives up the wrong mountain, she lands at Camp Archimedes – a math camp! Determined to prove herself to the other campers, she tackles a brain-teaser that’s supposed to be impossible, and solves it in a single day. But not everyone is happy about it…someone wants her out of camp at any cost, and starts leaving cryptic, threatening notes all over the grounds. Esther doesn’t know who to trust. Will she solve this riddle before it’s too late?
Featuring tricky logic puzzles readers can solve along with the characters and starring a unique, smart, and crafty young heroine, this story has just the right mix of mystery, humor, wit, and heart.
Publication Date March 5th 2019 by Sourcebooks Young Readers
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
For fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Blackthorn Key series comes an award-winning boarding school mystery about twelve year old Emmy, who’s shipped off to a prestigious British school. But her new home is hiding a secret society…and it may be the answer to Emmy’s questions about her missing father.
With a dad who disappeared years ago and a mother who’s a bit too busy to parent, Emmy is shipped off to Wellsworth, a prestigious boarding school in England, where she’s sure she won’t fit in.
But then she finds a box of mysterious medallions in the attic of her home with a note reading: These belonged to your father.
When she arrives at school, she finds the strange symbols from the medallions etched into walls and books, which leads Emmy and her new friends, Jack and Lola, to Wellsworth’s secret society: The Order of Black Hollow Lane.
Emmy can’t help but think that the society had something to do with her dad’s disappearance, and that there may be more than just dark secrets in the halls of Wellsworth…
Publication Date March 5th 2019 by Yellow Jacket
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Twins Zach and Evie Mamuya and their friend Vishal Desai make up the Gemini Detective Agency, which is mainly an excuse to get pizza together or hit the go-kart track. But when a priceless diamond necklace known as the North Star is stolen before an auction, the kids tag along with the twins’ crime reporter mom and find a few clues that make them think this was no ordinary robbery.
With the help of their classmate Sophia Boyd, the Gemini Detective Agency is on the case! Will they be able to sort through the clues and solve the mystery in time?
Readers will love this interactive mystery, where clues can be found throughout the illustrations at the end of each chapter!
The Gemini Mysteries: The North Star is an action-packed novel full of twists and turns that will keep readers guessing until the very end.
Publication Date November 13th 2018 by Delacorte Press
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
The Breakfast Club meets middle school with a prank twist in this hilarious and heartwarming story about six very different seventh graders who are forced to band together after a vandalism incident.
When Theo’s photography project is mysteriously vandalized at school there are five suspected students who all say “it wasn’t me.”
Theo just wants to forget about the humiliating incident but his favorite teacher is determined to get to the bottom of it and has the six of them come into school over vacation to talk. She calls it “Justice Circle.” The six students — the Nerd, the Princess, the Jock, the Screw Up, the Weirdo, and the Nobody — think of it as detention. AKA their worst nightmare.
That is until they realize they might get along after all, despite their differences. But what is everyone hiding and will school ever be the same?
Publication Date November 6th 2018 by HarperCollins
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
The Graveyard Book meets The Goonies in this smart, spunky middle grade mystery from acclaimed author Andrea Portes!
Prominent Environmentalist and Oceanographer Die In Boating Accident
This is the headline that changes Henry and Eva’s lives. Their parents, environmentalist William Billings and his oceanographer wife Margo, disappear mysteriously at sea.
But for Henry and Eva, things are about to go from bad to worse. Their jerk-face uncle (nicknamed Claude the Clod) and his awful girlfriend (Terri the Terrible) have moved into their big house on the cliff to “take care of them,” but Eva has her doubts about their intentions.
And when some spooky visitors appear with a message, they realize that their parents’ deaths might not have been as cut and dry as everyone thinks.
It’s up to Henry and Eva to discover the truth — but can they do it before the Clod catches them?
Perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket, readers of this arch, spooky, timeless tale will find themselves enraptured with this fresh new middle grade series.
Publication Date October 9th 2018 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
When twelve-year-old Kat Wolfe starts a pet-sitting agency, she soon finds herself unraveling a mystery, in this first book of a new middle-grade series from award-winning author Lauren St John.
After a break-in at their London home, Kat Wolfe and her veterinarian mum decide it’s time to move to the country. Dr. Wolfe’s new job on England’s Jurassic Coast comes with a condition: They have to adopt Tiny, a huge Savannah who resists Kat’s best attempts at cat whispering. Kat starts a pet-sitting agency to make pocket money, but then the owner of her first client, an Amazon parrot, vanishes from his gadget-filled mansion. Only one person shares Kat’s conviction that he’s the victim of foul play: Harper Lamb, an American girl laid up with two broken legs thanks to her racehorse.
Kat and Harper team up, but what starts out as mystery-solving fun turns deadly for the duo. When all clues point to a nearby army base, can they count on their unruly animal friends to save the day ― and their lives?
Publication Date September 11th 2018 by Orchard Books
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
A thrilling, hilarious fully-illustrated spy adventure series, from the esteemed New York Times bestselling and multi-award-winning author Mac Barnett!
Before Mac Barnett was an author, he was a kid. And while he was a kid, he was a spy. Not just any spy. But a spy…for the Queen of England.
James Bond meets Diary Of A Wimpy Kid with this groundbreaking fully-illustrated chapter book series Mac B., Kid Spy.
The precious Crown Jewels have been stolen, and there’s only one person who can help the Queen of England: her newest secret agent, Mac B. Mac travels around the globe in search of the stolen treasure…but will he find it in time? From secret identities to Karate hijinks, this fast-paced, witty and historically inspired chapter book will keep readers guessing until the very last page.
With full-color illustrations and fascinating historical facts masterfully sprinkled throughout, this series offers adventure, intrigue, absurdity, history and humor. Discover this totally smart and side-splittingly funny series, and experience what it’s really like to be a kid spy.
Publication Date August 28th 2018 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
In the tradition of E. L. Konisburg, Kristin O’Donnell Tubb’s The Story Collector is a historical fiction middle-grade novel inspired by the real life of Viviani Joffre Fedeler, born and raised in the New York Public Library.
Eleven-year-old Viviani Fedeler has spent her whole life in the New York Public Library. She knows every room by heart, except the ones her father keeps locked. When Viviani becomes convinced that the library is haunted, new girl Merit Mubarak makes fun of her. So Viviani decides to play a harmless little prank, roping her older brothers and best friend Eva to help out.
But what begins as a joke quickly gets out of hand, and soon Viviani and her friends have to solve two big mysteries: Is the Library truly haunted? And what happened to the expensive new stamp collection? It’s up to Viviani, Eva, and Merit (reluctantly) to find out.
Publication Date August 14th 2018 by Katherine Tegen Books
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Pick-your-own-path and puzzle-packed mystery collide in the first book in Lauren Magaziner’s hilarious and high-stakes four-book middle grade series in which the reader must help Carlos and his friends put together the clues to save his mom’s detective agency.
In this wildly entertaining and interactive adventure, YOU pick which suspects to interview, which questions to ask, and which clues to follow. You pick the path — you crack the case!
Carlos Serrano has never solved a mystery in his life. But when Carlos’s mom gets sick with a flu on the morning of an investigation that could save her failing detective agency, Carlos takes on the case.
With the help of his best friend, Eliza, and her wild little brother, Frank, Carlos must uncover a mystery involving an eccentric local millionaire, anonymous death threats, and a buried treasure. But with tricky riddles, cagey suspects, hidden secrets, and dozens of impossible choices, they need your help!
Can you help Carlos and his friends find the culprit and save Las Pistas Detective Agency? Or will it be case closed?
Publication Date August 14th 2018 by Roaring Brook Press
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Whether it’s earrings, homework, or love notes, Tillie “Lost and Found” Green and her camera can find any lost thing ― until a search for a missing person forces her to step out from behind the lens in Brigit Young’s middle-grade debut novel, Worth A Thousand Words.
Ever since a car accident left Tillie Green with lasting painful injuries, she’s hidden behind her camera. She watches her family and classmates through the lens, tracking down misplaced items and spotting the small details that tell a much bigger story than people usually see. But she isn’t prepared for class clown Jake Hausmann’s request: to find his father.
In a matter of days, Tillie goes from silent observer to one half of a detective duo, searching for clues to the mystery of Jake’s dad’s disappearance. When the truth isn’t what Jake wants it to be, and the photographs start exposing people’s secrets, Tillie has to decide what ― and who ― is truly important to her.
Publication Date August 7th 2018 by Jimmy Patterson
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
In this tantalizing mystery that’s “filled with laugh out loud moments” and “reads like a middle-grade version of the movie Clue“, Ernestine is the smart, spunky, and fearless Nancy Drew for today’s young readers!
We all know and love Ramona, Matilda, and Harriet the Spy. Now meet Ernestine.
When a series of suspicious accidents befalls the wealthy residents of the retired artists’ home where she works, Ernestine is determined to piece together clues to find the real culprit. She suspects it might be a zombie, but maybe greedy relatives can be just as scary! Catastrophe has never been so much fun!
Publication Date June 19th 2018 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
A mysterious treasure hunt helps to heal a broken family in critically acclaimed author Kristin Levine’s first contemporary tale — perfect for fans of Wendy Mass and Jennifer L. Holm
Claudia Dalton’s father has disappeared. What began as a late night at work has spiraled into a missing persons case — one that’s left twelve-year-old Claudia questioning everything she’s ever known about her father and their family.
But when she finally gets word from her dad, it turns out he isn’t missing at all. He’s just gone to “think things over” and visit an old friend, whatever that means. Feeling confused and helpless, Claudia starts to assemble a scrapbook, gathering emails, receipts, phone transcripts and more, all in a desperate attempt to figure out what’s happening with her dad. Claudia’s investigation deepens at her grandfather’s house, where she receives an envelope containing a puzzle piece and a cryptic message.
It’s this curious first clue that sets Claudia on an unexpected treasure hunt that she hopes will bring her dad home and heal whatever’s gone wrong with her family. Told through the pages of Claudia’s scrapbook, The Jigsaw Jungle is a moving story of a family lost and then found, with a dash of mystery and loads of heart, from award-winning author and middle-grade master Kristin Levine.
Publication Date May 1st 2018 by Viking Books for Young Readers
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Perfect for fans of Cam Jansen, #1 New York Times bestseller Mike Lupica begins an exciting new chapter-book series, featuring his trademark sports action and heart, and a lovable twin brother-sister duo who solve sports-related mysteries.
There’s nothing eight-year-old twins Zach and Zoe Walker love more than playing sports and solving mysteries. And when those two worlds collide…well, it doesn’t get any better than that. So when a baseball signed by Zach’s favorite major league player suddenly goes missing – the search is on! Luckily, amateur sleuths Zach and Zoe are on the case. Can they solve the mystery and find the ball before it’s lost for good?
In this first book of the Zach and Zoe Mysteries, bestselling author Mike Lupica begins a series for a new and younger audience, introducing readers to a sports-loving detective duo who can swing for the fences and catch the culprit in one fell swoop. With a recipe equal parts sports and mystery, the Zach and Zoe Mysteries break fresh ground for an author who has been called the greatest sportswriter for kids.
Publication Date April 10th 2018 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
All Charlie Tickler wants is for his parents to listen.
Charlie’s parents have left him (again). This time they are off to South Africa to help giant golden moles. And Charlie? He’s been dumped with his TV-obsessed grandparents. Lonely and curious, Charlie heads into the village of Castle-on-the-Hudson, where a frightened old woman gives him a desperate message-in sign language. When she suddenly disappears, Charlie is determined to find answers.
All Francine (aka Frog) Castle wants is to be the world’s greatest detective.
Frog, who is Deaf, would rather be solving crimes than working at the Flying Hands Cafe. When Charlie Tickler walks into the cafe looking for help, Frog jumps at the chance to tackle a real-life case.
Together, Charlie and Frog set out to decipher a series of clues and uncover the truth behind the missing woman’s mysterious message. Charlie needs to learn American Sign Language (fast) to keep up with quick-witted Frog. And Frog needs to gather her detective know-how (now) to break the case before it’s too late.
Discover the surprising ways people listen in debut author Karen Kane’s page-turning mystery filled with humor, intrigue, and heartwarming friendships.
Publication Date March 27th 2018 by Scholastic Press
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Discover the true power of heritage, art, and family in this page-turning novel that celebrates the life and work of Frida Kahlo.
A room locked for 50 years. A valuable peacock ring. A mysterious brother-sister duo.
Paloma Marquez is traveling to Mexico City, birthplace of her deceased father, for the very first time. She’s hoping that spending time in Mexico will help her unlock memories of the too-brief time they spent together.
While in Mexico, Paloma meets Lizzie and Gael, who present her with an irresistible challenge: The siblings want her to help them find a valuable ring that once belonged to beloved Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Finding the ring means a big reward – and the thanks of all Mexico. What better way to honor her father than returning a priceless piece of jewelry that once belonged to his favorite artist!
Publication Date March 27th 2018 by Arthur A. Levine Books
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
When Candice finds a letter in an old attic in Lambert, South Carolina, she isn’t sure she should read it. It’s addressed to her grandmother, who left the town in shame. But the letter describes a young woman. An injustice that happened decades ago. A mystery enfolding its writer. And the fortune that awaits the person who solves the puzzle.
So with the help of Brandon, the quiet boy across the street, she begins to decipher the clues. The challenge will lead them deep into Lambert’s history, full of ugly deeds, forgotten heroes, and one great love; and deeper into their own families, with their own unspoken secrets. Can they find the fortune and fulfill the letter’s promise before the answers slip into the past yet again?
Publication Date March 6th 2018 by HarperCollins
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Mysteries abound in this exciting race through Rome!
Beatrice Archer may love history, and Rome may be chock-full of it, but that doesn’t mean she wants to move there!
Too bad Beatrice’s father got a job as the head of the history department at the American Academy in Rome — now, Beatrice has no choice but to get used to the idea.
When she arrives in Rome she explores her new city as much as she can, but it isn’t until she hears talk of a strange neighborhood legend that Beatrice perks up. A centuries-old unsolved mystery about the beautiful turtle fountain outside her window? Sounds like fun!
Before Beatrice has a chance to explore, though, she sees a dark figure emerge from the shadows of the square in the middle of the night — and steal the famous turtle sculptures that give the fountain its name.
When no one believes her story, Beatrice knows that it’s up to her to solve the crime and restore the turtles to their rightful place. With the help of her new friend Marco, she navigates a world of unscrupulous ambassadors, tricky tutors, and international art thieves to unravel one of Roman history’s greatest dramas — before another priceless work of art is stolen.
Publication Date February 27th 2018 by Feiwel & Friends
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Only misfits can solve this mystery!
Nothing exciting everhappens in the small town of Newpark where Brian, Hannah, and twins Chris andSam live. And when they start their summer vacation, they know it’s the end ofan era. The Misfits Club, a club they started when they were 8 years old, is disbanding and they still haven’t managed to solve any real mysteries.
But when they persuade new club member Amelia to go and investigate a spooky old house, they unexpectedly discover some stolen goods.
Could this be their chance for one last adventure? One thing is for sure though: Newpark is decidedly more exciting now.
Publication Date February 13th 2018 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Melissa is a nobody. Wilf is a slacker. Bondi is a show-off.
Not a single one of Melissa, Wilf, or Bondi’s middle school teachers would considerer them a star student. Yet to everyone’s surprise, Melissa, WIlf, and Bondi are the three students chosen to compete for a ten thousand-dollar scholarship, solving clues that lead them to various locations around Chicago. None of the kids have heard of the scholarship before, but the rules seem simple enough: solve clues, take photo proof, and win money.
At first the three contestants work independently, but it doesn’t take long before each begins to wonder whether the competition is a sham. It’s only by secretly joining forces and using their unique talents that the trio is able to uncover the truth behind the Ambrose Deception – a truth that involves a lot more than just a scholarship.
With a narrative style as varied and intriguing as the mystery itself, this adventure involving clever clues, plenty of perks, and abhorrent adults is pure wish fulfillment.
Publication Date February 13th 2018 by Aladdin
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Freaky Friday meets Downton Abbey in this middle grade mystery that features a modern day twelve-year-old switching bodies with a Gilded Age heiress in order to solve a famous art heist.
Hannah Jordan lives in a museum…well, sort of. She is the daughter of the caretaker for mansion-turned-museum The Elms in Newport, Rhode Island. Hannah’s captivated by stories of The Elms’s original occupants, especially Maggie Dunlap, the tween heiress subject of a painting that went missing during a legendary art heist in 1905.
But when a mysterious mirror allows Hannah and Maggie to switch places in time, suddenly Hannah is racing to stop the heist from happening, while Maggie gets an introduction to iPhones, soccer (which girls can play!), and freedoms like exploring without supervision. Not to mention the best invention of all: sweatpants (so long, corsets!).
As the hours tick away toward the art heist, something’s not adding up. Can the girls work together against time — and across it — to set things right? Or will their temporary swap become a permanent trade?
Publication Date January 2nd 2018 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
An enchanting urban fantasy middle-grade debut ― the first book in a trilogy ― set in a magical hotel full of secrets.
Orphan Elizabeth Somers’s malevolent aunt and uncle ship her off to the ominous Winterhouse Hotel, owned by the peculiar Norbridge Falls. Upon arrival, Elizabeth quickly discovers that Winterhouse has many charms ― most notably its massive library. It’s not long before she locates a magical book of puzzles that will unlock a mystery involving Norbridge and his sinister family.
But the deeper she delves into the hotel’s secrets, the more Elizabeth starts to realize that she is somehow connected to Winterhouse. As fate would have it, Elizabeth is the only person who can break the hotel’s curse and solve the mystery. But will it be at the cost of losing the people she has come to care for, and even Winterhouse itself?
Mystery, adventure, and beautiful writing combine in this exciting debut richly set in a hotel full of secrets.
Publication Date November 7th 2017 by Imprint
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
The first book in an illustrated middle-grade series in which a precocious detective solves mysteries with her super-smart little brother.
Her name’s Moxie. Moxie McCoy.
Bold, opinionated, and haplessly self-confident, the world’s greatest fourth-grade detective faces her biggest challenge! When someone kidnaps beloved school mascot Eddie the Owl, Moxie is on the case ― but she’s forced to fly solo now that her best friend (and crime-solving partner) has moved away.
Moxie must interview her classmates ― both as potential new best friends and as possible suspects. She finds clues and points fingers but can’t save the owl on her own. Enter Moxie’s little brother, Milton. Quiet, cautious, and boring as a butter knife, he’s a good listener.
Can the Real McCoys form an unlikely alliance and solve the crime of the century?
Bursting with interactive illustrations on every page, Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr’s The Real McCoys delivers clever storytelling, laugh-out-loud humor, and heartwarming insight.
Publication Date October 17th 2017 by Feiwel & Friends
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Like Birdie Adams didn’t have enough problems this summer. But Birdie’s Birdie. And if a long-buried box has “Open if you dare” written on its lid, then Birdie and her best friends, Ally and Rose, are going to open it.
And now, along with everything else that’s going on ― Ally’s pitching slump, Rose’s banishment to Britain, and Birdie’s annoying younger sister being, you know, annoying ― the best friends are caught up in solving a mystery planted by a dead girl forty years ago.
Publication Date October 10th 2017 by Aladdin
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
A girl unravels a centuries-old mystery after moving into a haunted house in this deliciously suspenseful read that Kirkus Reviews calls “just the ticket for a cold autumn night.”
Tessa Woodward isn’t exactly thrilled to move to rainy, cold Chicago from her home in sunny Florida. But homesickness turns to icy fear when unexplainable things start happening in her new house. Things like flickering lights, mysterious drawings appearing out of nowhere, and a crackling noise she can feel in her bones.
When her little brother’s doll starts crying real tears, Tessa realizes that someone — or something — is trying to communicate with her. And it involves a secret that’s been shrouded in mystery for more than one hundred years.
With the help of three new friends, Tessa begins unraveling the mystery of what happened in the house on Shady Street — and more importantly, what it has to do with her!
Publication Date September 30th 2017 by Capstone Young Readers
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
A young spy gets entangled in an action-filled, whodunit mystery!
When Mabel’s parents leave town without warning, she isn’t worried. They’re spies, after all. But when her beloved Aunt Gertie is arrested for leading a smuggling ring, then her obnoxious Uncle Frank and Aunt Stella show up, demanding to be let into the family’s private museum, things begin to look fishy. Especially since Mabel hasn’t heard from her parents in days.
Tackling a mystery like this one is what she has been training for her whole, short life. Using her self-authored spy handbook, will Mabel be able to find her parents and unmask the real criminal before it’s too late?
Rife with quirky characters, zany twists, and an unflinching look at the difficulty of learning to trust, Amanda Hosch’s debut is sure to capture the hearts of secret-keepers, sleuths, and everyone in-between.
Publication Date August 29th 2017 by Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
It’s going to take more than a knack for electronics and a supercharged wheelchair for twelve-year-old Max to investigate a haunted mansion in Edgar Award–winning author Susan Vaught’s latest middle grade mystery.
Max has always been a whiz with electronics (just take a look at her turbo-charged wheelchair). But when a hacker starts a slanderous Facebook page for her grandpa, Max isn’t sure she has the skills to take him down. The messages grow increasingly sinister, and Max fears that this is more than just a bad joke.
Here’s the thing: Max has grown up in the shadow of Thornwood Manor, an abandoned mansion that is rumored to be haunted by its original owner, Hargrove Thornwood. It is said that his ghost may be biding his time until he can exact revenge on the town of Blue Creek. Why? Well, it’s complicated. To call him a jerk would be an understatement. When the hacking escalates, suddenly it looks to Max like this could really be Thornwood’s Revenge. If it is, these messages are just the beginning — and the town could be in danger.
Publication Date August 29th 2017 by Clarion Books
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Dan Brown meets Jason Bourne in this riveting middle-grade mystery thriller. When a young boy is discovered in Washington DC’s National Gallery without any recollection of who he is, so begins a high-stakes race to unravel the greatest mystery of all: his identity.
As the stakes continue to rise, the boy must piece together the disjointed clues of his origins while using his limited knowledge to stop one of the greatest art frauds ever attempted. Digitally interactive, this breathtaking museum mystery offers QR codes woven throughout the book that bring renowned paintings to readers’ fingertips.
Publication Date July 25th 2017 by HarperCollins
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
We Need Diverse Books founder Ellen Oh returns with Spirit Hunters, a high-stakes middle grade mystery series about Harper Raine, the new seventh grader in town who must face down the dangerous ghosts haunting her younger brother.
A riveting ghost story and captivating adventure, this tale will have you guessing at every turn!
Harper doesn’t trust her new home from the moment she steps inside, and the rumors are that the Raine family’s new house is haunted. Harper isn’t sure she believes those rumors, until her younger brother, Michael, starts acting strangely.
The whole atmosphere gives Harper a sense of déjà vu, but she can’t remember why. She knows that the memories she’s blocking will help make sense of her brother’s behavior and the strange and threatening sensations she feels in this house, but will she be able to put the pieces together in time?
Publication Date May 30th 2017 by Amulet Books
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Along the train lines north of New York City, 12-year-old neighbors Myla and Peter search for the link between Myla’s necklace and the disappearance of Peter’s brother, Randall. Thrown into a world of parkour, graffiti, and diamond smuggling, Myla and Peter encounter a band of thugs who are after the same thing as Randall. Can Myla and Peter find Randall before it’s too late and their shared family secrets threaten to destroy them all?
Drawing on urban art forms and local history, Finding Mighty is a mystery that explores the nature of art and the unbreakable bonds of family.
Publication Date May 16th 2017 by HarperCollins
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Caroline Carlson, author of the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates series, returns with The World’s Greatest Detective, a story of crime, tricks, and hilarity for those who know that sometimes it takes a pair of junior sleuths to solve a slippery case.
Detectives’ Row is full of talented investigators, but Toby Montrose isn’t one of them. He’s only an assistant at his uncle’s detective agency, and he’s not sure he’s even very good at that.
Toby’s friend Ivy is the best sleuth around — or at least she thinks so. They both see their chance to prove themselves when the famed Hugh Abernathy announces a contest to choose the World’s Greatest Detective.
But when what was supposed to be a game turns into a real-life murder mystery, can Toby and Ivy crack the case?
Publication Date May 2nd 2017 by Greenwillow Books
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Three kids. A hotel full of monsters. And a stolen magical artifact that could disrupt the balance between the humans and the supernatural. Welcome to life at Hotel Monster! Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library meets Hotel Transylvania in the first book of this hilarious and spooky new series that blends mystery with monsters.
Stephen’s dad has moved their two-person family across the country to New York City, where he is taking over as head chef in an exclusive hotel. A hotel that has the most elite of clientele: monsters (though they prefer to be called supernormals). Surprise! And an even bigger surprise? Stephen is part supernormal himself.
When a magical family heirloom is stolen and Stephen is framed, he must work with two new friends to navigate this whole new world and clear his name. After all, consequences can be dire in the world of monsters.
Spooky, funny, and full of monstrous hijinks, The Lost Legacy is an inventive and accessible mystery-adventure full of friendship and humor — perfect for fans of Pseudonymous Bosch and R. L. Stine’s Goosebumps series.
Publication Date March 7th 2017 by Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
After being shipped off to stay with her aunt and uncle in Nowheresville, Pennsylvania, city girl Effie Starr Zook stumbles upon a mystery that leads her to an old family feud in this “accessible and exciting” (School Library Journal, starred review).
A rich girl from New York City, Effie Starr Zook isn’t afraid of much. When her parents go on a dangerous round-the-world adventure in a solar airplane, she’s packed off to her aunt and uncle’s farm for the summer. Expecting boredom, she runs smack dab into a family secret. Why does the neighbor kid want to avoid her? What are her aunt and uncle so worried about? And what does “bad blood” mean, anyway?
Effie’s got a brand-new bicycle, time on her hands, and an unlimited capacity for asking questions. With these, she sets out to uncover whatever it is the grownups are hiding. Along the way, she’ll contend with crackpot politics, serve coffee in a bookstore café, and learn more than she bargained for about her famous great-grandfather, the inventor of the barf bag. Fast-paced and funny, this is a story about having the courage to find out who you really are. Look out, world — when Effie Starr Zook has questions, she won’t take no for an answer!
Publication Date March 7th 2017 by Aladdin
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
West Coast girl Sydney Mackenzie moves to Delaware after her parents inherit a cemetery — and becomes involved in a mystery surrounding the Underground Railroad — in this novel from the author of Just Add Magic and the Lost In series.
Sydney Mackenzie is an aspiring filmmaker and average less-than-popular California Girl. So when her parents drop the biggest bombshell ever — they have inherited a cemetery called Lay to Rest, which means a move to boring Delaware — Sydney is NOT happy. And to make matters worse? Their “new” house is actually right on the cemetery grounds — and it isn’t exactly California chic.
But after settling in, Sydney discovers that the creepy old house might have more history than she once thought. And someone — or something — is encouraging her to delve deeper into a decades-old mystery that dates back to the Underground Railroad. Will Sydney’s filmmaking skills and the help of some new friends be enough for her get to the bottom of the mystery involving her new home?
Publication Date February 28th 2017 by Scholastic Press
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
In this riveting debut, a boy struggling with OCD is uniquely qualified to solve a kidnapping.
Lisa Thompson’s debut novel is a page-turning mystery with an emotionally-driven, complex character study at its core – like Rear Window meets The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night-Time.
Matthew Corbin suffers from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder. He hasn’t been to school in weeks. His hands are cracked and bleeding from cleaning. He refuses to leave his bedroom. To pass the time, he observes his neighbors from his bedroom window, making mundane notes about their habits as they bustle about the cul-de-sac. When a toddler staying next door goes missing, it becomes apparent that Matthew was the last person to see him alive. Suddenly, Matthew finds himself at the center of a high-stakes mystery, and every one of his neighbors is a suspect.
Matthew is the key to figuring out what happened and potentially saving a child’s life…but is he able to do so if it means exposing his own secrets, and stepping out from the safety of his home?
Publication Date February 7th 2017 by Sky Pony
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
When anyone in town could be the culprit in a crime, summer will be anything but boring.
Eleven-year-old Tracy Munroe and her family have just gotten back from their family vacation — why did no one realize that her little brother, Lester, a.k.a. Pig Face, was allergic to sand, salt air, and the ocean before they decided to go to the beach?—and now she has three big goals to accomplish before she goes back to school:
1. Figure out a fantastic end of summer adventure with her best friend, Ralph, budding Michelin-star chef. (And no, Ralph, perfecting a soufflé does not count.)
2. Make sure Pig Face does not tag along.
3. Get the gorgeous new boy next door, Zach, to know she even exists.But when Tracy and Ralph discover an envelope stuffed with money in the dugout at baseball field (and Lester forces them to let him help), they have a mystery on their hands. Did someone lose the cash? Or, did someone steal it? St. Stephens has always seemed like a quiet place to live, but soon the town is brimming with suspects.
Now they’re on a hunt to discover the truth, before the trio is accused of the crime themselves.
McLeod MacKnight’s debut middle grade novel is a funny, charming window into small-town life, with a focus on the importance of friendship and family and the struggle to figure out where you fit in, perfect for fans of Polly Horvath and Sarah Weeks.
Publication Date January 31st 2017 by Scholastic Press
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Fans of Chasing Vermeer will love this clever mystery about art, artifice, and the power of community.
WATCHER. SHADOW. FUGITIVE.
Harlem is home to all kinds of kids. Jin sees life passing her by from the window of her family’s bodega. Alex wants to help the needy one shelter at a time, but can’t tell anyone who she really is. Elvin’s living on Harlem’s cold, lonely streets, surviving on his own after his grandfather was mysteriously attacked.
When these three strangers join forces to find out what happened to Elvin’s grandfather, their digging leads them to an enigmatic artist whose missing masterpieces are worth a fortune-one that might save the neighborhood from development by an ambitious politician who wants to turn it into Harlem World, a ludicrous historic theme park. But if they don’t find the paintings soon, nothing in their beloved neighborhood will ever be the same…
In this remarkable tale of daring and danger, debut novelist Natasha Tarpley explores the way a community defines itself, the power of art to show truth, and what it really means to be home.
Publication Date January 3rd 2017 by Chicken House
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
A compelling and funny new whodunit with a strong girl heroine – For fans of Book Scavenger, Greenglass House, and The Mysterious Benedict Society.
Math whiz Alice Jones has already cracked a mystery or two. She’s smart and she’s fearless, so who else would her classmates turn to? But when a famous local scientist vanishes from a locked room, Alice and her detective skills graduate to the big leagues.Dr. Learner had been working on a top-secret invisibility suit that everyone wants. Rumor has it he’s disappeared under suspicious circumstances…literally. But is wacky science really behind his vanishing? Or is it something more sinister? Alice won’t stop until she knows the truth…
The Impossible Clue is a middle-grade story whose appeal is no mystery, with a protagonist whose charm needs no magnifying glass to detect.
Publication Date November 15th 2016 by Dial Books
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Watch out, Nancy Drew — Devlin Quick is smart, strong, and she will DEFINITELY close the case in this thrilling new mystery series for girls and boys from New York Times bestselling author Linda Fairstein.
Someone has stolen a page from a rare book in the New York Public Library. At least, that’s what Devlin’s friend Liza thinks she’s seen, but she can’t be sure. Any other kid might not see a crime here, but Devlin Quick is courageous and confident, and she knows she has to bring this man to justice — even if it means breathlessly racing around the city to collect evidence. But who is this thief? And what could the page — an old map — possibly lead to? With her wits, persistence, and the help of New York City’s finest (and, okay, a little bit of help from her police commissioner mother, too), Dev and her friends piece the clues together to uncover a mystery that’s bigger than anyone expected — and more fun, too.
With all of the heart-pounding excitement that made her internationally bestselling Alexandra Cooper series a hit, Linda Fairstein paves the way for another unstoppable heroine…even if she is only twelve.
Publication Date October 18th 2016 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Two best friends with a flair for adventure use their gardening and art skills to catch a criminal during Día de los Muertos, in the first book of the Lou Lou and Pea series!
Lou Lou Bombay and Peacock Pearl have been best friends since first grade. Every Friday afternoon, they get together in Lou Lou’s backyard garden for their PSPP (Post-School Pre-Parents) tea party. They chat about school, discuss Pea’s latest fashions, and plot the weekend’s activities.
But all plans go out the window when a series of small crimes crop up around El Corazón, their quaint and quirky neighborhood, right before the Día de Los Muertos procession. First, Pea’s cousin’s quinceañera dress is tragically ruined. Then Lou Lou’s beloved camellia bush, Pinky, suffers a serious blow. And that’s just the beginning! When clues start to appear in El Corazón’s outdoor murals, the best friends join forces, using Lou Lou’s floral expertise and Pea’s artistic genius to solve the mysteries.
Accented by Lesley Vamos’s spirited black-and-white illustrations, Jill Diamond’s debut is a delightful introduction to two very creative best friends and their unforgettable adventures!
Backmatter includes a recipe, crafting activity, and glossary of Spanish terms.
Publication Date September 6th 2016 by Union Square Kids
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
“What’s with the get-up? Is that the company uniform or something?”
“This? All P.I.s wear a trench coat.”
“Dude, that’s a brown bathrobe.”
I shrugged and straightened out my sleeves. “First rule of private investigation, Ivy: work with what you’ve got.”Twelve-year-old Howard Wallace lives by his list of rules of private investigation. He knows more than anyone how to work with what he’s got: a bathrobe for a trench coat, a makeshift office behind the school equipment shed, and not much else – least of all, friends. So when a hot case of blackmail lands on his desk, he’s ready to take it on himself…until the new kid, Ivy Mason, convinces him to take her on as a junior partner. As they banter through stakeouts and narrow down their list of suspects, Howard starts to wonder if having Ivy as a sidekick — and a friend — is such a bad thing after all.
Publication Date September 6th 2016 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Sherlock Holmes gets a fun, sweet twist with two irresistible young heroes and black & white illustrations throughout, in this middle grade debut from internationally bestselling YA author Elizabeth Eulberg.
Shelby Holmes is not your average sixth grader. She’s nine years old, barely four feet tall, and the best detective her Harlem neighborhood has ever seen – always using logic and a bit of pluck (which yes, some might call “bossiness”) to solve the toughest crimes.
When eleven-year-old John Watson moves downstairs, Shelby finds something that’s eluded her up till now: a friend. The easy-going John isn’t sure of what to make of Shelby, but he soon finds himself her most-trusted (read: only) partner in a dog-napping case that’ll take both their talents to crack.
Publication Date August 23rd 2016 by Aladdin
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Get to know the only kid on the FBI Director’s speed dial and several international criminals’ most wanted lists all because of his Theory of All Small Things in this hilarious start to a brand-new middle grade mystery series.
So you’re only halfway through your homework and the Director of the FBI keeps texting you for help…What do you do? Save your grade? Or save the country?
If you’re Florian Bates, you figure out a way to do both.
Florian is twelve years old and has just moved to Washington. He’s learning his way around using TOAST, which stands for the Theory of All Small Things. It’s a technique he invented to solve life’s little mysteries such as: where to sit on the on the first day of school, or which Chinese restaurant has the best eggrolls.
But when he teaches it to his new friend Margaret, they uncover a mystery that isn’t little. In fact, it’s HUGE, and it involves the National Gallery, the FBI, and a notorious crime syndicate known as EEL.
Can Florian decipher the clues and finish his homework in time to help the FBI solve the case?
Publication Date March 22nd 2016 by Roaring Brook Press
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
The Inn Between by Marina Cohen is a deliciously creepy horror story for middle-grade readers that is as smart as it is full of heart.
Eleven-year old Quinn has had some bad experiences lately. She was caught cheating in school, and then one day, her little sister Emma disappeared while walking home from school. She never returned.
When Quinn’s best friend Kara has to move away, she goes on one last trip with Kara and her family. They stop over at the first hotel they see, a Victorian inn that instantly gives Quinn the creeps, and she begins to notice strange things happening around them.
When Kara’s parents, and then brother disappear without a trace, the girls are stranded in a hotel full of strange guests, hallways that twist back in on themselves, and a particularly nasty surprise lucking beneath the floorboards. Will the girls be able to solve the mystery of what happened to Kara’s family before it’s too late?
Publication Date March 1st 2016 by Lerner Publishing Group
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
In the coastal village of Maiden Rock, Maine, Quinnie Boyd’s teacher has disappeared. Quinnie thinks it’s a kidnapping case, but her mom, the town sheriff, just thinks the teacher has left town. Still, Quinnie’s going to follow her instincts that something’s wrong.
Her investigation takes her through a damp and smelly marsh, a lobster pound, and more of Maine’s messiest places. She even gets help from her glamorous new neighbor, Mariella. As the girls hunt for clues around Maiden Rock, they encounter a cast of unlikely characters. And if Quinnie’s hunch is right, the search may lead them right into danger…
This hilarious and page-turning debut is the perfect whodunit story for middle school sleuths.
Publication Date January 19th 2016 by Roaring Brook Press
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Imagine if Sherlock Holmes was an eleven-year-old girl!
When Friday Barnes, girl genius, solves a bank robbery, she uses the reward money to send herself to Highcrest Academy, the most exclusive boarding school in the country ― and discovers it’s a hotbed of crime!
Soon she’s investigating everything from disappearing homework to the terrifying Yeti haunting the school swamp. But the biggest mystery yet is Ian Wainscott, the handsomest (and most arrogant) boy in school who inexplicably hates her. Will the homework be found? Can they ever track down the Yeti? And why is Ian out to ruin her?
Publication Date December 1st 2015 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Fans of classic detective stories, The Mysterious Benedict Society, and the Secret series will devour this illustrated middle-grade adventure that follows three curious sleuths as they investigate a mysterious, old house with some hidden secrets.
Eleven-year-old Fairday Morrow is less than thrilled that her family is moving thousands of miles from civilization to the quiet country town of Ashpot, Connecticut, where she’s absolutely certain she’ll die of boredom.
As if leaving New York City and her best friend, Lizzy, the only other member of the elite Detective Mystery Squad (DMS), weren’t bad enough, Fairday is stuck living in the infamous Begonia House, a creepy old Victorian with dark passageways, a gigantic dead willow tree, and a mysterious past.
Before she can even unpack, strange music coming from behind a padlocked door leads Fairday up a spiral staircase and into a secret room, where an ancient mirror, a brass key, and a strange picture of a red-haired lady are the first in a series of clues that takes the members of the Detective Mystery Squad on an amazing adventure.
Publication Date September 29th 2015 by HarperCollins
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
The book is about, among other things: the strongest boy in the world, a talking cockatoo, a faulty mind reader, a beautiful bearded lady and a nervous magician, an old museum, and a shrunken head.
Blessed with extraordinary abilities, orphans Philippa, Sam, and Thomas have grown up happily in Dumfrey’s Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities, and Wonders. But when a fourth child, Max, a knife-thrower, joins the group, it sets off an unforgettable chain of events.
When the museum’s Amazonian shrunken head is stolen, the four are determined to get it back. But their search leads them to a series of murders and an explosive secret about their pasts.
This sensational new series — a 2016 Edgar nominee for Best Juvenile book and New York Times bestseller — combines the unparalleled storytelling gifts of Lauren Oliver with the rich knowledge of the notorious relics collector H. C. Chester.
Publication Date September 8th 2015 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
A determined young girl joins forces with an adventure-loving street boy to save her father’s life in this “thoroughly entertaining” (Kirkus Reviews) magical murder mystery.
In the spell-powered city of Tarreton, the wealthy have all the magic they desire while the working class can barely afford a simple spell to heat their homes. Twelve-year-old Isaveth is poor, but she’s also brave, loyal, and zealous in the pursuit of justice — which is lucky, because her father has just been wrongfully arrested for murder.
Isaveth is determined to prove his innocence. Quiz, the eccentric, eyepatch-wearing street boy who befriends her, swears he can’t resist a good mystery. Together they set out to solve the magical murder of one of Tarreton’s most influential citizens and save Isaveth’s beloved Papa from execution. But is Quiz truly helping Isaveth out of friendship, or does he have hidden motives of his own?
Publication Date June 16th 2015 by Roaring Brook Press
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
A thrilling tale about when the borders between legend and reality blur – with dangerous consequences.
When Josie and her brothers uncover a haunted camera, the Mothman legend becomes a terrifying reality that threatens their entire town in this spooky and action-filled novel.
Josie may live in the most haunted town in America, but the only strange thing she ever sees is the parade of oddball customers that comes through her family’s auction house each week. But when she and her brothers discover a Polaroid camera that prints pictures of the ghost of local recluse John Goodrich, they are drawn into a mystery dating back over a hundred years. A desperate spirit, cursed jewelry, natural disasters, and the horrible specter of Mothman all weave in and out of the puzzle that Josie must solve to break the curse and save her own life.
Mothman’s Curse by Christine Hayes is a spine-chilling middle-grade novel full of action and adventure, and contains black and white illustrations from artist, comic writer and designer James K. Hindle.
Publication Date June 2nd 2015 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
For twelve-year-old Emily, the best thing about moving to San Francisco is that it’s the home city of her literary idol: Garrison Griswold, book publisher and creator of the online sensation Book Scavenger (a game where books are hidden in cities all over the country and clues to find them are revealed through puzzles). Upon her arrival, however, Emily learns that Griswold has been attacked and is now in a coma, and no one knows anything about the epic new game he had been poised to launch. Then Emily and her new friend James discover an odd book, which they come to believe is from Griswold himself, and might contain the only copy of his mysterious new game.
Racing against time, Emily and James rush from clue to clue, desperate to figure out the secret at the heart of Griswold’s new game ― before those who attacked Griswold come after them too.
Publication Date June 2nd 2015 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Charlie and The Chocolate Factory meets Clue when six children navigate a mansion full of secrets — and maybe money — in this “delightful gem” (School Library Journal, starred review) with heart.
Sweet, shy Tabitha Crum, the neglected only child of two parents straight out of a Roald Dahl book, doesn’t have a friend in the world — except for her pet mouse, Pemberley, whom she loves dearly. But on the day she receives one of six invitations to the country estate of wealthy Countess Camilla DeMoss, her life changes forever.
Upon the children’s arrival at the sprawling, possibly haunted mansion, it turns out the countess has a very big secret — one that will change their lives forever.
Then the children beginning disappearing, one by one. So Tabitha takes a cue from her favorite detective novels and, with Pemberley by her side, attempts to solve the case and rescue the other children…who just might be her first real friends.
Publication Date April 21st 2015 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Two friends form a detective agency — and must solve their first murder case — in this “sharp-witted debut” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) that is the first adventure in a brand-new middle grade mystery series set at a 1930s boarding school.
Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are best friends at Deepdean School for Girls, and they both have a penchant for solving mysteries. In fact, outspoken Daisy is a self-described Sherlock Holmes, and she appoints wallflower Hazel as her own personal Watson when they form their own (secret!) detective agency. The only problem? They have nothing to investigate.
But that changes once Hazel discovers the body of their science teacher, Miss Bell—and the body subsequently disappears. She and Daisy are certain a murder must have taken place, and they can think of more than one person with a motive.
Determined to get to the bottom of the crime — and to prove that it happened — before the killer strikes again, Hazel and Daisy must hunt for evidence, spy on their suspects, and use all the cunning, scheming, and intuition they can muster. But will they succeed? And can their friendship stand the test?
Publication Date April 7th 2015 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Based on the extraordinary true story of America’s first-ever female detective, this fast-paced adventure recounts feats of daring and danger…including saving the life of Abraham Lincoln!
Eleven-year-old Nell Warne arrives on her aunt’s doorstep lugging a heavy sack of sorrows. If her Aunt Kate rejects her, it’s the miserable Home for the Friendless.
Luckily, canny Nell makes herself indispensable to Aunt Kate…and not just by helping out with household chores. For Kate Warne is the first-ever female detective employed by the legendary Pinkerton Detective Agency. And Nell has a knack for the kind of close listening and bold action that made Pinkerton detectives famous in Civil War-era America. With huge, nation-changing events simmering in the background, Nell uses skills new and old to uncover truths about her past and solve mysteries in the present.
Publication Date March 17th 2015 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Mixing mystery and adventure in the tradition of Louis Sachar, Avi, and E.L. Konigsburg, If You Find This is the story of unlikely friendships, unexpected bravery and eleven-year-old Nicholas Funes’s quest to prove his grandfather’s treasure is real.
Nicholas is a math and music genius with no friends and a huge problem: His father has lost his job, and they’ll have to sell their house, which holds the only memory Nicholas has of his younger brother. Just in time, Nicholas’s senile grandfather arrives, filled with tales of priceless treasure he has hidden somewhere in town – but where?
Publication Date March 10th 2015 by Algonquin Young Readers
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
From Newbery Medalist Avi comes the thrilling and suspenseful story of an ordinary American family who falls under suspicion during the 1950s Red Scare.
It’s 1951, and twelve-year-old Pete Collison is a regular kid who loves detective stories and radio crime dramas. When an FBI agent shows up at Pete’s doorstep, accusing Pete’s father of being a Communist, Pete is caught in a real-life mystery. Could there really be Commies in his family?
Publication Date March 3rd 2015 by Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
Footer Davis is on the case when two kids go missing after a fire in this humorously honest novel that is full of Southern style.
Here are some things that are true about Footer Davis:
1. She has a BB gun named Louise.
2. Walruses freak her out.
3. Her mom has bipolar disorder.But she wants you to know that it’s not that big a deal. She’s just Mom, and usually she’s fine except sometimes when she doesn’t take her pills. But right now what’s most important to Footer is what happened to those kids at the Abrams farm. See, there was a fire there a few nights ago, and those kids haven’t been seen since. Pretty sure they got burned up. What Footer and Peavine — that’s her best friend — want to know is who started the fire?
This middle grade mystery is funny, honest, populated with interesting characters, and Southern to the core. Kirkus Reviews called it “a sensitive, suspenseful mystery that deftly navigates the uncertainty of mental illness.”
Publication Date January 6th 2015 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
History, mystery, and science collide in a new series for middle-grade readers, perfect for fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society and Lemony Snicket!
Jordan Stratford imagines an alternate 1826, where Ada Lovelace (the world’s first computer programmer) and Mary Shelley (author of Frankenstein) meet as girls and form a secret detective agency!
Lady Ada Byron, age eleven, is a genius. Isolated, awkward and a bit rude — but a genius. Mary Godwin, age fourteen, is a romantic. Adventurous, astute, and kind, Mary is to become Ada’s first true friend. And together, the girls conspire to form the Wollstonecraft Detective Agency — a secret constabulary for the apprehension of clever criminals. Their first case involves a stolen heirloom, a false confession, and an array of fishy suspects. But it’s no match for the deductive powers and bold hearts of Ada and Mary.
Mystery fans will love this tween girl riff on Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. History buffs will be delighted to see all the real figures who play a role in this story and appreciate the extensive backmatter that helps separate truth from fiction. Parents and educators hoping to promote the STEM fields for girls will be thrilled to have a series where two girls use math, science, and creative analytical thinking to solve crimes. But most especially – emerging readers will love this series filled with humor, action, intrigue and wonderful artwork from Kelly Murphy.
Publication Date September 23rd 2014 by Roaring Brook Press
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
There’s a murderer on the loose ― but that doesn’t stop the girls of St. Etheldreda’s from attempting to hide the death of their headmistress in this rollicking farce.
The students of St. Etheldreda’s School for Girls face a bothersome dilemma. Their irascible headmistress, Mrs. Plackett, and her surly brother, Mr. Godding, have been most inconveniently poisoned at Sunday dinner. Now the school will almost certainly be closed and the girls sent home ― unless these seven very proper young ladies can hide the murders and convince their neighbors that nothing is wrong.
Julie Berry’s The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place is a smart, hilarious Victorian romp, full of outrageous plot twists, mistaken identities, and mysterious happenings.
Publication Date August 26th 2014 by Clarion Books
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
It’s wintertime at Greenglass House. The creaky smuggler’s inn is always quiet during this season, and twelve-year-old Milo, the innkeepers’ adopted son, plans to spend his holidays relaxing.
But on the first icy night of vacation, out of nowhere, the guest bell rings. Then rings again. And again…
Soon Milo’s home is bursting with odd, secretive guests, each one bearing a strange story that is somehow connected to the rambling old house. As objects go missing and tempers flare, Milo and Meddy, the cook’s daughter, must decipher clues and untangle the web of deepening mysteries to discover the truth about Greenglass House — and themselves.
Publication Date July 1st 2014 by Capstone Press
Goodreads ● Amazon ● Chapters ● The Book Depository ● Barnes & Noble ● IndieBound
A mysterious Phantom is terrorizing London, and when Lizzie realizes she has a talent that will let her stop the crimes before they happen, she and her new circus friends feel compelled to intervene. But when one of their own is blamed for the crimes instead, their investigation takes a turn for the worse. When the truth finally comes out, the real culprit is the last person anyone expects.
One Response
I have read many of these and love them. I do love a good mystery. Great to see some books I haven’t read- but I am adding some to my list and hope to read them soon.
Thanks for including, The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow on this list. It’s an honor to see it here- and in such wonderful company. 🙂