This month we’re recommending mysteries for kids and young adults.
Do you remember reading your first Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew mystery? Maybe you were more into Encyclopedia Brown or Cam Jansen. The mystery genre is important for kids because solving mysteries requires the use of logic, observation, and critical thinking.
These are important skills for them to develop and use in their everyday lives, and they can have a lot of fun trying to solve the mystery before the big reveal at the end. I’ve selected several mystery series for kids and three stand-alone YA mysteries. I’ve indicated the number of books in each series (so far), but those numbers are subject to change. Enjoy!
Author: Esmeralda Ravn
Series Title: The Golden Detective (I book so far)
Age Group: ages 3-8
Premise: Mysteries for young readers. Goldie, the Golden detectives is an adorable puppy in Puddleville with a nose for mystery and a big heart. Goldie and his trusty assistant, Dash are always ready to solve any mystery. Young kids will enjoy helping Goldie and Dash.
Author: Veronica Mang
Series Title: Secret Spy Society (3 books)
Age Group: ages 5-9
Premise: Three friends, Peggy, Rita, and Dot are amateur sleuths who discover a secret society of some of the most famous female spies in history. In the first mystery the girls must find a missing cheetah for Josephine Baker. Boys and girls will enjoy reading about the skills the girls use to solve mysteries and learning about famous historical figures.
Author: Zander Bingham
Series Title: Jack Jones
Age Group: ages 5-10
Premise: Not a classic mystery series, but Jack Jones and his friends find themselves in unusual predicaments and must use all their ingenuity to get themselves out of tight spots. Great for problem solving and just plain entertaining.
Author: J.I. Wagner and Brooke Vitale
Series Title: Timmi Tobbson Young Explorers Solve-Them-Yourselves Mystery Books-Junior (3 books)
Age Group: 6-8
Premise: Your child is the detective, and each short chapter ends with a puzzle for them to solve from clues on the story and clues hidden in the illustrations.
Author: C.R. Fulton
Series Title: The Campground Kids: National Park Adventures (7 books)
Age Group: ages 7-10
Premise: Twelve-year-old Isiah along with his Sister Sadie, and their cousin Ethan have adventures camping with their families in National Parks around the country. Join them as they explore, solve mysteries face challenges, and learn survival skills in this action-packed series. Maybe your family will be inspired to explore the treasures of our National Parks.
Author: J.I. Wagner
Series Title: A Timmi Tobbson Adventure: Solve-Them-Yourself Mysteries Books (3 books)
Age Group: ages 7-10 or 8-12
Premise: Solve mysteries by finding visual clues concealed in chapters and the beautiful illustrations of these books. Each book is divided into 31 chapters. Each chapter ends with a puzzle for the reader to solve.
Author: Daniel Kenney and Emily Boever
Series Title: The Math Inspectors (5 books)
Age Group: 8-12
Premise: Stanley, Charlotte, Gertie, and Felix are four friends who enjoy hanging out after school, eating burgers, drinking milkshakes, doing math, and solving mysteries.
Author: Teresa Driscoll
Title: I Am Watching You
Age Group: YA and Adult
Premise: Ella Longfield overhears two attractive young men flirting with two teenage girls on a train. She thinks nothing of it until she learns the young men have recently been released from prison. Should she intervene or mind her own business? Before she can decide, one of the girls, Anna, ends up missing. A year later she is still missing, and Ella is wracked with guilt. Ella begins receiving threatening letters that lead her to believe Anna’s best friend, Sarah, Sarah’s family, and Anna’s family are keeping secrets they don’t want revealed. Someone knows what happened to Anna, but why are they watching Ella?
Author: Jessica Goodman
Title: They Wish They Were Us
Age Group: YA and adult
Premise: High school freshman year – Jill’s best friend, Shaila is killed. Shaila’s boyfriend Graham confesses to the crime. Fast forward to Jill’s senior year that should be a happy time filled with fun and excitement. Jill begins receiving text messages proclaiming Graham’s innocence. If he didn’t kill her best friend, who did?
Author: Holly Jackson
Title: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (Book one of three)
Age Group: YA and Adult
Premise: Pip is shocked when Andie Bell, a popular high school senior is murdered by her boyfriend, Sal, who then kills himself. Pip knew Sal and he was always kind and gentle. For her senior project. Pip decides to investigate the murder case to see if there is any way Sal might have been innocent. The more she delves into this mystery, the shadier Fairview and it’s most upstanding citizens become. Who really Killed Andie? Did Sal die by suicide or was he murdered, too? Someone in Fairview is determined to stop Pip from finding out.