Staff Picks
Mysteries for Ages 8-12
- Morgan R.
- Tuesday, July 10, 2018
Collection
Over Magic Tree House? Done with The A-Z Mysteries? Looking for something more meaty? Here is a list perfect for 8-12 year olds who love a good mystery.
Inspector Flytrap
Published in 2016
Hoping to become the greatest detective that ever grew, Inspector Flytrap, a Venus flytrap, and his assistant, Nina the Goat, investigate "big deal" mysteries at an art museum, a cookie shop, and a garden.
Willa of the Wood
Published in 2018
In the late 1800s, a twelve-year-old nightspirit living in the Great Smoky Mountains despairs as homesteaders destroy her forest habitat, until a chance encounter with a "day-folk" man changes everything she thought she knew about her people--and their greatest enemy.
Bad Luck
Published in 2016
"Clay's adventures at a magical camp continue as he befriends a new ally and faces new adversaries in his journey to find his magical talent and solve new mysteries of Price Island"-- Provided by publisher.
King and Kayla and the Case of the Secret Code
Published in 2017
When a mysterious letter written in code arrives at King's house for his human, Kayla, he follows the trail of the person who left it.
The Misfits Club
Published in 2018
"Nothing exciting ever happens in the small town of Newpark, where Brian, Hannah and twins Chris and Sam live. And when they start their summer vacation, they know it's the end of an era. The Misfits Club--a club they started when they were eight 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 investigate a spooky old house, they unxpectedly discover some stolen goods. Could this be their chance for one last adventure? One thing is for sure, though: Newpark is decidedly more interesting now."--jacket.
Race to the Bottom of the Sea
Published in 2017
When her parents, the great marine scientists Dr. and Dr. Quail, are killed in a tragic accident, eleven year old Fidelia Quail is racked by grief. But she is forced out of her mourning when she's kidnapped by Merrick the Monstrous, a pirate whose list of crimes stretches longer than a ribbon eel. Her task? Use her marine know-how to retrieve his treasure, lost on the ocean floor. As Fidelia and the pirates close in on the prize, with the navy hot on their heels, she realizes that Merrick doesn't expect to live long enough to enjoy his loot. Could something other than black-hearted greed be driving him? Will Fidelia be able to master the perils of the ocean without her parents - and piece together the mystery of Merrick the Monstrous before it's too late?
The Great Shelby Holmes
Published in 2016
Nine-year-old Shelby Holmes, the best detective in her Harlem neighborhood, and her new easy-going friend from downstairs, eleven-year-old John Watson, become partners in a dog-napping case.
Space Case
A Moon Base Alpha Novel
Published in 2014
"Dashiell Gibson, who lives on Moon Base Alpha, has to solve a murder of one of the moon's most prominent doctors"-- Provided by publisher.
Smashie Mcperter and the Mystery of Room 11
Published in 2015
When Room Eleven's beloved pet hamster, Patches, goes missing, Smashie and her best friend, Dontel, launch an investigation to bring the thief to justice--but they discover that there may be more than one secret to be uncovered.
The Parker Inheritance
Published in 2018
Twelve-year-old Candice Miller is spending the summer in Lambert, South Carolina, in the old house that belonged to her grandmother, who died after being dismissed as city manager for having the city tennis courts dug up looking for buried treasure--but when she finds the letter that sent her grandmother on the treasure hunt, she finds herself caught up in the mystery and, with the help of her new friend and fellow book-worm, Brandon, she sets out to find the inheritance, exonerate her grandmother, and expose an injustice once committed against an African American family in Lambert.
Mice of the Round Table
A Tail of Camelot
Published in 2016
Follows the efforts of young mouse Calib Christopher to fulfill his dream of becoming a Knight of Camelot by embarking on a quest to identify the culprit behind a tragedy at the annual Harvest Tournament.
Howard Wallace, P.I.
Published in 2016
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&#x;s got: a bathrobe for a trench coat, a makeshift office behind the school equipment shed, and not much else&#x;least of all, friends. So when a hot case of blackmail lands on his desk, he&#x;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&#x;and a friend&#x;is such a bad thing after all. -- amazon.com
Binny Bewitched
Published in 2017
When she takes money accidentally left behind at an ATM, a guilty Binny decides to return it but discovers it has gone missing, leading her to team up with her frenemy, Gareth, to figure out who might have taken it.
Tru & Nelle
Published in 2016
In their small town of Monroeville, Alabama, in 1930, misfits Tru and Nelle strike up a friendship and find a mystery to solve when someone breaks into the drugstore and steals some candy and a fancy brooch.
A Case in Any Case
Published in 2017
When Detective Gordon retires and Buffy is left alone at the police station, she hears strange noises and decides to call Gordon in to help her with the mystery.
At the Bottom of the World
Published in 2017
Traveling to Antarctica for a prestigious science competition, twelve-year-old Jack and his genius foster siblings, Ava and Matt, become caught up in a mystery involving a missing scientist.
Vanished!
Published in 2017
In Washington, D.C., twelve-year-old Florian Bates, a consulting detective for the FBI, and his best friend Margaret must uncover the truth behind a series of private middle school pranks that may or may not involve the daughter of the President of the United States.
Story Thieves
Published in 2015
Except for reading the Kiel Gnomenfoot magic adventure series, Owen's life is boring until he sees his classmate Bethany climb out of a book in the school library and he learns that Bethany is half-fictional and has been searching every book she can find for her missing father, a fictional character.
Lumberjanes
Beware the Kitten Holy
Published in 2015
Best friends Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley spend a fun summer at Lumberjane scout camp where they encounter yetis, three-eyed wolves, and giant falcons while solving a mystery that holds the fate of the world in the balance.
The Harlem Charade
Published in 2017
Seventh-graders Jin, Alexandra, and Elvin come from very different backgrounds and circumstances, but they all live in Harlem, and when Elvin's grandfather is attacked they band together to find out who is responsible--and the search leads them to an enigmatic artist whose missing masterpieces are worth a fortune, and into conflict with an ambitious politician who wants to turn Harlem into an historic amusement park.