Staff Picks
Calling all young detectives! New mystery novels for children
- Jenny D.
- Wednesday, December 02, 2020
Collection
It's cold outside and a perfect time for snuggling up with a great book. Test your sleuthing skills and follow the clues - try out these new mystery novels for children.
Midnight at the Barclay Hotel
Published in 2020
Five murder suspects are invited to the haunted Barclay Hotel for a weekend getaway, and it is up to twelve-year-old JJ and eleven-year-old Penny--and a lonely ghost--to figure out who committed the crime.
Premeditated Myrtle
A Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery
Published in 2020
When twelve-year-old aspiring detective Myrtle Hardcastle learns her neighor in quiet Swinburne, England, a breeder of rare flowers, has died she is certain it was murder and that she must find the killer.-- Provided by Publisher.
Connect the Dots
Published in 2020
Twelve-year-olds Oliver Beane and Frankie Figge are starting middle school in their suburban town of Lake Grove Glen, but from the beginning things seem a little weird, starting with the mysterious girl Matilda Sandoval who seems to know a lot about the boys, and continuing with a series of apparently random events that may not be random at all; somehow it all leads back to Preston Oglethorpe, a former student genius at their school who won the Nobel prize in Physics for his work in applied chaos theory at twenty-eight, and then mysteriously disappeared--and if the boys (and Matilda) can just connect the dots maybe they can figure out who or what is manipulating their lives, and why.
A Dog-friendly Town
Published in 2020
As his family's dog-friendly bed-and-breakfast establishment in dog-friendly Carmelito, California, welcomes celebrity dog Sir Bentley, twelve-year-old Epic McDade and his younger siblings investigate the disappearance of a $500,000 dog collar.
Love, Love
Published in 2020
"Frances Chin, a 10-year old Chinese-American girl, lives in the suburbs of Detroit with her immigrant parents and older sister, Clara. At school Frances copes with bullies and the loneliness that comes with not quite fitting in. At home, she feels a different kind of aloneness. Her parents are preoccupied with work and worry about Clara, whose hair is inexplicably falling out. But, with the help of her friend Annie, Frances is determined to play Nancy Drew and solve the mystery of Clara's condition. She also faces the everyday challenges and unexpected thrills of being a tween, especially when she receives encouragement from a tennis coach. Although she struggles to speak up, Frances's powerful inner voice resonates in gorgeous imagery and evocative free verse."--Page 4 of cover.
Scritch Scratch
Published in 2020
Haunted after helping her father on his ghost-themed Chicago bus tour, twelve-year-old Claire must discover what the spectral boy from the bus wants before it is too late.
Elvin Link, Please Report to the Principal's Office
Published in 2020
A penchant for doodling often lands fifth-grader Elvin Link in the principal's office, but also helps with crime-solving and standing up to bullies.-- Provided by Publisher.
Meet the Crew at the Zoo
Published in 2020
Luke is unhappy about leaving his home and abuelo when his father takes a job at a New York zoo, but soon he has new friends and a mystery to solve. Includes facts about zoo animals and wildlife.
Super Puzzletastic Mysteries
Short Stories for Young Sleuths From Mystery Writers of America.
Published in 2020
The Amelia Six
An Amelia Earhart Mystery
Published in 2020
Eleven-year-old Millie and five other girls, snowed in at Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum in Atchison, Kansas, are on a scavenger hunt when the lights go out and Amelia's aviator goggles go missing.
The Winterhouse Mysteries
Published in 2020
It's springtime at Winterhouse and Elizabeth is settling into the joyful chaos of her new home. But it isn't long before she and Freddy are drawn into an ominous new mystery. Guests at the hotel start behaving oddly, and Elizabeth's powers manifest in thrilling--sometimes frightening--new ways. As unnatural tremors shake the foundations of Winterhouse, Elizabeth hears cries for help from Gracella Winters, a villain she'd thought dead and gone for good.
Kazu Jones and the Comic Book Criminal
Published in 2020
"Fresh off their first investigation. Kazu and her friends are hungry for their next case, which comes when a vandal begins targeting local comic book stores with anti-comic graffiti. Kazu's BFF, March, is especially desperate to unmask the villain before his beloved shop, the Super Pickle, gets hit. But when March takes over, the gang starts butting heads. It doesn't help that Kazu is distracted by another mystery at home: Her mom is bedridden and her grandmother has come from Japan to help out, but no one will tell Kazu what's going on. Juggling two investigations is not easy. When Kazu and the gang trace the vandal's secret identity to one of the most popular superhero characters in the nation, they realize the vandal's revenge plot is way more explosive than they thought. But can they put aside their differences in time to catch this criminal--or will both of Kazu's cases fall apart?"--Jacket flap.
The Explorer's Code
Published in 2020
Charlie, Anna, and Emily must overcome their differences and work together to solve various puzzles leading to the secret treasure a famous female explorer left in Idlewood Manor before the adults do.
The Body Under the Piano
Published in 2020
"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. For fans of Lemony Snicket and The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency. 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 she didn't commit. Filled with mystery, adventure, an unforgettable heroine and several helpings of tea and sweets, The Body Under the Piano is the clever debut of a new series for middle-grade readers and Christie and Poirot fans everywhere, from a Governor General's Award--winning author of historical fiction for children."-- Provided by publisher.
Rise of Zombert
Published in 2020
9-year-old Mellie Gore rescues Bert the cat from behind the YummCo Foods factory, and Mellie soon wonders if the mystery surrounding Bert's behavior is connected to the powerful YummCo Foods company or could he truly be a zombie?
Pepper's Rules for Secret Sleuthing
Published in 2020
Amateur detective Pepper Blouse, a rising seventh-grader, cannot resist investigating when her Great Aunt Florence passes away under mysterious circumstances, but strictly following her mother's Detective Rulebook may not be the best plan.
The Mutant Mushroom Takeover
A Maggie and Nate Mystery
Published in 2020
Hoping to restore her father's good name and job, Maggie teams up with friend Nate to win a junior naturalist contest, but the rare bioluminescent fungus they find is big trouble. Includes facts about fungi.
Mr. Penguin and the Catastrophic Cruise
Published in 2020
Mr Penguin is boarding a luxury cruise ship. He doesn't like water, and he can't swim, but his friend Colin is performing with the Ladies Choir on board - and anyway, Mr Penguin feels like a rest after some busy Adventuring. What's more, fish finger sandwiches are apparently available twenty-four hours a day. Heaven! But despite the glamorous film stars and party atmosphere, Mr Penguin can't help but feel that something shifty is happening on board. And when he befriends a young stowaway with a mystery of her own to solve, he soon finds that Adventures are lying in wait after all ...
The Candy Mafia
Published in 2020
Growing up in a city where candy is illegal and sugar is scandalous, 12-year-old detective Nelle Faulker takes the case of a candy gangster's missing teddy bear before her client's own disappearance leads Nelle to a shady underworld of sweets smuggling, back-alley deals and storefront firebombs.
The Double Helix
Published in 2019
As Cruz and his friends continue to search for the third piece of the cipher, a mysterious message arrives suggesting that someone close to him is working for Nebula, leaving Cruz unsure of who he can trust.