picture books mystery

50 Must-Read Mystery Books for Kids

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Vanessa Diaz

Book Riot Managing Editor Vanessa Diaz is a writer and former bookseller from San Diego, CA whose Spanish is even faster than her English. When not reading or writing, she enjoys dreaming up travel itineraries and drinking entirely too much tea. She is a regular co-host on the All the Books podcast who especially loves mysteries, gothic lit, mythology/folklore, and all things witchy. Vanessa can be found on Instagram at @BuenosDiazSD or taking pictures of pretty trees in Portland, OR, where she now resides.

View All posts by Vanessa Diaz

I love me a good mystery. I want to be Miss Marple when I grow up and Flavia de Luce is absolutely my best friend in my head . But long before Agatha Christie and Alan Bradley filled my bookshelves, I was a kid enraptured by spies named Harriet and kids living in boxcars. Mystery books for kids are great because they foster logical thinking and deductive reasoning. They’re also just plain fun.

Classics like Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys still have a healthy readership, but the genre has come a long way. There are so many fantastic mystery series and standalone works out there by a diverse mix of authors and illustrators. I’ve compiled a list of 50 mystery books for kids, both new and tried & true. The list spans everything from cake theft capers in picture books to art heist novels for middle grade readers. 

mystery books for kids

A note about reading levels…

I’ve broken this list up into two broad sections, picture books and chapter books, with the chapter books listed in a mostly ascending order based on grade level. This process was a tricky one! I consulted various sources to come up with the best estimates: Scholastic’s handy Book Wizard tool; the Renaissance Accelerated Reader Bookfinder ; conversations with local librarians and, of course, input from parents. Using a combination of these resources, I’ve listed a grade level for each of these 50 selections, but these are by no means a universal one-size-fits-all guide. 

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Lastly, while this list focuses on mystery books for kids in the fifth grade or younger, the reading level range on several titles creeps into higher grade levels, i.e. titles with a range of grades 5–7. I’ve gone ahead and included those since they do at minimum work for fifth graders. Again, use your own discretion.

Now go crack some cases!

Picture Mystery Books For Kids (infants, toddlers, preschool, Kindergarten)

Sherlock holmes in the hound of the baskervilles (a babylit sounds primer) by jennifer adams, illustrated by allison oliver.

So, funny story—a lot of mystery books for kids like to riff off the Sherlock thing. This one is for the really little humans so it’s sort of in a league of its own! The books in the Babylit Sounds Primer series all use simple word pairings to introduce young minds to classic works of literature, like this one about the famed quirky detective of London’s Baker Street.

The Eleventh Hour: A Curious Mystery by Graeme Base

In this beautifully illustrated picture book—seriously, the detail in these drawings is stunning—Horace the elephant throws himself an extravagant costume party to celebrate his eleventh birthday. Then disaster strikes amidst the festivities: someone has eaten the lavish birthday feast! Horace must figure out who the culprit is in the eleventh hour—which of his friends has dunnit?!

Where’s the Big Bad Wolf ? by Eileen Christelow

In this remix of the classic tale, Detective Doggedly is trying to catch the huffing, puffing, house-blowing wolf before he eats the three little pigs for dinner. With the help of some observant cows and his own canine spidey-sense, he’ll sniff out the culprit, doggone it!

Pigeon P.I. by Meg McLaren

Well, this picture book certainly isn’t helping my theory that all pigeons are tiny cooing spies. It reads like a crime noir comic, the story of a plumed private investigator who’s come out of retirement to pursue a birdnapping case. He looks every bit the detective as one can as a pigeon—he’s got a fedora on so you know he means business. 

The Dot & Jabber series by Ellen Stoll Walsh

Meet Dot & Jabber, a pair of teeny mouse detectives who solve a different mystery in each of the books from this adorable series. These mysteries are both fun and informative for young readers, introducing them to the wonders of science with the help of some cute little critters. Each book includes an afterword with facts about the book’s subject; Dot & Jabber and the Great Acorn Mystery , for example, includes easy-to-understand tidbits about oak trees and acorns.

Betty’s Burgled Bakery by Travis Nichols

Of all the dirty, underhanded crimes I’ve come across in my life as a mystery reader, this takes the cake. Someone has stolen the pastries! Betty’s Bakery has been burgled by a bread bandit who cleared the cupboards and counters of carrot cake, cornbread and crackers. The animal detectives of Gumshoe Zoo are on the case in this awesome, alliterative comic picture book.

Detective Larue: Letters from the Investigation by Mark Teague

This is the second book in the Dear Mrs. Larue series about a dog named Ike Larue with a knack for mad-cap hijinx. The rest of the books in the series aren’t mysteries, but this one finds Ike putting on a detective hat to solve a string of canary burglaries in the neighborhood. The problem is that Ike’s been accused—wrongly, of course!—of a crime himself, and is trapped in doggy jail! There’s only one thing for Ike to do when the local police force can’t seem to get the job done: break free and take matters into his own hands. Err, paws. 

The Mystery of the Missing Cake by Claudia Boldt

“‘Today is the perfect day for solving mysteries and eating cheese,’ thinks Harold, tucked up warm in bed. Though, for Harold every day was the perfect day for solving mysteries and eating cheese.” And those, folks, are some words I can relate to. Harold the fox attends a costume birthday party for his friend Donkey. The festivities are soured when the birthday burro’s cake is stolen during a game of monster tag. Harold steps in to save the party and the day by putting the pieces together to find the culprit of this cake caper. It’s a great lesson on the importance of honesty, sharing, and the joys of a yummy slice of cake.

Baby Monkey, Private Eye by Brian Selznick, Illustrated by David Serlin

Don’t let the format fool you—while it looks like a chapter book from the outside, the easy, sparse language reads like a picture book. Baby Monkey is just the cutest little gumshoe, sitting in his giant office waiting for cases to solve. He finds the thieving culprits for everything from an opera singer’s missing jewels to an astronaut’s misplaced spaceship using some serious detective work. I love, love, love that he never begins a case before stopping for a snack and how laborious an effort it is for him to put on pants. Pants are hard!

Inspector Brunswick: The Case of the Missing Eyebrow by Angela Keoghan, Illustrated by Chris Sam Lam

You might take a look at that title and think, “Is this about Vanessa in her twenties when Mr. Tweezer went rogue and defiled her face?” But no, this picture book is about cat detective Inspector Brunswick. He and his assistant Nelson take a trip to the art museum where they find something missing from a very famous painting. The two put their heads together to figure out what happened in this charming story about art, teamwork and a very sneaky caterpillar.

Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar? by Bonnie Lass, Illustrated by Philemon Sturges and Ashley Wolff

This picture book is the perfect companion to the classic kids song. You know—the one you started singing as soon as you read the title, and don’t you deny it! Mr. Skunk discovers the aforementioned cookie jar and dang it, he’s going to find the thief. Follow along as he confronts each of his animal friends to see which one of them nabbed those cookies!

7 Ate 9 by Tara Lazar, Illustrated by Ross MacDonald

Ok, I can’t write up a better blurb for this book than what’s already been done. Alas, I bring you this spot-on, punny piece of plot-summary perfection from the author’s website: “Word on the street is that 7 ate 9. If that’s true, 6’s days are numbered. Lucky for him, Private I is on the case. But the facts just don’t add up. It’s odd. Will Private I put two and two together and solve the problem…or is 6 next in line to be subtracted?” See? Told you.

The Great Pie Robbery and other Mysteries by Richard Scarry

I’m a fan of Richard Scarry books in general, but this is one of my favorites. Sam Cat and Dudley Pig are these cute and quirky animal sleuths who do cute and quirky detective things. In this collection of three stories, their capers include catching shoplifters, pearl thieves and even more shockingly: pie thieves. Sam and Dudley are often hilariously clueless and love to dress themselves in some pretty ridiculous disguises. The illustrations are half the fun.

Mama the Alien by Rene Colato Lainez, Illustrated by Laura Lacamara

This isn’t exactly your typical mystery—there’s no crime to be solved, no whodunnit to unravel. The mystery here is whether Sofia’s mom is who she says she is—like from planet Earth! It all starts one day when an ID card falls out of Mama’s purse. Sofia sees the words “Resident Alien” on it and wonders: does this mean Mama is an alien?! This bilingual story is a funny, lighthearted lesson on immigration and how words sometimes mean more than one thing.

Chapter Mystery Books For Kids (Grades 1–5)

The haunted library series by dori hillstead butler (grades 1–3).

This delightful series feels a little like a bookish Casper the Friendly Ghost.  It’s about a library-lurking ghost named Kaz who gets separated from his family and fears he’ll never see them again. Then one day he meets Claire, a young girl who can actually see him! The pair become friends and solve ghostly mysteries while they search for Kaz’s family.

The Mysteries of Maisie Hitchins series by Holly Webb, Illustrated by Marion Lindsay (Grades 1-4)

Remember when I told you that a lot of kids mystery books are a re-imagining of the Sherlock Holmes stories? I presume you’ll now accept that I’m no liar! In the Mysteries of Maisie Hitchins series, Maisie is a twelve-year-old working in her grandmother’s boarding house with dreams of being a big, bad, lady detective. She just knows she’d be good at it, she only needs a case to prove it! In The Case of the Stolen Sixpence , the first of eight in the series, she finally gets her big break. Maisie is our reimagined Holmes and her sidekick Eddie is her Watson; Eddie just so happens to be a dog, but hey! He proves to be every bit as helpful.

Nancy Clancy, Super Sleuth  by Jane O’Connor, Illustrated by Robin Price Glasser (Grades 1-4)

Nancy puts on her detective cap to help a classmate find a stolen item of priceless value. Little ones may recognize our stylish little sleuth from the Fancy Nancy picture books. Back in action in chapter book form, Nancy solves mysteries in a pink trench coat and a bedazzled magnifying glass. She’s…well, fancy!

Julian, Secret Agent by Ann Cameron (Grades 2-5)

Julian and his buddies Huey and Gloria consider themselves some pretty sweet secret agents. They have after all rescued a neighborhood dog, saved a small child from drowning… but these kids have their sights set on solving some serious crime. They decide they’re going to nab themselves a bank robber but get in the way of the police. When they  find themselves in some hot water, they’ll need to use their super sleuthing and spy skills to save themselves!

Malcolm at Midnight by W. H. Beck, Illustrated by Brian Lies (Grades 2-5)

Malcolm is jazzed to be the new fifth grade class pet at school: he’s well fed, well loved and has some comfy digs. Even better: he finds out that the rest of the classroom pets are part of a secret society called The Academy whose charge is to keep the students of the school safe. When Aggy the iguana goes missing, the rest of the class pets accuse Malcolm of the crime. See, he chose to hide the fact that he’s not so much a mouse as a rat, and rats are not to be trusted—or are they? This is a delightful mystery with some valuable lessons on acceptance and inclusion.

The Geronimo Stilton series by Geronimo Stilton (Grades 2-5)

I went back and forth as to whether this originally Italian series should be labeled as mystery or adventure and I think it’s a little bit of both! The books are about globetrotting mouse Geronimo Stilton, a best-selling author, investigative reporter and editor for the Rodent Gazette in New Mouse City, Mouse Island. Stilton embarks on all sorts of wild adventures with his sister Thea, cousin Trap, and nephew Benjamin, keeping a diary of his travels as inspiration for his books. Start with The Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye where Geronimo and Thea find a mysterious map that leads the pair on a hunt for treasure.

The Sherlock Sam series by A.J. Low ( Grades 2-5)

Yep. Another Sherlock book, but with a few twists! It’s set in Singapore, our sleuth Samuel Tan Cher Lock (aka Sherlock Sam) is a 10 year old foodie, and his sidekick is a robot named Watson. In Sherlock Sam and the Missing Heirloom in Katong , Sherlock & friends set out to find his auntie’s stolen cookbook. Fun fact: A.J. Low is actually a husband and wife duo! Adam Jimenez is a Mexican American author who grew up in California and later moved to Singapore where he met wife Felicia Low. A.J. Jimenez plus Felicia Low = A.J. Low.

Lulu’s Mysterious Mission by Judith Viorst, Illustrated by Kevin Cornell (Grades 2-5)

So I definitely grabbed this book off a library shelf because young Lulu looks like a teeny tiny Edna Mode. You see it too, right?! In Lulu’s Mysterious Mission , Lulu is shocked and appalled to find out that her parents are going on vacation…without her! She enacts all sorts of elaborate schemes to get rid of babysitter Sonia Solinsky, but Ms. Solinsky has a secret that may just make Lulu see the error in her ways. Note: this book is one in a series, but this is the only one I’d classify as a mystery.

The Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler Warren (Grades 3-5)

The Boxcar Children books were first published back in 1942 and are pretty much considered classic mystery books for kids. The series follows the four orphaned Aiden children who decide to live in an abandoned boxcar in the forest. In the first book, The Boxcar Children , the kids learn that they have a grandfather but initially run from him, believing him to be a cruel and scary old man. This turns out happily not to be the case, and the books that follow in the series each revolve around a mystery that the children solve together. My personal favorite is The Mystery Bookstor e , a super fun caper set in the New Orleans French Quarter about…you guessed it! A mystery bookstore.

The Meg Mackintosh Solve It Yourself Mysteries series by Lucinda Landon (Grades 3-5)

The Meg Mackintosh books are interactive “solve it yourself” mysteries—they invite readers to analyze visual and written clues throughout the unraveling of the mystery. There are at least eight books in the series, my favorite of which is Meg Mackintosh and the Mystery in the Locked Library . In it, Meg, her brother and her grandfather pay a visit to Meg’s Aunt Alice, the head librarian at a local library. The problem is Aunt Alice has gone missing, but she has left behind a trail of clues that lead Meg & company to the library. 

The Bunnicula series by Deborah and James Howe (Grades 3-5)

There’s no way I was going to forget to include this series in a list of mystery books for kids. Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery is a middle grade mystery-comedy about a fanged rabbit who might be a vampire. Sign me up! When the Monroe family finds a peculiar little bunny at a screening of Dracula , they decide to bring him home with them. They call him Bunnicula and introduce him to pets Harold the dog and Chester the cat. Strange things start to happen around Bunnicula, convincing Chester that this fluffy bunny guy is a vampire. He sets out to prove his theory—is Bunnicula really a bloodsucking bunny, or is it all a big misunderstanding?

T he Clubhouse Mysteries by Sharon Draper, Illustrated by Jesse Joshua Watson (Grades 3-5)

In The Buried Bones Mystery , Ziggy and his friends Rico, Rashawn and Jerome decide to form a club. They’ve built a clubhouse in Ziggy’s backyard to serve as their headquarters and decide to call themselves the Black Dinosaurs—because what’s cooler than dinosaurs? They soon make a startling discovery: someone has buried a box of bones behind their clubhouse! The boys set off to solve this strange and scary mystery and find themselves on an adventure beyond their wildest imaginations.

The Encyclopedia Brown series by Donald J. Sobol (Grades 3-5)

Leroy Brown is his town’s star detective, solving cases for all of the kids in the neighborhood. Why is he known as Encyclopedia Brown? Because of all the random facts, figures and trivia stored in his pretty remarkable memory. He’s so good that his own dad picks his brain every night to solve tricky cases, and he’s the head of their town’s police department! Each book in the series is interactive and contains ten stories for readers to follow along and solve. Start with Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective and go from there—there are 25+ books in this series, plenty of leads to pursue!

The Great Mouse Detective Series by Eve Titus, Illustrated by Paul Galdone (Grades 3-5)

Basil is a mouse, but not just any mouse: he’s the mouse who lives in the cellar of Sherlock Holmes’s house on Baker Street. As such he has observed the genius of the crime-solving mad man upstairs and has picked up a thing or two in the art of sleuthing. In Basil of Baker Street , Basil must try and solve his toughest case yet: a mousenapping (hehe) with seemingly zero clues to go on!

The Nate the Great Series by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, Illustrated by Marc Simont (Grades 3-5)

Nate the Great is enjoying his morning pancakes when he gets a call from his friend Annie. She’s lost something important and needs Nate’s help to find it. Nate throws on a very Sam Spade–ish trench coat and gets right on it. He follows clues, asks questions, makes a list of suspects—you know, all the stuff great detectives do. These books are clever and funny and there’s plenty to love: this series for beginning readers is 26 books long!

The Olivia Sharp: Agent for Secrets series by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and Mitchell Sharmat, Illustrated by Denise Brunkus (Grades 3-5)

Olivia Sharp isn’t new to mystery—she’s Nate the Great’s cousin, after all! She considers herself less a solver of mysteries and more an agent of secrets: she helps her clients with warm & friendly approach and by digging into what’s going on beneath the surface. Start with The Sly Spy and go from there.

The A to Z Mysteries series by Ron Roy, Illustrated by John Steven Gurney (Grades 3-5)

Dink, Josh and Ruth Rose are three friends who solve mysteries in this much loved collection. As you may have guessed, the book titles in this series follow the alphabet: The Absent Author , The Bald Bandit , The Canary Caper , etc. Start with The Absent Author where Dink’s favorite author is a no-show at a book signing. It’s up to the three amigos to find out where he went.

Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew  series by Carolyn Keene, Illustrated by Macky Pamintuan (Grades 3-5)

You’ve surely heard of the original Nancy Drew series from the 1930s—yeah, you read  that right. The ’30s! But did you know that there’s a newer series out for middle grade readers? Well there is! Nancy’s adventures include finding her missing City Girls doll at a sleepover and tracking down the thief that stole a special basket of treats from a doggy fashion show. Still, Nancy remains ever the resourceful little sleuth and always cracks the case.

The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency series by Jordan Stratford, Illustrated by Kelly Murphy (Grades 3-7)

The concept of this series is just so, so brilliant. It’s a reimagined 1826 where Ada Lovelace and Mary Shelley are BFFs and have come together to form a secret detective agency in London. In book one, The Case of the Missing Moonstone , this girl duo reminiscent of Holmes and Watson (yep, more Holmes stuff!) uses math, science and deductive reasoning to solve a mystery surrounding a stolen heirloom. This series is funny, action-packed, and dripping with brainy girl power.

Me, Frida and the Secret of the Peacock Ring by Angela Cervantes (Grades 3-7)

Pamela Cervantes is eleven years old when she and her mother travel to Mexico City, the birthplace of Pamela’s deceased father. She meets siblings Lizzie and Gael who ask for her help in finding a ring that once belonged to her father’s favorite artist, beloved Mexican icon Frida Kahlo! Pamela agrees to help, but it seems like Lizzie and Gael’s motives may not be as pure as they seem.

Harriet the Spy   by Louise Fitzhugh (Grades 3-7)

I couldn’t compile a list of mystery books for kids without this classic. Harriet is an astute and spunky little girl who goes around scribbling thoughts and observations in a notebook. When she misplaces that notebook, it ends up in the wrong hands. Soon the contents (some hurtful, though true) make their way to her friends…awkward! Now Harriet must find a way to fix things with her pals and prove that she’s no mean girl. She just really, really loves the truth.

The Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch, Grades 3-7

I really dig the witty subversiveness of this series’s secrecy: the titles, the plot descriptions, and even the authors’ name are all cloaked in an air of mystery that’s perfect for young mystery readers and fans of a good riddle. The Name of this Book is Secret is the first of five books in The Secret Series and is most certainly not about a couple of eleven-year-olds chasing a missing magician. Nope, no adventurous pursuit of villains here, folks. Nothing to see at all.

The Way to Bea by Kat Yeh (Grades 3-7)

Beatrix Lee is going through some stuff. Her best friend has ghosted her right at the start of seventh grade and a new baby is about to end her reign as an only child. Feeling isolated, Bea finds comfort in the haiku she crafts in invisible ink, poems she hides in a secret hiding spot. Then one day, she’s shocked to discover that someone has started writing back. She sets out to try and figure out who her secret pen pal might be and finds her way back to herself in the process. Note: I don’t think this book is usually classified as a mystery. The secret poem pen pal and a mysterious labyrinth give it a mystery vibe though.

Explorer: The Mystery Boxes edited by Kazu Kibuishi (Grades 3-7)

The Explorer series is comprised of three volumes to date, all edited by Kazu Kibuishi. Each volume is a collection of seven graphic stories from seven different comics creators around a central theme. Explorer: The Mystery Boxes is a creative, clever collection of stories about boxes of mysterious origin, but the stories could not be more different both in written content and artistic style. In one story, a young girl hears a tapping noise under her bed and discovers a box with a cryptic note; inside she finds a wax doll who seems sweet at first but…Another story follows a Japanese girl whose grandmother is convinced that spirits are stealing butter from the kitchen. Thing is, Obaasan miiiight not be wrong. So fun!

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliet (Grades 3-7)

Set in Hyde Park, this art mystery opens with a mysterious letter sent to three unknown recipients from an anonymous sender. The letter asks each of them to solve a crime that has wronged one of the world’s greatest painters. Next we meet Petra Andalee and Calder Pillay,  students in the same sixth grade class who aren’t exactly friends. A mysterious book brings them together and they soon find themselves wrapped up in an international art scandal. They’ll have to follow a trail of complicated clues and coded messages to get to the truth. 

The Mysterious Benedict Society  series by Trenton Lee Stewart (Grades 3-7)

A mysterious ad in a local newspaper reads: “Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?” Many children respond but only four are chosen after numerous rounds of vigorous testing. The four are introduced to Mr. Nicholas Benedict; he reveals that they’ve been enlisted to take down an evil force behind a mind-control plot. To do this, they must go undercover to penetrate a shady org called the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened. Secret and societies and kid espionage—what’s not to love?

The Sammy Keyes series by Wendelin Van Draanen (Grades 3-7)

When we first meet Sammy in Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief , she’s got a lot going on—she’s managed to make an enemy of the meanest mean girl at school, she’s been expelled, and she’s living with her grandma in a seniors-only building because her mom is off trying to make it as a movie star. Things go from bad to worse when she witnesses a burglary at the hotel across the street, and now the thief is after her. Can’t get enough of Sammy? Follow her adventures in the 17 other books in this series.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg (Grades 4-5)

I’m pulling this blurb straight from my shelf talker at the bookstore where I work. It’s one of my favorite books ever ! “ I probably read this twenty times when I was a kid. It is just so good! Little Claudia Kincaid decides she wants to run away, but not just anywhere: she’s going to run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and find a way to live there. She bamboozles her little brother into going along for the ride and pulls off her master plan. The two end up stumbling upon a headline-making mystery in the process. I’ve been reading mysteries (and trying to live inside a swanky museum, sssh) ever since.”

Smashie McPerter and the Mystery of Room 11 by N. Griffin, Illustrated by Kate Kindley (Grades 4-6)

“The day Patches was stolen from Smashie McPerter’s class started out like any other day. Well, except for the fact that her teacher was out sick and Smashie’s class was stuck with the worst substitute in the world. And except for the mysterious business with the glue. And except for the fact that Patches himself had become Smashie’s new archenemy.” Patches, naturally, is her class’s best hamster, and Smashie is rather   distraught about his disappearance. I would have been all over these books as a kid, both because how can you not love the name Smashie McPerter and because the plot is just so Ramona-esquely relatable.

The Math Inspectors series by Daniel Kenney, Illustrated by Emily Boever (Grades 4-6)

Listen up, parental figures: these books are the best of both worlds. Each one is a really fun, keep-you-guessing detective story AND a math lesson! Four sixth graders have banded together to form a detective agency. In The Case of the Claymore Diamond , the foursome hear about the burglary of a local jewelry store. When they arrive on the scene, they find the store owner unconscious; what’s more, his prized Claymore diamond is missing too! The police think they’ve solved the case, but they don’t have all the facts straight. All of this plus math—it’s woven in throughout to make for a fun and educational treat for bookworms.

The Book of Elsewhere series by Jacqueline West (Grades 4-6)

You should read these books because there are three talking cats in the series. Yes please! They’re also a fast-paced, page-turnery blend of mystery and adventure. In The Shadows , eleven-year-old Olive and her parents move into a crumbling mansion filled with all sorts of weird and interesting paintings. Olive finds a dusty pair of glasses in some abandoned drawer and makes a startling discovery. It seems she can travel inside the paintings to a creepily silent place called Elsewhere! Peril awaits as she tries to unravel the mystery she’s unwittingly stepped into. And did I mention that there are talking cats??

The Chinatown Mystery series by Laurence Yep (Grades 4-7)

In The Case of the Goblin Pearls , the first in this series, Lily Lew is excited to learn that her Great Auntie Tiger Lil, a famous movie star, is coming to visit her family in San Francisco. When Tiger Lil invites Lily to be in Chinatown’s New Year’s Parade, she of course jumps at the chance. During the parade, someone steals the priceless Goblin Pearls right from under Lily’s face. Great Auntie Tiger Lil decides it’s up to her to find the thieves and invites young Lily along for the ride.

The 39 Clues series by multiple authors ( Grades 5-7)

The books in The 39 Clues series are a adventure/mystery mashup series. A collaboration of authors have written these stories, including Rick Riordan, Patrick Carman, Linda Sue Park and Sarwat Chadda. There are five sub-series that make up one big series and each sub-series contains multiple volumes. The first book, The Maze of Bones , introduces us to Amy and Dan Cahill, a brother and sister duo who learn that their family is the most influential in all of history. The two embark on a dangerous, twisty, action-packed quest to find the 39 clues, ingredients that are the secret to their family’s power. Bonus: readers can get their hands on collectors cards that correspond to each book. The cards contain a code that when entered online will reveal that book’s clue.

The Enola Holmes Mystery series by Nancy Springer (Grades 5-8)

Yes, I am sneaking in one final Sherlock book but hear me out! In this series, Enola is Sherlock’s sister and is trying to carve out her own place in the world. We first meet Enola in The Case of the Missing Marquess . She’s traveling to London to track down her missing mother, but she’s pulled into a kidnapping and murder case when she arrives. She must try to solve this case while also figuring out what’s become of her mother. A fun, feminist branch-off with six books in the series. See? Good, right?

The Harlem Charade by Natasha Tarpley (Grades 5-8)

Twelve-year-old Jin is studying at her grandparents’ Harlem bodega when a classmate named Alex walks in. She doesn’t say a word and leaves just as quickly as she came. Jin decides she has to know more about this mysterious girl and pairs up with her for a class project. While out delivering food to a woman’s shelter, the girls meet Elvin, a homeless boy whose grandfather was attacked in a community garden. The three form an unlikely friendship as they join forces to find his attacker. They don’t expect to find themselves involved in an even large mystery having to do with priceless works of art.

Hold Fast by Blue Balliet (Grades 5-8)

Early Pearl’s father is not the kind of man who’d leave his family, yet he has. At least it appears he has, leaving a mess behind that’s put Early and her family in danger. When the three of them are forced to move into a shelter, Early starts asking questions. She soon discovers that there are clues to her father’s mysterious disappearance and she may be the only one who can crack them. And boy oh boy, does Blue Baillet’s signature love of beautiful words really sets this work apart.

What are your favorite mystery books for kids? Hit the comments to share your favorites. 

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Enjoy these mystery picture books & chapter books for kids who love playing detective!

Do you have a child who loves a good mystery?

Our youngest adores detective books — in fact, when she first started reading on her own, that was the only genre she would read.

We would visit the library and search for any new mystery story that wasn’t too scary.  She loved the mystery within the book but not the spooky side of things. 

As the story revealed clues, it would draw her in as she tried to figure out what happened before she read it in the book.

Once you find books that your kids love, you run with that since it will inspire continued reading!

So we’ve rounded-up some of our favorite detective and mystery books — picture books, ER (early readers) and chapter books (which are perfect for older sleuths or as family read-alouds) — see which ones your kids might enjoy!

Mystery Books for Kids - picture books and chapter books for kids who love to play detective!

15 Great Mystery Books for Kids

Mystery books can be very appealing for kids of all ages, especially those who are just learning to read or might not enjoy reading.  They are usually stories that intrigue kids to keep reading as they uncover new clues and information with each page.

Many kids LOVE the idea of searching for clues and puzzling through the details to solve the case. 

And your kids will learn quite a bit as they read a mystery —

They build observation skills as they look and listen for clues.

They learn about anticipation — the desire to want to learn more!

They practice calculation — the skill of piecing together what they know.

And they make predictions — can you use what you know along with a ‘skilled’ guess to solve the mystery?!

Below we’ve included some of our favorite stand-along mystery books along with favorite detective & mystery series (so it’s easy to keep reading if your kids get hooked on the genre!) along with affiliate links to each of the stories, some of our favorite sleuthing items and FUN mystery activities to pair with the books too!

One of the things kids LOVE to have on hand when they read a mystery is some cool dectective items:

  • a pad of paper and pencil is perfect for keeping notes (like this flip-open memo pad !)
  • a magnifying glass is a must for any sleuthing reader and
  • dressing the part is always fun — try this Sherlock Holmes hat for kids who aspire to be a detective!

Dectective Books for Kids

Mystery Picture Books

picture books mystery

This was the first ever mystery that I read as a kid and I LOVED it! 

Sam Cat & Dudley Pig find fingerprints, look for clues and solve some very kid-funny mysteries.  And the illustrations are excellent – kids can turn back and forth to look for their own clues on various pages.

picture books mystery

Another wonderfully illustrated book, Graeme Base has kids searching for clues at a birthday party.  As all the animals help Horace the elephant celebrate his 11th birthday, they realize that someone has eaten all the food!  There are so many things to see in the pictures and the book will appeal to kids, teens and adults.

picture books mystery

Ike LaRue, the furry star of this book series, finds himself in jail and wrongly accused!  When the Police can’t solve the crime, Ike takes things into his own hands (I mean  paws!).  A very humorous tale with just as many laughs as clues.

picture books mystery

Finally someone has written a book about one of the most common things to happen during winter – losing a mitten!  So many kids will be able to identify with this mystery as Annie and her dog head out to find her lost mitten.  Readers will be entertained as they too search  the pages for clues.

picture books mystery

Maggie knows the best thing about Thanksgiving is her grandmother’s cranberry bread.  But when the recipe turns up missing, Maggie & Grandma have a different opinion on who may have taken it.  One of our favorite’s for the season — and this book is part of a series (just search for the Cranberryport books by Wendy Devlin ) so there’s quite a few to read year- round. 

Early Reader Mysteries for Kids

Daring Detective Books for Kids

picture books mystery

He loves pancakes, helps his friends and wears the coolest hat – what’s not to love about one of the greatest kid detectives!  Read  along as Nate searches for clues, asks all the right questions and tracks down ‘who done it’! 

Since Nate is the same age as most of the kids who pick up these books, readers are drawn to his cleverness and the idea of being a pint-sized detective.  Plus, it’s a series — there are more than 25 Nate the Great titles for your kids to read!

picture books mystery

Big Max is the “World’s Greatest Detective” and his out to find the missing giraffe in this book.  This fun ER series follows Max (who dresses like Sherlock Holmes) as he sets out to solve some kid-friendly mysteries.    Big Max is also a fun series for kids just starting to read on their own.

picture books mystery

A more advanced ER series and one that appeals to many female readers, Cam  Jansen is an everyday girl with an amazing ability – she can recall everything she sees!   In fact, her real name is Jennifer but her family and friends call her “Cam” because of her photographic memory.  Cam uses her memories to recall clues that many of us would miss as she sets out to solve mysteries at home, school and camp.  And this is another wonderful series for kids — Cam Jansen has more than 30 books in the collection !

picture books mystery

Another wonderful series for early readers, each book consists of short chapters where Detective Dinosaur solves a quick and easy case.  Kids will enjoy piecing together the clues with this prehistoric sleuth!  And since each chapter is an individual mystery, they are great for kids who don’t like to “read a whole book” in one sitting.

picture books mystery

I don’t know what it was about this ER series but my daughter could not put them down!  Bunny Brown and Jack Jones are on the case in these comical mysteries.  The main characters remind me of the old 1940’s sleuth films and my daughter just loved all the funny jokes woven through the story.  These stories are both funny and quick reads — kids will enjoy breezing through the whole series of the High-Rise Private Eyes!

Books for Kids who Love Mysteries

Mystery Read Aloud & Chapter Books

picture books mystery

This is probably one of the most well-know mystery series for younger kids (ages 7 – 10 years) because of the ease of reading, short chapters and creative detective work of the main characters (who are always kids).  There are 26 books in the A to Z Mystery series , one for each letter of the alphabet and yet each can be read as a stand-alone story too. 

picture books mystery

This is what we’re currently reading and it’s really, really good!  Christina isn’t sure what music, math, melting rocks and  her mother’s disappearance has in common but she’s determined to find out!  She and her newly found friend Taft set out to piece together the clues and search for the missing orphans on Starkian Ridge.

picture books mystery

The perfect blend of fantasy and non-fiction – each of the Carole Marsh mysteries take place in real cities and locations around the world!  Readers are introduced to the monuments, sites and factual details as they delve in to solve the mystery with real-life kids!  We just love the combination of fictional mystery in a real-life setting!  The series also has some outstanding add on activities that can be found on the Real Kids, Real Places website!

picture books mystery

Another hugely popular detective series for kids are the Geronimo Stilton books .  When my son first brought home one of these books I was so impressed with the amount of color included in the illustrations and text throughout the book – they have all the beauty of a picture book wrapped up in a captivating store.  Many of the  mysteries are funny and fast-paced.  Kids who enjoy these will also love the Theo Stilton series (Geronimo’s cousin).

picture books mystery

Claudia is not happy at home – so she hatches a plan to run away and live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  She takes along her brother (who is the only one with enough money to finance their trip) and they begin their awesome adventure and take up residence at the museum.  Then things get really interesting as they find themselves caught up in the mystery of the angel statue that may have been the world of Michelangelo himself! 

This is a wonderful story for kids who hope to come across a real life mystery to solve on their own!   And of course, don’t forget about those great mystery books that we grew up with as kids – The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries are still quite popular among middle school and high school kids.  In fact, there is a newer Nancy Drew series titled Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew which appeals to a younger audience (ages 7 – 9 years).

If you’re looking for a great activity to pair with the books, be sure to check out the Fingerprint Science for Kids ideas!

Mystery Activities for Kids

It’s always great to pair a hands-on activity with a book!  Here’s a few to try:

Fingerprinting Activity for Kids – search your home & collect real fingerprints!

Mystery Sensory Balloons — use the clues to find out what’s hidden in each balloon!

Halloween Mystery Touch & Feel Game — a fun way to test your clue-finding skills!

Top 10 Mystery, Espionage And Detective Picture Books

Catch That Cookie!

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picture books mystery

Top 4 Mystery Picture Book Read Aloud Recommendations

  • March 14, 2019
  • Read Aloud Recommendations

This past week I was working on completely overhauling my Mystery Reading Unit resource for my Teachers Pay Teachers store. While working, I was able to reread some of my favorites and I even discovered a new mystery read aloud book. I just  love  this selection of books and I want to share them with you!

Top 4 Mystery Picture Book Read Alouds

1. detective larue: letters from the investigation   written and illustrated by mark teague, 2. lady pancake and sir french toast: the case of the stinky stench   written by josh funk and illustrated by brendan kearney, 3. the mystery of eatum hall  by john kelly and cathy tincknell, 4. the web files  by margie palatini.

Top 4 Mystery Picture Book Recommendations for elementary students.

If you are looking for resources to teach your mystery unit- you might want to check out my UPDATED Mystery Reading Unit! It contains loads of components…

  • Types of Plots
  • Characters in a Mystery
  • How To Read a Mystery
  • Mystery Sidekicks
  • Sidekicks Chart
  • Mystery Book Sampler Graphic Organizers
  • Summary Sheet
  • Explore a Mystery Series Graphic Organizers
  • Mystery Bookmarks
  • Writing Project
  • Vocabulary Poster Project
  • Mystery Words Definition Posters (Key Vocabulary)
  • Student Slideshow

Mastery Book Unit

  Please leave me a note in the comments of your favorite mystery picture book read aloud! 

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Picture Book and Easy Reader Mysteries

picture books mystery

Trending Post : Books Made Into Movies

Imagination Soup

20 Best Hidden Picture Books

This post may contain affiliate links.

One of the best things about hidden picture books (also called seek-and-find and search-and-find books) is that the books are engaging and are fun ways to spend quality parent-child time. From toddler to preschool to elementary ages, my kids love to sit and pour over these nonfiction activity books . Especially with their dad.

Using their visual discrimination skills, kids search for the hidden pictures in illustrated books filled with both adventures and learning concepts.

Fun and learning!

None of us have been a big fan of Where’s Waldo because the size of the words and illustrations is SO very small. At least the books that we owned.

But when I gave the hidden picture Waldo books to my daughter’s therapist for her waiting room, she told me that teens and adults loved them. Go figure! Apparently, there’s a search-and-find book for everyone and… every age.

HIDDEN PICTURE BOOKS

Best Seek and Find Books

picture books mystery

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Melissa Taylor, MA, is the creator of Imagination Soup. She's a mother, former teacher & literacy trainer, and freelance education writer. She writes Imagination Soup and freelances for publications online and in print, including Penguin Random House's Brightly website, USA Today Health, Adobe Education, Colorado Parent, and Parenting. She is passionate about matching kids with books that they'll love.

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picture books mystery

Who Made This Mess?

Mud splattered everywhere, tangled-up wool in huge piles, and carrot tops strewn about—what in the world is happening? It’s quite a mystery! But thanks to rhyming clues, everyone will be able to easily guess the animal culprits…or will they? In this laugh-out-loud, expectation-defying picture book, a rhyming mystery helps readers adjust their outlook, keep an open mind, and learn not to make assumptions.

picture books mystery

How to Write a Picture Book Mystery

Mysteries in a picture book.

Picture book mysteries are rarely for the pre-school set; instead, the audience is the early grades, K-3. For these kids, the core of the mystery needs to be something gentle, non-threatening. No murders here. But strange situations, natural disasters and chase scenes work well.

  • Puzzles or Strange Situations. In The Mystery of Eatum Hall , by John Kelly and Cathy Tincknell, Glenda and Horace Pork-Fowler, a goose and hog of “large proportions” are invited to a weekend of free gourmet food at Eatum Hall. In spite of great feasting, it’s a strange place and an even stranger pie-eating festival is planned for the last day. Will they eat their way out of this Hall? Lots of visual puns and fun.
  • Natural Disasters. Author/illustrator Ellen Stohl Walsh has a great series of picture book mysteries about two mice, Dot and Jabber, who must solve mysteries dealing with nature. In the Mystery of the Missing Stream, a storm knocks limbs and leaves into the stream, drying it up. Dot and Jabber must travel upstream to find and dislodge this dam. Though it’s a gentle mystery, it still have the appeal of clues for kids to follow.
  • Chase Scene. In my book, Searching for Oliver K. Woodman , a wooden woman detective, Imogene Poplar, P.I. chases the wooden man, Oliver K. Woodman across the United States. Clues are provided in newspapers, by glimpses of the missing hero, and stories told in letters or postcards. It’s essentially a chase scene, one of the major components in a mystery. Again, the clues are easy to follow, but provide variety to keep a reader’s interest.

Because they require more complicated thinking skills, mysteries really take off when kids reach the easy-reader level. But picture book mysteries are still successful in introducing the genre to kids.

ACTION POINTS

Read a selection of mystery picture books. What kind of mystery is presented? What age range is the book for? Locate information on several publisher who might publish picture book mysteries.

Find this Helpful? Read the Complete Series as an Ebook: How to Write a Children’s Picture Book Available Now! The 30 Days to a Stronger Picture Book series has been collected into a Fiction Notes Ebook. Available on Nook Kindle PDF Look for it as an iBook

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13 Best Mystery Books of All Time

13 Best Mystery Books of All Time

Ahh, mystery books. Bloody and perplexing crimes, clever detectives, and plot twists that’ll break your neck.

There’s really nothing that can compare!

Even though I’ve been a die-hard fantasy and science-fiction reader ( and author ) for 20+ years, my first and oldest love will forever be mystery books.

From the age of eight when I was gifted the Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes (the book that started my lifelong journey to loving fiction), mysteries have been an absolute joy, a pleasure that I’ll go back to time and again. Sometimes the classics, sometimes the latest-and-greatest, but always an enjoyable read guaranteed.

  • My list is guaranteed to be incomplete . I could spend my entire life reading and never have enough time to complete every mystery on the planet. With so many new books being released on a daily basis, it’s impossible to keep up. So if a book you loved didn’t make it onto this list and you believe it deserves to, please accept my apologies.
  • “Best” is very much a matter of taste . A book I love may not work for you, while a book you think is spectacular may only be “meh” for me. Art is so subjective. Keep that in mind when reading over my list below.
  • The list won’t stop changing . It’s likely that every year this list will be updated because of how many spectacular new books are published. But that’s the great thing: every time we update it, you can discover a new murder mystery to fall in love with!

Below, I’ve put together a list of what I consider to be the “Best Mystery Books of All Time”. With these books, you might just find the love of mysteries that sparked my passion for reading and writing, and have a bloody good time escaping into a twisty, turny, jaw-dropping great story.

picture books mystery

The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

This was the book to start it all off for me, so it will always hold the “best” spot in my heart.

There was something wonderful and fantastical about Sherlock Holmes, the enigmatic, brooding, seemingly superhumanly intelligent detective of 221B Baker Street. Every story was a puzzle that I tried my hardest to solve, but they were just so complicated—and often illogical to my fledgling mind—that I never could figure it out.

Right up until the end, when he pulled some truly fascinating and macabre discovery out of his hat and unmasked the murderer in truly spectacular ways.

No detective will ever quite compare with Sherlock Holmes for me, and I still keep the complete volume with all of his stories sitting on my bookshelf to this day.

Published: 1892

picture books mystery

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

Many will argue that Murder on the Orient Express is the pinnacle of Agatha Christie’s works, but for me, it will always be Death on the Nile .

There was something so colorful and exotic about the setting—a steamboat chugging down the Nile—and so memorable about the cast of characters Monsieur Poirot must interrogate and investigate.

I’d argue that Death on the Nile also has some of Agatha Christie’s most memorable quotes, including the one that has influenced detective novels and mystery fiction as a whole every since: “They conceive a certain theory, and everything has to fit into that theory. If one little fact will not fit it, they throw it aside. But it is always the facts that will not fit in that are significant.”

Published : 1937

picture books mystery

Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton

Where Sherlock Holmes was energetic and enigmatic and Hercules Poirot was charm and cunning, Father Brown played a simple, humble parish priest who happened to be very good at solving murder mysteries.

No detective in fiction is more lovable than the quirky, genuine, kind Father Brown, but few can match his sharp wits, either. His stories are far less exotic and colorful than Sherlock Holmes tales, but it’s in their simplicity and “cozy” flavor that they do what G.K. Chesterton did best: showcasing the humanity behind the crimes.

Published : 1910-1936

picture books mystery

The Spy Who Came In From The Cold by John LeCarre

The Spy Who Came In From the Cold is John LeCarre’s third novel, but the first to really put him on the map. This one is set in the West Berlin vs. East Berlin divide, at a time when the Cold War was reaching its pinnacle. Clever, insightful, and filled with plot twists that even a seasoned mystery reader will never see coming, it’s a true masterpiece of the genre.

And what makes his works truly fascinating is that much of it is derived from his real-life experience in the British Intelligence service.

Published : 1963

picture books mystery

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

Centuries before Father Brown, there was Brother William de Baskerville. Set in an Italian abbey in the 1300s, it’s a truly fascinating—and sometimes macabre—look into religion, society, and culture of a long-bygones era, a beautifully rendered period piece that is absolutely engaging from start to finish despite its slower pace.

There is something wonderful about the priest’s endless curiosity, dry humor, and particularly his fondness for saying, “The most interesting things happen at night.”

Published : 1980

picture books mystery

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

In Cold Blood is the only true-crime book on this list, but it stands up to all the other works of fiction because of the bizarre nature of the crime, as well as the detailed, insightful writing that slowly teases out the truth from the lies.

The suspense of this novel will leave you breathless, and you’ll find yourself shaking your head as more and more strange revelations come to light. It’s a truly transcendent work of fiction that rightfully makes Truman Capote a master of the genre.

Published : 1959

picture books mystery

The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammet

Sam Spade begins the story much like every other Private Detective in fiction, but quickly takes on a life of his own and becomes a character apart.

A bit cockier, cooler, and more “manly” than a lot of the detectives before him, he is very much a “guy’s guy” that you can’t help but love. Plus, the fact that he was brought to life by Humphrey Bogart in the 1941 film noir by the same name just makes him all the more enjoyable to read and watch on screen.

Published : 1929

picture books mystery

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is a riveting, if sometimes disturbing, look into the human psyche—particularly the psyche of a woman who has been battered and abused to the point that she is willing to fight back.

It’s a departure from many of the classic mystery novels, but that both sets it apart and above many of its contemporaries. Though not an easy or pleasant read, it’s one well worth adding to your reading list for the year.

Published : 2005

picture books mystery

The Black Echo by Michael Connelly

Ahh, there’s nothing quite like a Harry Bosch novel to get your heart pounding and your blood racing.

Bosch is the “maverick detective” you love to read about, the man who is willing to do anything in the name of solving the crime and bringing the culpable to justice. He’s also a man plagued by the horrors of his past and burdened by the gruesome things he witnesses day after day.

The Black Echo , the first of the Bosch novels, is definitely a more “modern” mystery story, but is a true staple of the genre in every sense.

Published : 1992

picture books mystery

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

The Da Vinci Code plays into everything that we as humans love: ciphers, puzzles, enigmas, riddles, secret societies, conspiracies, and, of course, murder.

Set in Paris, in the spectacular Louvre Museum, it takes you on a wild ride along with Robert Langdom—not a detective, but a symbologist—to unmasking dark secrets that date back hundreds of years and solving a puzzle that has been hidden in plain sight all that time.

For those who love looking for the bizarre and fascinating among the mundane, it’s a book you absolutely have to read.

Published : 2003

picture books mystery

Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley

Devil in a Blue Dress introduces us to Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins, one of the first African American hardboiled detectives to be published in the mainstream.

Though he starts out as a simple day laborer, his keen insights and tenacious temperament lead him down the path to solving the crime of the missing Daphne Monet. Set in Houston, Texas, it’s one of the most unique detective novels on my list—and one of the most enjoyable.

Published : 1990

picture books mystery

Anatomy of a Murder by Robert Traver

In Anatomy of a Murder , there is no real mystery: everyone knows who killed the victim, as well as why he did it. The mystery, then, is will the defendant be punished for his crimes, or can his lawyer find a way to get him off for what he—and many readers—consider a “justified killing”?

This book is slow compared to many of the other mysteries on our list, but don’t let that fool you: the characters are riveting, the legal battle fascinating, and the ending will leave you satisfied yet questioning what you know to be “right and wrong”.

Published : 1958

picture books mystery

Sweet Silver Blues (Garrett Files #1) by Glen Cook

My list of mysteries can’t be complete without at least one fantasy book!

The Garrett Files is a detective-noir story set in a fantasy world, where the titular detective (Garrett) teams up with a 500-year old dead man, a half-dark-elf assassin, and, eventually, a parrot, to solve crimes in a world of ogres, fairies, dwarves, vampires, and living, breathing gods.

The humor is sharp and bone-dry, the character a perfect blend of hard-boiled badass and stumbling idiot, and the city of TunFaire is absolutely fascinating. One of the funniest and most engaging mystery fantasy series I’ve read to this day.

Published : 1987

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Mystery books for kids, part 2: Picture book mysteries

Mystery books for kids, part 2: picture books.

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One way to create a mystery for this age is with illustrations playing a major role, often to have the illustrations telling the story beyond the text–possibly leaving clues the intrepid investigator misses at first.

If you’re an author submitting picture book manuscripts, you’re told to leave out as many art notes as possible. But you can have them when they are essential to understanding the story.

mysterybooksforkidspart2

Mystery picture books often use humor and spoof. The ABC Mystery , by Doug Cushman, is a funny, rhyming, alphabet mystery.

Miss Nelson is Missing is a classic from the 1970s and one of my favorites.  Sweet teacher Miss Nelson, who has been facing a misbehaving bunch of students, suddenly disappears and is replaced by the witchy Viola Swamp, who defies the stereotype of a substitute teacher who can be taken advantage of. What has become of Miss Nelson? Detective McSmaug is on the case. With a witty text by Harry Allard and hilarious illustrations by James Marshall, this book still makes me laugh even after multiple readings.

You can enjoy it here in a YouTube readalong.

You’ll notice that there really aren’t any clues, nor does the reader know the answer ’til the end, though some may figure it out (I didn’t). It’s not written in a tongue-in-cheek, hard-boiled detective voice. But it still builds considerable suspense. The tension increases as we watch the rowdy class transform into a frightened, obedient one.

picturebookmysteries

Steven Kellogg’s The Missing Mitten Mystery has stood the test of time. It’s a very simple story about a girl and dog searching for a missing mitten. The girl imagines increasingly unrealistic things that could have happened to it, such as the possibility of it someday growing into a mitten tree. Eventually they find it, but there’s no clear answer to how it got where it got. Whether or not you feel the end is satisfying, it shows how a child’s imagination can be sparked. The illustrations don’t tell a different story than the text.

Unlike most chapter book and middle-grade mystery books for kids, picture book mysteries still deal with larger themes, the way non-mystery picture books do. The mystery category isn’t quite as distinct in picture books. Still, they are more plot-driven than a lot of picture books.

One that really cracks me up is The Mystery of Eatum Hall , that’s both a mystery and sendup of a horror story. Horace and Glenda Pork-Fowler, a pig and a goose receive a mysterious invitation, and are fattened up by high-tech inventions at a mysterious place. Despite clues, the couple is clueless. This book is full of puns and delightful.

There’s also Grandpa’s Teeth , one of those old-books that involves a whole town, the media, and a grandpa who talkths like thith because his teeth are missing. It has wonderful illustrations.

Jon Klassen’s I Want My Hat Back  is a very short text where the illustrations tell things that are not known to the character. It’s a fun mystery book for kids who may not even be of reading age. In fact, it has appeal for all ages, because readers like to feel like they know more than the character, who in this case is quite oblivious to obvious clues.

mysterybooksforkids

Eileen Christelow’s The Great Pig Search is also a picture book with mystery elements that will give plenty of giggles to kids 4 to 7 and is a good choice if you’re looking for mystery books for kindergarteners.  Here, as in I Want My Hat Back , the reader knows more than the silly main characters, in this case adults. The reader gets to feel smarter than they are. In most mystery books for kids, the child mystery-solver is smarter than the adults around her or him.

More traditional types of illustrated kids’ mystery stories that have longer texts and are spoofs of Sherlock Holmes or film noir include the Ace Lacewing books, by David Biedrzycki, and Mark Teague’s Detective LaRue: Letters from the Investigation . Those would be good mysery books for kids who can read on their own some, such as kindergarteners to third grade.

There are so many great picture book mysteries that it was really hard to pick from them–though I think there’s plenty of room for more. There’s one about a missing library book–I can’t remember the name of it– but it’s a clever idea and is well done.

I’d love to hear about other favorite mystery picture books.

-Mystery books for kids under age 7 can rely a lot on artwork to tell the story.

-Picture book mysteries are more plot-driven than most picture books. Character development is not the main thing, nor is a deeper theme, though they can touch on deeper themes.

-A picture book mystery can take traditional picture book formats, such as using songs, alphabet books, rhymes, and detective types of stories.

These books, with their elements of suspense, are, like the best picture books, enjoyable for adults as well.

Also see Mystery Picture Books for Kids, part 1: Chapter Book and Middle-grade mysteries

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The 30 Best Mystery Books of All Time

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The 30 best mystery books of all time.

The 30 Best Mystery Books of All Time

When you flip open a mystery novel, what do you expect? Probably a thrilling tale that keeps you wondering who the culprit was. The best mystery books are those with ingenious sprinklings of clues along the way that brings out the inner detective in you. Arguably, the best feeling when reading a crime novel is being faced with a sufficiently difficult puzzle and yet still being able to jump up and shout “I knew it!” when the final reveal comes around. 

A good murder case will always rank high on a list of mystery novels, but other stories also have their merits. From true crime books to espionage odysseys (of course, including whodunnit riddles) here are the 30 best mystery books that you cannot miss out on if you’re looking for twisted stories to keep you on the edge of your seat.

If you're feeling overwhelmed by the number of great mystery books to read, you can also take our 30-second quiz below to narrow it down quickly and get a personalized mystery book recommendation 😉

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1. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

It’s impossible to talk about mystery novels without immediately thinking of the legendary Agatha Christie. Amongst all of her works , none has a story quite as impeccably crafted as And Then There Were None , which explains why it is the best selling mystery book of all time. 

The story follows ten people who are brought together, for various reasons, to an empty mansion on an island. The mysterious hosts of this strange party are not present, but left instructions for two of the ten to tend the house as the housekeeper and cook. As the days unfold in accordance with the lyrics of a nursery rhyme, each invitee is forced to face the music (literally) and bear the consequences of their troubling pasts, as death will come for them one by one. 

2. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

Raymond Chandler’s idea of mystery strays from conventions — for him it’s less about the intricate plot and more about the atmosphere and characters. As such, The Big Sleep is no ordinary story: private eye Philip Marlowe gets hired to investigate the blackmailing of Carmen Sternwood, the second daughter of a wealthy general. The further he digs into this messy business, the more complicated the story gets, as Carmen continues to be blackmailed by others in a web of unexpected relations between the characters. 

Chandler’s work is complex: his characters are multi-faceted and his language rich with premonitions of the tragedy about to fall on this family. While the signs he drops are not exactly there to help you find out “who done it”, it will definitely give you a foreboding awareness that makes it hard to put the book down. 

3. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Perhaps better known by its major motion picture adaptation, Gone Girl is the ultimate mystery puzzle for the modern media age. Devoted wife Amy’s sudden disappearance throws Nick Dunne into a hailstorm of suspicion — from her parents to his neighbours to the investigators, everyone leans towards believing that he is somehow responsible. Nick himself becomes aware of how his wife viewed him, as well as how little he knows of her, when stories of her emerge from friends he’s never heard of. 

Even if you’ve failed to keep the media buzz regarding the movie adaptation from spoiling you, the experience of reading the minds of these unreliable narrators is well-worth picking this one up. 

4. The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain

The Postman Always Rings Twice is often lauded the most important crime book of the 20th century, and it's not hard to see why. Short, racy, and full of surprises, it will leave you no time to catch your breath. In fact, the language used by Cain was so unprecedentedly explicit, the book was banned in Boston for a while. 

The story follows Frank Chambers and his roadside encounter with diner owner Cora Papadakis. Frank ends up working for Cora and her husband and then falling in love with her, despite her marriage. Frank’s spontaneity gets the better of him when he and Cora decide to sinisterly plot for the breakup of her marriage. Once the plan succeeds, they can stay happily ever after in each other’s arms… or so they think. 

5. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

As it’s based on a real-life case that has already been solved, you might think all the mystery is taken out of Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood . Fortunately, that couldn’t be more wrong, because this nonfiction novel is one of the best-selling crime stories of all time. 

Capote had closely followed the investigation of a quadruple murder in Kansas, and was doing a bit of inerviewing himself before the murderers were caught. As a result, his book is filled with twists and turns you would not expect — surely such vile behaviors must be works of fiction?

6. Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

This Wilkie Collins’s late Victorian novel is among the earliest psychological thrillers ever written. It follows what first appears to be a simple story of two star-crossed lovers — Walter Hartright and Laura Fairlie — who weren’t meant to be together. Laura was betrothed to Sir Percival Glyde and yet she was mysteriously warned not to proceed with the marriage. Meanwhile, the city is gripped by the story of a strange woman clad in white who’s roaming its dark street.

As the title suggests, this final character is the key to the mystery that will enshroud these characters. Set in dimly-lit streets, The Woman in White is as much Gothic horror as it is mystery book, and that’s precisely why the clarity you get when the riddle is solved is so incredibly satisfying. 

7. Anatomy of a Murder by Robert Traver

Before there was How To Get Away With Murder and Suits , lawyer-related entertainment came in the form of criminal cases. Anatomy of a Murder , written by a Supreme Court Justice under the pseudonym Robert Traver, is such a classic. It follows lawyer Paul Biegler and his defense of Frederick Manion, who’s accused of murdering an innkeeper. While the case is overwhelmingly against Manion, his unreliable behavior leaves room for challenges against conviction, and that’s where Biegler and his seemingly laid-back attitude comes in. This thrilling courtroom drama will keep you on the edge of your seat, wondering how this lawyer can argue such an impossible case. 

8. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré

Packed with interesting codenames and stressful covert actions, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is about an ex-spy, George Smiley (codename Beggarman), who is pulled out of retirement, to his relief, to weed out a Soviet mole in the British Intelligence Service. You’ve probably never seen the motto “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer” in better action than this, as Smiley attempts to distinguish the double-agent amidst old partners. There are plenty of clever hints and details about these cryptically named characters that you can pick up on, thus joining Smiley on the race to safeguard his country. 

From deceit to elaborate tricks, le Carré’s espionage masterpiece will not only keep you on your toes because of the constant suspicion, it will also shed some light on the incredible social tension that existed in the 1970s at the height of the Cold War.

9. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

Dan Brown knows how to write up a riddle — just read The Da Vinci Code and you’ll see. In this volume, Professor Robert Langdon is brought to Paris on a whirl to shed some light on a bizarre murder in the Louvre. As he and sidekick cryptologist Neveu tries to decode the artistic riddles left at the scene, all of which are related to the works of Leonardo da Vinci, Dan Brown takes readers scrambling through the City of Love, speechless (because of the shrewd puzzles and not Paris’ beauty, of course). 

You can imagine Dan Brown spending hours meandering between paintings and statues in Paris before coming up with this elaborate quest that Langdon embarks on. The story thus produced is shockingly satisfying to read, and it will no doubt leave you wanting to travel to France’s capital just to retrace Langdon’s steps. 

10. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

It appears a mark of a good mystery book is that it has been made into a movie. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is no exception. The first book of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium series introduces us to journalist Mikael Blomkvist and freelance hacker Lisbeth Salander. Following two separate strings of events, the characters eventually find themselves both trying to find the person who, forty years ago, supposedly killed Harriet Vanger — niece of one of the wealthiest men in Sweden. Blomkvist is invited to stay over at the wealthy family’s island, where he comes into contact with other family members who were present at the scene years ago, and begins to wonder if any of them were involved. 

As Blomkvist decodes the copious amount of decades-old notes and newspaper clippings, he slowly fills in the missing pieces of the puzzle about this dysfunctional family. Larsson’s story takes classic mystery tropes — family feud, blackmailing sequences — and spices them up with additional developments in the protagonists’ personal lives. 

11. The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

Delve into the past once more as we explore the story of King Richard III in The Daughter of Time . Scotland Yard Inspector Alan Grant takes time off from modern-day cases to recover from an injury, but still he searches for puzzles to occupy himself. Subsequently, he stumbles upon the mystery of King Richard III, a monarch accused of being a murderer but who Grant can only see as kind and wise. Following his strange physiognomic intuition, Grant rummages historical records to solve a complex case that occurred decades ago. 

Josephine Tey brings to life in this novel the intricacies of the past, and the way history is interpreted to reopen a case that was once done and dusted. The political intrigue and peculiar records make for a good dramatic story that is incredibly informative and intriguing, thereby winning The Daughter of Time tremendous love from the readers and praise from the critics. 

12. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Gothic mystery Rebecca is a classic when it comes to telling bone-chilling stories set in an old, grand mansion. The unnamed protagonist of the tale becomes the wife of a widowed, wealthy man, Mr. de Winter, and moves into the Manderly, his stately home. Rather than promising a peaceful and happy marriage, the grand house holds the shadow of the first Mrs. de Winter over the new lady, and threatens not just her happiness but her life. 

Elegantly crafted and movingly told, Rebecca’s beauty will remind you of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre , only more sinister and enigmatic. 

13. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

Returning to detective stories we have The Maltese Falcon , which follows Sam Spade’s journey to find his client’s sister and her unwelcomed partner. Spade and his business partner, Miles Archer, are on their tail when things go off the track and Archer is found dead. Spade goes on trying to uncover the mystery surrounding the sisters while becoming a suspect for the death of his partner. 

Spade’s sleuthing opens his eyes, and yours, too, to a worldwide system he had never thought he’d walk into. Told without a single paragraph dedicated to the thoughts of any of the characters, this is truly an enigma that keeps you guessing.

14. The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth

“The Jackal” is the codename of the assassin hired to kill French President Charles de Gaulle in this enthralling tale. What’s more thrilling is the fact that this kill order came from within the government and thus must be covered up well. The Jackal’s challenge is thus two-fold — to circumvent the heavy safeguarding reserved for one of the most important men on Earth, and to protect his own identity, even from his employers. 

Inspired by an actual failed assassination attempt on the French President and politcally developments in Europe at the end of the Cold War, The Day of the Jackal is intriguing on many fronts. Prepare for some serious espionage, meticulous planning, and political infighting.

15. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Single mother Jane sends her son to kindergarten and befriends two mothers — Madeleine and Celeste. Along with their friendships is an array of family dramas, from ex- or abusive husbands to dark pasts. Jane doesn’t know it, but there’s a piece of her past that makes her fit perfectly into this wild puzzle. No one ever displays their domestic problems in their totality to others, not even to friends, and that makes Big Little Lies so much more captivating. 

16. In the Woods by Tana French

In the Woods takes readers to the woody outskirts of Ireland, where a 12-year-old girl is found dead. Two detectives, Rob and Cassie, are assigned the case, and the case forcibly reminds the former of the mystery that haunted his childhood — a mystery which happened in these same woods. As they make their way through the crime scene and interrogate dysfunctional parents and friends, Rob’s past keeps coming back to him, begging the question of whether it is related to this sad event. 

As haunting as it is alluring, In the Woods is more than just a mystery book. It is also a poignant tale of family ties and childhood trauma — a reminder of the importance of growing up in a safe and loving environment. 

17. The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

In this iconic suspense novel, FBI agent Clarice Stirling investigates a serial killer, “Buffalo Bill,” who preys on young women, and who potentially is linked to psychiatrist and cannibalistic murderer Hannibal Lecter. In order to weed a clue out from Lecter about Bill’s whereabouts, Stirling visits the psych ward where Lecter is imprisoned. However, her shuddering exchanges seem to reveal less about the killer on the loose, and more about Lecter’s astounding ability to get into the head of his victims. Follow Clarice Stirling on her bone-chilling mission, juggling two sociopathic criminals, in The Silence of the Lambs .

18. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of the best mystery books ever written; it’s certainly one of the most-read books of all time. Conan Doyle's legendary detective, Sherlock Holmes , presumed dead, returns to the land of the living to shed light on the petrifying death of his friend, Charles Baskerville. The Baskerville family estate is located on the moors of Devon, where legend has it there’s a demonic beast roaming about. Sinister supernatural forces appear to be the only explanation for this mystery, but the supremely rational Sherlock Holmes is not going to give up on his quest to find the one and only truth. 

19. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

Aristocrat Rachel Verinder receives a beautiful gem, the Moonstone, from her uncle, a soldier returning from India, for her eighteenth birthday. She decides to wear it to the big party celebrating her adulthood, after which the jewel disappears from her room. Distraught, Rachel and her family seek the help of Sergeant Cuff to find the thief and recover the treasure. The case is more complicated than it seems, especially since the Moonstone has a mysterious history Rachel doesn’t yet know of. 

The Moonstone is widely regarded as the first mystery novel ever published, and Wilkie Collins paved the way for subsequent books in this genre by introducing hallmark elements such as the large number of suspects, an incompetent constabulary force, and an exceptionally brilliant detective.

20. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Rachel Watson takes a train from her home into the city center everyday, and to kill the time, she often spends much of it looking at the same houses that pass by her. She makes up stories for the lives she observes, stories that are better than her own, free of divorce and alcoholism. One day, she witnesses something that turns Rachel from a mere observer of the lives of this particular street to an active participant in it. 

The Girl on the Train is yet another suspenseful read that uses unreliable narrators to the full. Its intertwining perspectives will take turns changing your mind as to who is the real threat in this domestic drama. 

21. Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett

Historical fiction novelist Ken Follett’s critical success is set during the turning point of World War II, when D-Day plans were being carried out. German spy Henry Faber, codename “The Needle,” stations himself in London, and is transmitting information back to Berlin. He’s the cream of the crop when it comes to this trade: only him and a few other German agents are still at large in Britain. Faber soon catches on to a crucial operation that the British are about to embark on — one that, if successful, will turn the table against Germany. The problem is the British are coming closer and closer to uncovering him… 

If you’ve read any of Ken Follett’s books, you’ll know he has a talent for vividly reviving the past in his pages. Eye of the Needle is no exception — the tension and secrecy that plagued this tumultuous time is captured skillfully in this volume. 

22. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Journalist Camille Preaker returns to work from her “break” at the hospital with a project that will take her back home: there is a girl who had been murdered, and another missing, in the little town she grew up in. Homecoming proves harder than she thought: Camille had been estranged from her family, and must now reconnect with them. The more she and the detective on the case, Richard Willis, delve into the mysteries, the closer to home Camille appears to be — much closer than she would hope. In probably the most unpleasantly satisfying way possible, Sharp Objects will leave you shivering with wonders about how far the effects of a broken family can reach.  

23. My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

On a similar note, let’s watch as a saucy sibling drama unfurls in My Sister, the Serial Killer . Korede has a sister who has a tendency to date horrible men — men so bad she has to kill them, “in self-defense”. Korede doesn’t report or question this — her sister is family, after all, and Korede goes to great lengths to protect her family. But when her sister starts approaching a coworker that Korede likes, she begins to wonder how far is too far. Braithwaite’s novel is bleakly humorous and as wild as Lagos, the city it’s set in. 

24. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

If you still are in need of a good domestic thriller, Case Histories is your book. Get ready for three gruesome backyard tales: the disappearance of a young child in one home, the slaughter of a husband in another, and the murder of a solicitor’s daughter in the last. Beyond exploring the hurt and loss of each of these unfortunate families, Kate Atkinson also expertly tied all three together — how exactly, you’ll have to read to find out. 

25. The Detective by Roderick Thorp

The Detective is a classic when it comes to mystery novels — Thorp’s work is inspiration for several famous movies, including Die Hard . This story follows private eye Joe Leland as he is asked by a widow to look into the circumstances of her husband’s death. As he delves into the entangling relationships of this man who he happens to have known from his fighting days in World War II, Leland uncovers details about the victim he never would’ve guessed. 

26. The Alienist by Caleb Carr

Maybe you’ve heard of The Alienist before in the form of the Netflix original that takes the audience back in time to 1890s New York. Crime reporter John Moore takes the lead on the grisly and peculiar serial killing of teenage boys. The first victim who is found, and whose case Moore covered in the news, was dressed up like a girl and disturbingly mutilated, so much so that Moore believes there must be someone mentally sick behind it all. Moore turns to his friend and famous psychologist — then known as an alienist — in order to figure out this mystery and catch the murderer. This mystery book has everything from psychological analysis to breath-taking chases through New York’s grimy streets. 

27. Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane

When Rachel Solando, a patient at the Ashecliffe Hospital for the criminally insane, disappears from the facility, Marshal Teddy Daniels and his partner are summoned to investigate and recapture her. Upon arriving at the island on which the hospital is located, the two detectives found traces that Solando left behind regarding the ill-boding operations of the institution. The investigation takes several sharp turns before finally unveiling the true conspiracy. In emulating Gothic elements by isolating the case from technology and the outside world, and combining it with modern-age psychology, Shutter Island fosters an eerie yet captivating atmosphere that makes it impossible to put down. 

28. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

Not all of the best mystery books have to leave a heavy sense of dread at the bottom of your stomach, and The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is proof of that. The sleuth who saves the day in this novel is Flavia, an intuitive 11-year-old whose father is accused of murder. A stranger has ended up dead in the family’s yard, one who happened to have been seen arguing with Flavia’s dad days before. Determined that her stamp-loving father, who has been heart-broken since the death of his wife, would never kill anyone, Flavia tours the town to try and prove his innocence. Light-hearted as it may sound, this novel’s puzzle is incredibly well-crafted and its classical mystery style, reminiscent of the works of Agatha Christie and Josephine Tey, makes it easy to finish the volume in one sitting. 

29. The Deep Blue Good-by by John D. MacDonald

The Deep Blue Good-by is the first novel of MacDonald’s series about private investigator Travis McGee. As we are introduced to this tall, charming, and righteous character, he is swept away on a mission to find military man Junior Allen, a serial rapist and murderer. Allen has also discovered a smuggled treasure buried somewhere in Florida, and is using that to fund his malicious exploits. The difficult responsibility of trying to locate this psychopath falls onto McGee’s shoulders, the only person with the methodological patience to pick up Allen’s trace. Too often, the protagonist of detective stories are portrayed as being rational to the point of cold-hearted; it’s probably worth your while to change it up a little with Travis McGee’s quest for goodness.

30. Killing Floor by Lee Child

In another first book to a detective series we have Killing Floor , a novel full of action and secrets. Former policeman Jack Reacher gets arrested the moment he comes into the town of Margrave, for a murder he is sure he did not commit. As he tries to convince the detectives in charge of his innocence, Reacher initially only wants to get out of this mess and go on with his travels. The stakes, however, are raised when he found out that his own brother is somehow involved in the mystery, and the murder he is falssely accused of is nowhere near as simple as he thought. 

If you’re looking for more books to send chills down your spine, check out this list of best suspense books of all time ! Or have a look at our guide to Kindle Unlimited if you want to boost your reading game.

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Mystery Books for Kids: Top Picks for Young Readers

A re you looking for a way to encourage your child to read? Do you want to find a genre that can spark their imagination and critical thinking skills? Look no further than mystery books for kids! Mystery books are not only entertaining but also educational, as they require readers to follow clues, solve puzzles, and think critically. In this article, we will explore the world of mystery books for kids and provide you with a guide to finding the perfect book for your child.

Understanding Mystery Books

Mystery books are a genre of literature that involves a puzzle or crime that needs to be solved. They can range from detective stories to who did it and can be found in many different formats, including picture books, chapter books, free book apps for kids and graphic novels. Mystery books for kids are a great way to introduce your child to the genre, as they are often written in a way that is easy to follow and understand.

Popular Mystery Series for Kids

There are many popular mystery series for kids that are sure to capture your child’s attention. From classics like Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys to modern series like Geronimo Stilton and The 39 Clues , there is a mystery series out there for every child. Not only are these series entertaining, but they also help to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Mystery books are an exciting genre that has captivated readers of all ages for centuries. They are particularly enjoyable for kids because they foster logical thinking and deductive reasoning, which are essential skills for problem-solving.

Whodunnit is a popular sub-genre of mystery books that has been around for a long time. In whodunnit books, the reader is presented with a crime and a group of suspects, and they must figure out which one of the suspects committed the crime. This type of book is great for kids because it encourages critical thinking and helps them develop their reasoning skills.

You can find cheap mystery books for kids in a variety of formats, including picture books, chapter books, and young adult novels. Each format is tailored to a specific age group, and it is important to choose books that are appropriate for your child’s reading level.

When reading mystery books, it is essential to pay attention to the clues that the author provides. These clues are often subtle and can be easy to miss, so it is important to read carefully and take notes if necessary. Encourage your child to think critically and try to solve the mystery before the end of the book.

In conclusion, mystery books are a fantastic way to encourage critical thinking and deductive reasoning in kids. Whodunnit books are particularly enjoyable because they challenge readers to solve a crime by piecing together clues and evidence. When reading mystery books, it is important to pay attention to the clues provided by the author and encourage your child to think critically and solve the mystery on their own.

If your child loves a good mystery, they’re in luck! There are plenty of popular mystery series for kids to choose from. Here are some of the most well-known and beloved series in the genre:

  • Nancy Drew : Nancy Drew is a classic mystery series that has been entertaining young readers for decades. The books follow the adventures of teenage detective Nancy Drew as she solves crimes and uncovers secrets. With over 175 books in the series, there’s no shortage of mysteries for your child to solve.
  • Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective : Encyclopedia Brown is a series of books about a young boy named Leroy Brown who solves crimes with his incredible intelligence and powers of deduction. Each book contains several short mysteries for readers to solve, with the solutions provided at the end of the book.
  • Basil of Baker Street : Basil of Baker Street is a series of children’s novels written by Eve Titus. The books follow the adventures of Basil, a mouse detective who lives in the basement of Sherlock Holmes’ house at 221B Baker Street. With his keen sense of smell and sharp mind, Basil solves crimes that even the human detectives can’t crack.
  • The Westing Game : The Westing Game is a mystery novel by Ellen Raskin that won the Newbery Medal in 1979. The book follows a group of sixteen people who are invited to live in a luxurious apartment building owned by the mysterious millionaire Samuel W. Westing. When Westing dies, the residents are given a set of clues to solve a puzzle that will determine who will inherit his fortune.
  • T he Mysterious Benedict Society : The Mysterious Benedict Society is a series of children’s novels by Trenton Lee Stewart. The books follow four gifted children who are recruited by the eccentric Mr. Benedict to go on secret missions and solve mysteries.
  • Geronimo Stilton : Geronimo Stilton is a series of children’s books about a mouse journalist who solves mysteries and goes on adventures. The books are known for their colorful illustrations and engaging stories that are perfect for young readers.
  • Mac B : Mac B is a series of children’s books by bestselling author Mac Barnett. The books follow the adventures of a young boy named Mac, a secret agent for the Queen of England. With his quick wit and spy gadgets, Mac solves mysteries and saves the day.
  • The Boxcar Children : The Boxcar Children is a series of books about four orphaned siblings who run away and live in an abandoned boxcar. The children solve mysteries and have adventures while living on their own.
  • A Series of Unfortunate Events : A Series of Unfortunate Events is a series of thirteen novels by Lemony Snicket. The books follow the Baudelaire siblings as they try to uncover the mystery behind their parents’ death and avoid the clutches of their evil guardian, Count Olaf.
  • The Fairy-Tale Detectives : The Fairy-Tale Detectives is the first book in the Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley. The books follow the adventures of two sisters, Sabrina and Daphne Grimm, who are descendants of the Brothers Grimm. The sisters solve mysteries and encounter fairy tale characters in their quest to uncover the truth about their family.
  • Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief : Sammy Keyes is a series of children’s novels by Wendelin Van Draanen. The books follow the adventures of a twelve-year-old girl named Sammy Keyes who solves mysteries and catches criminals. In the first book of the series, Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief, Sammy solves the mystery of a stolen purse while staying in a hotel with her grandmother.

These are just a few of the many popular mystery series for kids. With so many great books to choose from, your child is sure to find a series that they love.

Noteworthy Authors of Kids Mystery Books

When it comes to mystery books for kids, there are several noteworthy authors that have made a significant impact in the genre. Here are some authors that you should definitely check out:

Carolyn Keene

Carolyn Keene is a pseudonym used by a number of authors who wrote the Nancy Drew mystery stories. The Nancy Drew series has been popular with young readers since the 1930s and continues to captivate readers today. The series follows the adventures of Nancy Drew, a teenage detective who solves mysteries in her hometown of River Heights.

Donald J. Sobol

Donald J. Sobol is the author of the Encyclopedia Brown series. The series follows the adventures of Leroy “Encyclopedia” Brown, a boy detective who solves mysteries in his hometown of Idaville. What makes this series unique is that each chapter presents a mystery that the reader can solve along with Encyclopedia Brown.

Trenton Lee Stewart

Trenton Lee Stewart is the author of the Mysterious Benedict Society series. The series follows the adventures of four gifted children who are recruited by the mysterious Mr. Benedict to save the world from a dangerous threat. The series is full of puzzles, codes, and brain teasers that will keep young readers engaged.

Ellen Raskin

Ellen Raskin is the author of The Westing Game , a mystery novel that won the Newbery Medal in 1979. The novel follows the heirs of Sam Westing as they compete to solve the mystery of his death and win his fortune. The Westing Game is a cleverly written mystery that will keep readers guessing until the very end.

E.L. Konigsburg

E.L. Konigsburg is the author of From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler , a mystery novel that won the Newbery Medal in 1968. The novel follows Claudia and Jamie Kincaid as they run away from home and live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. While living in the museum, they try to solve the mystery of a statue that may have been sculpted by Michelangelo.

Lemony Snicket

Lemony Snicket is the pen name of Daniel Handler, the author of the A Series of Unfortunate Events books . The series follows the adventures of the Baudelaire siblings as they try to uncover the mystery of their parents’ death and avoid the clutches of their evil guardian, Count Olaf. The series is full of dark humor and wordplay that will appeal to both kids and adults.

Blue Balliett

Blue Balliett is the author of several mystery novels for kids, including Chasing Vermeer and The Wright 3 . Her novels are full of puzzles, codes, and clues that will keep young readers engaged and guessing until the very end.

These are just a few of the many noteworthy authors of kids mystery books. If you’re looking for a good mystery to read, be sure to check out some of their works.

Benefits of Mystery Books for Kids

Mystery books are a great way to encourage kids to read. They are engaging, fun, and can help children develop important skills. Here are some benefits of mystery books for kids:

Critical Thinking

Reading mystery books can help children develop critical thinking skills. As they read, they learn to analyze clues, make connections, and solve puzzles. This kind of thinking is essential for success in many areas of life, including problem-solving and decision-making.

Mystery books are full of intrigue and suspense, which can spark children’s curiosity. They will want to know what happens next and how the story will end. This curiosity can help them develop a love of reading and learning.

Figurative Language

Mystery books often use figurative language, such as metaphors and similes, to create vivid descriptions and enhance the story’s mood. This can help children develop their understanding of language and improve their writing skills.

Mystery books can introduce children to new vocabulary words. This can help them expand their language skills and improve their reading comprehension.

Family Bonding

Reading mystery books together as a family can be a great way to bond. It can create shared experiences and provide opportunities for discussion and reflection.

In conclusion, mystery books for kids are a great way to encourage reading and develop important skills. They can help children develop critical thinking, curiosity, figurative language, vocabulary and strengthen family bonds.

Incorporating Mystery Books in Learning

Mystery books are a great way to engage kids in reading, and they can also be a valuable tool for learning. By incorporating mystery books into your curriculum, you can help students develop critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, and even math skills.

One way to use mystery books in learning is to have students solve the mystery themselves. You can give them clues and have them work together to figure out who committed the crime or solved the puzzle. This can be a great way to teach critical thinking and problem-solving skills, as well as teamwork.

Another way to use mystery books in learning is to use them as a jumping-off point for other subjects. For example, if you’re teaching math, you can use a mystery book that involves a lot of math problems. You can have students solve the problems in the book and then create their own mystery story that involves math problems.

If you’re teaching poetry, you can use a mystery book that involves a lot of wordplay and have students analyze the language and imagery used in the book. This can be a great way to teach literary analysis skills while also engaging students in reading.

Mystery books can also be used to teach about other subjects, such as space or immigration. For example, you can use a mystery book that takes place on a space station and have students learn about the science behind space travel. Or, you can use a mystery book that involves immigration and have students learn about the history of immigration in the United States.

Incorporating mystery books into your curriculum can be a fun and engaging way to teach a variety of subjects. By using mystery books as a tool for learning, you can help students develop critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, and a love of reading.

Mystery Books for Different Age Groups

Mystery books are a great way to keep children engaged and entertained while also developing their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Here are some recommendations for mystery books for different age groups:

Chapter Books (Ages 6-8)

Chapter books are perfect for young readers who are just starting to read on their own. They typically have shorter chapters and simpler vocabulary, making them more accessible to younger readers. Some good mystery chapter books for this age group include:

  • The Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler Warner
  • Cam Jansen series by David A. Adler
  • Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew series by Carolyn Keene
  • A to Z Mysteries series by Ron Roy

Middle Grade Books (Ages 9-12)

Middle-grade books are geared toward readers who are a bit older and have more advanced reading skills. They often have more complex plots and characters and may deal with more mature themes. Some good mystery middle-grade books for this age group include:

  • The Hardy Boys series by Franklin W. Dixon
  • The Mysterious Benedict Society series by Trenton Lee Stewart
  • The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
  • The Secret Series by Enid Blyton

Young Adult Books (Ages 13+)

Young adult books are geared towards older teens and young adults. They often deal with more mature themes and may contain more graphic content. Some good mystery young adult books for this age group include:

  • The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
  • Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
  • We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
  • One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

Picture Books (Ages 3-5)

Picture books are great for younger children who may not be reading on their own yet. They often have simpler plots and more illustrations, making them more engaging for younger children. Some good mystery picture books for this age group include:

  • The Missing Piece by Shel Silverstein
  • Where’s Waldo? by Martin Handford
  • The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg
  • The Eleventh Hour by Graeme Base

No matter what age group your child falls into, there are plenty of great mystery books out there that they are sure to enjoy.

Graphic Novels and Mystery

If your child is a fan of graphic novels, they are in luck because there are many mystery graphic novels available for them to read. These books combine the excitement of a mystery with the engaging visuals of a graphic novel. Here are some of the best graphic novels for kids who love mysteries:

The Secret of Bosco Bay by Carly Anne West

This graphic novel is the first installment in the Hello Neighbor series. In this book, a missing person’s last known whereabouts are traced to Bosco Bay, a local theme park that is about to be demolished. The reclusive former theme park designer Mr. Peterson is once again the subject of suspicion. Will the protagonist be able to unravel the mystery and find the missing person?

The Missing Necklace by J.I. Wagner

This graphic novel is part of the Timmi Tobbson Junior series, which is perfect for kids aged 6-8. In this book, Timmi Tobbson and his friends must solve the mystery of a missing necklace. The book is designed as a “solve-them-yourself” mystery, which means that the reader can try to solve the mystery along with the characters.

Banana Fox and the Secret Sour Society by James Kochalka

This graphic novel is the first book in the Banana Fox series. In this book, Banana Fox, a private detective, must solve the mystery of the Secret Sour Society, a group of criminals who are stealing all of the sour fruit in town. The book is full of action, adventure, and humor.

Agent Moose: Moose on a Mission by Mo O’Hara

This graphic novel is the second book in the Agent Moose series. In this book, Agent Moose must solve the mystery of who stole the golden acorn. The book is full of puns, jokes, and action-packed adventures.

Overall, graphic novels are a great way to get kids interested in reading, and mystery graphic novels are a great way to get them interested in the mystery genre. These books are engaging, exciting, and perfect for kids who love a good mystery.

Where to Find Mystery Books for Kids

Looking for mystery books for kids? There are many places where you can find them. Here are some options to consider:

  • Local library: Your local library is a great place to start your search for mystery books for kids. Most libraries have a children’s section with a wide selection of books, including mystery books. You can ask the librarian for recommendations or search the library catalog for mystery books for kids.
  • Bookstores: Bookstores are another great place to find mystery books for kids. Most bookstores have a children’s section with a variety of books, including mystery books. You can ask the staff for recommendations or browse the shelves for books that catch your eye.
  • Online bookstores: Online bookstores like Amazon and Barnes & Noble offer a wide selection of mystery books for kids. You can search for books by age range, genre, and other criteria. You can also read reviews from other readers to help you find the right book.
  • Goodreads: Goodreads is a social networking site for book lovers. You can use it to find book recommendations, read reviews, and keep track of the books you’ve read. Goodreads has a section for children’s books, including mystery books for kids. You can search for books by age range, genre, and other criteria.
  • Book recommendation sites: There are many book recommendation sites that can help you find the right mystery book for your child. Some popular sites include Imagination Soup, Book Riot, and Scholastic. These sites offer curated lists of books, reviews, and other resources to help you find the perfect book for your child.

No matter where you look, there are plenty of options for finding mystery books for kids. Whether you prefer to browse the shelves at your local library or search for books online, you’re sure to find a great read for your young reader.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some popular children’s mystery book series from the 1990s.

The 1990s was a great time for children’s mystery book series. Some of the most popular ones from that era include The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner, Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol, and Cam Jansen by David A. Adler.

What are some recommended mystery book series for kids featuring kid detectives?

If your child loves reading about kid detectives, there are many great series to choose from. Some of the most recommended ones include A to Z Mysteries by Ron Roy, The Hardy Boys by Franklin W. Dixon, and Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene.

What are some good mystery books for 8 year olds?

If you’re looking for mystery books for 8-year-olds, there are many great options to choose from. Some of the most popular ones include The Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne, The Secret Series by Enid Blyton, and The Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds by Ron Roy.

What are some popular mystery book series for children?

There are many popular mystery book series for children, but some of the most well-known ones include The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner, The Hardy Boys by Franklin W. Dixon, and Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene. Other great series include The Secret Seven by Enid Blyton and The Famous Five by Enid Blyton.

What are some of the best mystery books for 10-12 year olds?

If your child is between the ages of 10 and 12 and loves reading mystery books, there are many great options to choose from. Some of the best ones include The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg, and The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd.

What is the recommended reading level for Rebekah Girl Detective?

Rebekah Girl Detective by P.J. Ryan is a great mystery book series for children, but it’s important to make sure your child is reading at the appropriate level. The recommended reading level for Rebekah Girl Detective is between the ages of 7 and 12, or grades 2 through 6.

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Mystery Books for Kids: Top Picks for Young Readers

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20 Underrated Books You've Probably Never Heard Of

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Updated Feb 17, 2024, 11:00 AM IST

Underrated Books

20 Underrated Books You've Probably Never Heard Of (Picture Credit - Instagram)

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Is Justin Hartley’s CBS Series ‘Tracker’ Based on a Book?

CBS's answer to ‘Reacher’ is already a huge hit.

The Big Picture

  • The CBS series Tracker is based on Jeffery Deaver's Colter Shaw book series, starting with The Never Game .
  • While Tracker follows an episodic procedural format like other CBS shows, it incorporates elements from Deaver's novels.
  • Jeffery Deaver's previous works, such as The Bone Collector , have been successfully adapted for film and television.

With the release of the new CBS series Tracker , Justin Hartley has moved on from his previous work on the hit drama This Is Us and has found something more akin to his previous work on Smallville . While Hartley isn't playing a superhero this time around, his latest character, Colter Shaw, acts almost as if he is one. The titular tracker is a reward-seeker (though he prefers the term "rewardist") with a penchant for finding what people are looking for. The only thing he can't seem to find is what he is looking for. But before the next episode of the CBS drama, there's another question we need to address: Is Tracker based on a book?

Tracker TV Show Poster

Colter Shaw travels the country in his old-school RV to help police and private citizens solve crimes and locate missing persons until his latest case changes everything.

CBS's 'Tracker' Is Based on Jeffery Deaver's Thriller

Almost everything that gets greenlit in Hollywood these days is based on some already pre-existing material , and Tracker is no different. Though this CBS drama has the look and feel of a completely original concept, Tracker is actually based on the Colter Shaw series of novels by Jeffery Deaver , though only the first novel in the series, The Never Game , is credited. In fact, when Justin Hartley's latest television project was first announced, the original title was The Never Game , not Tracker . But, likely after the success of similar one-word title shows like Reacher or Walker , CBS opted to retool their series to fit the current trend of "er"-themed action shows. Tracker certainly fits the bill.

The original Jeffery Deaver novel follows Colter Shaw as he arrives in Silicon Valley to find a missing girl named Sophie , who he believes is likely already dead. But as he hunts for Sophie, another victim is taken, an LGBT activist named Henry Thompson. It turns out, there's actually a third victim too, and with this seemingly never-ending cycle of kidnappings, Colter is possibly in over his head. We won't spoil the ending of The Never Game here, especially if it fits into the Tracker narrative down the road, but let's just say that this action-packed suspense thriller is the perfect starting point for fans of the Colter Shaw character.

Justin Hartley, who also serves as an executive producer on the series, is thrilled to be a part of it. "I've never seen a show like this, but I read the book," he revealed to IGN ahead of the show's premiere. "[Executive Producer] Ken Olin gave me [ The Never Game ], and we looked at each other and said, 'We have to do this. We have to figure this out.' It's an actor's dream really to play a unique character." It's no wonder he was cast as Colter Shaw, because he effortlessly steals every scene he's in.

'Tracker' Has the TV Procedural Formula

Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw, holding a notecard in Tracker

But how closely does Tracker follow the original Jeffery Deaver book series? Well, unlike Reacher, which adapts a Lee Child novel every season , Tracker has taken a different approach. Though the overarching mythology behind the series has been lifted from Deaver's original novels (particularly the stories concerning the Shaw family and Colter's upbringing), the overall tone of the series is very much that of your standard CBS procedural . But that might not be a bad thing. By giving Colter a different assignment every week, the series has the opportunity to explore a plethora of different environments, groups, and types of mysteries that will put Tracker up there with all your other favorite case-of-the-week shows.

Jack-Reacher-Books

The Best 'Jack Reacher' Books, Ranked

Of course, just because Tracker isn't directly adapting The Never Game doesn't mean that the Colter Shaw books might not factor into the plot in the future . "Character-wise, there are a lot of similarities," Hartley noted about Tracker 's commitment to The Never Game and its sequels. "Story-wise, we have our own stories going on. We have sort of a case of the week kind of thing, and then laced in there are a bunch of clues as to what might've happened to Colter's family. He’s trying to sort through that and figure out who might've been involved. Maybe family was involved. Maybe the dad wasn't crazy, maybe he was onto something." However, that ends up playing out on screen, it'll no doubt be inspired by Jeffery Deaver's plot from the original novels.

Speaking of the books, thus far, Deaver has published three other novels in addition to The Never Game . The Goodbye Man , The Final Twist , and Hunting Time all continue Colter's literary journey past his 2019 debut, with a handful of companion short stories set within that same world. It's unclear if Hartley, Olin, and series creator Ben H. Winters plan on ever diving into the books for more case inspiration, but whether they do or not, Tracker is aiming to be an enjoyable weekly adventure.

'Tracker' Isn't the First Jeffery Deaver Adaptation

If Jeffery Deaver sounds familiar to you, it may be because you've seen his work on the screen before. Well, you've seen it adapted to the screen before. Deaver himself is a prolific author with an impressive catalog of novels and short stories under his belt, but in addition to The Never Game inspiring the CBS series Tracker , Deaver's work has been the basis for a handful of other film and television projects . The most famous of these might be the Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie film, The Bone Collector , which was adapted from Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme novel of the same name. In fact, The Bone Collector was adapted again in 2020 for the short-lived NBC series Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector , which starred Russell Hornsby (who had previously worked with Denzel Washington on Fences ) in the titular role.

In addition to The Bone Collector , Deaver's A Maiden's Grave was the basis for the HBO film Dead Silence , which starred James Garner as FBI Special Agent John Potter. In 2010, The Devil's Teardrop was also adapted into a made-for-TV feature for Lifetime. While The Bone Collector might be among Deaver's most notable works due to the popular film adaptation, there's no denying that Colter Shaw is one of his greatest protagonists . Who knows, maybe one day Jeffrey Deaver's most recent protagonist will become a household name. The Super Bowl sure helped the series to kick off with an impressive 18 million viewers , and here's hoping most of them stick around.

Tracker airs on Thursdays on CBS and can be streamed exclusively on Paramount+.

Watch on Paramount+

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Scooby-Doo and the Mystery of the Haunted Library: A Mystery Inc. Picture Book (Scooby-Doo!: Mystery Inc. Picture Books)

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Scooby-Doo and the Mystery of the Haunted Library: A Mystery Inc. Picture Book (Scooby-Doo!: Mystery Inc. Picture Books) Hardcover – Picture Book, August 8, 2023

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About the Author

  • Reading age 4 - 8 years
  • Print length 32 pages
  • Language English
  • Grade level Preschool - 3
  • Dimensions 9.4 x 0.32 x 10.3 inches
  • Publisher Running Press Kids
  • Publication date August 8, 2023
  • ISBN-10 0762482486
  • ISBN-13 978-0762482481
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Running Press Kids (August 8, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 32 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0762482486
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0762482481
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 4 - 8 years
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ Preschool - 3
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.4 x 0.32 x 10.3 inches
  • #4,204 in Children's Spine-Chilling Horror
  • #7,112 in Children's Mystery, Detective, & Spy

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About the author

picture books mystery

Matthew K. Manning

Matthew K. Manning is a comic book writer, historian, and fan. Over the course of his career, he's written for many comic book titles including Marvel Action: Avengers, Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures (nominated for Comic of the Year by the Diamond Gem awards), Batman, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teen Titans Go!, Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman, TMNT: Amazing Adventures, TMNT: New Animated Adventures, Beware the Batman, The Batman Strikes!, Batman: 80-Page Giant 2010, Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century, Justice League Adventures, Looney Tunes, Spider-Man Unlimited, Marvel Romance Redux, and Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?

When not writing comics, Manning is the author of over 75 books. For Andrews McMeel, he has written The Batman Files and The Superman Files, two comprehensive "scrapbook" style histories of the famous icons. For DK Publishing, he has written the Amazon bestseller Batman: A Visual History, Batman Character Encyclopedia, Spider-Man Chronicle, Spider-Man: Inside the World of Your Friendly Neighborhood Hero, Iron Man: The Ultimate Guide to the Armored Super Hero, Wolverine: Inside the World of the Living Weapon, and several other titles. For Insight Editions, he has co-authored Amazon bestseller DC Comics: Anatomy of a Metahuman with author S.D. Perry and artist Ming Doyle, and has written The World According to the Joker, The World According to Wonder Woman, The World According to Wolverine, and Deadpool: Drawing the Merc With a Mouth, among other titles. Some of his other book credits include The Batman Vault for Running Press, The Art of Captain America and The Art of Thor for Marvel, several series of children's books starring Superman, Flash and Batman for Stone Arch Books, and the chapter book series Xander and the Rainbow-Barfing Unicorns for Capstone.

Manning currently resides in Asheville, North Carolina with his wife Dorothy and their daughters Lillian and Gwendolyn. Visit him online at www.matthewkmanning.com.

(photo courtesy of Dorothy Manning)

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IMAGES

  1. The Find-Outers: The Mystery Series: The Mystery of Holly Lane by Enid

    picture books mystery

  2. 6 Best Mystery Puzzle Books for Kids

    picture books mystery

  3. 5,000+ Premade Mystery Book Covers

    picture books mystery

  4. Best Mystery Books (Updated 2020)

    picture books mystery

  5. The Find-Outers: The Mystery Series: The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage

    picture books mystery

  6. The Mystery Series: The Mystery of the Spiteful Letters: Book 4 by Enid

    picture books mystery

VIDEO

  1. A Mysterious Book

  2. Mysterious Book 😰| #short #ytshorts #youtubeshorts #shorts

  3. Mystery read

  4. September 30, 2023

  5. 99bookstore 10 books Mystery Box unboxing

  6. I FOUND A MYSTERY BOOK 📕

COMMENTS

  1. The Best Mystery Picture Books That Develop Thinking Skills

    The Deductive Detective by Brian Rock, illustrated by Sherry Rogers This entertaining picture book incorporates math with the mystery genre. Detective Duck needs to use his deductive reasoning to figure out which of the twelve animal bakers stole the cake from the cake contest. He follows the clues, subtracting each suspect as he rules them out.

  2. Mystery Picture Book Books

    Mystery Picture Book Books Showing 1-50 of 54 The Mysteries of Harris Burdick (Paperback) by Chris Van Allsburg (shelved 2 times as mystery-picture-book) avg rating 4.52 — 6,725 ratings — published 1984 Want to Read Rate this book 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars Who Done It? (Hardcover) by

  3. 50 Must-Read Mystery Books for Kids

    Picture Mystery Books For Kids (infants, toddlers, preschool, Kindergarten) Sherlock Holmes in the Hound of the Baskervilles (A Babylit Sounds Primer) by Jennifer Adams, Illustrated by Allison Oliver So, funny story—a lot of mystery books for kids like to riff off the Sherlock thing.

  4. 60+ Good Mystery Books for Kids

    If you have younger readers, find good mystery picture books for them here. Ready to dive into a who-done-it, edge-of-your-seat mystery book? Good Mystery Books Table of Contents Beginning Chapter Books for Kids (Ages 6 - 9) Middle Grade Mystery Books for Kids (Ages 8 - 12) YA Mystery Books (Ages 13+) Beginning Chapter Books for Kids (Ages 6 - 9)

  5. Amazon.com: Mystery Picture Books: Books

    Amazon.com: Mystery Picture Books: Books 1-16 of over 30,000 results for "mystery picture books" Results Grandpa's Teeth (Trophy Picture Books (Paperback)) Part of: Trophy Picture Books (Paperback) (43 books) | by Rod Clement | Mar 27, 1999 268 Paperback $899 FREE delivery Mon, May 1 on $25 of items shipped by Amazon Or fastest delivery Fri, Apr 28

  6. Picture Books, Mysteries & Thrillers

    Mysteries & Thrillers - Kids Fiction: Picture Books 1- 20 of 108 results Show: 20 Sort by: Best Sellers Grid List Get it today with Buy Online, Pick up in Store Find My Store Buy 1, Get 1 50% Off QUICK ADD Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds, Peter Brown (Illustrator) Explore Series Hardcover $16.49 $18.99 QUICK ADD Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary…

  7. Picture Book Mystery Books

    Showing 1-8 of 8 Sherlock Chick and the Giant Egg Mystery (Parents Magazine Read Aloud Original) by Robert M. Quackenbush (shelved 1 time as picture-book-mystery) avg rating 3.52 — 31 ratings — published 1989 Want to Read Rate this book 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars Imagine! (Hardcover) by Raúl Colón

  8. 15 Detective & Mystery Books for Kids

    Mystery Picture Books Richard Scarry's The Great Pie Robbery and Other Mysteries This was the first ever mystery that I read as a kid and I LOVED it! Sam Cat & Dudley Pig find fingerprints, look for clues and solve some very kid-funny mysteries.

  9. The 97 Best Mystery, Espionage And Detective Picture Books

    Top 10 Mystery, Espionage And Detective Picture Books 5.8 01 Catch That Cookie! Written by Holly M. McGhee (a.k.a. Hallie Durand) & illustrated by David Small 5.8 02 Madame Badobedah Written by Sophie Dahl & illustrated by Lauren O'Hara 5.7 03 The Detective Dog Written by Julia Donaldson & illustrated by Sara Ogilvie 5.5 Series 04

  10. Top 4 Mystery Picture Book Read Aloud Recommendations

    3. The Mystery of Eatum Hall by John Kelly and Cathy Tincknell I love reading this book aloud to students. There are so many clues in the pictures that are fun to point out. It's a great one to use to model and encourage students to become the detective in the story trying to solve the mystery.

  11. You're the Detective!: 24 Solve-Them-Yourself Picture Mysteries

    Book Description Editorial Reviews Lawrence Treat has conjured up yet another devilishly delightful collection of picture mysteries ― this time for young readers. The clues are in the picture; it's up to you, the young detective, to size up the situation and solve the mystery. Read the story Ponder the picture Seize pencil in fist

  12. Picture Book and Easy Reader Mysteries

    18 items The High Rise Private Eyes The Case of the Missing Monkey by Rylant, Cynthia Book - 2000 While having breakfast at their favorite diner, two detectives, Bunny and Jack, solve a mystery that is not what it seems. Available in some locations Place hold Seven Blind Mice by Young, Ed Book - 1991

  13. Picture Book Mystery Readers Books

    (shelved 1 time as picture-book-mystery-readers) avg rating 4.20 — 3,378 ratings — published 2010

  14. 20 Best Hidden Picture Books

    ages 5 - 8 Hidden picture puzzles with map and math skills!! Not only are you trying to complete the maze, but you're also looking for items, answering map questions (coordinates), and answering math questions (who live in the hut with three windows?). Lots of details to notice in these colorful illustrations — no boredom here!

  15. Get a Clue: 25 Picture Mysteries, Book 1

    Get a Clue: 25 Picture Mysteries, Book 1 Paperback - October 13, 1997 by Lawrence Treat (Author), Paul Karasik (Illustrator)

  16. Picture Book Mysteries

    The Great Pie Robbery and Other Mysteries. Richard Scarry. (Juvenile Picture Books - Ej Sca) For the first time together in one fun volume are three mystery stories featuring Richard Scarry's endearing animal sleuths, Sam Cat and Dudley Pig--two engaging (but sometimes clueless) heroes who dress up in a hilarious series of disguises.

  17. Mystery Books for Kids, Part 1: chapter and picture books

    A missing pet can cause great emotional concern. Mystery books for kids can be counted on to have a happy ending. Children's mystery stories are not just about plot. Mysteries by nature revolve around plot, whereas some picture books for very small kids pretty much dispense with plot and put more emphasis on character and story.

  18. Who Made This Mess? : Laura Gehl, Children's Book Author

    It's quite a mystery! But thanks to rhyming clues, everyone will be able to easily guess the animal culprits…or will they? In this laugh-out-loud, expectation-defying picture book, a rhyming mystery helps readers adjust their outlook, keep an open mind, and learn not to make assumptions.

  19. How to Write a Picture Book Mystery

    Mysteries in a Picture Book. Picture book mysteries are rarely for the pre-school set; instead, the audience is the early grades, K-3. For these kids, the core of the mystery needs to be something gentle, non-threatening.

  20. 13 Best Mystery Books of All Time

    Ahh, mystery books. Bloody and perplexing crimes, clever detectives, and plot twists that'll break your neck. From the age of eight when I was gifted the Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes (the book that started my lifelong journey to loving fiction), mysteries have been an absolute joy, a pleasure ...

  21. Mystery books for kids, part 2: Picture book mysteries

    Mystery picture books often use humor and spoof. The ABC Mystery, by Doug Cushman, is a funny, rhyming, alphabet mystery. Miss Nelson is Missing is a classic from the 1970s and one of my favorites. Sweet teacher Miss Nelson, who has been facing a misbehaving bunch of students, suddenly disappears and is replaced by the witchy Viola Swamp, who ...

  22. The 30 Best Mystery Books of All Time

    Perhaps better known by its major motion picture adaptation, Gone Girl is the ultimate mystery puzzle for the modern media age. Devoted wife Amy's sudden disappearance throws Nick Dunne into a hailstorm of suspicion — from her parents to his neighbours to the investigators, everyone leans towards believing that he is somehow responsible.

  23. Amazon.com: Hidden Pictures: A Novel: 9781250819345: Rekulak, Jason: Books

    Hidden Pictures: A Novel. Hardcover - May 10, 2022. "I loved it." ―Stephen King. From Edgar Award-finalist Jason Rekulak comes a wildly inventive spin on the supernatural thriller, for fans of Stranger Things and Riley Sager, about a woman working as a nanny for a young boy with strange and disturbing secrets.

  24. Mystery Books for Kids: Top Picks for Young Readers

    You can find cheap mystery books for kids in a variety of formats, including picture books, chapter books, and young adult novels. Each format is tailored to a specific age group, and it is ...

  25. 20 of the Best Classic Murder Mystery Books

    When you think of classic murder mystery books, Murder on the Orient Express is one that comes to mind instantly. Picture this: a hazardous snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks in the ...

  26. 20 Underrated Books You've Probably Never Heard Of

    Jostein Gaarder's 'The Solitaire Mystery' takes readers on a fanciful voyage around Europe with Hans Thomas and his father in quest of Hans' lost mother. Along the trip, Hans obtains a magnifying lens and a small book from a dwarf at a petrol station, which leads him to discover a mystery story hidden within the book.

  27. Is Justin Hartley's CBS Series 'Tracker' Based on a Book?

    The Big Picture. The CBS series ... Speaking of the books, ... If You Love 'Twin Peaks,' Check Out This Murder Mystery Series

  28. Scooby-Doo and the Mystery of the Haunted Library: A Mystery Inc

    A haunted school. A suspicious group of adults. And a gang of kids and their dog ready to solve any mystery in this officially licensed Scooby-Doo picture book. When Shaggy and his pup Scooby-Doo sneak into Crystal Cove Elementary School's library after hours, they discover the reason it's been closed—there is a ghost living in it!

  29. Caro // Turn Up For The Books on Instagram: "The addictively twisty new

    12 likes, 0 comments - turnup4thebooks on October 3, 2023: "The addictively twisty new thriller you won't want to miss from the No.1 Sunday Times bestselli..."