Mystery novels help young readers develop their powers of observation and problem-solving skills. Kids will love classic mystery series such as The Boxcar Children, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, or Encyclopedia Brown, but considering how tech-savvy most toddlers are and how much our language changes over time, you may have to explain a few things. I remember my sons asking me what “jalopy” meant and why the detectives didn’t have cell phones or computers. Many of these books have been updated or reissued and new books in modern settings have been added. In honor of our May mystery issue, I’m mixing some contemporary mysteries with the classics to help spark their natural curiosity.
Hermilen the Detective Mouse by Mini Grey. Hermelin lives in the attic of a house and uses an old typewriter to send anonymous messages to the humans who live there. When Hermelin discovers that a number of items have gone missing in the neighborhood, he decides to find the missing items. How will people react when they learn their friendly neighborhood detective is a little white mouse? Kids can use clues to find the missing items and discover whodunit. For Preschool to Grade 3
Something's Eating the Garden by Pam Fries. Vegetables are more fun to eat when you get to help Papa grow them in his garden. What happens when someone or something starts eating them before Papa can pick them? Kids will enjoy the simple rhymes and colorful illustrations of the parade of animal suspects. For Preschool to Grade 3
Clubhouse Mysteries Book Series by Sharon M. Draper. Join Ziggy, Rashawn, Jerome, and Rico as they solve mysteries and help their community. After the boys build a clubhouse, they devise a secret code, have meetings, and attempt to bury secret treasure only to discover some old bones in their first mystery. Readers will enjoy learning about history, science, and caring as the boys explore an old tunnel from the Underground Railroad, dream about space travel, and learn lessons about helping animals and people in need in this book series. For ages 8-12 (grades 3-7)
The North Hollywood Detective Club by Mike Mains. The Case of the Hollywood Art Heist is the first book in this series featuring two eighth-grade boys, Jeffrey, and Pablo, who become teenage super sleuths. Good clean fun with G-rated language and situations. Marisol, a classmate of Jeffrey and Pablo, hires them after her brother is arrested for allegedly stealing a valuable piece of art. Boys and girls will both enjoy the twists and turns as Jeffrey and Pablo’s investigation leads to a famous tattoo parlor, a glamorous television star, and a twenty-year-old mystery. For ages 10 and up
The Face on the Milk Carton (Janie Johnson Book 1) by Caroline B. Cooney. Janie Johnson is a typical 15-year-old girl, but one morning during breakfast her world changes forever. While eating her cereal, Janie checks out the face of a missing girl on the milk carton in front of her. The face of the three-year-old girl who disappeared at a New Jersey mall 12 years earlier is eerily familiar and undeniable the longer she looks. She’s that girl! When your parents might not be your parents and you might not be who you think you are, what do you do? For ages 12 and up
The Hardy Boys Mysteries - The series was created in 1926 by American writer Edward Stratemeyer, who founded the book-packaging firm, Stratemeyer Syndicate. The first book which features, Frank and Joe Hardy, fictional teenage brothers who are amateur sleuths debuted in 1927. They solve cases that baffle their adult counterparts. The books have been ghostwritten by several authors all using the pseudonym Franklin W. Dixon. In 1959, the decision was made to extensively revise the original books to update them and eliminate racial stereotypes. The Hardy Boys Mystery Stories are comprised of 190 books ran from 1927 to 2005.
In 1987, a new Hardy Boys series, the Hardy Boys Casefiles, was created. This series, comprised of 127 books, includes books with more adult plots including murders, violence, and international espionage.
In 2005, a new series was introduced named Undercover Brothers. This series features updated versions of Joe and Frank who narrate their adventures in the first person. Undercover Brothers (39 books) ended in 2012. It was replaced in 2013 by The Hardy Boys Adventures (also written in the first person).
The Hardy Boys books remain popular and sell over a million copies annually. The adventures have been translated into more than 25 languages. Joe and Frank have been featured in five television shows, several video games, and merchandise with the Hardy Boys images such as lunchboxes and jeans. They were also featured in standalone books, such as The Hardy Boys Ghost Stories, and crossover books where they teamed up with Nancy Drew or Tom Swift.
Check out a few of these titles from the three main series:
The Hardy Boys Mystery Stories:
The Tower Treasure (1927 – revised in 1959)
The Hidden Harbor Mystery (1935 – revised in 1961)
The Secret Panel (1946 – revised in 1969)
The Mystery at Devil’s Paw (1959 – revised in 1973)
The Secret Agent on Flight 101 (1967)
The Witchmaster’s Key (1976)
The Hardy Boys Casefiles Series:
Dead on Target (1987)
The Last Laugh (1990)
Murder by Magic (1995)
Absolute Zero (1997)
Dead in the Water (1998)
The Hardy Boys: Undercover Brothers:
Extreme Danger (2005)
Hurricane Joe (2006)
Murder at the Mall (2007)
Comic Con Artist (2008)
Double Deception (2009)
The Children of the Lost (2010)
Forever Lost (2011)
Murder Mayhem (2012)
The Hardy Boys Adventures:
Secret of the Red Arrow (2013)
Mystery of the Phantom Heist
The Vanishing Game
Into Thin Air
Peril at Granite Peak
The Battle of Bayport
Shadows at Predator Reef
Deception on the Set
The Curse of the Ancient Emerald (2015)
Tunnel of Secrets
Showdown at Widow Creek
The Madman of Black Bear Mountain
A Con Artist in Paris (2017)
The Disappearance (2019)
A Treacherous Tide (2020)
As the Falcon Flies (2022)
Nancy Drew Mysteries- The first Nancy Drew mystery was written in 1930. Nancy Drew is a fictional character created by publisher Edward Stratemeyer to be a counterpart to his Hardy Boys Mystery series. The books have been ghostwritten by several different authors who all use the pseudonym, Carolyn Keene. Nancy has evolved in response to changes in US culture and tastes. There are 175 titles and 34 revised stories in the original Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series which started in 1930 and ended in 2003. In 2004, the new Nancy Drew Girl Detective series was launched. In this series, Nancy drives a hybrid electric car and uses a cell phone. This series which produced 47 books ended in 2012. In 2013, the first book in a new series called Nancy Drew Diaries was published. To date, 19 books have been released in this current series. By reinventing the series and allowing Nancy Drew to change with the times, the books have remained popular. To date, book sales for these three series total approximately 80 million and the books have been translated into over 45 languages. As of 2019, 533 Nancy Drew books have been published in nine series. There are also five films, three television shows, and a number of popular computer games featuring the Nancy Drew character. Nancy Drew merchandise is sold around the world.
Check out a few of these titles from the three main series:
Nancy Drew Mystery Stories:
The Secret of the Old Clock (1930) by Carolyn Keene – read the book that started the series.
The Sign of the Twisted Candles (1933)
The Clue in the Old Album (1947)
The Witch Tree Symbol (1955)
The Mystery of the 99 Steps (1966)
The Sky Phantom (1975)
The Emerald-Eyed Cat Mystery (1984)
The Baby-Sitter Burglaries (1996)
Werewolf in a Winter Wonderland (2003)
Nancy Drew Girl Detective:
Without a Trace (2004)
Uncivil Acts (2005)
Pit of Vipers (2006)
Intruder (2007)
The Stolen Bones (2008)
Nancy Drew Diaries:
Curse of the Arctic Star (2013)
Secret at Mystic Lake (2014)
The Clue at Black Creek Farm (2015)
The Ghost of Grey Fox Inn (2016)
The Professor and the Puzzle (2017)
The Haunting on Heliotrope Lane (2018)
The Stolen Show (2019)
A Capitol Crime (2021)
The Boxcar Children Mysteries – This series was originally created and written by Gertrude Chandler Warner, an American first-grade teacher, in 1924. Warner wrote the first 19 books of the series which now include well over 150 titles. The series is intended for readers in grades 2–6.
The Boxcar Children is the title of the first book and the series about four orphaned children, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny. After their parents’ deaths, the children run away to live in an abandoned boxcar in the forest. The self-sufficient children are eventually found by their wealthy and kind grandfather and go to live with him. Grandfather has the boxcar moved to his estate for the children to use as their playhouse. During the series, the resourceful children solve mysteries. The books written by Warner are set in the 1920s and 1930s. Additional books in the series written by other writers feature the byline "Created by Gertrude Chandler Warner". The recent books in the series are set in the present day.
Check out a few of these titles from the series:
The Boxcar Children (1924 – reissued in 1942)
Surprise Island (1949)
The Yellow House Mystery (1953)
Houseboat Mystery (1967)
Benny Uncovers a Mystery (1976)
The Animal Shelter Mystery (1991)
The Mystery in the Computer Game (2000)
The Mystery of the Orphan Train (2005)
The Cupcake Caper (2010)
Boxcar Children Special Books:
The Mystery on the Ice (1993)
The Windy City Mystery (1998)
The Candy Factory Mystery (2002)
The Black Widow Spider Mystery (2003)
The Encyclopedia Brown book series features the adventures of boy detective Leroy “Encyclopedia” Brown. Donald Sobol wrote 28 of the 29 children's novels. The last novel was co-written by Donald J. Sobol and published after his death. The first book in the series was published in 1963 and the last in 2012. The series also generated a comic strip, a TV series, and compilation books of puzzles and games.
Check out a few of these titles from the series:
Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective (1963)
Encyclopedia Brown Saves the Day (1970)
Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Midnight Visitor (1977)
Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Mysterious Handprints (1985)
Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Two Spies (1995)
Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Jumping Frogs (2003)
Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Secret UFOs (2010)
Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Soccer Scheme (2012)
Cam Jansen Mysteries by David Adler - This book series is about a fifth-grade female detective named Jennifer "Cam" Jansen and her best friend Eric. She is nicknamed Cam for her photographic memory because she closes her eyes and says "click,” the noise a camera makes, while she memorizes something she’s seen. She uses these mental pictures to solve mysteries. The Cam Jansen character is based on an elementary school classmate of Adler's who seemed to have a photographic memory. There are more than 50 books in the series which has sold over 30,000,000 books.
Check out a few of these titles from the series:
Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds (1980)
Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Monkey House (1985)
The Cam Jansen Fun Book (1992)
Cam Jansen and the Catnapping Mystery (1998)
Cam Jansen and the Tennis Trophy Mystery (2003)
Cam Jansen and the Green School Mystery (2008)
Cam Jansen and the Joke House Mystery (2014)
Young Cam Jansen Mysteries:
Young Cam Jansen and the Chocolate Chip ♥ Mystery / Young Cam Jansen and the Missing Cookie (1996)
Young Cam Jansen and the Library Mystery (2001)
Young Cam Jansen and the Spotted Cat Mystery (2006)
Young Cam Jansen and the Speedy Car Mystery (2010)
Young Cam Jansen and the Knock, Knock Mystery (2014)
The Ballpark Mysteries by David A. Kelly – David A. Kelley is the author of many books for children and two-book series for early readers. He is also a freelance travel writer and technology analyst. In this early chapter book mystery series, each book is set in a different American ballpark (recommended for ages 6-9). The first book was published in 2011. Books 1-5 and 6-10 are available in audiobook collections.
Check out a few of these titles from the series:
Ballpark Mysteries #1: The Fenway Foul-up (2011)
Ballpark Mysteries #4: The Astro Outlaw (2012)
Ballpark Mysteries #8: The Missing Marlin (2014)
Ballpark Mysteries #12: The Rangers Rustlers (2016)
Ballpark Mysteries #16: The Colorado Curveball (2020)
Super Special Edition Books:
Ballpark Mysteries #SS #1: The World Series Curse (2016)
Ballpark Mysteries #SS #2: Christmas in Cooperstown (2017)
Ballpark Mysteries #SS #3: The Subway Series Surprise (2018)
Ballpark Mysteries #SS #4: The World Series Kids (2019)
Books by Mike Grylls – Though Mike Grylls does not have an official mystery series, he writes bedtime stories for children ages 3-8. Some of his books are mysteries. Why not read Griffy the Detective Dog to your little ones and encourage their love of mysteries and problem-solving.
Zach and Zoe Mysteries by Mike Lupica – Zach and Zoe are eight-year-old twins who love playing sports almost as much as they love solving mysteries. Luckily for readers, they do both in each book. Lupica is a well-known sportswriter. He is a syndicated columnist for the New York Daily News and his popular "Shooting from the Lip" column, which appears every Sunday. Lupica writes books about sports for kids, and he has contributed to writing additional books in the adult mystery genre for the Jesse Stone Series and The Sunny Randall Series created and originally written by Robert B. Parker. Lupica enjoys writing about sports and writing mysteries. He created Zach and Zoe Mysteries to share his love of both genres with a younger audience. This book series is for children ages 6-9.
Nate the Great – World’s Greatest Detective Series by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat – Nate the great is a boy who loves pancakes and solving mysteries for his friends. This is the only series written by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat. She often collaborates with her husband, Mitchell. This book series is for children ages 6-9.
Precious Ramotswe Mysteries for Young Readers by Alexander McCall Smith – This mystery series for young readers takes place in Africa and follows the adventures of Precious Ramotswe as a young girl solving mysteries. Alexander McCall Smith is the author of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, the Isabel Dalhousie series, the Portuguese Irregular Verbs series, the 44 Scotland Street series, and the Corduroy Mansions series. He was born in what is now known as Zimbabwe and lives in Scotland. This book series is for ages 7-12.
Rebekah Girl Detective Books by P.J. Ryan – Rebekah and her best friend, a boy named Mouse because he carries his pet mouse around in his pocket and solves mysteries in their community. They interact with other children and adults in positive ways while they investigate. P.J. Ryan is a former nanny. This series is for children ages 8-12.
The Crime Solving Cousins Mystery Series by Shannon L. Brown – Twelve-year-old cousins Sophie and Jessica don’t have much in common. Sophie loves the outdoors and her small town while Jessica is happy to spend the day shopping in a big city. When they encounter their first mystery and must work together gathering clues with the help of their friend Tony, the cousins discover something they have in common – solving mysteries. Shannon L. Brown had a lot of different jobs until she discovered writing. After she became an award-winning journalist, she switched gears and started writing fiction for children. This series is for children ages 8-12.