Enter a thrilling world of suspense with some of our favorite mystery stories for school-age children.
Compiled by:
Children's Services Staff
Picture Books and Younger Elementary
(Juvenile First Chapter Books - J Roy)
Series: A to Z Mysteries; 1
Dink Duncan and his two friends investigate the apparent kidnapping of famous mystery author Wallis Wallace. Recommended for ages 6–9.
(Juvenile First Chapter Books - J Hale)
The houses of all Three Little Pigs were broken into and ransacked, and the Pigs are squealing for justice. So Prince Tyrone, ruler of Fairylandia, drags in the obvious suspect: Wolfgang. The lone wolf has big teeth, sharp claws, no alibi—and a single day to find the real culprit and clear his big bad name. When Wolf (reluctantly) teams up with the fourth Little Pig to crack the case, the Big Bad Detective Agency is born. Recommended for ages 6–9.
(Juvenile Early Readers - J-ER But)
Series: King & Kayla; 1
King's human, Kayla, has baked some treats for a friend's new puppy, Thor, but some go missing and it's up to King to find the culprit. Recommended for ages 6–9.
(Juvenile First Chapter Books - J-FC Alexand)
Series: Wallace and Grace Mysteries; 3
When Wallace and Grace are on a scavenger hunt, they stumble upon a puppy named Jasper who can't find his way home. Will the owl detectives be able to follow clues to get the lost puppy home? Recommended for ages 6–9.
Older Elementary
(Juvenile Fiction - J Howe)
Though scoffed at by Harold the dog, Chester the cat tries to warn his human family that their foundling baby bunny must be a vampire. Recommended for ages 9–12.
(Juvenile Fiction - J Springe)
Series: An Enola Holmes Mystery; 1
Enola Holmes, much younger sister of detective Sherlock Holmes, must travel to London in disguise to unravel the disappearance of her missing mother. Recommended for ages 9–12.
(Juvenile Fiction - J Balliett)
On a cold winter day in Chicago, Early's father disappeared, and now she, her mother, and her brother have been forced to flee their apartment and join the ranks of the homeless—and it's up to Early to hold her family together and solve the mystery surrounding her father. Recommended for ages 9–12.
(Juvenile Fiction - J Heape)
Aisha Ghatak is a 12-year-old girl traveling the world with her archaeologist father and magical talking dog named Indiana Bones. In their first case, they are on the trail of treasure hidden centuries ago by a legendary knight known as The Lonely Avenger, an adventure which takes them all the way to Egypt and the Pyramids. Recommended for ages 9–12.
(Juvenile Fiction - J Stead)
When a mysterious little free library appears overnight in the small town of Martinville, 11-year-old Evan plucks two weathered books from its shelves, never suspecting that his life is about to change. Recommended for ages 9–12.
(Juvenile Fiction - J Korman)
Series: Masterminds; 1
Eli Frieden convinces his friends to help him investigate strange occurrences in their idyllic town, and soon it becomes clear that nothing is as it seems in Serenity, New Mexico. The clues mount to reveal a shocking discovery, connecting their ideal crime-free community to some of the greatest criminal masterminds ever known. The kids realize they can trust no one—least of all their own parents. Recommended for ages 9–12.
(Juvenile Fiction - J Gemeinh)
When lonely Ravani Foster discovers his new friend Virginia and her six mysterious runaway companions are in danger, he must fight to keep them safe, or lose the only person who has ever understood him. Recommended for ages 9–12.
(Juvenile Fiction - J Johnson)
Spending the summer in Lambert, South Carolina, Candice discovers the letter that sent her grandmother on a treasure hunt, and with her new friend Brandon, sets off to expose the injustice once committed against a local Black family. Recommended for ages 9–12.
(Juvenile Fiction - J Eagle)
Penelope arrives in Paris to find Pear, her beloved au pair, has gone missing. Penelope enters the darkest, most mysterious parts of the city with the help of a savvy bellboy, where she stumbles upon a sinister plot. Recommended for ages 9–12.
(Juvenile Fiction - J Haddix)
When Colin and Nevaeh both find mysterious letters dating back to the 1970s, one of which reads like a confession to a crime, their new friendship is threatened when this letter pits their families against each other. Recommended for ages 9–12.
(Juvenile Fiction - J Hiaasen)
Discovering the address of the father who left when he was only four years old, Billy is forced to move repeatedly with his activist mother before embarking on a summer of unconventional travel and animal rescue. Recommended for ages 9–12.
(Juvenile Fiction - J Haddix)
Series: Greystone Secrets; 1
Receiving reports that three children with their names and birth dates have been kidnapped, three siblings investigate complex codes, hidden rooms, and a dangerous secret that turns their lives upside down. Recommended for ages 9–12.
(Juvenile Fiction - J Bayron)
In an alternate San Antonio, there have been no known cases of vampirism since a group of masked vampire hunters called The Vanquishers wiped out the last horde of the undead 20 years ago, but 12-year-old Malika "Boog" Wilson's parents are not taking any chances, especially when Boog's new classmate Aaron goes missing. Recommended for ages 9–12.
(Juvenile Fiction - J White)
While staying with their Aunt Saffronia, the Sinister-Winterbottom siblings visit the Fathoms of Fun waterpark where they find themselves submerged in a mystery when people start disappearing and a suspicious goo bubbles to the surface, among other eerie events. Recommended for ages 9–12.