STEP-UP J FICTION (Grades 2-3)
Cam Jansen by David Adler
With her friend Eric, Cam Jansen uses her photographic memory to solve crimes.
Three Cousins Detective Club
by Elspeth Campbell Murphy
Sarah-Jane, Timothy, and Titus form the T.C.D.C. (Three Cousins Detective Club) and come across different mysteries to solve.
Sebastian, Super Sleuth by Mary Blount Christian
Sebastian, Detective John Quincy’s loyal canine companion comes to his aid and assists in solving mysteries.
Flatfoot Fox by Eth Clifford
Flatfoot Fox, the smartest and greatest detective in the world, solves cases with his assistant Secretary Bird.
Nancy Drew Notebooks by Carolyn Keene
Nancy Drew and her friends are in third grade and are already solving mysteries.
Meg Mackintosh: A Solve-It-Yourself Mystery
by Lucinda Landon
Work along with Meg Mackintosh to solve the mysteries that she uncovers from a missing autographed baseball to identifying a thief.
A Fletcher Mystery* by Elizabeth Levy
Fletcher, a basset hound aided by his personal flea, Jasper, solves mysteries with panache.
Sly the Sleuth Mysteries by Donna Jo Napoli
Sly the Sleuth, also known as Sylvia, solves three mysteries for her friends and neighbors through her detective agency, Sleuth for Hire.
Jigsaw Jones by James Preller
Jigsaw Jones and his partner, Mila, search for clues and piece together mysteries.
*A to Z Mysteries by Ron Roy
Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose are good friends who solve mysteries beginning with every letter of the alphabet.
Encyclopedia Brown by Donald Sobol
Encyclopedia Brown earned his nickname for knowing just about everything. He uses his knowledge to help his father, the police chief, fight crime in Idaville.
Third-Grade Detectives George Edward Stanley
With the help of their teacher and classmates, Todd and Noelle solve mysteries.
Science Detectives by Michele Torrey
Like Encyclopedia Brown, Drake Doyle and Nell Fossey use scientific information to help them solve mysteries.
*Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny live with their grandfather and get involved in a number of mysteries.
J FICTION (Grades 3-6)
*Hardy Boys (Several Series) by Franklin W. Dixon
Frank and Joe Hardy, the sons of famous detective Fenton Hardy, become well-known detectives in their own right, when they are confronted with mysteries to solve.
*Chet Gecko Mystery by Bruce Hale
A fourth-grade lizard detective and his partner, Natalie, solve mysteries.
A McGurk Mystery by E. W. Hildick
McGurk, a ten-year-old sleuth leads his team of detectives, each with different talents and abilities. Together, with a few mishaps, they manage to investigate and solve cases.
The Stink Files by Holm & Hamel (J HOLM)
These are the secret diaries of Mr. Stink, an international cat of mystery who travels the world, foiling conspiracies thicker than cream, and rooting out evildoers.
Bobbsey Twins by Laura Lee Hope
Two sets of twins, Flossie and Freddie and Nan and Bert Bobbsey, cooperate to solve big and small mysteries in their town.
*Nancy Drew (Several Series) by Carolyn Keene
Nancy Drew is a teenage detective who solves crimes with the help of her friends George and Bess.
Bernie MacGruder by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Bernie finds lots of mysteries at the Bessledorf Hotel where he lives with his parents. (Also look for the Bessledorf Hotel series featuring Bernie.)
Match Wits with Sherlock Holmes
adapted by Murray Shaw
The adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are retold. Each book includes a section identifying the clues mentioned in the story and explaining the reasoning used by Holmes to find the solution.
J Fiction Series With More Than One Author
American Girl Mysteries
Join your favorite American Girl as she solves mysteries. Authors include: Sarah Buckey, Kathleen Ernst, Alison Hart, Elizabeth Jones, and Janet Shaw.
Johnny Dixon
Johnny, his friend Fergie, and Professor Childermass solve mysteries involving ghosts, demon possession, and time travel. Authors: John Bellairs and Brad Strickland
Trixie Belden
Thirteen-year-old Trixie and her friend Honey stumble upon mysteries everywhere. Authors: Julie Campbell and Kathryn Kenny
JH FICTION (Grades 6-8)
*An Echo Falls Mystery by Peter Abrahams
Like her idol Sherlock Holmes, eighth grader Ingrid Levin-Hill uses her intellect to solve cases in her home town of Echo Falls.
Stevie Diamond Mysteries by Linda Bailey
Stevie (formerly know as Stephanie) is a big mystery fan and forms the Diamond & Kulnicki Detective Agency with her friend Jesse. In each title, they solve mysteries while trying to stay out of trouble themselves.
The Accidental Detectives by Sigmund Brouwer
Action-packed whodunits whirl Ricky Kidd and his friends around the globe as they stumble into mystery after mystery.
Herculeah Jones by Betsy Byars
Mystery solving comes naturally to Herculeah Jones, the daughter of a police detective and a private investigator.
A Bones and the Duchess Mystery by Alexandra Eden
Bones Fatzinger, a former police officer, teams up with Verity Buscador, a clever twelve-year-old with Asperger’s syndrome, to investigate mysteries.
A Diamond Brothers Mystery by Anthony Horowitz
Tim and Nick manage to just keep one step ahead of trouble and solve mysteries too.
A Hermux Tantamoq Adventure by Michael Hoeye
Watchmaker-mouse Hermux Tantamoq enjoys a quiet and orderly li.fe until he gets dragged into adventures and mysteries.
Red Rock Mysteries by Jerry B. Jenkins
Bryce and Ashley are normal 13-year-old twins, who discover action-packed mysteries wherever they go.
A Hannah West Mystery by Linda Johns
Hannah West is a twelve-year-old aspiring artist, photographer, and budding sleuth who gets to the bottom of mysteries.
Missing Persons by M.E. Rabb
Sophie and Sam Shattenberg are sisters from Queens, NY who go into hiding in Venice, Indiana where Sam assists a private investigator. Their specialty is missing persons.
Raven Hill Mystery Series by Emily Rodda
Liz and her friends form Help-for-Hire, an odd-jobs team to earn extra income around their neighborhood. But trouble has a funny way of sneaking up on them and their tasks often include more than they bargained for.
National Parks Mystery by Gloria Skurzynski
Jack and his younger sister, Ashley, are used to visiting parks with their wildlife veterinarian mother and photographer father and they find mysteries everywhere they go.
*Sammy Keyes by Wendelin Van Draanen
If seventh grade detective Sammy Keyes is not putting out fires, planting baby-monitor listening devices, or tracking down missing valuables, then she’s running from the law.
*P.C. Hawke Mysteries by Paul Zindel
From murders to ghosts, high school sleuths, P.C. Hawke and his friend Mackenzie Riggs solve mysteries.
* Indicates title available on audiobook
For more suggestions, take a look at our Clues to Good Mysteries and Historical Mysteries lists.
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