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N ot many literary genres are as fun, intriguing and help improve reading skills as mystery and detective books. Children will become investigators

In document The Book of Books Recommended Reading (Page 105-109)

before you know it, paying attention to small details that help solve a case, or remembering everything that might add up to a clue. Twists, turns, puzzling clues and surprise endings appeal to young readers and present satisfying challenges. The best mysteries and detective books can’t be put down — kids want to read them under the covers with a flashlight because they simply cannot wait to find out what happens next.

A good mystery yarn is an ideal way to introduce critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Young readers hunt down the clues, track comings and goings, and search analytically for patterns and sequences. Some of the most addictive stories or series go back in time, feature codes that utilize math skills, focus on forensics or technology or involve art forgeries. Whatever the storyline, here are some of the best mysteries and detective books, listed alphabetically, that will keep a junior sleuth guessing, turning page after page as quickly as possible!

1.

The Angel Experiment: A Maximum Ride Novel (Book 1)

by James Patterson, 2005 – In this book for older readers, fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride, known as Max, soars above the world as a member of the “flock,” a group of six winged kids who find themselves in a lot of danger. Fighting to survive, the six struggles to find out exactly what their purpose is while warding off the evil Erasers. The “flock” soars all across New York City, deciphering their purpose in the world. Are they good or evil? And will they save the world? ONLINE DETAILS 2.

Artemis Fowl: Book One

by Eoin Colfer, 2001 – Older readers will adore this series as it’s

magically chock full of deceptions, plots, computers and kidnapping of fairies who don’t play by the rules. Artemis Fowl is a brilliant protagonist. At twelve-years-old, he’s got the notoriety of being a genius criminal mastermind with millionaire status. When Artemis schemes to deprive the fairies of their gold, a thrilling adventure with twists, turns and tech wizardry unfolds.

Artemis Fowl is seriously cool crime fodder, perfect for any age! ONLINE DETAILS

3.

The Case of the Cat with the Missing Ear: From the notebooks of Edward R.

Smithfield D.V. M. (Adventures of Samuel Blackthorn)

by Scott Emerson, Vivo Mullet (illustrator), 2003 – Like Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Detective Samuel Blackthorn, a Yorkshire terrier, and Edward R. Smithfield, a retired veterinarian, come together to solve crimes. In their first case, they unravel the mysteries surrounding an elegant greyhound needing their fine deductive reasoning skills. ONLINE DETAILS

4.

Death Cloud (Sherlock Holmes: the Legend Begins)

by Andrew Lane, 2011 – For older readers who ache for the true master of detection, here’s a series about the teenaged Sherlock Holmes. The legend and lore is set in 1868, with fourteen-year-old Sherlock visiting his aunt and uncle in Hampshire, England while on school holiday. There’s a plethora of oddly eccentric and evil characters to study, from his own relatives to a particularly vile villain. When two people die from what looks like the plague, the often-troubled yet brilliant Sherlock, with the help of Amyus Crowe his tutor, begins to deduce the real truth and sets out to solve the case. ONLINE DETAILS 5.

Extreme Danger: Hardy Boys: Undercover Brothers #1

by Donald J. Cobol, 2005 – The

Hardy Boys, like girl detective Nancy Drew, originally appeared in the thirties. Written by many writers under the pseudonym Franklin W. Dixon, the Hardy Boys mysteries have evolved over the years. In this first volume of the newest Undercover Brothers series, Frank and Joe Hardy are agents of A.T.A.C. (American Teens Against Crime), investigating the sabotage of an extreme sports event in Philadelphia. As with all the earlier books, there’s murder, suspicious violence, adventure and the reappearance of many beloved characters, all within a Hardy Boys investigation that young sleuths will find an “extreme” read. ONLINE DETAILS

6.

Liar & Spy

by Rebecca Stead, 2012 – Liar & Spy is a story about a seventh grader named Georges (with a silent “s”), whose new life in Brooklyn sometimes leads him into spy games with his best friend Safer, a twelve-year-old detective by design. It’s a fun read with memorably endearing characters, especially Georges, who is intelligent but has a naiveté that makes readers laugh. Liar & Spy will keep readers guessing to the very end. ONLINE DETAILS

7.

The London Eye Mystery

by Siobhan Dowd, 2007 – When a boy mysteriously disappears from a sealed London Eye capsule, the police are perplexed. It’s up to Ted and his older sister Kat to solve this thriller, tracing clues across the city of London in search of their cousin. Ted’s brain is hard-wired differently than most kids— his condition often strains the brother-sister relationship. Yet it is Ted’s insistence and preoccupation with detail, paired with Kat’s intuitive action, which helps them unravel the mystery. ONLINE DETAILS

EXCERPT: THE LONDON EYE MYSTERY:

My favourite thing to do in London is to fly the Eye.

On a clear day you can see for twenty-five miles in all directions because you are in the largest observation wheel ever built. You are sealed into one of the thirty-two capsules with the strangers who were next to you in the queue, and when they close the doors, the sound of the city is cut off.

You begin to rise. The capsules are made of glass and steel and are hung from the rim of the wheel. As the wheel turns, the capsules use the force of gravity to stay upright. It takes thirty minutes to go a full circle.

From the top of the ride, Kat says London looks like toy-town and the cars on the roads below look like abacus beads going left and right and stopping and starting. I think London looks like London and the cars like cars, only smaller.

8.

The Secret of the Mansion: Trixie Belden #1

by Julie Campbell, 1948 – In the first of many Trixie Belden mysteries, our heroine Trixie is forecasting a dreary summer until she befriends a new girl in town, a millionaire’s daughter. The girls search for a runaway boy hiding out in Sleepy side-on-Hudson and help him solve a mystery revolving around his uncle. In this entertaining series, the two girls solve mystery after mystery, most of which stump local authorities. ONLINE DETAILS

9.

The Secret of the Old Clock

by Carolyn Keene, 1930 – Nancy Drew is one of the most popular characters of all time and with good reason. The amateur detective is intelligent, well-traveled, and continually tests her sharp aptitude for solving mysteries. In the first of the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, Nancy searches for a missing will. Young readers will get easily hooked on all of Nancy’s thrilling adventures. Thankfully there are many to read. ONLINE DETAILS 10.

Wonderstruck

by Brian Selznick, 2011 – From the author-illustrator of The Invention of Hugo

Cabret comes another enticing tale told in pictures and words. Set fifty years apart, two children, Rose and Ben, venture forth on individual adventures that unfold in surprisingly similar ways.

Will Ben and Rose’s stories ever intersect? ONLINE DETAILS

CHRISTIAN BIOGRAPHIES/MEMOIRS

In document The Book of Books Recommended Reading (Page 105-109)

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