Kid Tested, Librarian Recommended: Mysterious reads
A good mystery always keeps me reading and guessing what's going to happen next. The best mysteries keep me guessing right until the very end and I'm happiest when I didn't guess the ending. Check out these excellent middle grade mysteries full of fun and surprising adventures.
Egypt's Fire by Tom Phillips
After 12-year-old John Boarhog’s mom passes away, he’s got zero interest in being shipped off to the dreaded Jersey Home for Boys. The place is rumored to force kids into sewing skinny jeans for hipsters and surviving on a diet of kale (gross). Instead John pulls off the ultimate hideout: secretly living in the ceiling of the New York Museum of Natural History. By day he’s invisible. By night he devours books and explores ancient artifacts like a young Indiana Jones.
When a priceless Egyptian ruby vanishes from the museum’s newest exhibit, John's hiding place is sniffed out and he becomes suspect number one. Enter Inspector Toadius McGee — a wildly eccentric detective with a flair for the dramatic and a hunch the real thief is a criminal mastermind he’s been chasing for years.
John gets swept into a whirlwind mystery, teaming up with Toadius as his Watson. Their chase takes them from Broadway theaters to shady back alleys to a speakeasy that only serves root beer. In addition to uncovering secrets about the heist and the city, John uncovers some secrets about his past that suggest he’s more tangled up in this caper than he ever imagined.
"This fast-paced mystery, sprinkled with humor and life lessons, has enough twists, turns, red herrings, and secrets to keep readers guessing. A strong series starter for fans of clever mysteries."—Booklist
Charlie & Frog by Karen Kane
"Charlie Tickler is once again abandoned by his globe-trotting parents. This time they're off to South Africa in search of giant golden moles. They usually leave him with a nanny, but this time he is sent away to his grandparent's in Castle-on-the Hudson, a Victorian resort town with a real castle. While exploring the town, Charlie visits the library, where an agitated old woman mysteriously disappears after trying to confess something dire to Charlie in sign language. Charlie smells a mystery and is told to enlist the aid of Francine "Frog" Castle, an expert detective-in-training who is Deaf and uses American Sign Language (ASL).
"Charlie and Frog work together to find out who the mysterious old lady is and why two men are trying to find her as well. Enduring a whole host of adventures, including shaky gondola rides across a river, meeting an odd fortune-teller, and exploring a creepy graveyard, the two must put together a set of clues, including a mysterious gravestone cipher. This fast-paced tale features a host of offbeat characters. Kane, who has worked as an ASL interpreter for the Deaf community, warmly depicts Frog's fluent signing and Charlie's efforts to learn the language.
"VERDICT In addition to a fun-filled adventure, Kane's novel explores the difference between hearing and truly listening." –Carol Connor, School Library Review
Magnolia Wu Unfolds It All by Chanel Miller
Way down at street level, beneath the towering skyscrapers of New York City, 12-year-old Magnolia Wu spends her days in her parents’ laundromat. She's surrounded by the hum of machines and a growing collection of lonely, mismatched socks. Magnolia pinned each one to a bulletin board, hoping their owners will come back for them. But so far? Crickets. It’s like no one even sees her or the socks.
Then Iris rolls into town from California with a backpack full of curiosity and a knack for adventure. They launch a sock-sleuthing mission across the city turning every subway ride, deli stop, plant shop and pizza joint into a clue-filled quest. Each sock has a story. Magnolia and Iris are determined to uncover them all.
As the summer unfolds, Magnolia discovers when she steps out of her comfort zone and into the unknown, the world starts to notice. Maybe, just maybe, she'll find her place in it.
"Thoughtful, creative, and compassionate . . . Miller’s pitch-perfect narrative voice balances humor and whimsy with harsher realities. Magnolia isn’t insulated from negative feelings; rather, her world is one where strength can be quiet, empathy can be learned, and community is critical. Wildly funny, charming, and deeply heartfelt." –Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
For 12-year-old Emily, moving to San Francisco isn’t just a change of scenery — it’s a dream come true. It’s the hometown of her literary hero: the legendary Garrison Griswold. He's a wildly imaginative book publisher and the mastermind behind Book Scavenger, the thrilling online game where players hide books in cities across the country and solve clever puzzles to find them.
Emily’s excitement takes a sharp turn when she discovers Griswold has been mysteriously attacked and is now in a coma. The news about his next big game? Totally vanished. That is, until Emily and her new puzzle-loving friend James stumble upon a strange book that might be the only clue to Griswold’s secret new game.
Now, it’s a race against time. With danger lurking in the shadows, Emily and James must crack codes, follow clues and outsmart whoever is trying to keep Griswold’s secrets buried. The game is on and this time the stakes are real.
“A puzzle-mystery in the spirit of The Westing Game, Book Scavenger challenges readers to play along. The codes and puzzles are pitched at the perfect level for tween sleuths, and the literary references . . . will pique readers; interests in doing some scavenging of their own. Part friendship story, part travel adventure and part cryptography manual, Jennifer Chambliss Bertman's debut is a book lover's delight.” ―Bookpage
