17 Must-Read Mystery Books for Kids

Alexandra F.:  My 7th grader just read this classic Agatha Christie mystery book for junior high and is OBSESSED. She absolutely loved the intriguing story about 10 strangers trapped together on an island who mysteriously begin to die, one by one. Who is the murderer?? Will anyone be left alive? She could barely keep herself from reading ahead. A great mystery book for kids who are a little older, up through adults!

Alexandra F.:  My 10-year-old daughter just started reading this, and I love looking over while she is completely engrossed in the book, and watching her giggle to herself over it. A real winner!

Tracy Snyder Molina:  My 5th grade boy read this book in school and he loved it so much he wanted his own copy to read to me at home. It's a mystery about sixth-grader Miranda and her best friend Sal who live in New York City. One day Sal gets punched by a new kid for what seems like no reason and Miranda starts receiving mysterious notes. Whoever is sending them seems to know a lot about Miranda and even things that haven't happened yet. She begins to believe only she can prevent a tragic death until the final message has her wondering if it is too late...

A creative children's classic that stands the test of time, a girl and her younger brother run away from home to live in Manhattan's Metropolitan Museum of Art and become swept up in solving a mystery.

Shila:  Ron Roy's A-Z Mysteries are simple mystery books for kids that follow three 9-year-old detectives who uncover secrets and solve local crimes around town. From The Absent Author to The Zombie Zone, the titles in each book capture a creative use of alliteration. Go on to read A to Z Mysteries Super Edition for additional adventures that are slightly longer and more in depth.

Shila:  Four orphaned siblings make an abandoned boxcar their home in these classic mystery books, originally created in 1942, by Gertrude Chandler Warner. Everywhere this family goes, there's another mystery to solve. Young readers remain impressed at how well these amateur sleuths work to solve clues on their own, with little to no adult supervision.

Shila:  Harriet is a regular kid, and double agent, who has the uncanny ability to spot clues left and right. Her character is renowned for being a little mischievous, yet wildly determined to solving mysteries and holding culprits accountable. In this series, by Louise Fitzhugh, young readers are attracted to the "art" of amateur spying and collecting unsuspecting evidence.

Kelly R:  My 5th grader raced through the books in this series! These exciting and mysterious middle-grade chapter books follow a 17th-century apothecary's apprentice as he deciphers codes, puzzles and secrets to solve murders and conspiracies.

Shila:  Two kids, Jack and Annie, embark on fantastical missions once they step foot in their treehouse. Mary Pope Osborne's Magic Treehouse is an adventure mystery series that transports readers to wonderous places and periods of time. There are well over 50 titles in this mixed genre: historical fiction, fantasy, and mystery for kids.

Kelly R:  This is a fun series of graphic novel mysteries that my daughter has been loving in the summer before 5th grade, a time when we usually need to coax her to pick up a book. The stories center around two California surfer girls who solve mysteries.

Shila:  This 10-title series, by Rick Riordan, is a mystery geared for older kids and tweens that contemplates the question: what is more important, money or power? There is a race to unravel 39 clues hidden around the world and two child descendants are on a thrilling mission to unlock a major family secret.

Shila:  The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency is run by two incredibly intelligent tween girls investigating crimes and apprehending offenders. This popular whodunit is reminiscent of the great duo, Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. Geared for older elementary and middle school readers, this friendly mystery series promotes creative thinking, strong wit, and girl power.

Kelly R:  In The Haunted Library series, a girl and her ghost friend work together to solve a variety of mysteries. This is a fun one for young chapter book readers who enjoy spooky stories!

Shila:  Nancy Drew books take readers on well over 50 original mysteries ranging from stolen property to supernatural oddities. Young readers, along with parents, can especially appreciate a smart female lead consistently in charge. The Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew Collection, by Carolyn Keene, has been published with a more modern set of mysteries geared for today's kids.

Shila:  Frank and Joe Hardy are featured as amateur detectives in this long-beloved mystery series for children and teens. From bicycle thieves to jewelry heists, the brother detectives, originally published in the 1920's, are back-in-action cracking codes in The Secret Files. The original books are fantastic options to read, as is this more child-friendly version adapted to more modern times.