The 10 Best Mystery Books for Kids

Everyone loves mystery! But some mysteries are more age-appropriate than others. These mystery books for kids are more “who stole a cookie from the cookie jar?” and less “who brained that guy with a baseball bat?” Gotta start somewhere!

The Secret of the Old Clock

You want good mystery for kids? Sometimes you gotta go back to where it all begin. Written in 1927 The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene launched the beginning of the legendary Nancy Drew series. You literally can’t even mention mystery without dropping Nance’s name. She’s middle school Pierrot. In the first novel of the series, Nancy attempts to find the lost will of an old dead lady that whose heirs are bereft of their rightful inheritance! Go Nancy! Help them build that generational wealth!

The Parker Inheritance

Varian Johnson’s The Parker Inheritance stars 12 year old Candice Miller, who has discovered a mysterious letter in her grandmother’s attic in her small South Carolina town. What does the letter say? Some good things, some bad things. The bad is that Candice’s family suffered some horrible racial injustices in the past, but the good news its that somewhere in nearby is a hidden fortune that could make Candice and her family fabulously wealthy! And all she has to do is find it! Candice now must delve into the ugliness of the past to secure a bright and beautiful future.

The Boxcar Children

The debut novel in The Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler Warner begins with four tragic orphan kids who live together in a boxcar in the woods after fleeing from their abusive grandfather. They decide to make the best of things by exploring the wilderness and solving mysteries for the sole joy of helping others … and treasure. They get a lot of joy out of finding treasure too. Can you blame them? They’re literally broke.

Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective

Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective marks the beginning of the illustrious career of Leroy “Encyclopedia” Brown, child sleuth extraordinaire. Donald J. Sobol’s first novel shows us Brown’s humble beginnings, running a detective agency out of his garage in the small town of Idaville. Folks come from far and wide for Brown’s encyclopedic mind, which he uses to uncover mysteries that have baffled even the most canny adults. Never send a man to do a boy’s job.

The Tower Treasure

Franklin W. Dixon’s Hardy Boys series had to start somewhere. In this case, a tower full of treasure! Frank and Joe Hardy are teenage brothers and amateur detectives who answer the call of mystery when they find that their friend’s home has been burglarized. The thieves have stolen priceless jewels, and law enforcement is baffled. They need child criminal consultants! Through bravery, cleverness, and more than a little dumb luck, the Hardy Boys deliver the goods.

Enola Holmes and the Case of the Missing Marquess

You may know about Sherlock Holmes’ genius and slacker older brother Mycroft, but did you know that he had a younger sister too? Meet Enola Holmes, the adolescent sleuth rivaling her brothers’ mental faculties. Enola’s adventure begins when she discovers that her own mother has gone missing! Right from their home! Enola has to use all her wits to navigate Victorian London’s streets and find her mum’s whereabouts, all the while beating her elder brother to the punch. There’s little love lost between these siblings. The real mystery is why they haven’t gone to family therapy yet.

Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief

Wendelin Van Draanen’s Sammy Keyes series begins with the titular thirteen year old protagonist witnessing a robbery at a fancy hotel during a school trip. The identity of the thief is unknown, but Sammy intends to change that. She’ll have to use all of her wits to get past the adults that stand in her way of solving the case, all the while learning some valuable lessons about being a teenager along the way.

Shirley and Jamila Save Their Summer

Gillian Goerz’ Shirley and Jamila Save Their Summer stars two little girls who go together like peanut butter and cigarettes. Shirley Bones is a carefree, imaginative little kid with a penchant for solving mysteries, while Jamila Waheed is her straight-laced, sharp witted neighbor. Between Shirley’s right brain antics and Jamila’s left brain analytics, their combined minds make them one competent mystery solving super brain! What is their summer saved from? Boredom, mostly. How can you be bored when you gotta help some kid find his missing gecko?

The Mysterious Benedict Society

Trenton Lee Stewart’s The Mysterious Benedict Society tells the tale of the childhood we all wish we had. Four gifted young minds are recruited by the eccentric Mr. Benedict for a secret mission. Their task? Infiltrate the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, a hoity toity prep school where a shadowy super criminal is attempting to mould young minds into mind controllable pawns! Not on The Mysterious Benedict Society’s watch! Using their unique individual talents, Reynie Muldoon, Sticky Washington, Kate Wetherall, and Constance Contraire must navigate the perils of their new school in order to save the world from total domination!

The House With a Clock in Its Walls

John Bellairs’ The House with a Clock in Its Walls revolves around the ten year old Lewis Barnavelt, a recently orphaned boy who now gets to live with his weird uncle in a mansion in Michigan. Honestly, could have been worse. His Uncle John and his neighbor Mrs. Zimmermann ain’t your average people neither! They are delvers in the magical arts! But something is throwing off their collective groove … a mysterious ticking sound that haunts the halls of the house. Yes, the House with the Clock in its Wall’s does indeed feature a phantasmal timepiece that ticks in the architecture! But what could be the cause of the ticking? Could be a magical interior design flaw, or it could be part of a greater malevolent force that may or may not be trying to take over the world. Only time will tell, pun intended.