There’s no doubt about it, kids love a good whodunnit. And teachers do, too—the pacing and intrigue of a good mystery is often enough to draw even struggling readers into a big, thick book. Below are the mystery books for kids we think will keep your kids turning pages until the big reveal.
Best Mystery Books for Kids in Grades 2-4
Basil of Baker Street
Trial by Journal
Best Mystery Books for Kids in Grades 3-5
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective
Juniper Berry
The Fairy-Tale Detectives
Chasing Vermeer
Over Sea, Under Stone
Harriet the Spy
The Ghost Belonged to Me
Malcom at Midnight
Best Mystery Books for Kids in Grades 5-7
The Westing Game
The Case of the Left-Handed Lady
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Half Moon Investigations
Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief
The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I Mean Noel)
A Series of Unfortunate Events
Best Mystery Books for Tweens in Grades 7-8
Al Capone Does My Shirts
Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer
Dani Noir
What do you think? If you were compiling a list of mystery books every kid should read, what would be on it?
