17 Must-Read Mystery Books for Kids

We've curated a list of must-read mystery books for kids, as recommended by parents. Young readers love stories about detective work, sleuthing, and deciphering clues to solve crimes and accomplish great missions! Some titles make our epic list of timeless children's books, too.

Parents, upvote your favorites and submit additional book recommendations below.

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    And Then There Were None

    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!

    The Mysterious Benedict Society Series

    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!

    When You Reach Me

    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...

    From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

    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.

    A-Z Mysteries
    Ages

    Grades 1 - 4

    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.

    Boxcar Children

    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.

    Harriet the Spy

    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.

    Magic Treehouse and Merlin Missions

    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.

    Surfside Girls Series

    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.

    The Blackthorn Key Series

    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.

    Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew Collection

    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.

    The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency

    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.

    The Haunted Library

    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!

    The Maze of Bones
    Ages

    Grades 4 - 7

    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.

    Calendar Mysteries

    Shila:  For every month of the year, kids can enjoy reading Ron Roy's Calendar Mysteries, featuring spin-off characters introduced from his other popular series, A-Z Mysteries. Each title's theme, time, and setting pertains to a different month of the year, from the January Joker to December Dog. Follow four child detectives as they romp around town solving one puzzling secret after another.

Primary photo:   Markus Winkler on Unsplash

Upparent collects community-submitted recommendations and reviews, and any ideas that are shared reflect the opinions of individual contributors.