40+ Fabulous Middle-Grade Mysteries for Kids Ages 7-13

This sweet (and actually mysterious) graphic novel follows a kitten named Beans, who’s obsessed with the idea of being a detective. When his hat goes missing, he embarks on his first mission, following a trail of surprising, funny clues to rescue his hat. This is a great pick for strong second-grade readers and older who love a good mystery. Ages 7+

When a Biltmore resident’s prized jewels are stolen, amateur detective Elodie LaRue is summoned to solve the case… even though she’s just a kid. Together with a new stunt-obsessed friend and her dog Carnegie, Elodie must get to the bottom of the heist in this charming, illustrated young middle grade novel. I can see this being a cozy read-aloud for mystery fans, and since it’s the first in a new series, young readers will be thrilled to see Elodie in the subsequent stories. Ages 8+

Ivy’s summer plans are disrupted when she breaks her leg at the start of the summer before fifth grade. Her best friend Teddy is having it any easier as his dog is diagnosed with a terminal illness and has to be put down. But while Ivy is standing at her window, trying to make the best of the summer, she witnesses a possible burglary and that both kids off on a summer of solving a mystery — or is it? Mystery on Magnolia Circle is a young middle grade book (with a few illustrations) about a summer of solving a neighborhood mystery. Ages 8+

Cam, Gabe, and Abby are best friends at Arithmos Elementary and call themselves the Prime Detectives — a nod to their skill and love for math. In the first installment of this series, the kids solve several mysteries, from poisoned cookies to failed ziplines — all related to the appearance of a new set of triplet classmates. Is there more to the case than meets the eye? This book has so much math! I don’t even like math but I loved seeing how cleverly these kids solved the mysteries using their math chops. Perfect for the math lover (or kid you want to trick into liking math). Ages 9+

Madi and her friends Jack and Aaron make a rescue at Lake Wild, saving two beaver kits, but they have a problem. Madi’s parents have said she cannot bring home any more strays. In fact, if she does, she’ll lose her trip to see acclaimed primatologist Jane Goodall. Still, Madi takes them, hiding them in a shed on her parents’ property until she can figure out her next steps. As she cares for the beavers, more adult beavers turn up shot dead. So Madi and her friends also need to figure out who is killing the beavers and why — all the while making sure her parents never figure out that she’s housing, feeding and bathing two beaver kits under their noses. This is a sweet, entertaining, and informative book about rescuing animals, caring for beavers, and advocating for the environment. Ages 9+

The Amelia Six is the story of six clever girls invited to spend a night in Amelia Earhart’s home because of their achievements in STEM (specifically flying and aeronautics). The girls are hosted by Birdie, one of the Ninety-Niners who is the museum’s caretaker. Also in the house are Edna, the housekeeper; Collin, Birdie’s nephew; and Perry, the chef. Things are going smoothly until the girls realize that Birdie has been drugged and Amelia Earhart’s famous aviator goggles — which must be retrieved by the Smithsonian the next day(!) — have gone missing. Everyone’s a suspect, and suddenly, these girls have to band together if they want to get out alive. The Amelia Six is a clever, girl-powered mystery that is perfect for Amelia Earhart fans (and nonfans alike). Ages 9+

Emily is excited to move to San Francisco, home to Grisworld, her favorite book publisher and game creator, but she’s disappointed to learn that Grisworld is in a coma after an attack. Emily and her new friend James discover an odd book, which they come to believe is from Griswold himself and might contain the only copy of his mysterious new game. Racing against time, Emily and James rush from clue to clue, desperate to figure out the secret at the heart of Griswold’s new game―before those who attacked Griswold come after them, too. Ages 9+

After a memorable birthday sleepover with her two best friends, Elise wakes up to realize that time has jumped by six months and her best friends no longer speak to her. With the help of an old friend, she works to figure out what happened and how to undo it. A Split Second is a time travel fantasy with a slightly spooky feel, perfect for kids who like books about magic with a touch of mystery. Ages 9+

Shelby Holmes is not your average sixth grader. She’s nine years old, barely four feet tall, and the best detective her Harlem neighborhood has ever seen–always using logic and a bit of pluck (which yes, some might call “bossiness”) to solve the toughest crimes. When eleven-year-old John Watson moves downstairs, Shelby finds something that’s eluded her up till now: a friend. The easy-going John isn’t sure of what to make of Shelby, but he soon finds himself her most-trusted (read: only) partner in a dog-napping case that’ll take both their talents to crack. Ages 9+

Bonnie Montgomery is a detective, but no one except her grandfather knows because Bonnie always solves crimes while disguised as a small, mustachioed French-ish detective, Montgomery Bon Bon. When there’s a murder at the museum she and grandpa are visiting, it’s up to Bonnie to find the killer. This book is funny, mysterious, and engaging — it’s also set in the UK! Ages 9+

Maizy and her best friend Izzy are working on a film Maizy has named Shellfish Holmes, about a lobster detective. But Izzy seems bored with the project and even thinks it’s a bit childish. Maizy’s life gets more interesting when a box of Nancy Drew books with an inscription to a girl with the same name as her grandmother (Susie, aka Jacuzzi). There’s also a picture of what appears to be a young Susie. When Jacuzzi denies sending over the box, Maizy reunites with a former neighborhood friend, Nell, to get to the bottom of the mystery. In the process, the girls learn a lot about Jacuzzi and the Nancy Drew books. Sisterhood of Sleuths is a fantastic middle grade mystery about friendship, history, intellectual property, and film-making. Ages 9+

In Duet, we meet a young goldfinch, Mirabelle. Mirabelle lives with her mother and brothers in a nest next to a piano teacher’s house. Mr. Starek, the piano teacher, is now aged but has received a new student, Jin, who does not seem pleased to be taking lessons from Mr. Starek. After weeks of reluctance, Jin starts to play, and surprisingly, Mirabelle joins in, forcing Jin to notice her. Soon, the two begin to create duets together during Jin’s practice sessions. When Jin and Mirabelle find out that Mr. Starek’s late sister might have a special piano in her foreclosed home, they band together in a new way to investigate and solve a decades-old mystery about Frederick Chopin’s piano. Duet by Elise Broach is an enrapturing, unique story about music, friendship, history, and birds — especially goldfinches. Ages 9+

In this charming middle grade mystery, we meet Benny, a boy with Mosaic Down Syndrome living in Newfoundland, Canada. Benny lives with his mom in the nursing home they run and is entering mainstream school for the first time. Fortunately, he meets and befriends a new girl called Salma on his first day. When a string of burglaries at the home start to threaten his mother’s livelihood, Benny and Salma come up with a plan to catch the thief and end up unraveling a shocking conspiracy. This was such a cozy read! There’s intergenerational friendship, underdogs winning the bullies, charming Newfoundland mannerisms, and a compelling mystery–all with two very lovable main characters at the helm. I had a blast reading this one, and I can see many kids loving it, too. Ages 8+

Lou has recently gone through a spat with her best friend Francie and the two are no longer speaking because of something Lou did that makes her feel like the worst friend in the world. Lou has also been ostracized by Francie and her new friend Madison. But when a new girl, Cece, comes to town, she immediately gravitates toward Lou and asks her help because she believes she’s been kidnapped by her dad. As Lou works with Cece to get to the bottom of things, she finds some loopholes in Cece’s story that will once again move her to go against a friend’s wishes. Not the Worst Friend in the World is a hugely relatable book about friendship angst, how much words can hurt, and (self-)forgiveness after a mistake. Ages 9+

With a last name like Sherlock, siblings Alex and Zoe decide that the best summer job for them is starting a detective agency. With the help of their best friends, Yadi and Lina, and their former investigative journalist grandfather, the kids are set to find Al Capone’s treasure and learn more about Miami, a sunny city with shady people. But things do not quite go to plan, and instead, they find themselves thrust into an unexpected mystery. The Sherlock Society is a clever mystery — strongly reminiscent of Nancy Drew — with a surprising environmental bent. Ages 9+

Asha and Alex are two besties who’ve founded a detective agency. Their first real gig comes when the beloved eccentric chairman of a museum in their small town goes missing, sending a note to three of his board members, one employee, and the A&A Agency to find him before 2 weeks are up. The kids jump into the investigator, talking to the Archivist and the other three members of the board to track down Mr. Fairfleet and revealing many secrets about the billionaire and his board members and testing Asha and Alex’s friendship in the process. The A&A Detective Agency #1 (The Fairfleet Affair) is a quirky mystery about museums, friendship, and community, perfect for the artsy crowd who can handle a slower-paced story. Ages 9+

Paul Marconi and his two besties, Beanpole and Shank, investigate the unusual appearance of a swarm of rubber duckies discovered on a neighbor’s lawn, bringing some life to their summer. This gentle low-stakes mystery is full of sneaky sleuthing, short, hilarious at times, and sweet. Ages 9+

When Megumi Mizuno is sent to Leland Chase Academy (aka Last Chance Academy), she’s not expecting to make new friends or fall into a scavenger hunt. She’s hurting from the grief of losing her mother and feeling distanced from her workaholic father. But when silver envelopes start arriving at her (and other students’) dorm room, they’re all eager to win the coveted prize. This is a compulsively readable boarding school scavenger hunt-style mystery with insightful musings on the value of nurturing friendships and relationships. Ages 9+

Weatherby is a new kid at the Boston School on a sailing scholarship and is immediately thrust into a world she knows nothing about. There are old school phone booths, scrambled phone service at school, friends with kids who go to the country club, and a boy who seems to hate her guts. When Jack, Weatherby, and their friends Pres, Iris, and Harper are contacted by what they think is the school’s famed secret society, they get sucked into a mission, only to unravel a deep secret about the Hunt family that involves Weatherby. The Liars Society is an intriguing, fast-paced, and tightly-plotted middle-grade mystery for younger middle-school readers who are hungry for some thrilling, suspenseful mysteries but aren’t old enough for traditional YA. Ages 10+

Twelve-year-old Zoe Washington’s summer is off to a rough start. She’s not speaking to one of her best friends, for one. Her other best friend is away at summer camp, and the third one has moved away. But things get more complicated when she finds a letter in the mail from her incarcerated birth father. The only problem is that he’s in jail for something “very bad,” and Zoe has never met or spoken to him before. As she starts to write to Marcus, Zoe realizes that things might not be so black and white — not with her friend Trevor, and certainly not with Marcus. While she learns more about Marcus, she also spends part of her summer interning at a pastry shop. From the Desk of Zoe Washington is a moving, true-to-life middle-grade novel that highlights just how potent perseverance can be — even when you’re just twelve. Ages 10+

In this exceptional debut novel, a boy and a typewriter work together to solve the mystery of his missing mother. The Brindley family has been through the wringer but seems to be on the mend after “Everything that happened before” when all of a sudden, their mother leaves the house in tears, witnessed only by her Olivetti typewriter, which she pawns immediately for the precise sum of $126. The pawn shop owner’s daughter accosts Ernest, the third out of four Brindley kids, right after he steals back the Olivetti, which he discovers can type back in response. The two work together, Ernest, reluctant, Quinn confident and opinionated, to retrace his mother’s steps and figure out why she ran away. This reads like an instant classic, and although some readers may be dubious about the talking typewriter element, it is excellently executed — better than many anthropomorphized animals and creatures have been in books. Ages 10+

Hope Smith hates rich people, especially the Winterton family, particularly now that she’s learned that her dad was a Winterton. But thanks to a pressing need for money, Hope, her twin brother Gordon, and her mom must compete in the Winterton’s charity spelling bee. After winning the preliminary round, the Smiths are whisked to Winterton Chalet to compete in the official Winterton Bee against their long-lost relatives. Hope wants to get in and out, but deceased matriarch Jane Winterton has other plans for this final family showdown—she set up a clue hunt throughout the manor. With tensions at an all-time high, a fortune at stake, and long-simmering family secrets about to boil to the surface, anything could happen. This book is impossible to put down and feels like a good stepping stone to Barnes’ The Inheritance Games! Hand it to kids who love a treasure hunt, spelling bees, and twin stories. Ages 10+

Owen is in Paris with his mom for the summer studying the popular French writer Jules Verne when he becomes the center of several weird coincidences, ending with a never-before-seen Jules Verne book ending up in his possession. Suddenly, he and his new friends are being tailed by dangerous people who want the book back. This is a high-energy mystery with plenty of chases around Paris, perfect for fans of Paris. The audiobook is excellent, with captivating sound effects. Ages 10+

Kaylani is spending the summer in Martha’s Vineyard with the Watson family — family friends — after her dad is imprisoned for fraud. But when Kaylani arrives, the Watson grandkids, especially her agemate London, are snooty and unwelcoming. Things get worse when a boy is murdered just two nights after. All eyes are on Cassie because of her history with Chadwick, but it’s not long before Kaylani and her band of new friends uncover the sinister mystery behind Chadwick’s death. I LOVED this book and couldn’t stop reading it once I started. I would totally return to Martha’s Vineyard with Kaylani and her crew. An absolute homerun of a story for kids who love murder mysteries. Ages 10+

When Candice finds a letter in an old attic in Lambert, South Carolina, she isn’t sure she should read it. It’s addressed to her grandmother, who left the town in shame. But the letter describes a young woman. An injustice that happened decades ago. A mystery enfolding its writer. And the fortune that awaits the person who solves the puzzle. So, with the help of Brandon, the quiet boy across the street, she begins to decipher the clues. Can they find the fortune and fulfill the letter’s promise before the answers slip into the past yet again? Readers should know that one of the main characters is bullied for being gay. Ages 10+

This is such a heartwarming, intriguing mystery! When the discovery of a painting thought to be lost coincides with the attempted murder of a man in Harlem, three kids are drawn together in sleuthing adventures. Jin, Alex, and Elvin are completely different from each other, yet they form a sweet friendship as they work to piece together the puzzle in this story. I especially loved how racially diverse the cast is, the emphasis on the power of art, and the strong sense of community fostered in this novel. The narration is equally fantastic, and this story kept me glued to it until the very end! Very memorable characters and setting! Loved this one! Ages 10+

Oliver and Frankie are 6th-grade besties trying to get through each day and avoid the lunch room bully when a new girl, Matilda, moves into their neighborhood and a slew of random, but not really random, things start happening. First, a mysterious chutney takes down the lunch room bully, then Frankie gets a dog walking gig, and finally, Matilda discovers that someone in a black car is following Oliver. This story of brilliant coincidences and a growing friendship is only the cover for a more sinister plot the three kids have to cover before someone they love gets hurt. Connect the Dots is a brilliant, funny, high-action mystery about belonging, friendship, loneliness, and the weight of genius. Ages 10+

12-year-old Florian hones his excellent observational skills using a technique he calls the TOAST, (Theory of All Small Things), which helps him in social situations and other life areas. But after teaching it to a new genius friend, they end up solving an art mystery, which puts them on the FBI’s radar — but also in the line of fire of a notorious crime syndicate. I love Ponti’s City Spies series, and while this one isn’t as good, it’s a fantastic escapist read with lots of intellectual mystery-solving/detective work. Ages 10+

The Best Worst Summer follows two sets of kids three decades apart. In the present, Peyton and her family have just moved from Minneapolis to a small town named Lake Springs, leaving her best friend and their summer soccer camp tradition behind. But her summer gains new life when she discovers a box of secrets: a cryptic note to a friend, half of a “best friends” necklace, a playlist and several other items. After making her first new friend in the library, Peyton is eager to get to the bottom of the time capsule mystery. Meanwhile, in 1989, best friends Jessica and Melissa are planning the best summer ever! They even plan to bury a time capsule. The story alternates between past and present as we read Melissa and Peyton’s perspectives. The Best Worst Summer is a charming, engaging middle grade novel that manages to blend historical and contemporary fiction. Ages 10+

This historical mystery combines the literary prowess of author Ruta Sepetys with Steve Sheinkin’s narrative skills as we follow two siblings during WWII in England trying to find their missing mother and help the British army defeat the Nazis. With two teenage protagonists, this one straddles the line between middle grade and YA, although the content is more middle grade than YA. It is gripping, hard to put down, and brilliantly plotted. Hand to fans of fast-paced mysteries, whether or not they love historical fiction. Ages 10+

Minerva lives in the luxurious Arcanum building, where she loves to play chess with her neighbor, Kermit. Her 11-year-old brother Heck is always cooking up a storm, sometimes with terrible results, and her parents are traveling in Australia, leaving Minerva and Heck with their ditsy cousin Bizzy. Suddenly, the building’s residents start passing out, sometimes with fatal consequences, and the police discover it’s some kind of poisoning. It’s up to Minerva, Heck, and a hesitant detective club recruit (Santos) to solve the mystery with Detective Wesley. Minerva Keen’s Detective Club is an absorbing, well-spun middle grade mystery with a clever female protagonist at its helm. Ages 10+

This cozy middle-grade mystery series stars 12-year-old Lark Heron-Finch, who happens to have a limb difference. Much like Nancy Drew, each case Lark solves has an old-school feel, and living on a small island allows her plenty of room to move freely and investigate solo. This is perfect for fans of cozy mysteries such as The Parker Inheritance. Ages 10+

In Chokecherry, Colorado, everyone knows everyone and all the kids have been together since kindergarten. There are a few new kids — one of whom is Jewish — whose parents work as paleontologists digging for dinosaur fossils in town. The small town is thrown into an uproar when a swastika is painted in the school building — and multiple swastikas continue to pop up throughout the school. Told from the POV of multiple kids, including Dana Levinson (the one Jewish kid), Michael Amoroso (a Latino boy), and Caroline (the seventh-grade class president) as they deal with the impact of the swastikas and work to create six million paper links to represent the Jews killed in the Holocaust. Linked is a propulsive, compelling mystery by veteran Gordon Korman combining serious issues with his trademark humorous characters. Ages 11+

Mia and her parents moved to Vermont the summer after seventh grade to help look after her grandma. Before the move, Mia broke her arm, falling off a balance beam in gymnastics and abruptly decided to quit gymnastics. However, when they reach Vermont, Mia’s family discovers that her grandmother has started a cricket farm and is convinced that someone is trying to sabotage the farm because weird, disruptive things keep happening. Mia and her new friends find themselves caught up in solving the mystery of her grandma’s farm debacles while trying to develop business strategies to promote the farm and cricket demand. As Mia gets into day camp and begins making new friends, readers start to realize that there might be more behind Mia’s decision to quit gymnastics. This is a worthy addition to the strong lineup of middle-grade books about consent and sexual harassment. But despite how heavy that topic can be, this book’s vibrant summer spirit brings a much-needed airiness to the plot. Ages 11+

After suffering an injury and losing his arm on the war front, Truly’s father is back in his childhood home with their large family, helping her absent grandparents run their struggling bookstore. Before long, Truly and her new friends are solving a mystery related to a note found in one of the old books. This is a cozy, wintry story that features hard life moments as a family adjusts to a veteran parent who has been changed forever by war and finds their way back to each other. Ages 11+

Wren is part Caucasian and part Cherokee, and her Cherokee mother has been missing for a while despite her police Chief’s father’s efforts to find her. As Wren tries to hold on to the hope of her mother’s return, she begins to notice a string of animal abuse incidents in her town as she volunteers for a local animal shelter. Suspecting that her missing mom and the abuse incidents may be connected, Wren begins investigating on her own. This story is a great fit for readers looking for a slower-paced mystery starring an Indigenous protagonist. The writing is accessible, and Wren is an easy character to root for. Heads up for mentions of animal abuse. Ages 11+

When Skye’s brother Finn is found after being missing for years, he can’t seem to remember some pivotal moments they’ve both shared, causing Skye to doubt whether he’s even really Finn. I LOVED this book and I flew through this story. The writing is very introspective, but the mystery is compelling, and no one does an unreliable narrator like Everett. This book also tackles an underrepresented topic, which is parental kidnapping and I love the way the author explores it. I think this would be great for mature 6th graders and readers in grades 7 and up because I think it might be harder for not-as-strong readers to love the introspective tone. It is truly a well-done story with such a richly drawn family where everyone feels so real. Ages 11+

When a dead body is found in Coop’s small town, he and his best friends Justice and Liberty are intrigued and want to help solve the mystery. But the stakes get even higher when Coop’s grandfather is accused of murdering the victim (who turned out to be Coop’s missing grandma!). Can Coop get the scoop on this mystery and save his grandfather before it’s too late? Coop Knows the Scoop is a thrilling middle grade mystery with a rollercoaster of a narrative and seriously high stakes. Ages 11+

When Anna Hunt moves from Chicago to Wisconsin for her mother’s new job, she soon realizes that something’s off about her new eighth-grade class. One student, Rachel Riley, who was once popular is now treated as a social pariah. So when their English teacher assigns them an un-essay — which is an exploration of a topic in any other format besides an essay — Anna decides to investigate the question: What happened to Rachel Riley? Of course, the teacher rejects Anna’s topic despite her lawyer mom’s protests. But with some hesitant help from Rachel and some other schoolmates, Anna pieces together the mystery. What Happened to Rachel Riley? is a stellar middle grade mystery about sexual harassment, creativity, and standing up for something. Ages 11+

Tae Keller’s newest middle grade book, Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone, opens with new girl Jennifer Chan declared missing at her middle school. As whispers begin, her next-door neighbor, Mallory Moss, worries that Jennifer may have been abducted by aliens (which Jennifer believed existed). Mallory reunites with two former friends, begging them to help her find Jennifer, following clues from her time with Jennifer and the diary Jennifer left behind. The story alternates between past and present as readers discover that Mallory’s search is also motivated by an ulterior motive: the need to prove that she and her popular friends didn’t run Jennifer Chan out of town with their bullying.

Fast Pitch is a companion title to Nic Stone’s Clean Getaway, which I really enjoyed! It stars Scoob’s crush Shenice, a U12 softball team captain whose concentration is shot when she stumbles upon a decades-long family mystery. Shenice and her team are preparing to win the Fastpitch World Series, when she discovers that a crime her great-grand father was accused of — which cost him his reputation and place in the Negro leagues — may have actually been a set-up all along. And now, Shenice is the only one who can clear his name. Fast Pitch is a fast-paced, poignant sports mystery about family, racism, and community.

Max and his community are reeling from a night out gone wrong. Max and his friends Joey and Will went out with two older boys, but Will ended up unconscious and in a coma, and Joey won’t speak to Max anymore. Max also has ADHD and is over six feet tall at 11, which means he stands out in his class. Frustrated that he can’t figure out what happened to Will, Max teams up with an inquisitive classmate, but the truths he unravels aren’t pretty. Can Max get to the bottom of this mystery? A Perfect Mistake is a pitch-perfect middle grade mystery about honesty, peer pressure, and standing up for what’s right.