In addition to the still popular Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, and Encyclopedia Brown mysteries of my childhood, there are many wonderful new mysteries being written for readers age 8 to 12. Recent middle grade mystery books include: a crime solving ape, a choose-your-path series, the theft of a ring that belonged to Frida Khalo, a mystery involving the former Underground Railroad, children investigating a school vandalism incident, and a series inspired by Agatha Christie in which a young Hercule Poirot starts his detecting career in 1902 England. Books on this list also include stories about dognapping, missing masterpieces, stolen fossil bones, and lost treasure. There are puzzles, thrillers, and historical mysteries that will entertain anyone who enjoys the unraveling of a whodunit, and seeing justice meted out to the villains.

Ali Cross by James Patterson

Ali Cross has always looked up to his father, former detective and FBI agent Alex Cross. While solving some of the nation's most challenging crimes, his father always kept his head and did the right thing. Can Ali have the same strength and resolve?

J FIC PATTERSON

 

 

 

Ambrose Deception by Emily Ecton; with illustrations by Gilbert Ford

Chosen to compete for a lucrative scholarship, an overlooked girl, an underachiever, and a show-off begin traveling throughout Chicago to solve clues before discovering that the competition is a sham, a finding that compels the trio to secretly join forces.

J FIC ECTON

 

 

 

 

Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs

Twelve-year-old Teddy investigates when a popular Texas zoo's star attraction—Henry the hippopotamus—is murdered. A FunJungle novel.

J FIC GIBBS

 

 

 

 

The Body Under the Piano by Marthe Jocelyn; with illustrations by Isabelle Follath

A middle grade mystery series inspired by the childhood of Agatha Christie, and the creation of her most famous character, Hercule Poirot, follows the experiences of young Aggie Morton of 1902 England, who fatefully crosses paths with a 12-year-old Belgian immigrant at the same time they stumble onto a murder scene.

J FIC JOCELYN

 

 

Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman; with illustrations by Tadgh Bentley

After moving to San Francisco, 12-year-old Emily longs to meet a favorite author who lives nearby, unfortunately he is savagely attacked just before the release of his latest online puzzle series. 

J FIC BERTMAN

 

 

 

Charlie & Frog : A Mystery by Karen Kane

While staying with his grandparents in Castle-on-the-Hudson, Charlie stumbles upon a mystery, but must learn American Sign Language to keep up with Frog, a deaf girl who wants to help solve it.

 

J FIC KANE

 

 

Digging for Trouble by Linda Fairstein

Looking forward to sharing a quiet summer in Montana with her best friend, Dev participates in an paleontological dig that is sabotaged by a thief who has stolen priceless fossils, a case that leads him to the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan.

 

 

 

 

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library  by Chris Grabenstein

Twelve-year-old Kyle wins a coveted spot to be one of 12 children chosen to stay in the new town library—designed by his hero, the famous gamemaker Luigi Lemoncello—for an overnight of fun, food and games, but in the morning, the kids find all the doors locked and must work together to solve secret puzzles in order to discover the hidden escape route.

J FIC GRABENSTEIN

 

 

The Harlem Charade by Natasha Tarpley

Seventh-graders Jin, Alexandra, and Elvin come from very different backgrounds and circumstances, but they all live in Harlem, and when Elvin's grandfather is attacked, they band together to find out who is responsible. Their search leads them to an enigmatic artist whose missing masterpieces are worth a fortune, and into conflict with an ambitious politician who wants to turn Harlem into an historic amusement park.

 J FIC TARPLEY

 

 

It Wasn't Me by Dana Alison Levy

Six very different students transcend stereotypes to work together during a mandated detention when they are wrongly blamed for a vandalism incident.

J FIC LEVY

 

 

 

 

Kazu Jones and the Denver Dognappers by Shanna Holyoak; with illustrations by Shauna M. Holyoak

Eleven-year-old Kazuko, already well-known for "helping" the police, investigates a rash of dognappings, aided by her Japanese mastiff, Genki, and friends.

J FIC HOLYOAK

 

 

 

 Lost in the Tunnel of Time by Sharon M. Draper; with illustrations by Joshua Watson

Ziggy, Rico, Rashawn, and Jerome discover their hometown used to be a stop on the Underground Railroad, and set out to explore part of the tunnel right under their school. When a trapdoor slams behind them, locking them in the tunnel, there's only one thing they can do, plunge deeper into the darkness. Where will the tunnel lead them?

J FIC DRAPER

 

 

Me, Frida, and the Secret of the Peacock Ring by Angela Cervantes

A room locked for fifty years. A valuable peacock ring. Paloma Marquez is traveling to Mexico City, for the very first time. While in Mexico, Paloma meets Lizzie and Gael, who present her with a irresistible challenge: The siblings want her to help them find a valuable ring that once belonged to beloved Mexican Artist Frida Kahlo.

J FIC CERVANTES

 

 

 

Murder is Bad Manners by Robin Stevens

Forming a secret detective agency after discovering a shared talent for solving mysteries, two best friends at a 1930's boarding school tackle a first case when their science teacher dies and her body disappears.

J FIC STEVENS

 

 

 

The Murderer's Ape by Jakob Wegelius; translated by Peter Graves

When her best friend, the sailor Henry Koskela, is falsely accused of murder, a gorilla named Sally Jones visits the run-down docks of Lisbon, embarks on a dizzying journey across the seven seas, and calls on the Maharaja of Bhapur's magnificent court—all in an attempt to clear Henry's name.

J FIC WEGELIUS

 

 

Mystery in the Mansion by Lauren Magaziner

Complemented by interactive puzzles, a choose-your-path series debut introduces a budding young detective and his friends, who need the readers help deciding which suspects to interview, which questions to ask, and which clues to follow.

J FIC MAGAZINER

 

 

 

Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson

Spending the summer in Lambert, South Carolina, Candice discovers the letter that sent her grandmother on a treasure hunt. With her new friend Brandon, she sets off to expose the injustice once committed against a local African American family.

J FIC JOHNSON

 

 

 

Theodore Boone Kid Lawyer by John Grisham

Theo finds himself in court much sooner than expected. Because he knows so much—maybe too much—he is suddenly dragged into the middle of a sensational murder trial. A cold-blooded killer is about to go free, and only Theo knows the truth. The stakes are high, but Theo won't stop until justice is served.

J FIC GRISHAM

 

 

 

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