As a kid, my summers were spent hanging out at the library reading Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys. I loved a good mystery, and not much has changed in that department.
With summer reading in full swing, I’ve picked six of my favorite middle grade mysteries to share. They weren’t around when I was a kid, but discovering them as an adult was just as magical. Reading them satisfied the mystery-loving kid in me and reminded me why I fell in love with the genre in the first place. Each one is packed with clever clues, memorable characters, page-turning suspense, and the challenge of solving the mystery before the final reveal.
I hope one of these mysteries piques your interest, sparks your inner detective, and keeps you guessing until the very last page.
Happy sleuthing!
THE SECRET FILES OF FAIRDAY MORROW by Stephanie Robinson & Jessica Haight
Fans of classic detective stories, The Mysterious Benedict Society, and the Secret Series will devour this illustrated middle-grade adventure that follows three curious sleuths as they investigate a mysterious, old house with some hidden secrets.
Eleven-year-old Fairday Morrow is less than thrilled that her family is moving thousands of miles from civilization to the quiet country town of Ashpot, Connecticut, where she’s absolutely certain she’ll die of boredom.
As if leaving New York City and her best friend, Lizzy, the only other member of the elite Detective Mystery Squad (DMS), weren’t bad enough, Fairday is stuck living in the infamous Begonia House, a creepy old Victorian with dark passageways, a gigantic dead willow tree, and a mysterious past.
Before she can even unpack, strange music coming from behind a padlocked door leads Fairday up a spiral staircase and into a secret room, where an ancient mirror, a brass key, and a strange picture of a red-haired lady are the first in a series of clues that takes the members of the Detective Mystery Squad on an amazing adventure.
THE FRAME-UP by Wendy McLeod MacKnight
When Sargent Singer discovers that the paintings in his father’s gallery are alive, he’s pulled into a captivating world behind the frame he never knew existed.
When Sargent Singer discovers that the paintings in his father’s gallery are alive, he is pulled into a captivating world behind the frame that he never knew existed.
Filled with shady characters, devious plots, and a grand art heist, this inventive mystery-adventure celebrates art and artists and is perfect for fans of Night at the Museum and Blue Balliett’s Chasing Vermeer.
There’s one important rule at the Beaverbrook Gallery—don’t let anyone know the paintings are alive. Mona Dunn, forever frozen at thirteen when her portrait was painted by William Orpen, has just broken that rule. Luckily twelve-year-old Sargent Singer, an aspiring artist himself, is more interested in learning about the vast and intriguing world behind the frame than he is in sharing her secret.
And when Mona and Sargent suspect shady dealings are happening behind the scenes at the gallery, they set out to find the culprit. They must find a way to save the gallery—and each other—before they are lost forever.
THE TONTINE CAPER by Dianne Salerni
Clue meets Knives Out for the younger set in this twisty-turny middle grade mystery-comedy with dry humor, impeccable plotting, and fun interactive bonus content.
Eleven-year-old orphan Nico Lombardi has been unfairly indentured at a remote mountain inn for five years now.
Just as he gathers the courage to escape, the inn gets booked by the remaining members of a “tontine,” an investment scheme where a cash prize is awarded to whomever lives the longest. In other words, every guest wants access to the fortune. Preferably as soon as possible.
During their stay, a chaotic race to control the fate of the tontine takes over the normally sleepy inn. Nico watches in horror as a series of comically disastrous events unfolds—some of which might aid his escape, and some of which might get him in big trouble. Before he can even put the right clues together, three unexpected revelations change the course of everyone’s future!
Arch humor and an incredible cast of strange and calculating characters keep the pages turning in this Wes Anderson-esque mystery filled with funny mishaps and misunderstandings.
THE CASSETTE TAPE SECRET by Danielle Herzog
Written by a lifelong educator, The Cassette Tape Secret addresses sensitive subjects with a light touch as middle-grade readers solve a mystery alongside characters who are finding their place in a world that might not easily understand them.
Thirteen-year-old Alex Bennett is used to being overlooked by his classmates. From being bullied due to his OCD, he’s learned that being invisible is the safest option. So he’s unprepared when the new girl, Ida May, requests to partner with him on a school project. And he is even more unprepared when the project she wants to work on reveals a mysterious message left on a cassette tape—one that leads the pair to a box buried in Alex’s front yard.
Soon, Alex finds himself knee-deep in a mystery he wanted no part of. Urged on by his therapist and Ida May, he’s forced to step out of his carefully created comfort zone to untangle the complicated history he and Ida May have uncovered. But the more time Alex spends with Ida May, the more he wonders if the friendship growing between them is real or if she’ll leave as soon as the mystery is solved. As he and Ida May close in on the answers they’ve been searching for, Alex begins to understand that not everything is as it seems on the surface, and that maybe he doesn’t have to hide his OCD—or himself—from the world.
THE CURIOUS CAT SPY CLUB by Linda Joy Singleton
No one at school knows that Kelsy, Becca, and Leo are secretly friends. They have nothing in common―until they rescue three kittens and form a club to help animals through volunteering, spying, and solving mysteries.
Kelsey helps catch a runaway zorse (horse + zebra) with the help of the nicest and most popular girl in school, Becca. The two are walking home when they happen upon a litter of kittens trapped in a dumpster and Leo is the only person around who can help get them out. The three unlikely friends decide to work together to help solve animal crimes with their secret club.
FLIP TURNS by Catherine Arguelles
2023 Moonbeam Awards Silver Medalist (Pre-Teen Fiction – Mystery)
Thirteen-year-old Maddie just wants her classmate Lucas to leave her alone. He keeps asking her out—as if she hasn’t already said no a thousand times! Focusing on her competitive swim team, the Electric Eels, Maddie tries to ignore him, hoping he’ll stop harassing her.
But then, when someone starts sabotaging Maddie’s family-owned pool—glass on the deck, ketchup in the pool, followed by a “code brown”—Maddie worries it’s her “admirer” trying to get even. After Maddie’s parents rule the problems at the pool just harmless pranks, Maddie and her best friend, Ez, decide to investigate on their own. Could it be Lucas? And how can Maddie get him to leave her alone once and for all? The future of the Electric Eels and Maddie’s family legacy are on the line.
If you discover a new favorite, don’t forget to tell a friend and leave a review. Word of mouth is one of the best gifts you can give an author.
Enjoy!
Lisa
