‘Elementary, my dear Watson!’
Words a young Sherlock Holmes might utter, when asked if they enjoy a good mystery read!
Truth be told, all those young sleuths out there just love to make hypotheses vis a vis the fascinating ‘Whodunit’ mysteries they read. Indeed, hypotheses that might even come true in the end.
The truth is, mystery books for kids allow children the most wonderful opportunity to ‘think differently’. To step out of their comfort zones, so to speak. In this article from the EuroKids team, we present to you our list of what we believe to be the best mystery books for kids.
Looking for some good mystery books for kids? Begin your very own detective hunt, with a look at the benefits of reading mystery books.
Table of Contents
- The Benefits of Reading Mystery Books for Kids
- The Best Mystery Books for Kids: 12 Mystery Books every Child should Read
The Benefits of Reading Mystery Books for Kids
The benefits of reading mystery books are indeed profound, especially where it comes to our little ones.
- They encourage children to pay Attention to Details
- They teach children to ‘Think Outside the Box’
- They teach your little one about Justice
‘God is in the details’, they say. Well, so is the ‘murderer’ in the story! When they pay attention to details thus, they are preparing themselves well for real life, too!
Thinking outside the box is easier said than done! One of the cool benefits of reading mystery books is, it helps children think in fresh, innovative ways!
When children read mystery books, they are introduced to the subtleties of what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’.
The Best Mystery Books for Kids: 12 Mystery Books Every Child Should Read
Looking for some good mystery books for kids?
Presenting the best mystery books for kids that every child should read, including reasons why they should read them!
- The Sleepover Mystery
- What the Ladybug Heard
- Nate the Great Series
- Face on the Milk Carton
- The Haunted Library Series
- The Eleventh Hour
- The Extraordinary Case of Sherlock Holmes
- Young Cam Jensen and the Baseball Mystery
- Betty’s Burgled Bakery
- Hatty Harmony: Worry Detective
- Invisible
- Judy Moody, Girl Detective
By Holly Webb, illustrated by Sarah Lodge
All kids love the concept of sleepovers, so they will absolutely love a mystery story for kids that involves, well, a sleepover!
Highlights
A kitten gets in an argument with her friends, before she disappears. One has to follow the clues, to see where the little feline is hiding!
By Julia Donaldson
If you’re looking for a cool ‘picture mystery book’, this one’s probably the best.
Highlights
A bunch of thieves break into a noisy farmyard, and steal a cow. The onus lies on the tiny ladybug, to save the day and find the prized cow!
By Marjorie Weinman Shermat, illustrated by Marc Simont
Great to get kids into the habit of reading books in the ‘series’ format.
Highlights
Nate the wonderful protagonist, accompanied by his trustworthy dog Sludge, collects all kinds of clues to solve cases like ‘disappearing’ pets and books.
By Caroline B. Cooney
A great story about family, love and friendship
Highlights
Janice would never notice the faces of children on the milk cartons, but one day she does. Taking a closer look, she sees it is ‘her’!
By Dori Hilestad Butler, illustrated by Aurore Damant
This one’s for those who want ‘not-too-scary’ reads!
Highlights
A strong gust of wind leads to a ghost boy named Kaz, being separated from his family. He finds himself in a library where he teams up with a girl called Claire who can see ghosts, to find his family.
By Graeme Base
Great for kids who love animal stories.
Highlights
An elephant called Horace throws an extravagant costume bash on his eleventh birthday, When he finds the elaborate spread ‘polished’, the mystery of finding the friend who did the unthinkable, begins!
By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Our list of mystery books for kids would simply not be complete, without a book about the greatest detective of all time!
Highlights
A collection of 8 mystery stories that include the infamous ‘The Speckled Band’, this one showcases some of the amazing ‘deductions’ made by the great Sherlock Holmes who is accompanied by his sidekick, Watson.
By David A. Adler, illustrated by Susanna Natti
This one’s for children who are ‘moving up’ vis a vis their reading skills.
Highlights
This book shows all the little sleuths out there that ‘seemingly unrelated’ details often hold the key to unlocking mysteries.
By Travis Nichols
For all the kids out there who are looking for a good mystery served with a dollop of ‘fun’!
Highlights
Betty owns a bakery that is looted by a notorious Bread Bandit, for goodies ranging from crackers to cornbread! It’s the animal detectives that have to step in, to save the day.
By Elizabeth Olsen and Robbie Arnett, illustrated by Marissa Valdez
A mystery book about ‘first-day jitters’ and friendship, is sure to catch the attention of kids!
Highlights
Young detective Hattie Harmony, is determined to get to the bottom of what is troubling her best friend Pearl, on the first day at school. Similarly, Hattie relies on Pearl to help control her anxiety when it blows out of proportion.
By Robert Swindell
Books with a touch of ‘magic’ are ever so cool!
Highlights
Rosie, the new girl in school, has a secret: she can turn ‘invisible’! When her dad is accused of a spate of robberies in the neighborhood, she and her friends get together to expose the real culprit.
By Megan McDonald, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
A great choice for early chapter book readers, this one.
Highlights
In this sweet mystery novel, Judy and her friends collect clues to find a canine-detective-in-training that has gone missing.
We at EuroKids give a big thumbs up to mystery books for kids. Have your child indulge in reading a book or two from our list of the top 12 best mystery books for kids, and watch the Junior Sherlock Holmes come to life!
