Early Readers Series Copies are available at both locations.
E Reader ADL “Young Cam Jansen” Series by David A. Adler.
Gr. 1-3. The eight year old detective with a photographic memory uses her skills to solve mysteries.
E Reader CUS Inspector Hopper by DougCushman.
Gr. K-2. This grasshopper detective solves crimes in the insect world. Also: Inspector Hopper’sMystery Year.
E Reader RYL “High Rise Private Eyes” Series by Cynthia Rylant.
Gr. 1-3. Private Detectives Jack Jones (a racoon) and Bunny Brown (a rabbit) solve the mysteries in this funny series.
E Reader SHA “Nate the Great” Series by MarjorieSharmat.
Gr. 1-3. Nate solves the mysteries with the aid of his trusty dog, sludge, in this classic series for young readers.
Early ChapterBook Series Copies are available at both locations .
J ADL & JP A “Cam Jansen” Series by David A. Adler.
Gr. 1-4. Spunky 10 year old Cam Jansen uses her photographic memory to solve crimes.
J CLI “Flatfoot Fox” Series by Eth Clifford.
Gr. 1-4. Flatfoot Fox, assisted by Secretary Bird, solves mysteries in the animal kingdom in this funny and engaging series.
J HAL “ Chet Gecko Mysteries” Series by Bruce Hale.
Gr. 2-4. Fourth grader Chet Gecko is a lizard gumshoe in this fast-paced series, loaded with silly jokes and crazy characters.
JP K “Nancy Drew Notebooks” by Carolyn Keene.
Gr. 1-4. Shorter version of the Classic “Nancy Drew Mysteries.” Also available for this level: “Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew.”
J ROY & JP R “A to Z Mysteries”Series by Ron Roy.
Gr. 2-4. Third graders Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose band together solve mysteries, one for each letter of the Alphabet. Also available by the same author: “Capital Mysteries.”
Chapter Books and Series Copies are available at both locations unless noted.
J ABR & TEEN FICTION Down the Rabbit HoleBy Peter Abrahams.
Gr. 6-9. 13 year old Ingrid Levine-Hill becomes involved in a murder mystery while practicing for a play of Alice in Wonderland . Plenty of plot twists and surprises make this book hard to put down! Also: Behind the Curtain .
J AME “History Mysteries” Series Various authors.
Gr. 4-7. Fans of the “American Girls” books will love these titles featuring girls from different periods in American History.
J AND The Last Treasure by Janet Anderson.
Gr. 5-8. Ghosts, family secrets, and long lost relatives surround 13 year old Ellsworth and his cousin Jess as they work together to uncover the secret treasure hidden away in an old family mansion.
J AND The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen by M. T. Anderson.
Gr. 5-8. Jasper, Katie and Lily solve a mystery at the Moose Tongue Lodge in this hillarious story which pokes fun at popular children’s series books from the Hardy Boys to Goosebumps. Part of the “M. T. Anderson’s Thrilling Tales” series.
J BAL Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliet.
Gr. 5-8. Petra and Calder, students at the University of Chicago Lab School, solve the mystery of a missing painting by Vermeer in this exciting story. Sequel: The Wright 3 .
J BEL & JP B“Johnny Childermas series,” “Anthony Monday series,” and “Lewis Barnavelt series” by John Bellairs.
Gr. 5-8. Filled with dark stomy nights, mysterious happenings and hauntings, these gothic mysteries are thrilling and chilling! They are good choices for fans of Lemony Snicket.
J BRO Shakespeare’s Secret by Elise Broach.
Gr. 4-7. When Sixth-grader Hero Netherfield moves to a new town, she uncovers the mystery of a enormous missing diamond rumored to be hidden in her new house.
J BRO Grooves: a kind of mystery by KevinBrockmeier.
Gr. 4-7. Copies available at the Main Building only . When Dwane Ruggles discovers that there is a message being transmitted from the ridges in his jeans and later from his potato chips, he bands with his friends Kevin and Emily to discover who the messages are coming from and why!
J BYA & JP B “A Herculeah Jones Mystery” Series by Betsy Byars.
Gr. 4-7. With a father who works as a police detective and a mother who works as a private-eye, Herculeah was destined to solve mysteries!
J COL Half Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer.
Gr. 4-7. When 12 year old private eye Fletcher Moon is hired by the pink-wearing “princess” of a group of Barbie-like girls, things aren’t what they seem. This clever and entertaining title is by the author of the popular “Artemis Fowl” series.
J CUR Mr. Chickee’s Funny Money by Christopher Paul Curtis.
Gr. 3-6. When Steven is given a quadrillion dollar bill for safe keeping, he is on the hunt to discover if it is real! By the author of the Newbery Award winning Bud, Not Buddy .
J DIX & JP D “Hardy Boys” Series by Franklin Dixon.
Gr. 4-8. This classic mystery series for boys features the adventures of brothers Frank and Joe Hardy. In addition to the traditional series, there is a new updated version in paperback called “Hardy Boys: Undercover Brothers”.
J ERI & JP E “Hank the Cowdog” Series by John R. Erikson.
Gr. 3-6. Hank the Cowdog, Head of Ranch Security, and his kooky sidekick Drover keep the peace in this funny series set in the Wild West.
J FIN “Lady Grace Mysteries” by Patricia Finney.
Gr. 4-8 . Copies available at the Main Building only . Lady Grace Cavendish solves mysteries while serving as a lady-in-waiting for Queen Elizabeth I of England in this series written in diary format.
J HAM & JP H The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton.
Gr. 5-8. Sequel: Mystery at Drear House . An African American family tries to unravel the secrets of their new home, which was once a stop on the Underground Railroad.
J HOE & JP H Time Stops for no Mouse: a Hermux Tantamoq Adventure by Michael Hoeye.
Gr. 5-8. First in a series. Copies available at the Main Building only . Hermux Tantamuq is a mouse watchmaker with a penchant for solving mysteries. When Linka Perflinger, a lovely mouse adventuress turns up missing, it is up to Hermux to find her!
J HOL “The Stink Files” Series by Jennifer L. Holm and Jonathan Hamel.
Gr. 3-5. Copies available at the Main Building only . James Edward Bristlefur is the pet of a famous British Secret Agent. When his owner is murdered, he ends up in an animal shelter in New Jersey and is adopted by a family who call him Mr. Stink! Now he solves mysteries while trying to uncover the identity of his owner’s killer!
J HOO & JP H The Ghost at the Tokaido Inn by Dorothy Hoobler.
Gr. 5-8. First in a series. 14 year old Seikei dreams of becoming a samurai. When he thinks he sees a ghost stealing a priceless jewel belonging to a powerful samurai, he must join Judge Ooka (a 18th-century Japanese version of Sherlock Holmes) to discover who or what is responsible.
J HOR “A Diamond Brothers Mystery” Series by Anthony Horowitz.
Gr. 5-8. Copies available at the Main Building only . 13-year old Nick Diamond is left to live with his bumbling older brother while his parents move to Australia. When his brother opens a Detective Agency, it is up to Nick to solve the crimes!
J KEE & JP K “Nancy Drew,” series by Carolyn Keene
Gr. 4-8. This classic girls’ series features the independent and resourceful Nancy Drew.
J KON From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg.
Gr. 4-7. When Claudia decides to run away from home and live in New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, she becomes interested in discovering the identity of the artist who sculpted a lovely little angel sculpture on display. Winner of the John Newbery Award.
J LAW & JP L “The Roman Mysteries” by Caroline Lawrence.
Gr. 4-7. This exciting mystery series is set in ancient Rome. Four children--Flavia Gemina, a ship owner's daughter; Jonathan, her neighbor; Nubia, an African slave; and Lupus, a beggar boy--join together to solve mysteries that are based on historical fact.
J MAC The Fall of the Amazing Zalindas by Tracy Mack and Michael Citrin. Gr. 4-8. Sherlock Holmes was assisted by a band of devoted boys who loved to solve mysteries called the Baker Street Irregulars. In this exciting tale, they help Sherlock Holmes solve the case of the deaths of the Amazing Zalindas.
J NAY Bodies in the Bessledorf Hotel by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.
Gr. 4-6. First in a series . Dead bodies which appear and disappear mysteriously are threatening to lose Bernie MacGruder’s father his job as manager of the Besseldorf Hotel. It’s up to Bernie to solve the mystery!
J RAS The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin.
Gr. 5 & up. The mysterious death of an eccentric millionaire brings together his heirs who must uncover who murdered him before they can claim their inheritance. Can you solve the mystery before they can? Winner of the John Newbery Award..
J ROB View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts.
Gr. 4-8. While spying on his neighbor from the branch of his favorite tree, Rob thinks he sees someone murder her. When he tells his family, no one believes him. Now “accidents” start happening to him, and It is up to Rob to identify the killer before he’s the next one to die!
TEEN FICTION RICHARDS Shadow Beast by Justin Richards.
Gr. 5-8. First in a series . A daring bank robbery leads the Invisible Detective gang down into the sewers, where they discover a hideous beast whose master is the bank robber.
J SKU “Mysteries in our National Parks” Series by Gloria Skursyznicki and Alane Ferguson.
Gr. 4-7. Siblings Jack and Ashley experience adventure and mystery while visiting our nation’s National Parks in this action packed series created by a mother/daughter team!
J SMI The Boys of San Joaquin by D. J. Smith.
Gr. 5-8. Copies available at the Main Building only . 12 year old Paolo gets involved in a mystery surrounding some missing money from the church collection plate in this humorous story set in 1951. Edgar Award winner.
J SOB & JP S “Encyclopedia Brown” Series by Donald Sobol.
Gr. 4-6. Each book in this classic mystery series includes 10 short story mysteries starring “America’s Sherlock Holmes in sneakers!” Readers are invited to solve the mysteries themselves before checking the answers at the back of each book.
J SPR The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer.
Gr. 4-8. First in a series. Enola Holmes, the sister of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes solves the case of a missing young Viscount while searching for her own missing mother!
J VAN & JP V Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief by Wendelin Van Draanen.
Gr. 4-7. First in a series. Sammy Keyes is perusing the neighborhood through binoculars when she spots something fishy at the Heavenly Hotel. She's sure she's just seen a robbery, now she just has to prove it!
J WAR & JP W “Boxcar Children”by Gertrude Warner.
Gr. 3-5. Four adventurous orphans take up residence in a boxcar and begin to solve mysteries in this popular series.
J WRI & JP W The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright.
Gr. 4-6. A dollhouse filled with a ghostly light in the middle of the night and dolls that have moved from where she last left them lead Amy to unravel the mystery surrounding grisly murders that took place years ago.
J YEP “Chinatown Mysteries” Series by Laurence Yep.
Gr. 4-7. In San Francisco’s Chinatown, Lily and her aunt, a Chinese-American movie actress, solve mysteries.
Copies are available at both locations.
E Reader ADL “Young Cam Jansen” Series by David A. Adler.
Gr. 1-3. The eight year old detective with a photographic memory uses her skills to solve mysteries.
E Reader CUS Inspector Hopper by Doug Cushman.
Gr. K-2. This grasshopper detective solves crimes in the insect world. Also: Inspector Hopper’s Mystery Year.
E Reader RYL “High Rise Private Eyes” Series by Cynthia Rylant.
Gr. 1-3. Private Detectives Jack Jones (a racoon) and Bunny Brown (a rabbit) solve the mysteries in this funny series.
E Reader SHA “Nate the Great” Series by Marjorie Sharmat.
Gr. 1-3. Nate solves the mysteries with the aid of his trusty dog, sludge, in this classic series for young readers.
Early Chapter Book Series
Copies are available at both locations .
J ADL & JP A “Cam Jansen” Series by David A. Adler.
Gr. 1-4. Spunky 10 year old Cam Jansen uses her photographic memory to solve crimes.
J CLI “Flatfoot Fox” Series by Eth Clifford.
Gr. 1-4. Flatfoot Fox, assisted by Secretary Bird, solves mysteries in the animal kingdom in this funny and engaging series.
J HAL “ Chet Gecko Mysteries” Series by Bruce Hale.
Gr. 2-4. Fourth grader Chet Gecko is a lizard gumshoe in this fast-paced series, loaded with silly jokes and crazy characters.
JP K “Nancy Drew Notebooks” by Carolyn Keene.
Gr. 1-4. Shorter version of the Classic “Nancy Drew Mysteries.” Also available for this level: “Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew.”
J ROY & JP R “A to Z Mysteries” Series by Ron Roy.
Gr. 2-4. Third graders Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose band together solve mysteries, one for each letter of the Alphabet. Also available by the same author: “Capital Mysteries.”
Chapter Books and Series
Copies are available at both locations unless noted.
J ABR & TEEN FICTION Down the Rabbit Hole By Peter Abrahams.
Gr. 6-9. 13 year old Ingrid Levine-Hill becomes involved in a murder mystery while practicing for a play of Alice in Wonderland . Plenty of plot twists and surprises make this book hard to put down! Also: Behind the Curtain .
J AME “History Mysteries” Series Various authors.
Gr. 4-7. Fans of the “American Girls” books will love these titles featuring girls from different periods in American History.
J AND The Last Treasure by Janet Anderson.
Gr. 5-8. Ghosts, family secrets, and long lost relatives surround 13 year old Ellsworth and his cousin Jess as they work together to uncover the secret treasure hidden away in an old family mansion.
J AND The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen by M. T. Anderson.
Gr. 5-8. Jasper, Katie and Lily solve a mystery at the Moose Tongue Lodge in this hillarious story which pokes fun at popular children’s series books from the Hardy Boys to Goosebumps. Part of the “M. T. Anderson’s Thrilling Tales” series.
J BAL Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliet.
Gr. 5-8. Petra and Calder, students at the University of Chicago Lab School, solve the mystery of a missing painting by Vermeer in this exciting story. Sequel: The Wright 3 .
J BEL & JP B “Johnny Childermas series,” “Anthony Monday series,” and “Lewis Barnavelt series” by John Bellairs.
Gr. 5-8. Filled with dark stomy nights, mysterious happenings and hauntings, these gothic mysteries are thrilling and chilling! They are good choices for fans of Lemony Snicket.
J BRO Shakespeare’s Secret by Elise Broach.
Gr. 4-7. When Sixth-grader Hero Netherfield moves to a new town, she uncovers the mystery of a enormous missing diamond rumored to be hidden in her new house.
J BRO Grooves: a kind of mystery by Kevin Brockmeier.
Gr. 4-7. Copies available at the Main Building only . When Dwane Ruggles discovers that there is a message being transmitted from the ridges in his jeans and later from his potato chips, he bands with his friends Kevin and Emily to discover who the messages are coming from and why!
J BYA & JP B “A Herculeah Jones Mystery” Series by Betsy Byars.
Gr. 4-7. With a father who works as a police detective and a mother who works as a private-eye, Herculeah was destined to solve mysteries!
J COL Half Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer.
Gr. 4-7. When 12 year old private eye Fletcher Moon is hired by the pink-wearing “princess” of a group of Barbie-like girls, things aren’t what they seem. This clever and entertaining title is by the author of the popular “Artemis Fowl” series.
J CUR Mr. Chickee’s Funny Money by Christopher Paul Curtis.
Gr. 3-6. When Steven is given a quadrillion dollar bill for safe keeping, he is on the hunt to discover if it is real! By the author of the Newbery Award winning Bud, Not Buddy .
J DIX & JP D “Hardy Boys” Series by Franklin Dixon.
Gr. 4-8. This classic mystery series for boys features the adventures of brothers Frank and Joe Hardy. In addition to the traditional series, there is a new updated version in paperback called “Hardy Boys: Undercover Brothers”.
J ERI & JP E “Hank the Cowdog” Series by John R. Erikson.
Gr. 3-6. Hank the Cowdog, Head of Ranch Security, and his kooky sidekick Drover keep the peace in this funny series set in the Wild West.
J FIN “Lady Grace Mysteries” by Patricia Finney.
Gr. 4-8 . Copies available at the Main Building only . Lady Grace Cavendish solves mysteries while serving as a lady-in-waiting for Queen Elizabeth I of England in this series written in diary format.
J HAM & JP H The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton.
Gr. 5-8. Sequel: Mystery at Drear House . An African American family tries to unravel the secrets of their new home, which was once a stop on the Underground Railroad.
J HOE & JP H Time Stops for no Mouse: a Hermux Tantamoq Adventure by Michael Hoeye.
Gr. 5-8. First in a series. Copies available at the Main Building only . Hermux Tantamuq is a mouse watchmaker with a penchant for solving mysteries. When Linka Perflinger, a lovely mouse adventuress turns up missing, it is up to Hermux to find her!
J HOL “The Stink Files” Series by Jennifer L. Holm and Jonathan Hamel.
Gr. 3-5. Copies available at the Main Building only . James Edward Bristlefur is the pet of a famous British Secret Agent. When his owner is murdered, he ends up in an animal shelter in New Jersey and is adopted by a family who call him Mr. Stink! Now he solves mysteries while trying to uncover the identity of his owner’s killer!
J HOO & JP H The Ghost at the Tokaido Inn by Dorothy Hoobler.
Gr. 5-8. First in a series. 14 year old Seikei dreams of becoming a samurai. When he thinks he sees a ghost stealing a priceless jewel belonging to a powerful samurai, he must join Judge Ooka (a 18th-century Japanese version of Sherlock Holmes) to discover who or what is responsible.
J HOR “A Diamond Brothers Mystery” Series by Anthony Horowitz.
Gr. 5-8. Copies available at the Main Building only . 13-year old Nick Diamond is left to live with his bumbling older brother while his parents move to Australia. When his brother opens a Detective Agency, it is up to Nick to solve the crimes!
J KEE & JP K “Nancy Drew,” series by Carolyn Keene
Gr. 4-8. This classic girls’ series features the independent and resourceful Nancy Drew.
J KON From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg.
Gr. 4-7. When Claudia decides to run away from home and live in New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, she becomes interested in discovering the identity of the artist who sculpted a lovely little angel sculpture on display. Winner of the John Newbery Award.
J LAW & JP L “The Roman Mysteries” by Caroline Lawrence.
Gr. 4-7. This exciting mystery series is set in ancient Rome. Four children--Flavia Gemina, a ship owner's daughter; Jonathan, her neighbor; Nubia, an African slave; and Lupus, a beggar boy--join together to solve mysteries that are based on historical fact.
J MAC The Fall of the Amazing Zalindas by Tracy Mack and Michael Citrin.
Gr. 4-8. Sherlock Holmes was assisted by a band of devoted boys who loved to solve mysteries called the Baker Street Irregulars. In this exciting tale, they help Sherlock Holmes solve the case of the deaths of the Amazing Zalindas.
J NAY Bodies in the Bessledorf Hotel by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.
Gr. 4-6. First in a series . Dead bodies which appear and disappear mysteriously are threatening to lose Bernie MacGruder’s father his job as manager of the Besseldorf Hotel. It’s up to Bernie to solve the mystery!
J RAS The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin.
Gr. 5 & up. The mysterious death of an eccentric millionaire brings together his heirs who must uncover who murdered him before they can claim their inheritance. Can you solve the mystery before they can? Winner of the John Newbery Award..
J ROB View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts.
Gr. 4-8. While spying on his neighbor from the branch of his favorite tree, Rob thinks he sees someone murder her. When he tells his family, no one believes him. Now “accidents” start happening to him, and It is up to Rob to identify the killer before he’s the next one to die!
TEEN FICTION RICHARDS Shadow Beast by Justin Richards.
Gr. 5-8. First in a series . A daring bank robbery leads the Invisible Detective gang down into the sewers, where they discover a hideous beast whose master is the bank robber.
J SKU “Mysteries in our National Parks” Series by Gloria Skursyznicki and Alane Ferguson.
Gr. 4-7. Siblings Jack and Ashley experience adventure and mystery while visiting our nation’s National Parks in this action packed series created by a mother/daughter team!
J SMI The Boys of San Joaquin by D. J. Smith.
Gr. 5-8. Copies available at the Main Building only . 12 year old Paolo gets involved in a mystery surrounding some missing money from the church collection plate in this humorous story set in 1951. Edgar Award winner.
J SOB & JP S “Encyclopedia Brown” Series by Donald Sobol.
Gr. 4-6. Each book in this classic mystery series includes 10 short story mysteries starring “America’s Sherlock Holmes in sneakers!” Readers are invited to solve the mysteries themselves before checking the answers at the back of each book.
J SPR The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer.
Gr. 4-8. First in a series. Enola Holmes, the sister of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes solves the case of a missing young Viscount while searching for her own missing mother!
J VAN & JP V Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief by Wendelin Van Draanen.
Gr. 4-7. First in a series. Sammy Keyes is perusing the neighborhood through binoculars when she spots something fishy at the Heavenly Hotel. She's sure she's just seen a robbery, now she just has to prove it!
J WAR & JP W “Boxcar Children” by Gertrude Warner.
Gr. 3-5. Four adventurous orphans take up residence in a boxcar and begin to solve mysteries in this popular series.
J WRI & JP W The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright.
Gr. 4-6. A dollhouse filled with a ghostly light in the middle of the night and dolls that have moved from where she last left them lead Amy to unravel the mystery surrounding grisly murders that took place years ago.
J YEP “Chinatown Mysteries” Series by Laurence Yep.
Gr. 4-7. In San Francisco’s Chinatown, Lily and her aunt, a Chinese-American movie actress, solve mysteries.