11 Great Middle Grade Mysteries & Thrillers
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By Jen Collins Moore
My twelve-year-old son loves mysteries nearly as much as I do, and we’ve spent many happy hours reading and talking about what’s going to happen next in our favorites. I hope you’ll find some new reads on this list.
1) Kate Milford’s Greenglass House Series—If you haven’t read these yet, visit your favorite library or bookstore and request them RIGHT NOW. They are set in Nagspeake, a waterfront city that attracts more than its fair share of thieves and smugglers. There are mysteries to solve and puzzles to sort out, but the world-building in this series is what has my son racing through the pages to discover more and more about a place that seems like the world we live in, but has more and more quirks with each installment.
2) Carl Hiaasen’s Juvenile Series—Did you know Carl Hiaassen, the master of dark humor, writes kids books? I didn’t either. But my son adores these Newbery Award-winning books set in South Florida. With titles like Hoot, Chomp and Scat, it’s clear animals play a big part in them, as do kids who show up the adults in their lives when problems need solving.
3) Sheila Turnage’s Mo & Dale Mystery Series— The (probably) world-famous Desperado Detectives Miss Moses LoBeau and Dale Earnhardt Johnson III star in this four-book series set in a tiny town in North Carolina. One part mystery and one part cultural immersion, these books are funny, sweet and heartbreaking.
4) Trenton Lee Stewart’s Mysterious Benedict Society Series—Brainy, hilarious thrillers that we just love. The series opens with a newspaper advertisement: “Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?” Four children answer the call which sends them on a secret mission to save the world.
5) Stuart Gibbs’ FunJungle Series—A kidnapped koala, a falsely accused lion and the possible murder of a hippo are just a few of the crimes Teddy Fitzroy, a twelve-year-old boy who lives at a state-of-the-art zoo and theme park, tackles in this action-packed series.
6) Stuart Gibbs’ Moon Base Alpha Series—Yep, another Stuart Gibbs, this time set in space. Twelve-year-old Dashiell Gibson is famous the world over for being one of the first humans to live on the moon, and he’s bored out of his mind. When the expedition’s head scientist is found dead, Dashiell has information that points to murder. Thriller and murder mystery with a heavy dose of humor, these books are page turners.
7) Stuart Gibbs’ Spy School Series—Ahem, another Stuart Gibbs. I tried to resist, but this series was too good to leave off. An awkward middle schooler gets recruited to a science school, only to learn it’s really a CIA academy. The danger and adventures that follow are even funnier than you’d expect.
8) Gordon Korman’s Swindle Series—No secret powers, no government agencies. This series features regular kids who aren’t even sure they’re friends on a mission to outsmart some bad guys in town. One review called it “Ocean’s 11 with eleven-year-olds,” and I have to agree.
9) John Grisham’s Theodore Boon Series—If there’s one thing you can count on, it’s that John Grisham is going to write a page turner, and this series for middle grade readers is just that. Set in a small Southern city, the son of two lawyers knows every judge, policeman and court clerk in town. He dreams of being a great trial lawyer, but right now he’s been dragged into a murder investigation and uses his skills to crack the case.
10) James Patterson’s Treasure Hunter Series—Say what you will about James Patterson, this author has cracked the code on writing stories that work. This series follows four siblings trying to get to the bottom of the disappearance of their famous treasure-hunting parents across continents and one step ahead of some very nasty villains.
11) Multi-Author 39 Clues Series—Scholastic calls this a “#1 bestselling phenomenon,” and it begins with a will from the scion of the world’s most powerful family offering beneficiaries an impossible decision: "You have a choice - one million dollars or a clue." The books, written by some of the biggest names in middle grade fiction, follow two siblings racing against their relatives to uncover their family’s secret. Lots of action, lots of puzzles, and a heavy dose of history make this a winner.
Photo by Ryan Bruce on Burst