It's a Mystery!
Books for Curious Kids and Teens
Compiled by Merri V. Lindgren and Megan Schliesman© ©2007 Cooperative Children's Book Center
Looking for suspense? Intrigue? Surprise? Revelation? The books below offer children and teens one or more of these hard-to-resist qualities. This bibliography was developed for the 2007 Wisconsin Summer Library Reading Program: Get a Clue at Your Library. The CCBC age recommendation for each book is provided. For the two Fiction categories, it should be noted that many books have a potential audience above or below that indicated by the name of the category into which the books have been grouped.
Click on underlined book titles to see the CCBC review of the book, and/or the cover image.
Books of Information
Allen, Tomas B.. George Washington, Spymaster : How America Outspied the British and Won the Revolutionary War . Illustrated by Cheryl Harness. National Geographic, 2004. 184 pages. Ages 8-13
Allen, Thomas B.. Harriet Tubman, Secret Agent: How Daring Slaves and Free Blacks Spied for the Union During the Civil War. Illustrated by Carla Bauer. National Geographic, 2006. 191 pages. Ages 11-15
Bledsoe, Lucy Jane. How To Survive in Antarctica. Holiday House, 2006. 101 pages. Ages 9-14
Chandra, Deborah and Madeleine . George Washington's Teeth. Illustrated by Brock Cole. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2003. Ages 7-11
Deem, James M.. Bodies From the Ash: Life and Death in Ancient Pompeii. Houghton Mifflin, 2005. 50 pages. Ages 9-14
Dendy, Leslie and Mel Boring . Guinea Pig Scientists : Bold Self-Experimenters in Science and Medicine. Illustrated by C.B. Mordan. Henry Holt, 2005. 213 pages. Ages 10-15
Fleischman, John. Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story about Brain Science. Houghton Mifflin, 2002. Ages 10 - 14
Fleischman, Sid. Escape! The Story of the Great Houdini. Greenwillow / HarperCollins, 2006. 210 pages. Ages 10-14
French, Vivian. T. Rex. Illustrated by Allison Bartlett. Candlewick Press, 2004. 32 pages. Ages 2 - 5
Getz, David. Frozen Man. Illustrated by Peter McCarty. A Redfeather Book/Henry Holt, 1994. Ages 8 - 16
Gibbons, Gail. Ice Cream: The Full Scoop. Holiday House, 2006. 32 pages. Ages 4-8
Giblin, James Cross. Secrets of the Sphinx . Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline. Scholastic Press, 2004. 48 pages. Ages 8-14
Gillette, J. Lynett. Dinosaur Ghosts: The Mystery of Coelophysis. Illustrated by Douglas Henderson. Dial, 1997. Ages 5 - 11
Greenstein, Elaine. Ice-Cream Cones for Sale! . Arthur A. Levine, 2003. 36 pages. 6-10
Janeczko, Paul B. . Top Secret: A Handbook of Codes, Ciphers, and Secret Writing. Illustrated by Jenna LaReau. Candlewick, 2004. 136 pages. Age 9 and older
Levine, Karen. Hana's Suitcase: A True Story.. Albert Whitman, 2003. 120 pages.
Palotta, Jerry. The Skull Alphabet Book. Illustrated by Ralph Masiello. Charlesbridge, 2002. 32 pages. Ages 7 - 10
Quinlan, Susan E. . The Case of the Monkeys that Fell from the Trees and Other Mysteries in Tropical Nature. Boyds Mills Press, 2003. Ages 10 - 14
Quinlan, Susan E. . The Case of the Mummified Pigs : and Other Mysteries in Nature . Illustrated by Jennifer Owings Dewey. Boyd Mills Press, 1995. 128 pages. 10-14
Sayre, April Pulley. Stars Beneath Your Bed: The Surprising Story of Dust. Illustrated by Ann Jonas. Greenwillow Books / HarperCollins, 2005. 24 pages. Ages 5-8
Skurzynski, Gloria. Are We Alone? Scientists Search for Life in Space. National Geographic, 2004. 92 pages. Ages 9-14
Tavares, Matt. Mudball. Candlewick, 2005. 32 pages. Ages 4-8
Thimmesh , Catherine. Madam President: The Extraordinary, True (and Evolving) Story of Women in Politics. Illustrated by Douglas B. Jones. Houghton Mifflin, 2004. 80 pages. Ages 9-13Picture Books
Browne, Anthony. Into the Forest. Candlewick Press, 2004. 28 pages. Ages 6 - 10
Falconer, Ian. Olivia...and the Missing Toy. An Anne Schwartz Book/Atheneum, 2003. 32 pages. Ages 4 - 8
Fleming, Denise. The Cow Who Clucked. Henry Holt, 2006. 32 pages. Ages 2-5
French, Simon. Guess the Baby. Illustrated by Donna Rawlins. U.S. edition: Clarion, 2002. 32 pages. Ages 3-5
Geisert, Arthur. Mystery. Houghton Mifflin, 2003. 32 pages. 6-9
Geisert, Arthur. Nursery Crimes. Walter Lorraine/Houghton Mifflin, 2001. Ages 4 - 8
George, Lindsay Barrett. Around the World : Who's Been Here?. Greenwillow, 1999. 42 pages. 3-6
George, Lindsay Barrett. In the Garden, Who's Been Here?. Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 2006. 40 pages. 3-6
George, Lindsay Barett. In the Snow: Who's Been Here?. Greenwillow, 1999. Ages 3 - 6
George, Lindsay Barrett. In the Woods: Who's Been Here?. Greenwillow, 1995. Ages 3 - 6
Hearne, Betsy. Who's in the Hall? A Mystery in Four Chapters. Illustrated by Christy Hale. Greenwillow, 2000. 32 pages. Ages 6 - 9
Hoban, Tana. Cubes, Cones, Cylinders & Spheres. Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins, 2000. Ages 5 - 9
Lehman, Barbara. The Red Book. Houghton Mifflin, 2004. 32 pages. Ages 5 - 10
Lehman, Barbara. Museum Trip. Houghton Mifflin, 2006. 40 pages. Ages 6-9
Rogers, Gregory. The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard . A Neal Porter Book / Roaring Brook Press, 2004. 32 pages. 6-12
Ryan, Pam Muñoz. Mice and Beans. Illustrated by Joe Cepeda. Scholastic Press, 2001. Ages 4 - 7
Seeger, Laura Vaccaro. The Hidden Alphabet. Roaring Book Press, 2003. 32 pages. 4 and older
Shannon, George. Tomorrow's Alphabet. Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 1996. 56 pages. 4-9
Shannon, George. White Is for Blueberry. Illustrated by Laura Dronzek. Greenwillow / HarperCollins, 2005. 32 pages. Ages 2-7
Wheeler, Lisa. Seadogs: An Epic Ocean Operetta. Illustrated by Mark Siegel. A Richard Jackson Book / Atheneum, 2004. 40 pages. Ages 7-12
Wiesner, David. Flotsam. Clarion, 2006. 40 pages. Ages 5-9Beginning Readers
Ahlberg, Alan. The Cat Who Got Carried Away. Illustrated by Catherine McEwan. Candlewick Press, 2003. 79 pages. Ages 7 - 9
Banks, Kate. Howie Bowles, Secret Agent. Illustrated by Issac Millman. Frances Foster Books/Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1999. 89 pages. Ages 7 - 9
Bauer, Marion Dane. Bear's Hiccups. Illustrated by Diane Dawson Hearn. Holiday House, 1998. 48 pages. 5-8
Cushman, Doug. Inspector Hopper. HarperCollins, 2000. 65 pages. 4-7
Cushman, Doug. Inspector Hopper's Mystery Year . HarperCollins, 2003. 64 pages. 5-8
Horowitz, Ruth. Breakout at the Bug Lab. Illustrated by Joan Hollub. Dial, 2001. 48 pages. 5-7
Tashjian, Janet. Marty Frye, Private Eye. Illustrated by Laurie Keller. Henry Holt, 1998. 78 pages. 6-8Fiction for Elementary and Middle-School Age
Abrahams, Peter. Down the Rabbit Hole: An Echo Falls Mystery. Laura Geringer Books / HarperCollins, 2005. 375 pages. Ages 9-13
Abrahams, Peter. Behind the Curtain: An Echo Falls Mystery. HarperCollins, 2006. 346 pages. Ages 9-13
Avi, . Crispin: The Cross of Lead. Hyperion, 2002. Ages 10 - 14
Balliet, Blue. Chasing Vermeer. Illustrated by Brett Helquist. Scholastic Press, 2004. 254 pages. Ages 9 - 12
Balliet, Blue. The Wright 3. Illustrated by Brett Helquist. Scholastic Press, 2006. 317 pages. Ages 9-12
Bauer, Marion Dane. The Blue Ghost. Illustrated by Suling Wang. Random House, 2005. 85 pages. Ages 7-10
Blackwood, Gary . Shakespeare Stealer. Dutton, 1998. 216 pages. 10-13
Blackwood, Gary . Shakespeare's Scribe. Dutton, 2000. 265 pages. 10-14
Boyce, Frank Cottrell. Millions. HarperCollins, 2004. 247 pages. Ages 9-14
Boyce, Frank Cottrell. Framed. HarperCollins, 2006. 308 pages. 9-13
Bruchac, Joseph. Skeleton Man. HarperCollins, 2001. 114 pages. 10-13
Chan, Gillian. The Carved Box. Kids Can Press, 2001. 232 pages. 10-13
Clarke, Judith. Starry Nights. U.S. edition: Front Street, 2003. Ages 10 - 14
Collins, Suzanne. Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods. Scholastic, 2005. 358 pages. Ages 9-14
Collins, Suzanne. Gregor and the Marks of Secret. Scholastic Press, 2006. 343 pages. Ages 9-14
Collins, Suzanne. Gregor and the Code of Claw. Scholastic Press, 2007. 412 pages. Ages 9-14
Collins, Suzanne. Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane. Scholastic Press, 2004. 320 pages. Ages 9 - 14
Collins, Suzanne. Gregor the Overlander. Scholastic Press, 2003. 311 pages. Ages 9 - 14
Crew, Gary. The Watertower. U.S. edition: Crocodile Books, 1998. 32 pages. Ages 9-14
Crossley-Holland, Kevin. The Seeing Stone: Book One in the Arthur Trilogy. U.S. edition: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2001. 342 pages. Ages 10 - 15
Curtis, Christopher Paul. Mr. Chickee's Funny Money. Wendy Lamb Books / Random House, 2005. 151 pages. Ages 8-11
Curtis, Christopher Paul. Mr. Chickee's Messy Mission. Random House, 2007. 240 pages. 8-11
DeFilippis, Nunzio and Christina Weir . Once in a Blue Moon (Volume 1). Illustrated by Jennifer Quick. Oni Press, 2004. 154 pages. Ages 10-15
DuPrau, Jeanne. The City of Ember. Random House, 2003. 270 pages. Ages 10 - 14
Funke, Cornelia. Inkheart. Translated by Anthea Bell. U.S. edition: The Chicken House/Scholastic, 2003. 534 pages. Ages 9 - 14
Funke, Cornelia. The Thief Lord. Translated by Oliver Latsch. Illustrated by Christian Burmingham. Chicken House/ Scholastic, 2002. 349 pages. 10-14
Gillem-Robinet, Harriette. Walking to the Bus-Rider Blues. Atheneum, 2000. 146 pages. 8-11
Kladstrup, Kristin. The Book of Story Beginnings. Candlewick Press, 2006. 360 pages. Ages 9-12
Konigsburg, E.L.. Silent to the Bone. Jean Karl/Atheneum, 2000. Ages 10 - 14
Lisle, Janet Taylor. The Art of Keeping Cool. Atheneum, 2000. 207 pages. 10-14
Machado, Ana Marie. From Another World. Translated by Luisa Baeta, from the Portuguese. Illustrated by Lucia Brandao. Groundwood, 2005. 136 pages. Ages 9-12
McKay, Hilary. The Amber Cat. Simon & Schuster, 1995. 134 pages. 8-12
Morgenstern, Susie. Secret Letters from 0 to 10. Translated by Gil Rosner. Viking, 1998. 137 pages. 10-13
Nilsen, Anna. Art Auction Mystery. Kingfisher, 2005. 48 pages. 8-12
Nilsen, Anna. Art Fraud Detective. Kingfisher, 2000. 48 pages. 8-12
Nilsen, Anna. The Great Art Scandal. Kingfisher, 2003. 48 pages. 8-12
Pullman, Philip. Clockwork. U.S. edition: Arthur A. Levine Books, 1998. 112 pages. Ages 10 - 14
Renier, Aaron. Spiral-Bound: Top Secret Summer. Top Shelf , 2005. 178 pages. Ages 8-15
Rodda, Emily. Rowan and the Keeper of the Crystal/Rowan and the Zebak. U.S. edition: Greenwillow, 2002. Ages 8 - 11
Rodda, Emily. Rowan of Rin. U.S. edition: Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins, 2001. Ages 8 - 11
Rodda, Emily. Rowan and the Travelers. Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 2001. 170 pages. 8-11
Rodda, Emily. Rowan and the Ice Creepers . Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 2002. 198 pages. 8-11
Rodda, Emily. Rowan and the Zebak. Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 2002. 198 pages. 8-11
Schlitz, Laura Amy. A Drowned Maiden’s Hair: A Melodrama. Candlewick Press, 2006. 389 pages. Ages 9-12
Selznick, Brian. The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Scholastic Press, 2007. 533 pages. Ages 9-13
Skelton, Matthew. Endymion Spring. Delacorte Press, 2006. 392 pages. Ages 10-14
Springer, Nancy. The Case of the Missing Marquess: An Enola Holmes Mystery. Sleuth / Philomel, 2006. 216 pages. Ages 9-12
Springer, Nancy. The Case of the Left-Handed Lady: An Enola Holmes Mystery. Sleuth / Philomel, 2007. 234 pages. Ages 9-12
Stevenson, James. The Bones in the Cliff. Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 1995. 119 pages. 9-11
Thomson, Sarah L. . The Secret of the Rose. Greenwillow Books / HarperCollins, 2006. 296 pages. Ages 10-13
Yep, Laurence. The Case of the Goblin Pearls . HarperCollins, 1997. 179 pages. 8-11
Yep, Laurence. The Case of the Lion Dance. HarperCollins, 1998. 214 pages. 8-11
Yep, Laurence. The Case of the Firecrackers. HarperCollins, 1999. 179 pages. 8-11Fiction for Middle and High-School Age
Brooks, Kevin. Martyn Pig. U.S. edition: The Chicken House/Scholastic, 2002. Ages 14 and older
Brooks, Kevin. The Road of the Dead. Chicken House / Scholastic, 2006. 339 pages. Ages 13-16
Cormier, Robert. In the Middle of the Night. Delacorte Press, 1995. 182 pages. 13-16
Doherty, Berlie. Holly Starcross. Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 2002. 186 pages. 12-15
Doherty, Berlie. The Snake-Stone. Orchard Books, 1996. 166 pages. 12-14
Donnelly, Jennifer. A Northern Light. Harcourt, 2003. Age 14 and older
Fletcher, Susan. Alphabet of Dreams. Ginee Seo Books / Atheneum, 2006. 294 pages. Ages 11-15
García, Laura Gallego. The Legend of the Wandering King. Translated by Dan Bellm, from the Spanish. Arthur A. Levine Books / Scholastic Press, 2005. 213 pages. Ages 11-14
Hartnett, Sonya. Surrender. Candlewick Press, 2006. 248 pages. Age 13 and older
Hartnett, Sonya. Stripes of the Sidestep Wolf. Candlewick, 2005. 208 pages. Ages 14 and older
Hautman, Pete. Invisible. Simon & Schuster, 2005. 160 pages. Ages 12-15
Hautman, Pete. Sweetblood. Simon & Schuster, 2003. 180 pages. 12-15
Hiaasen, Carl. Hoot. Alfred A. Knopf, 2002. Ages 11 - 15
Hiassen, Carl. Flush. Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. 263 pages. Ages 11-14
Larbalestier, Justine. Magic Lessons. U.S. edition: Razorbill / Penguin, 2006. 275 pages. Age 13 and older
Larbalestier, Justine. Magic or Madness. Razorbill / Penguin, 2005. 271 pages. Ages 12-15
Leavitt, Martine. Keturah and Lord Death. Front Street, 2006. 216 pages. Age 12 and older
Macaulay, David. Motel of the Mysteries. Scholastic, 1993. 95 pages. 12 and older
Mahy, Margaret. Alchemy. Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2003. 207 pages. Age 13 and older
McNaughton, Janet. The Secret Under My Skin. U.S. edition: Eos / HarperCollins, 2005. 264 pages. Ages 12-16
Moriarty, Jaclyn. The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie. Arthur A. Levine Books / Scholastic, 2006. 496 pages. Age 12 and older
Moriarty, Jaclyn. The Year of Secret Assignments. Arthur A. Levine Books / Scholastic Press, 2004. 340 pages. Ages 14-17
Oppel, Kenneth. Airborn. Eos / HarperCollins, 2004. 355 pages. Ages 11 - 14
Peck, Richard. The RIver Between Us. Dial, 2003. 164 pages. 13-16
Peet, Mal. Keeper. U.S. edition: Candlewick Press, 2005. 225 pages. Ages 12-16
Riordan, Rick. The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson & the Olympians: Book 2). Miramax / Hyperion, 2006. 279 pages. Ages 10-15
Riordan, Rick. The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson & the Olympians: Book 1). Miramax Books / Hyperion, 2005. 375 pages. Ages 11-15
Roman, Dave . Agnes Quill: An Anthology of Mystery. SLG, 2006. 130 pages. 12-15
Sayres, Meghan Nuttall. Anahita’s Woven Riddle. Amulet Books / Harry N. Abrams, 2006. 352 pages. Ages 11-15
Schmidt, Gary. First Boy. Henry Holt, 2005. 197 pages. Ages 11-14
Thompson, Kate. Fourth World (The Missing Link Trilogy: Book One). Bloomsbury, 2005. 316 pages. Ages 12-15
Thompson, Kate. Only Human (The Missing Link Trilogy: Book Two). Bloomsbury, 2006. 312 pages. Age 12 and older
Thompson, Kate. The New Policeman. U.S. edition: Greenwillow / HarperCollins, 2007. 441 pages. Ages 11-15
Turner, Megan Whalen. The Thief. Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 1996. 219 pages. 11-14
Turner, Megan Whalen. The King of Attolia. Greenwillow / HarperCollins, 2006. 387 pages. Ages 11-14
Turner, Megan Whalen. The Queen of Attolia. Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 2000. 279 pages. 11-14
Westerfeld, Scott. So Yesterday. Razorbill, 2004. 225 pages. Ages 13-17
This list may be reproduced and distributed by educational and/or nonprofit organizations so long as credit is given to the Cooperative Children's Book Center, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
