Summer is here, and that means plenty of time for reading! But after a challenging end to school, some might crave a break from anything too serious or difficult. A good mystery or adventure might be just the thing to get back on track, escape the world a little bit, and enjoy a bit of adventure. These middle grade mysteries feature engaging characters, fun dialogue, and bonus – many are part of a series so you don’t even have to think about what to read next!
Keep track of your reading with our summer reading program and you can earn prizes and more!
Aggie Morton Mystery Queen by Marthe Jocelyn
The first book in what Shelf Awareness dubbed a “pleasantly gruesome series” introduces readers to Aggie Morton, a 12-year old who lives in the English seaside town of Torquay in 1902. Adventurous and imaginative but deeply shy, Aggie hasn’t got much to do since the death of her beloved father . . . until the fateful day when she crosses paths with twelve-year-old Belgian immigrant Hector Perot and discovers a dead body on the floor of the Mermaid Dance Room! Inspired by the imagined life of Agatha Christie as a child and her most popular creation, Hercule Poirot.
City Spies by James Ponti
In this new series James Ponti brings together five kids from all over the world and transforms them into real-life spies. Sara Martinez is a hacker who recently broke into the New York City foster care system to expose her foster parents as cheats and lawbreakers. However, instead of being hailed as a hero, Sara finds herself facing years in a juvenile detention facility and banned from using computers for the same stretch of time. Enter Mother, a British spy who not only gets Sara released from jail but also offers her a chance to make a home for herself within a secret MI6 agency. Available in hard copy or as an ebook.
Also check out Ponti’s Framed series.
Notorious by Gordon Korman
Gordon Korman is back with Notorious, a funny, suspenseful mystery and unlikely friendship story. Keenan has lived all over the world but nowhere quite as strange as Centerlight Island, which is split between the United States and Canada. The only thing weirder than Centerlight itself is his neighbor Zarabeth, aka ZeeBee. ZeeBee is obsessed with the island’s history as a Prohibition-era smuggling route. She’s also convinced that her beloved dog, Barney, was murdered—something Keenan finds pretty hard to believe.
Also check out other Korman books Swindle, Zoobreak, and Restart.
Tyrannasaurus Wrecks by Stuart Gibbs
Gibbs writes fun, faced-paced mysteries with engaging dialogue. In this latest installment of the Funjungle series, Teddy Fitzroy returns as FunJungle’s resident sleuth to solve his most improbable mystery yet—with a victim that’s 65 million years old.
Don’t forget to check out Gibbs’ other series including Spy School, Moon Base Alpha, and Charlie Thorne.
