Hello, 4th grade friends! I miss seeing you in the Kearns Library, and can't wait to be back at Coe with all of you. In the meantime, I'll be visiting your classroom meetings, and contributing reading ideas for the genre you are studying right now - which happens to be one of my favorites. Check this page regularly, because I've been reading a couple of books a day, looking for the very best titles to feature in my new list: Mystery Book of the Day!
Mystery Book of the Day
Friday, June 12
The Wolf Keepers by Elise Broach – Lizzie lives in a zoo – literally. Her father is the director of John Muir Wildlife Park, near Yosemite. When Lizzie meets Tyler, a runaway living behind the elephant house, the two become friends, and they team up to discover the cause of a mysterious illness that is attacking the zoo’s new wolf pack.
Thursday, June 11 (Throwback Thursday)
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Koninsburg - In this classic mystery, Claudia and her little brother run away to live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where they become embroiled in the mystery surrounding a beautiful statue, previously owned by the eccentric and fabulous Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. In 2017 the Met invited young readers to come celebrate the 50th anniversary of From the Mixed-Up Files... Sadly, a sleepover in the museum was not included in the festivities.
Wednesday, June 10
Howard Wallace, P.I. by Casey Lyall – Howard does just fine without friends. He runs a one-kid private detective business at his middle school, and that takes up all his spare time. But when Student Council Treasurer Meredith hires Howard to find out who is trying to blackmail her into quitting student government, new kid Ivy convinces Howard that even the most hard-boiled detective he needs the help of a partner - and maybe a friend - sometimes.
Tuesday, June 9
Shakespeare’s Secret by Elise Broach – Unlike her popular older sister, sixth-grader Hero is having a hard time fitting in at her new school. Bored and lonely, Hero befriends her elderly neighbor, who tells her the tragic story of a missing antique necklace and the famous diamond which is rumored to be hidden in her new house.
Monday, June 8
The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity by Mac Barnett – Steve Brixton has always wanted to be a detective like the heroes of his favorite mystery books that he has read over and over. He needs all his sleuthing expertise when a school assignment goes terribly wrong, and Steve finds himself on the run from a gang of ruthless criminals, the Ocean Park Police Department, and the most elite, best trained secret force in the world: Librarians.
[NOTE: Title is not a typo!]
Friday, June 5
Girl’s Best Friend by Wendy Margolis - In this light-hearted whodunit twelve-year-old Maggie Brooklyn Sinclair investigates both the mysterious disappearance of neighborhood dogs and the increasingly eccentric behavior of her beloved landlady. Maggie and her twin brother Finn’s adventures take place in a vividly realized Borough setting.
Thursday, June 4 (Throwback Thursday)
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin - In this classic Newbery Medal-winning mystery, the baffling death of an eccentric millionaire unites a most unlikely group of heirs who must figure out the circumstances of his death before they can claim their inheritance.
Wednesday, June 3
Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman – The only good thing about Emily's family relocating yet again is that this time they have moved to San Fransisco, the home of Emily’s hero, Garrison Griswold, creator of the international Book Scavenger game. When Mr. Griswold is attacked on his way to announce an epic new Book Scavenger contest, Emily and her new friend James find the clue that Mr. Griswold left behind, and they must race the villains to the mystery's solution.
Tuesday, June 2
Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage – As a baby, Mo LoBeau was washed ashore in the tiny town of Tupelo Landing, North Carolina. Now eleven, Mo uses her powers of observation and her endless curiosity as she and her friend Dale try to solve a murder mystery, a long-ago bank robbery, and a kidnapping. Plus, there is a hurricane heading straight for Mo’s town. Will Tupelo Landing ever be the same?
Monday, June 1
Floors by Patrick Carman - Ten-year-old Leo lives and works in the wondrous Whippet Hotel with his father, the hotel's maintenance man. When the hotel's eccentric owner disappears Leo has to solve the clues he finds in a series of mysterious boxes and save his beloved Whippet Hotel from greedy developers, who want to tear it down and sell the valuable land that is home to the hotel and its gardens.
Friday, May 29
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein - Twelve-year-old Kyle is thrilled when he wins a contest to be one of 12 children chosen to for a sleepover in his town’s new library, which was designed by Kyle’s hero, the gamemaker Luigi Lemoncello. The kids don’t all get along, but in the morning, they discover that they are locked in the library and they must work together to solve secret puzzles in order to find their way out.
Thursday, May 28 (Throwback Thursday)
The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene – The first of the Nancy Drew series, this book was originally published 90 years ago! However, this classic mystery still offers real suspense as amateur sleuth Nancy searches for a missing will - without the benefit of modern technology. [NOTE: Carolyn Keene is the pen name used by the “ghost writers” of the Nancy Drew series. Most of the first 25 books were written by my favorite “Carolyn Keene”, who was named Mildred Wirt Benson.]
Wednesday, May 27
Loot by Jude Watson – After his father’s jewel heist in Amsterdam goes horribly wrong March McQuinn finds himself on the run with a ragtag band of “throw away kids.” The action is non-stop as March and his new friends race to solve the clues his father left behind, outwit master criminals, and pull off a heist of their own.
Tuesday, May 26
Samantha Spinner and the Super-Secret Plans by Russell Ginns – When Samantha's beloved Uncle Paul mysteriously vanishes, he leaves fabulous gifts for her siblings but only a dilapidated old umbrella for Samantha. But is Uncle Paul’s gift more than it seems? It’s up to Samantha to solve that mystery – and more... [NOTE: This book is set in Seattle!]
Monday, May 25
Hannah West in the Belltown Towers by Linda Johns - Hannah and her artist mother are house-sitters and Hannah earns extra money running errands. When a theft in their current address turns out to be part of a string of art heists Hannah uses her knowledge of the city to solve the case. [NOTE: This book is set in Seattle!]
Sunday, May 24
Charlie & Frog by Karen Kane – When his neglectful parents leave him with his grandparents in Castle-on-the-Hudson, Charlie finds himself in the middle of a mystery and must polish up his American Sign Language skills in order to solve it with his new friend Frog, a deaf girl who is part of the towns vibrant Deaf culture. Of course I love this book – the mystery starts in the town library!
Saturday, May 23
The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd - In this suspenseful novel, twelve-year-old Ted and his big sister Kat race to solve the mystery of their cousin's disappearance. Ted's "differently wired" brain complicates his relationship with his sister, but will it help him figure out what has happened to his cousin?
Friday, May 22
Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief by Wendelin van Draanen - Sammy, the feisty heroine of this action-packed mystery, has a lot to think about: starting middle school, avoiding the nosy neighbors at her grandmother's apartment building, and investigating a string of robberies. Sammy has a quick temper, but she also has quick wits, which she'll need to outsmart a determined criminal.