Books

Cam Jansen and the Mystery of Gold Coins by David Adler
FIC ADL
Cam Jansen and the Mystery of Gold Coins is a fabulous story about a young detective who helps a store keeper to find his gold coins. If you like books about mysteries you may like this book. I like when they try to catch the crook. I give it  stars. 
Reviewed by Christopher in Mrs. Skerritt’s 5th grade class

Windcatcher by Avi
FIC AVI
While learning to sail during a visit to his grandmother's at the Connecticut shore, eleven-year-old Tony becomes excited about the rumors of sunken treasure in the area and starts following a couple who seem to be making a mysterious search for something.

Who Stole the Wizard of Oz by Avi
FIC AVI
Becky and her brother use some ingenious clues to identify the person who stole five children's books from the town's library.

Goody Hall by Natalie Babbitt
FIC BAB
The new tutor at Goody Hall is pleased with his job but can't help feeling there is something peculiar about the household.

Chasing Vermer by Blue Balliett
FIC BAL
This book was published in 2004. It has 254 pages. 
Chasing Vermeer is a fantastic story about a boy and a girl, Petra and Calder, who solve mysteries about a long lost painting. So, Petra and Calder find a lady that lives on their street who says she knows about the painting. It you read this book you’ll probably want to read The Wright Three, the next in the series. If you like books about wonderful mysteries you might like this one. I recommend this story which is a fantastic mystery about an old painting. This is an excellent book I give it  stars it is recommended for kids in 4th or 5th grade. 
Reviewed by Justice W. I am in Mr. Murray’s fifth grade class.

The Hessian’s Secret Diary by Lisa Banim
FIC BAN
During the summer of 1776, ten-year-old Peggy discovers a wounded soldier in the woods near her Brooklyn farm, and is convinced that his sketchbook contains the secret notes of a Hessian spy.

The Mummy, The Will, and The Crypt by John Bellairs
FIC BEL
Twelve-year old Johnny Dixon and his friend Professor Childermass look for the hidden will left by an eccentric cereal tycoon who wished to make life difficult for his heirs after his own death by suicide.

Shakespeare’s Secret by Elise Broach 
FIC BRO
Shakespeare’s Secret is an exciting book about a girl named Hero. She is looking for the Murphy Diamond. She meets a nice boy named Danny and together they look for the diamond in Hero's house. Hero breaks her sister’s lamp whale looking for the diamond. Will she find the diamond? Will she get in trouble? If you like books about kids who solve mysteries you might like this mystery book. I recommend this story because the plot is awesome and creative. The characters are smart and this book leaves you at the edge of your seat. It’s the best book I ever read. 
This is a mysterious book I give it stars.
Reviewed by Kayla H.

The Dark Stairs by Betsy Byars
FIC BYA
The intrepid Herculeah Jones helps her mother, a private investigator, solve a puzzling and frightening case.

Harvey’s Mystifying Raccoon Mix-Up by Eth Clifford
FIC CLI
Twelve-year-old Harvey and his bossy cousin Nora get involved with counterfeiters, imposters, and a pet raccoon when they find a prowler outside the house one night.

Room One by Andrew Clements
FIC CLE
This book was published in 1949. It has 162 pages. 
Room One is a fantastic story about a boy named Ted. While delivering newspapers Ted saw a face in an abandoned house. Was it a ghost? Read the book and find out. I recommend this mystery book because it is suspenseful, realistic, and visual. For example, when Ted went to the abandoned house to find what he saw. This is a magnificent book, I give it   stars. I recommend this book to students in 4th and 5th grades. 
Reviewed by Kayla in Mr. Murray‘s 5 grade class.

The Ghost Wore Gray by Bruce Coville
FIC COV
While staying at an old inn, two girls find a faded Civil War photograph of a Confederate soldier. They are stunned when the ghost of the soldier appears at the dinner table that night.

The Secret of the Caves by Franklin W. Dixon 
FIC DIX
The Secret of the Caves is a phenomenal story about a detective and his two sons who solve mysteries in the town of Bayport. JOE and Frank, the detective’s sons, are on there seventh case. The secret of the caves is about a man who has disappeared or maybe was kidnapped. When a secret code written in the man’s papers leads to the caves they find out the secret that is there. If you like books about crimes and detectives you might like this mystery book. I recommend this story because it is very detailed and has an awesome plot. This is a amazing book for students 3rd and up. 
I give it   stars. 
Reviewed by Michael D.

The Mystery of Mr. Nice (Chet Gecko series #2) by Bruce Hale 
FIC HAL
This book was published in 2000.  It has 96 pages.
The Mystery of Mr. Nice is a super story about two kids from Emerson Hicky Elementary named Chet Gecko, Natalie and a helper of a third grader named Popper. They have to solve the mystery of Mr. Nice because he is missing. Well at first Mr. Nice is acting very weird. So then, well, I won't give away the rest. Check this book out of your library and read this book. If you like books about adventures you might like this mystery book. I recommend this story because the characters do very creative stuff to solve this mystery. Also they get frightend over scary teachers. The last reason is they find out is Mr. Zero fake or real. 
This is a excellent book, I give it stars. 
Reviewed by Kayleigh S.

This Gum for Hire (Chet Gecko series #6) by Bruce Hale
FIC HAL 
This book was published in 2002. It has 115 pages. 
This Gum for Hire is an out of this world story about a detective gecko called Chet. He has an assistant called Natalie, she is a mockingbird. They have to find out why the football team is disappearing. If they don’t find out why they are disappearing this bully called Herman will beat him up because everyone is saying Herman has kidnapped them. Will Chet and Natalie find the football players or will he get his face rearranged? If you like books about animals talking and mysteries you might like this mystery book. I recommend this story because it is a book full of funny characters that are animals and the animals can talk. They are at an elementary school full of bullies that don’t know about anything except football. This is a hilarious book, I give it stars. It is recommended for students in 4th and 5th and maybe even 3rd grade. 
Reviewed by Zayd A. in Mrs. Auger’s 4th grade class.  

Mystery of the Mummy’s Mask by Florence Parry Heide
FIC HEI
The discovery of an ancient mummy mask involves the Spotlight Club detectives with unscrupulous art dealers and danger.

Mystery of the Forgotten Island by Florence Parry Heide
FIC HEI
The Spotlight Club detectives discover strange happenings and stage a thrilling rescue on a forgotten island in the north woods.

Bunnicula by James Howe 
This book was published in 1979. It has 92 pages. 
Bunnicula is a puzzling story about a bunny found at a movie theater. The cat Chester is trying to kill bunnicula because he thinks he is a vampire. Harold will help Bunnicula and Chester. Harold will normally help Bunnicula, but at first he helped Chester. If you like books about vampire bunnies you might like this fiction book. I recommend this story because this book is awesome because you don’t know what’s going to happen next. It is also mysterious because it’s puzzling about Bunnicula it’s superb because you think he does something but he usually decent. This an amazing book, I give it stars. I t is recommended for kids in third to fourth grade. 
Reviewed by Brian G. in Mr. Alnwick’s and Mrs. Katz’s fourth grade class.

Bunnicula is a scary story about a rabbit this book is very scary story to read. If you like to read scary books you might like this mystery book. I recommend this book to kids in 4th and 3rd grade. I give this   stars . 
Reviewed by Michael C. in Mr. Alnwick’s 4th grade class.

Bunnicula, the 25 anniversary, is a mysterious story about Chester, Harold, and Toby. Chester is a pet cat who is very suspicious about Bunnicula. Harold is the pet dog who is trying to tell Chester that Bunnicula is just a plain old bunny not a vampire. Toby is the little boy that found Bunnicula in the movie theater. If you like books about mysteries, vampires, or bunnies you might like this mystery book. I recommend this story because it is a great mystery book about a vampire bunny. I think the book is great because in the book Harold just pretends Bunnicula is not there unlike Chester who is so suspicious about Bunnicula. This is an amazing book, I give it stars. It is recommended for 5th and 4th graders. 
Reviewed by Breanna C. in Mrs. Auger’s 4th grade class.

Dew Drop Dead by James Howe 
FIC HOW

The book was published in 1990. It has 156 pages. 
Dew Drop Dead is a marvelous story about three young kids named Sebastian, Corrie, and David. They are trying to figure out who killed a man. They tried to figure out who killed him by looking for clues like looking for knives and blood. If you like books about mystery and adventure you might like this realistic fiction book. I recommend this story because I liked how James Howe used his language. The setting was in a house and that is what I liked because not a lot of stories take place in a house. This is an awesome book, I give it  stars. It is recommended for students in 3rd to 4th grade. 
Reviewed by Emily M. in Mr. Alnwick and Mrs. Katz’s 4th grade class.

Dew Drop Dead is an exciting story about Sebastian, the main character, and Corrie see a light on that’s never been on for years. The name of the plot is Dead Mans Hill, and the inn. They search in the house and they find things that are important to the story. If you like books about kid dectives you will like this story. If you like mysterys you will like this book even more. I recommend this story because it’s my favorite book. I also recommend this story because the genre is mystery and because the setting doesn’t change much. An example is the setting of dead mans hill lasted for 4 chapters. This is an excellent book, I give it  stars. I recommend for 4th and 5th graders. 
Reviewed by Brandyn in Mrs. Skerritt’s 5th grade class. 

The Curse of the Egyptian Mummy by Pat Hutchins
FIC HUT
A group of cub scouts run into a mystery on their campout, which begins with the discovery of a man dead from the bite of an asp.

The Mona Lisa Mystery by Pat Hutchins
FIC HUT
Class 3 of Hampstead Primary School takes a school trip to Paris and lands right into the middle of a mystery.

Mystery Madness by Otto Coontz
FIC COO
This book was published in 1982. It has 148 pages. 
Mystery Madness is a phenomenal story about figuring out who shot Murray’s housekeeper, his sister, or her friend Harry. Murray heard a shot over the phone, a scream, and then faint talking. When he meets a detective named Matt cloak he tells him what he heard and what he thought happened. He thought Harry shot the housekeeper because Harry was dating Murray’s sister and he was dating the housekeeper at the same time. If you like mystery and detectives you might like this book. I recommend this story because it is a phenomenal book that meant a lot. It is a really good mystery book. My favorite part was when they figured out who did it. This is a stupendous book, I give it  stars. It is recommended for 5th and up grade. 
Reviewed by Ryan S in Mr. Murray’s fifth grade class.

Us and Uncle Fraud by Lois Lowry
FIC LOW
Mysterious things begin to happen after Uncle Claude comes to stay with his sister's family. Is Uncle Claude a thief, an imposter, or just a dream weaver?

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
FIC RAS
The mysterious death of an eccentric millionaire brings together an unlikely assortment of heirs who must uncover the circumstances of his death before they can claim their inheritance.
(Newbery Award Winner)

The Absent Author (A to Z mysteries series #1) by Ron Roy
FIC ROY
The Absent Author is an entertaining story about three kids named Dink, Ruth Rose and Josh.  They try to find a missing author. The story takes place in a town called Green Lawn. They ask for clues about the Author.  If you like books about friends that are detectives you might like this mystery book.  I recommend this story because it is a good mystery.  It has exciting information and is funny.  
This is a spectacular book, I give it stars.
Reviewed by Kalani

The Vampire’s Vacation (A to Z mysteries #22) by Ron Roy 
FIC ROY
This book was published in 2004. It has 85 pages.
The Vampire's Vacation is an interesting story about three friends, Josh, Dink and Ruth Rose, that solve mysteries. Josh thinks the man in a supermarket is a Vampire. If you want to find out if he really is a vampire you have to check it out at your local library. If you like books about vampires you might like this mystery book. If you like mystery books then this is the book for you. This is a great book for students in 2nd grade to 5th grade.
I give this book   stars. 
Reviewed by Mariah D.

Vampire’s Vacation is a great story. The characters are Dink, Josh, Ruth Rose, Jimmy Jett, Mr. Linkletter, Ellie, and Mr. Paskey. The setting is Green Lawn. Green Lawn is where Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose think they see a vampire. Do they find him and know if he is a vampire? If you like books about A to Z Mysteries you might like this mystery book. I recommend this story because Ruth Rose, Dink and Josh go into the vampire’s hotel room and Ruth Rose meets the vampire. This is a good book because it is suspenseful. This is a great book, I give it  stars. It is recommended for students in 3rd and 4th grade. 
Reviewed by Anthony D. in Nassau School’s 4th grade class.

Deadly Waters by Gloria Skurzynski 
FIC SKU
Deadly Waters is a mysterious story about three kids.  Their parents are trying to save the endangered species of the manatee. The problem is that a stranger comes along in a boat and hits the manatee. The stranger took one of the kids’ cameras. If you like books about animals you will like this fantastic book. I recommend this book because it is sad, mysterious and funny. 
This is a long book, I give it stars. 
Reviewed by Timmy G.

Sammy Keyes and the Skeleton Man (#2) by Wendelin Van Draanen
FIC KEY
Sammy Keyes and the Skeleton Man is an excellent story about a guy that gets robbed on Halloween night. A girl named Sammy Keyes and her friends were trick-or-treating, and they saw a guy run out of a house called the Bushman house. They called that house the Bushman house because the guy that lived there had very, very tall bushes in front of his house. Sammy and her friends went inside the house to investigate why that kid ran out the house. Sammy Keyes tried to solve this problem while dealing with school. If you like books about problems and dealing with life at the same time you might like this mystery book. I recommend this story because there is a problem in the story and dealing with life at the same time. 
This is a wonderful book, I give it ! 
Reviewed by Charles W.

Sammy Keyes and the Runaway Elf  (#4) by Wendelin Van Draanen
FIC VAN
Sammy Keyes and the Runaway Elf is an enthusiastic story about Sammy Keyes and a mysterious elf. A prize Pomeranian has been kidnapped, and Sammy has to try to find the prize Pomeranian. The owner won’t stop at anything to find it. Sammy finds an elf that might know where the Pomeranian is. When she gets closer, Sammy finds out it was a little girl in the elf costume. If you like books about mystery, you might like this fictional book. I recommend this story because it shows enjoyable drama. It takes place some where dark in the fields. The elf may have something to do with the Pomeranian. It shows realistic evidence. It also shows picturing graphic. 
This is a suspenseful book, I give it stars. 
Reviewed by Aisham K.

Danger, Dolphins, and Ginger Beer by John Vigor
FIC VIG
While camping on Crab Island in the British Virgin Islands, twelve-year-old Sally and her two younger brothers rescue an injured dolphin and become involved in a dangerous adventure with mysterious strangers.

Trapped in Death Cave by Bill Wallace
This book was published in 1984. It has 170 pages. 
Trapped in Death Cave is a suspenseful story about a kid a kid named Gary who suspects his grandfather was murdered. When Gary finds a secret map to a hidden treasure written by his grandfather things start to go wrong. Gary soon finds out he is not the only one who knows about the treasure. Soon the other people who are looking for the treasure kidnap Gary’s best friend and leaves him to die. Will Gary be able to save his friend or will he be killed? If you like books about kidnappings you might like this mystery book. I recommend this story because it is very suspenseful and will leave you on the edge of your seat. It is thrilling and you never know what is going to happen next. This is an extraordinary book, I give it  stars. It is recommended for students in 5th grade. 
Hi, I am Michael ***** in Mr. Murray’s fifth grade class.

The Case of the Vanishing Spaceship by Jane Watson

FIC WAT
Rick accompanies his father to Alaska to investigate mysterious electronic signals which may be coming from an unidentified flying object that has been sighted in the area.

The Disappearing Bike Shop by Elvira Woodruff
FIC WOO
Fifth graders Freckle and Tyler meet an unusual bicycle salesman and inventor who turns out to be Leonardo da Vinci, traveling through time.

The Ghosts of Mercy Manor by Betty Ren Wright
FIC WRI
Twelve-year-old Gwen, an orphan who comes to live with the Mercy family, discovers that the house is haunted by the ghost of a sad-looking young girl and is determined to solve the mystery behind her appearances.

Series Books

A to Z Mysteries 
By Ron Roy 
FIC ROY

Bill Bergson series 

By Astrid Lindgren

FIC LIN

Boxcar Chilren

By Gertrude Chandler Warner

FIC WAR

The Bunnicula series 
Sebastian Barth series
By James Howe
FIC HOW

Hardy Boy series

By Franklin W. Dixon

FIC DIX

Hawkeye Collins series

By M. Masters

FIC MAS 

McGurk Mystery series

E. W. Hildick

FIC HIL

Nancy Drew series

By Carolyn Keene

FIC KEE

National Parks Mystery series

By Gloria Skurzynski & Alane Ferguson

FIC SKU

Sammy Keyes

By Wendelin Van Draanen

FIC VAN

(5th gr. only)