As a kid, I was obsessed with Scooby-Doo. Well, who am I kidding? I don’t think my love for that snack-inhaling, mystery-solving dog will ever fade (and I’ve got a pair of well-loved Chuck Taylors with Scooby and the gang printed on the side to prove it).
I always reveled in that part at the end of every episode where the crotchety old adult shook a fist in the air, declaring “And I would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren’t for you meddling kids!” I can’t say for certain what thrilled me more, watching the plans of one greedy grown-up after another fail or knowing it was a rag-tag group of teens that outsmarted them all. (Okay, I lied. It was the latter.)
My appreciation for kid sleuths may have begun with that mystery-solving foursome and their talking Great Dane, but they aren’t the only nosy kids around. If you’re seeking that sweet sense of nostalgia that old friends like Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Encyclopedia Brown, Cam Jansen and Harriet the Spy evoke, then I have a few contemporary sleuths you’ll be happy to meet.
Cancel your plans because these youngsters have invited you along on their summer vacations. Get ready to search for buried treasure, foil unsavory plots of theft and sabotage, solve a murder, and possibly prove the existence of a fabled creature.
The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson
The Parker Inheritance
by Varian Johnson
Tucked away in the attic of her grandmother’s South Carolina home, Candice Miller has found a letter. Addressed to her grandmother who left the town of Lambert on bad terms, this mysterious letter details an injustice that happened many years ago and contains a series of clues that promise to lead Candice to a great fortune. With help from her quiet neighbor, Brandon, Candice will venture deep into Lambert’s past, unearthing terrible secrets in her quest to finish what her grandmother started before summer ends. A 2019 Coretta Scott King Honor Book, The Parker Inheritance is a socially conscious novel that weaves America’s intolerant past into an irresistible mystery.
Chirp by Kate Messner
Chirp
by Kate Messner
The summer after seventh grade, Mia and her family move to Vermont. Not yet prepared to confront an incident with her gymnastics coach, Mia welcomes the change of scenery and looks forward to spending time with her grandmother, a retired entomology professor who has started a cricket farm. Mysterious incidents — power outages, sprinkler malfunctions and fruit fly infestations — begin to occur, and Gram and Mia begin to believe someone is trying to sabotage the cricket farm. But who could it be? Mia and her new friends are determined to uncover the culprit and save Gram’s home. Perhaps solving this mystery is just what Mia needs to muster the courage to tell someone her secret and trust herself again.
The Emperor’s Riddle by Kat Zhang
The Emperor’s Riddle
by Kat Zhang
11-year-old Mia Chen expected to spend her summer vacation with her friends. Her parents had other plans — a family trip to China. Although she’ll miss her pals back home, she’s looking forward to spending quality time with her Aunt Lin in her mother’s hometown of Fuzhou. When Aunt Lin suddenly disappears, Mia suspects it has something to do with a man named Ying and a missing ancient treasure. All Mia and her brother Jake have to help them find their aunt is an old map containing several riddles. If they can decipher the clues, maybe they can bring Aunt Lin home … along with an unbelievable treasure.
The Mystery at Turkelton Manor by Kraig Dafoe
The Mystery at Turkelton Manor
by Kraig Dafoe
Aspiring detective Nathaniel Jones is spending his summer vacation at the Turkelton Manor estate where Grandpa William is caretaker. When Nathaniel hears strange sounds late at night, he knows something is amiss. Suspecting foul play, he puts his detective skills to use and soon becomes convinced of a heinous plot to steal valuable paintings from the very wealthy Turkeltons; his efforts would be appreciated … were it not for the fact that nothing appears to be missing. Grandpa William tries to keep Nathaniel busy with chores to discourage his snooping, but Nathaniel won’t be deterred. Now, with help from the Turkelton children, Nathaniel will do whatever it takes to solve this mystery. (Read our review here.)
Purchase here.
High-Rise Mystery by Sharna Jackson
High-Rise Mystery
by Sharna Jackson
London’s hottest summer on record isn’t the only thing the city is chattering about. Sisters Nik and Norva have just made a terrible discovery … their neighbor Hugh, an antiques dealer, has been murdered. They’ve solved mysteries before, but nothing this big. While the police make little progress, the clever sisters put their own detective skills to use, and when the prime suspect in the investigation turns out to be their own father, they must work tirelessly to clear his name. Combining their unique investigative methods to crack the case, dynamic duo Nik and Norva may very well give Sherlock and Watson a run for their money.
Purchase here.
The Feather Chase by Shannon L. Brown
The Feather Chase
by Shannon L. Brown
12-year-old Sophie, a small-town, nature-loving girl, doesn’t have all that much in common with her big-city cousin, Jessica. Forced to spend the summer together, they’re unsure how they’ll get along. When they find a briefcase on their hike through the woods, adventurous Sophie believes it must be booby-trapped. Jessica thinks Sophie has watched one too many spy movies. The contents of the briefcase are odd and surprising. Then, just as the girls are in the middle of arguing over who the briefcase could belong to and why it was left out in the open, they hear a branch snap behind them. Now, they must run, and like it or not, they’ll have to work together to solve this mystery.
Summer of the Woods by Steven K. Smith
Summer of the Woods
by Steven K. Smith
Two brothers are on a mission to solve an old mystery and recover a lost treasure in this nostalgic tale reminiscent of the Hardy Boys. Derek and Sam have just moved to Virginia. It’s summer, and the boys are excited to explore the woods behind their new home. As they stomp through the trees and around the winding creek, Sam discovers an old coin, which leads him and Derek to a legendary mystery and an unsolved crime: 60 years ago, a rare and valuable coin collection was stolen from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. The boys are determined to crack this cold case, and they’ll scour the Virginian landscape — secret caves, hidden passageways and all — until they do.
Unplugged by Gordan Korman
Unplugged
by Gordan Korman
“Matt says I could see the majestic beauty of the American Southeast if I’d bother to glance out the window,” and so begins Korman’s middle-grade tale for the digital age. When a famous tech billionaire sends his spoiled son, Jett, to a wellness retreat in the middle of the Arkansas wilderness, Jett is none too pleased. At the Oasis, he must relinquish the cell phone he is tethered to and participate in activities IRL with kids he has nothing in common with and no interest in befriending. As the weeks at this no-tech sleepaway camp pass, Jett finds life unplugged less strange than when he arrived, but the adults there seem to be acting stranger. Can Jett figure out what’s going on and prove he’s no longer a spoiled trouble-maker?
Nessie Quest by Melissa Savage
Nessie Quest
by Melissa Savage
Ada Ru has been dreaming of a trip to Disney World, but when her father takes a teaching position in Scotland for the summer, those dreams are dashed. It looks like the Fitzhugh family will be trading in that happy mouse named Mickey for a mysterious monster rumored to occupy the lake near their house, and Ada Ru isn’t happy. Then, she meets Dax, another American spending the summer in Scotland, and Captain Hammy Bean who runs the Nessie Quest Monster Chaser tour boat. Together, they set off on an epic adventure, hunting for proof that the fabled Loch Ness Monster exists. Whether they find Nessie or not, Ada Ru may just have the time of her life.
