Looking for the best mystery novels for kids? Be careful. Some don’t model elements of the genre. Others don’t quite make sense. When making the choice for your class, consider clues, suspects, red herrings – and, of course, reading level.
Ms. Sneed Chooses Mystery Novels for Her Class
Once again, our favorite fourth grade teacher, Ms. Sneed, sat at the side table with her teaching partner. Today, they continued planning their ELA block.
“Okay,” said Mr. Frank. “Our kids have learned about elements of mysteries. They’ve worked on inference and read short passages. They’ve done a bunch of mystery activities. And soon, our students will write their own mysteries.
“Only one thing is missing: a full-blown mystery,” said Mr. Frank.
“Since we have a limited budget for our mystery genre study,” Ms. Sneed responded, “we must choose the best mystery novel for kids.”
Mr. Frank nodded and slid a piece of paper toward Ms. Sneed. “You’re right. In preparation for our selection, I did a little thinking and research,” he said.
What Constitutes the Best Mystery Novel?
“This lists the criteria that I think are important:
- Clues logically lead to the solution. True whodunits establish a clear path from the mystery to its resolution. That path may be obscured by red herrings. However, at the end of the book, our readers should see the connections.
- Suspects have motive and opportunity. Novels like Chasing Vermeer engage the audience, but motive, opportunity, and/or evidence don’t lead to the culprit. We need to steer away from books that aren’t true mysteries.
- Red herrings throw sleuths (and readers) off track. To build critical thinking, mysteries need ambiguity. Enter the red herring. For a great mystery novel, we need something that misleads our readers and makes them think.
- Book provides just enough challenge for the reader. As we choose a mystery novel, we need to remember that Lexile and grade level designations can be misleading. In my experience, it’s better to select something at a little lower level. Mysteries, by nature, are complex. That adds to a book’s difficulty.
Ms. Sneed looked at her partner with wide eyes. “Where do we start?”
“Don’t worry,” he said with a kind smile, “As I said, I’ve done some research.” He pulled out more notes and a few books.
Why The Westing Game Is the Best Mystery Novel for Advanced Readers
“For my advanced fourth graders, I’ve chosen The Westing Game.” He slid the book toward Ms. Sneed. “Don’t be fooled by its Lexile level (750L). Not only is it complicated, it challenges kids’ reading and thinking skills. Most of my students would not understand it without guidance. Consequently, it’s the perfect book for teaching. It pushes my readers to the next level.
“The Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin, received the prestigious Newbery Medal in 1979. I recommend it for advanced fourth and fifth grade readers, as well as average to high middle school students.
“The story opens as Barney Northrup invites six specially chosen tenants to move to Sunset Towers, an exclusive apartment building on the lakeshore. Soon, these tenants learn that they are heirs to Sam Westing, the elusive owner of Westing Paper Products Corporation. Each pair of heirs receives $10,000 and a set of clues. They have now become pawns in the Westing game. Through a series of red herrings, the author leads everyone – even the audience – astray!”
Why The Maze of Bones (The 39 Clues) Works Best for Everyone Else
“The Westing Game is too hard for average readers in my class,” said Mr. Frank. “Therefore, I selected a similar (but easier) book for them. The Maze of Bones, written by Rick Riordan, works well. At 610L, it’s accessible to students reading at or above fourth grade level. As a bonus, it’s the first book in a series, which encourages students to continue reading after our mystery study is done. That’s why it’s the best mystery novel for everyone else.
“In this story, two children (Amy and Dan Cahill) are given a choice: one million dollars or a clue, which will lead to the secret power of the Cahill family. The clue leads them to Poor Richard’s Almanac, written by Ben Franklin. They travel to Philadelphia and then Paris, following Franklin’s path. Along the way they experience danger from their competing relatives and others.”
Ms. Sneed paged through the book. “Yes, my average readers would gobble this book up,” she said. “And if I read aloud with my lowest students, they would understand too. I love the idea of differentiating with two books.”
Supporting Comprehension of Mystery Novels
Mr. Frank was obviously prepared for this discussion. He continued, “By nature, mystery novels have many characters and complex plots. This requires concentration and close attention to detail. Students in my classroom love mysteries but sometimes struggle to keep track of those details. As a result, comprehension is jeopardized. I’ve found parallel novel studies for The Westing Game and The Maze of Bones. Both include detective’s journals for guided notes, discussion questions, and character cards.”
Detective’s Journals
Ms. Sneed looked at a picture of a detective’s journal. “Taking notes helps sort it all out. I see that kids answer questions, draw diagrams, make observations, and take notes. The detective’s journal makes students read closely and look back at details in the text.”
Character Cards
She took a look at the trading cards. “These mystery novels have large casts of characters, which would confuse many readers in my class. These little trading cards ask kids to draw and write about each person in the story. This way, they keep them straight – and have some fun!”
Mr. Frank grinned. He had already put the books in his cart. “Are you ready to make a purchase?” he asked.
“You bet! I agree that these are the best mystery novels for kids. They’ll make great additions to our genre study.”
