Book Series · 20 Books

Field Trip Mysteries Books

In order from The Painting That Wasn't There to The Teacher Who Forgot Too Much.

Twenty short, illustrated mysteries follow four student detectives as trips to museums, parks, landmarks, and cities turn into cases they can solve from the clues.

Reviewed by the Bookroo Editors Updated

The Painting That Wasn't There
The Village That Almost Vanished
The Zoo with the Empty Cage
The Crook Who Crossed the Golden Gate Bridge
The Burglar Who Bit the Big Apple
Reading order

How to Read the Field Trip Mysteries

The twenty cases can be read independently. Publication order begins with The Painting That Wasn't There and rotates attention among Sam, Cat, Egg, and Gum as their class visits new places.

On the Bus, On the Case is a collection of the first four mysteries, not a separate twenty-first case. Families who own that volume already have The Painting That Wasn't There, The Teacher Who Forgot Too Much, The Village That Almost Vanished, and The Zoo with the Empty Cage.

Sources: Capstone's catalog record for The Teacher Who Forgot Too Much.

For parents

What Parents Should Know

These are quick, accessible whodunits with visual and verbal clues. The children encounter theft, sabotage, apparent hauntings, kidnapping scares, and wildlife or travel hazards, but the mysteries are designed for elementary readers and resolve without graphic violence. Place-based settings also add light history, geography, and science context.

Where to start

Where Should My Child Start?

Solve the first museum mystery

Start with The Painting That Wasn't There to meet the four young detectives and learn how the series plants clues for readers to notice alongside them.

Where the story begins

First Book in the Series

The Painting That Wasn't There
Sale price
$2405
Book #1 · Chapter Book · Ages 8–11 · 2007

The Painting That Wasn't There

By Steve Brezenoff, C.B. Canga (Illustrator)

A museum trip reveals a fake art piece. Can young detectives crack the case?

79 pages· 5,410 words· Est. 46 min read
$25.32Save 5%
Library Binding
Summary: When James "Gum" Shoo's art class visits the museum, they stumble upon a forged masterpiece. With their newfound knowledge of art forgery, Gum and his friends must unravel the mystery. Can these young sleuths uncover the truth behind the fake and catch the culprit before it's too late? Dive into this thrilling museum caper where every brushstroke could be a clue.
In reading order

Field Trip Mysteries Series

20 books · Published 2007–2013

Four-story collection

On the Bus, On the Case

1 book · Published 2010

This single volume collects the first four Field Trip Mysteries and does not add a new case to the numbered line.

On the Bus, On the Case
Sale price
$1295

On the Bus, On the Case

Chapter Book · Ages 8–11 · 2010

Students unravel mysteries on school field trips.

Good to know

Common Questions

How many books are in the Field Trip Mysteries series?

There are 20 books in the Field Trip Mysteries series. It began with The Painting That Wasn't There in 2007, and the newest book, The Dinosaur that Disappeared, was published in 2013.

What order should you read the Field Trip Mysteries books in?

Start with The Painting That Wasn't There and follow the series order — the books above are numbered #1 through #20.

What ages are the Field Trip Mysteries books best for?

The series is best for ages 8–11, based on the age ranges of the individual books.

The people

The Creatives Behind the Books

The people who bring Field Trip Mysteries to life.

01

Steve Brezenoff

Author
SB
02

C.B. Canga

Illustrator
CC
03

Chris Barnard Canga

Illustrator
CC
04

Chris Canga

Illustrator
CC
05

Marcos Calo

Illustrator
MC

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