A good children’s detective story makes a solemn promise: the answer is hiding somewhere on the page. It may be tucked into a painting, buried in an old letter, carried off by a pigeon, or sitting in plain sight while a very small private eye struggles into his pants. The grown-ups can call it baffling. The reader has evidence.
Drawing from Bookroo’s collection of 544 detective books, our editors chose thirteen that let children do more than watch a mystery get solved: they can sniff the trail with Detective Dog Nell, test an alibi beside Encyclopedia Brown, follow Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys into their first cases, and untangle prizewinning puzzles with real history underneath them. Start with the fixed shortlist, then browse picture books for read-aloud sleuthing and chapter books for readers ready to keep their own case notes.
Every book has vanished from Peter’s school. Fortunately, Detective Dog Nell can follow a story by scent.
Baby Monkey finds missing jewels, keys, a pizza, and a spaceship; putting on his pants is the case that nearly defeats him.
In 1856, Kate Warne asks Allan Pinkerton for a detective job — then helps uncover a plot against Abraham Lincoln.
Twin mice disappear, a ransom note arrives, and the finest detective beneath Baker Street takes the case.
Annie’s picture of her dog Fang is missing, and Nate intends to find it before his stack of pancakes gets cold.
Idaville’s ten-year-old detective hears each case over dinner or at his garage office — and leaves the last deduction to the reader.
A missing will, an old clock, and a family about to lose its inheritance give Nancy Drew her first case.
Frank and Joe Hardy investigate a mansion robbery after their detective father’s chief suspect disappears.
Mango and Brash are sewer-traveling alligator agents with V.E.S.T.s, gadgets, and two criminals to catch.
A retired pigeon private eye returns to the rooftops when a little canary reports a birdnapping.
A Vermeer disappears en route to an exhibition, and two Chicago sixth graders find patterns the FBI has missed.
A letter in Candice’s grandmother’s attic promises a fortune to anyone who can expose a South Carolina town’s buried injustice.
Sixteen heirs, eight pairs of clues, one dead millionaire, and a will insisting that one of them took his life.
Lift-the-flap searches, missing toys, mysterious creatures, and a first tiny taste of Sherlock Holmes — sturdy cases for ages 0–5.
Kids find a mysterious creature napping in their tree. What is it, and where does it belong?
Who's hiding in the jungle? Lift the flap to discover!
Explore the eerie sounds of a mysterious night.
A missing race car leads to a playful detective hunt.
A lost ball leads to a playful park mystery. Can it be found?
Owl detective seeks the truth behind a possum's mysterious fate.
Missing books, stolen snacks, animal investigators, and clues a read-aloud crowd can spot before the detective does — ages 3–8.
A glass monkey is missing. Can detectives solve the mystery?
Two children explore an abandoned house, uncovering its mysterious past.
A sheep named Russell goes on a treasure hunt.
A bear detective duo solves the mystery of a stolen pumpkin.
A detective thwarts a plot to assassinate Lincoln en route to his inauguration.
Alone at the station, Buffy hears eerie noises. Can she solve the mystery?
A trip to Rome leads Madeline into a thrilling chase with a thief and countless cats.
Uncover the mystery behind Agatha Christie's rise to the queen of crime writing.
A lost ATM cash leads to chaos and mystery in Binny's life.
A foul odor threatens the fridge. Can Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast solve the mystery?
A pearl necklace vanishes at a charity event. Can Cam solve the mystery before the thief escapes?
A group of bears and their dog solve a mystery of a missing dinosaur bone.
Fair-play cases, neighborhood sleuths, art thefts, secret codes, and classic series starters for independent readers ages 6–13.
A young girl investigates the disappearance of a neighbor's dog in her new neighborhood
A girl and a skeleton sorcerer must stop evil forces threatening the world.
A penniless doctor and a brilliant detective unravel a dark murder mystery in Victorian London.
A young girl tries to solve a mystery involving a missing marble and a suspicious twin sister.
Is a ghost haunting Boogle Bay? Otto and Uncle Tooth investigate.
A girl must master spy skills to find her missing mother.
A young girl with a photographic memory helps solve a jewelry store robbery with her friend and her friend's baby brother
A young girl in Botswana solves a mystery at her school with the help of her friends and her own detective skills
Two brothers flee to Venice, pursued by a detective, uncovering a magical treasure that alters time.
Two friends start a detective agency and take on their first case, a mysterious pug named Roy.
A cat detective tackles quirky mysteries in a whimsical village.
A missing elephant and a vandalism charge—can Teddy solve both mysteries before it's too late?
