Holly M. McGhee (a.k.a. Hallie Durand)

David Small

Solve the riddles to find the runaway gingerbread men in this funny and magical cookie hunt!

Marshall knows one thing for sure, despite what all the stories say: Gingerbread men cannot run. Cookies are for eating, and he can’t wait to eat his after spending all morning baking them with his class. But when it’s time to take the gingerbread men out of the oven . . . they’re gone! Now, to find those rogue cookies, Marshall and his class have to solve a series of rhyming clues. And Marshall just might have to rethink his stance on magic. Catch That Cookie! is an imaginative mystery, deliciously illustrated by Caldecott Medal winner David Small. It’s sure to inspire a new classroom tradition . . . and maybe even a few new believers!

Catch That Cookie!

Karen Lefrak

David Bucs

During Mason’s birthday sleepover at the natural history museum, friends enjoy a scavenger hunt but Mason has a hard time choosing the gallery in which they will sleep. Includes facts about museums and a list of notable museums that allow sleepovers.

Sleepover at the Museum

Susanna Leonard Hill

Jeffrey Ebbeler

It might be April Fools’ Day, but Punxsutawney Phyllis knows that winter isn’t over yet. Her infallible instincts tell her that a blizzard is brewing. Too bad no one will believe her. Luckily Phyllis uses a combination of common sense and uncommon abilities to lead the April Fools’ Day treasure hunters back to safety when the storm comes on quickly. Once again Phyllis gets the last laugh in this buoyant holiday tale.

April Fool, Phyllis!

Rosemary Wells

Follow the clues and find the treasure with Max and Ruby! 

Oh no! A thunderstorm has ruined the picnic that Max and Ruby and their friends, Louise and Lily, have planned. Now the four friends have nothing to do. But Grandma saves the day with an ingenious treasure hunt. The clues are Mother Goose rhymes and jump-rope rhymes, and a missing word in each one leads the bunnies to the next clue, until they reach the prize, a treasure chest of gold-foil-wrapped chocolate coins. This interactive picture book with lift-the-flap clues will keep fans of the bunny siblings entertained for many readings.

Max and Ruby's Treasure Hunt

Chris Grabenstein

Welcome! For the first time, you are invited INSIDE Mr. Lemoncello’s one-of-a-kind Gameworks Factory in book five of the fun-filled, action-packed bestselling series from the much-loved coauthor of the I Funny and Max Einstein series!

Now with a brand-new look packed with shelf and kid appeal! Far away from his magical library, everyone’s favorite game maker, Luigi Lemoncello, is building something new. Something SECRET. And he’s about to let the world see it. He’ll reveal that hidden deep within the Lemoncello-tastic new building is a single ticket. A titanium ticket. Four lucky boys and girls are about to win the chance to go inside the building on a spectacular scavenger hunt that will take them through bigger-than-life live-action games–towering, skyscraper-size Jenga; dizzying real-life Chutes and Ladders; death-defying games of Rush Hour; plus ball pit moats and more! Each game will get the players closer to the titanium ticket. But the real secret? Mr. Lemoncello is thinking about his legacy, and whichever player finds the ticket will be the first to win a spot in an elite group of kids who will compete in the next books to win Mr. Lemoncello’s ENTIRE EMPIRE!

Mr. Lemoncello and the Titanium Ticket

Kristin L. Gray

“A cozy whodunit that cheerfully affirms girls’ and women’s contributions to aerospace.” –Kirkus Reviews “Comparisons with Nancy Drew and Sammy Keyes come to mind, but this satisfying mystery seems more like the works of Ellen Raskin, E.L. Konigsburg, and Gennifer Choldenko.” –School Library Connection “A wonderful tribute to [Amelia Earhart] who herself came to embody mystery.” –Booklist Amelia Earhart’s famous aviator goggles go missing and eleven-year-old Millie has to find them before the night is over in this girl-powered middle grade whodunit. Eleven-year-old Amelia Ashford–Millie to her friends (if she had any, that is)–doesn’t realize just how much adventure awaits her when she’s given the opportunity of a lifetime: to spend the night in Amelia Earhart’s childhood home with five other girls. Make that five strangers. But Millie’s mom is a pilot like the famous Amelia, and Millie would love to have something to write to her about…if only she had her address. Once at Amelia’s house in Atchison, Kansas, Millie stumbles upon a display of Amelia’s famous flight goggles. She can’t believe her good luck, since they’re about to be relocated to a fancy museum in Washington, DC. But her luck changes quickly when the goggles disappear, and Millie was the last to see them. Soon, fingers are pointing in all directions, and someone falls strangely ill. Suddenly, a fun night of scavenger hunts and sweets takes a nosedive and the girls aren’t sure who to trust. With a blizzard raging outside and a house full of suspects, the girls have no choice but to band together. It’s up to the Amelia Six to find the culprit and return the goggles to their rightful place. Or the next body to collapse could be one of theirs.

Amelia Six

Eric Carle

It is Tim’s birthday. Instead of a package, Tim gets a mysterious letter – written in code! Tim – and the reader – are off, following the clues. And at the end of the treasure hunt is a wonderful birthday surprise!

The Secret Birthday Message

Laura Murray

Mike Lowery

Is there anything more fun than a class trip to the zoo? The Gingerbread Man and his classmates don’t think so, and they get to solve riddles on a WILD scavenger hunt. They meet giraffes, monkeys, and even a fox (especially scary for a Gingerbread Man!). 

But a zoo full of critters is a tricky place for a tasty cookie—even a very fast one—and the Gingerbread Man ends up separated from his friends. He needs to solve all of the riddles to catch up with his class and help someone else who is lost. 

I’ll be a detective. I know that I can!
I’ll solve all these clues. I’m the Gingerbread Man!

Animals galore and a trail of clues make the Gingerbread Man’s latest adventure his wildest one yet.

The Gingerbread Man Loose at the Zoo

Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Could books hidden through Book Scavenger be linked to an arsonist’s web of destruction? Find out in Book 2 of Jennifer Bertman’s Book Scavenger series. Mr. Quisling is definitely up to something mysterious, and Emily and James are on high alert. First, there’s the coded note he drops at a book event. Then they uncover a trail of encrypted messages in Mark Twain-penned books hidden through Book Scavenger. What’s most suspicious is that each hidden book triggers a fire. As the sleuthing friends dig deeper, they discover Mr. Quisling has been hunting a legendary historical puzzle: the Unbreakable Code. This new mystery is irresistible, but Emily and James can’t ignore the signs that Mr. Quisling might be the arsonist. The clock is ticking as the fires multiply, and Emily and James race to crack the code of a lifetime. A Christy Ottaviano Book

The Unbreakable Code

Mireille Messier

Irene Luxbacher

When two siblings go on a treasure hunt, they aren’t sure exactly what kind of treasure they are looking for. What they do know is that treasures are shiny, mysterious and precious. And that all the really good treasures are hidden!

As they explore the forest, their curiosity pays off when they find the biggest, shiniest, most mysterious and precious treasure hidden just over a hill.

Told exclusively in dialogue, this beautifully illustrated picture book exudes a sense of wonder at the natural world and emphasizes the magical qualities of looking through a child’s eye.

Treasure

Suzanne Selfors

Five misfits. One magical wish.

Bestselling author Suzanne Selfors brings heart and humor to this middle grade novel about a group of misfits who find true friendship where they least expect it.
Leilani dreams of being friends with the most popular girls in her class―the Haileys―who are always throwing awesome themed sleepovers. She devises a master plan: throw her own sleepover of the century and invite them!

When Tutu, her grandmother, accidentally mails Leilani’s invitations to the DO NOT INVITE list, the best sleepover in the history of the world becomes the worst. Instead of the Haileys, the only guests are the three kids Leilani definitely did not want to show up: the neighbor who never speaks, the girl who draws mean pictures of her, and her farting older cousin. At least her best friend August will be there.

Leilani and her guests decide to make Tutu’s recipe for Sleepover Soup, which requires each of them to collect one ingredient that has significant meaning in their lives. They embark on a scavenger hunt that reveals unexpected surprises. What Leilani finds is not what she wanted, but it might just be even better.

An Imprint Book

“Big-hearted, fast-paced, and funny.” ―Kim Baker, author of Pickle

“Equal parts heartbreaking, hopeful and hilarious. It’s impossible not to cheer for these unlikely heroes” ―Sara Nickerson, author of The Secrets of Blueberries, Brothers, Moose &amp;amp;amp; Me

“Anyone who’s ever felt different from the crowd will relish this story of kids who find the magic of being their own unique selves―together.” ―Sundee T. Frazier, author of the Coretta Scott King Award-winner Brendan Buckley’s Universe and Everything In It and the Cleo Edison Oliver series

“Huzzah for Suzanne Selfors! By turns humorous and poignant, this terrific book was impossible to put down.” ―Suzanne Williams, coauthor of the Goddess

Wish Upon a Sleepover

Megan McDonald

Peter H. Reynolds

Shark-tastic! Stink gets to sleep with the fishes after his parents win an aquarium sleepover. But wait — what’s that lurking beyond the KEEP OUT sign? When Stink’s parents win tickets for the whole family to sleep over at the aquarium (along with Stink’s two best friends), it sounds like a science freak’s dream come true. Stink loves the sea-creature scavenger hunt (Bat ray! Brain coral!), the jellyfish light show, and the shiver of sand tiger sharks with razor-sharp teeth. And of course Stink is nuts about gross stuff, but after some spooky stories around the virtual campfire, can he manage to fall asleep thinking about the eating habits of the vampire squid? Especially Bloody Mary, the mutant, glowing Frankensquid that’s supposed to be on the prowl?

Stink and the Shark Sleepover

Could books hidden through the Book Scavenger game be linked to an arsonist’s web of destruction? Find out in the New York Times-bestselling second book in the action packed Book Scavenger series by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman.

The Unbreakable Code (The Book Scavenger series)

books and reading

Just after twelve-year-old Emily and her family move to San Francisco, she teams up with new friend James to follow clues in an odd book they find, hoping to figure out its secrets before the men who attacked Emily’s hero, publisher Garrison Griswold, solve the mystery or come after the friends.

Book Scavenger

Matthew Swanson

Robbi Behr

Literal-minded Ben cracks open a fortune cookie and it tells him that he can have anything he wants, if only he’s willing to wait… A madcap adventure about the perils of patience, for fans of DIARY OF A WIMPY KID or THE TERRIBLE TWO. Good things come to those who wait. Ben does his best to heed his fortune cookie’s advice, and as a result he is paired with Walter–the kid who’s always picked last–for a school scavenger hunt. Working with Walter must be a good thing if the cookie said so, but so far all he does is talk too loud and recite obscure facts about feet. Meanwhile, Ben has an argument with his best friend Janet, and waiting for her to apologize first isn’t going so well…. But eventually, Ben’s patience starts paying off: if he and Walter are able to pull out a win in the scavenger hunt, they’ll earn a half-day of recess for the whole school! Waiting may not always be a good thing, but taking the time to listen and consider all options isn’t half bad.

Ben Yokoyama and the Cookie of Endless Waiting

Callie Barkley

Tracy Bishop

Taking a turn caring for the class pet hamster, Marion is devastated when the hamster goes missing and she receives an anonymous letter in her locker with clues leading to a mysterious scavenger hunt.

Marion and the Secret Letter

Ron Roy

From the author of A to Z Mysteries comes a springtime egg hunt mystery featuring the younger siblings of the A to Z Mysteries kids! It’s a mystery every month from popular A to Z Mysteries author Ron Roy! With the younger siblings of the A to Z Mysteries kids! April is for Adventure… In the fourth book of the Calendar Mysteries–an early chapter book mystery series–it’s springtime in Green Lawn, and Bradley, Brian, Lucy, and Nate are on an Easter egg hunt. They search high and law and find lots of eggs. But soon it’s clear that some of the eggs aren’t just well hidden. They’re gone! Who would steal Easter eggs? It’s up to the four kids to crack this eggs-cellent case. Parents, teachers, and librarians agree that these highly collectible chapter books are perfect for emerging readers and any kid who loves mysteries!

Calendar Mysteries: April Adventure

An endearing story of love and grief as one girl follows the clues in a scavenger hunt left behind by her best friend, perfect for fans of Bridge to Terabithia and Nine, Ten. WHEN YOU’VE LOST WHAT MATTERS MOST, HOW DO YOU FIND YOUR WAY BACK HOME? Joy Fonseca is dreading her 13th birthday, dreading being reminded again about her best friend Lukas’s senseless death on this day, one year ago – and dreading the fact he may have heard what she accidentally blurted to him the night before. Or maybe she’s more worried he didn’t hear. Either way, she’s decided: she’s going to finally open the first clue to their annual birthday scavenger hunt Lukas left for her the morning he died, hoping the rest of the clues are still out there. If they are, they might lead Joy to whatever last words Lukas wrote, and toward understanding how to grab onto the future that is meant to be hers. I truly loved it! Baskin and Polisner seamlessly unfold one touching relationship after another in this gorgeous story about everlasting friendship. This tender tale is indelibly etched on my heart. –Leslie Connor, author of the National Book Award finalist The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle Polisner and Baskin’s brief tale of two quite distant friends magically manages to bridge an uncrossable gap. Seven Clues to Home is both a charming mystery and a real meditation on the complexities of the young heart in love. –Tony Abbott, Edgar Award-winning author of Firegirl and The Great Jeff I read this whole book with a lump in my throat. A perfect gem. –Wendy Mass, New York Times bestselling coauthor of Bob

Seven Clues to Home

Trenton Lee Stewart

Diana Sudyka

The fearsome foursome is back in the second installment of the New York Times bestselling series praised by Rick Riordan!  The Mysterious Benedict Society is up against a new mission, significantly closer to home. After reuniting for a celebratory scavenger hunt, Reynie, Kate, Sticky, and Constance are forced to go on an unexpected search–a search to find Mr. Benedict. It seems that while he was preparing the kids’ adventure, he stepped right into a trap orchestrated by his evil twin Mr. Curtain.  With only one week to find a captured Mr. Benedict, the gifted foursome faces their greatest challenge of all–a challenge that will reinforce the reasons they were brought together in the first place and will require them to fight for the very namesake that united them.