Dowd, Siobhan. The London Eye Mystery. David Fickling Books, 2007. ISBN 978-0375849763. Ages 9-12.

When Ted and Kat’s cousin Salim comes to visit, their mothers agree to take them for a ride on the London Eye, the largest observation wheel of its kind, so that Salim can get a one-of-a-kind view of the city. Waiting in the long line, the children are approached by a stranger who offers them a free ticket, which they give to Salim since he is the visitor. Ted and Kat watch as Salim enters one of the observation capsules and track his ride, but when the capsule returns and the other riders exit, Salim is nowhere to be found. Thus begins this captivating story as Ted and Kat attempt to solve the mystery of his disappearance, relying on Ted’s special skills and brain “that run on a different operating system” to discover their cousin’s whereabouts before it is too late.

Beil, Michael D. The Red Blazer Girls: The Ring of Rocamadour. Alfred A. Knopf, 2009. ISBN 978-0375848148. Ages 9-12.

After Sophie sees the ghostly face in the church window next to their private school, she and her friends Margaret and Rebecca are quickly swept up in a mystery involving an eccentric old lady who has found a mysterious birthday card addressed to her estranged daughter containing the first of several clues in an elaborate scavenger hunt. With the help of some good friends and a pretty cool teacher, the girls work together to solve puzzles involving everything from religion to literature (and even math!), in the hopes of finding the treasure at the end before several other suspicious characters get their hands on it first. But will it be enough to bring a broken family together again? And can the girls do it without getting expelled—or even arrested?

Nancy Drew, Girl Detective...Then and Now!

Keene, Carolyn. Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #1: The Secret of the Old Clock. Grosset & Dunlap, 1930. ISBN 978-0448095011. Ages 9-12.

Nancy Drew becomes entangled in a case to determine the true heirs to the estate of the recently deceased Josiah Crowley. Nancy’s dislike for the Topham family, a snobbish, wealthy family that has laid claim to the estate,

prompts her to look into the matter, where she meets several friends and family of Josiah Crowley who are claiming that he wrote a later will. When one of them tells her that a clue to the location of the will was hidden in an old clock before he died, Nancy finds herself on a dangerous quest to find this mysterious old clock in the hopes of finding Josiah Crowley’s true will and providing for his rightful, and more deserving, heirs.

Keene, Carolyn. The Nancy Drew Files, Case #1: Secrets Can Kill. Pocket Books, 1986. ISBN 978-0671746742. Ages 10-14.

When Nancy Drew goes undercover as a high school student at Bedford High School in order to investigate a series of thefts, she expects it to be a piece of cake. But after someone sends her a videotape warning her to stay away, and then one of her main suspects ends up dead, Nancy finds herself even more determined to get to the bottom of this case. So when the line becomes blurred between allies and enemies, and she develops feelings for someone other than Ned, Nancy realizes that if she doesn’t figure things out soon, someone could get seriously hurt…or even end up dead.

Keene, Carolyn. Nancy Drew, Girl Detective #1: Without a Trace. Aladdin Paperbacks, 2004. ISBN 068986566X. Ages 9-12.

In the first book of this modernized version of the famous girl detective series, Nancy Drew gets caught up in not one, but two mysteries. While trying to determine who has been destroying the neighborhood zucchini patches and keep the neighbors from turning on one another, she meets a new neighbor, who kindly welcomes Nancy and her friends into her home. But things take a turn for the worse when her new neighbor discovers that her priceless Faberge egg is missing! Could the two crimes be linked? With the help of her friends Bess and George, Nancy is determined to get to the bottom of both of them, no matter what!

Silberling, Brad. (Director). (2005). Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events [Motion picture]. United States: Paramount Pictures. Ages 9-12.

***Beware! This is not a happy movie!*** The Baudelaire children, Violet, Klaus and Sunny, think their life can’t get any worse after finding out their house burned down and their parents were killed. But when they are taken to live with their nearest relative, Count Olaf, life most certainly does. Putting the children to work, he is determined to try and kill them, and no one will listen or believe them when they ask for help. After a close call on some train tracks, the children are finally taken away and live with a series of new guardians. But Count Olaf will stop at nothing to get what he wants—he’ll trick, kill, or even marry anyone who gets in his way, including three poor little orphans. Based on the first three novels in the series by Lemony Snicket.

Howe, Deborah, and Howe, James. Bunnicula. Atheneum, 1979. ISBN 978-0689307003. Ages 9-12.

Something is definitely different about that new bunny the Monroe’s brought home, according to Harold the dog and Chester the cat. He sleeps all day and escapes from his cage at night. He has pointy fangs and black fur that looks like a cape. He even hates garlic! But when all the vegetables start turning white, their juices completely sucked out, it’s up to Harold and Chester to determine once and for all if their furry friend is really a … vampire?! And when the Monroe’s won’t listen, Chester takes matters into his own hands, forcing Harold to come to the rescue of a cute little misunderstood bunny.

Van Draanen, Wendelin. Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief. Knopf, 1998. ISBN 978-0679888390. Ages 10-13.

Sammy loves to watch people from her grandmother’s window with her binoculars, especially those at the “seedy” Heavenly Hotel across the street. But an innocent bit of spying turns dangerous when Sammy witnesses a burglary. And to make matters worse, when he sees her watching him—she waves! Now not only does she have to deal with her mother abandoning her and her first day of junior high, but also a criminal who will stop at nothing to keep her quiet. Too bad everyone keeps thinking she’s making it all up. Why won’t anyone believe her? And who is the hotel thief?

Updale, Eleanor. Montmorency. Orchard Books, 2004. ISBN 0439580358. Ages 10-14.

In Victorian London, after his life is saved by a young physician, a thief utilizes the knowledge he gains in prison and from scientific lectures he attends as the physician's case study exhibit to create a new, highly successful, double life for himself. In this tale of thievery and deceit, tweens will be drawn to the main character's desire to reinvent himself, and eventually turn away from his life of crime to one of luxury and good. The author creates a level of intrigue with her portrayal of his dual personalities, and shows Montmorency as he progresses into a mindset where he can use his skills as a thief for the greater good.

Pullman, Philip. The Ruby in the Smoke. Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1985. ISBN 0394895894. Ages 12-14.

In nineteenth-century London, sixteen-year-old Sally, a recent orphan, becomes involved in a deadly search for a mysterious ruby. Though Sally's quest to find her father's murder and solve the mystery of the ruby is a fantastic one set in unfamiliar times, tweens will identify with Sally's need to discover the truth and find her place in a world she has been thrust into all alone. Tweens will also enjoy the book's seamless blending of mystery, adventure, and historical fiction. While there is mild drug use, it is portrayed in a negative and harmful light.

West, Jacqueline. The Books of Elsewhere: The Shadows. Dial Books for Young Readers, 2010. ISBN 978-0803734401. Ages 9-12.

Olive is just an average girl (with above-average parents), but when her family moves into the old McMartin home she discovers a house full of mystery and adventure. After finding an old pair of spectacles, she soon realizes that they enable her to enter any painting in the house. But the fun does not last long as she begins to recognize a sinister darkness about the paintings, and a tragic tale for those trapped within them. With the help of the house’s guardians—three cats named Horatio, Leopold and Harvey—and a boy named Morton, Olive fights to release the paintings and their inhabitants from the evil clutches of old man McMartin.

Hiaasen, Carl. Scat. Alfred A. Knopf, 2009. ISBN 978-0375834868. Ages 9-12.

When Bunny Starch, the most feared Biology teacher at school, goes missing during a school field trip to Black Vine Swamp, Nick and Marta aren’t sure whether to be elated or concerned. They’re pretty sure Smoke, the class delinquent who recently threatened her, had something to do with it. And they’re also sure that Mrs. Starch did not have a family emergency like the school told them. As they investigate further, Nick and Marta are dragged into a complex ecological mystery involving illegal oil drilling and an endangered panther, where nothing is as it seems but one wrong step could be the difference between life and death.

Davis, Andrew. (Director). (2003). Holes [Motion picture]. United States: Walt Disney Pictures. Ages 10-14.

The Yelnats family has been subject to bad luck ever since an ancient family curse fell upon them, and Stanley Yelnats IV is no stranger to it. Wrongfully accused of a crime he didn’t commit, Stanley is sent to Camp Green Lake where he and his fellow campmates must each dig one hole a day. Though the staff says that digging holes builds character, Stanley believes that they are actually digging for something. And when he finds it, all the pieces of the puzzle start to come together and generations of history rights itself as Stanley breaks the Yelnats curse. Based on Louis Sachar's Newbery medal-winning book.

Stead, Rebecca. When You Reach Me. Wendy Lamb Books, 2009. ISBN 978-0385737425. Ages 9-12.

Miranda is your average latchkey child growing up in 1978, and navigating the streets of New York City. But her world starts to turn upside down when her best friend refuses to talk to her, and then she begins receiving anonymous notes talking about things that haven’t even occurred yet. Suddenly, all the pieces begin to fall into place and Miranda sees the big picture. But is it too late to help her anonymous friend accomplish his mission?

Though the book is set in a time period that few tweens will identify with, they most certainly will identify with the central issues addressed by Stead. This remarkable story manages to keep you guessing to the very end, weaving in fantastic ideas of time travel with the everyday relationships of a tween girl. Each of these relationships are dynamic on their own—the partnership she shares with her mother, the curious bond that grows between her and Marcus, the budding friendship with Annemarie, and the seemingly bitter rivalry with Julia—but together they encompass what it truly means to be a tween. Tweens will no doubt identify with this story, traveling through time themselves as they discover the importance of making things right.

Bosch, Pseudonymous. The Name of This Book is Secret. Little, Brown and Company, 2007. ISBN 978-0316113663. Ages 9-12.

Cass and Max-Ernest follow a trail of clues to discover what happened to a missing magician and his Symphony of Smells. Encountering danger and adventure everywhere they go, Cass and Max-Ernest must battle the evil Dr. L and Ms. Mauvais as they infiltrate the Midnight Sun Sensorium and Spa and save their classmate from a horrible death. But their investigations turn up far more clues than expected, and many more adventures lie in store for them in Pseudonymous Bosch’s exciting, and quirky, new series.

Bloor, Edward. London Calling. Alfred A. Knopf, 2006. ISBN 978-0375836350. Ages 10-14.

If anyone has something to be depressed about, it’s Martin Conway. His father is a drunk and a disgrace to the family. His family worships his late grandfather, whom he was named after. And his mother insists on making him attend All Souls Preparatory in order to live up to that namesake. But all Martin really wants to do is sleep. So when he receives his grandmother’s old radio and through it a young boy reaches out to him from the past, Martin is sure he’s going crazy. But fact by fact, every “dream” he experiences checks out. And as the story unfolds, he is asked the all-important question—What did you do to help?

This powerful and moving book not only chronicles a heartbreaking story set in WWII London, but also the story of a young boy who is battling his own demons on several fronts. Besides suffering through the everyday battles of being in middle school, he is dealing with real issues of alcoholism and depression in his family, and surviving a war in his dreams. Martin is a dynamic character, struggling to make sense of the world around him. Bloor does so by illustrating his struggles through vivid flashbacks, where you can almost feel the bombs dropping and smell the fires burning. Together with Martin, tweens will struggle to figure out his purpose, and perhaps walk away from the book wondering what they can do to help as well.

Balliett, Blue. The Danger Box. Scholastic, 2010. ISBN 978-0439852098. Ages 9-12.

Zoomy Chamberlain is not your ordinary name, and with his pathological myopia (he's legally blind, you see) and coke bottle lenses, he's not your average twelve year old either. But he does live a pretty ordinary life with his grandparents in the small town of Three Oaks, Michigan. That is, until his good-for-nothing drunk of a father returns to town and stirs up trouble with a mysterious, stolen box that he leaves behind. Soon Zoomy and his friend Lorrol are plunged into a mystery involving a missing book and a dangerous stranger who will stop at nothing to get his hands on it. Whose book is it, you ask? Well, Zoomy, Lorrol and their new friend Gas would love to tell you, but you’ll just have to read it first to find out.

Horowitz, Anthony. Stormbreaker. Puffin Books, 2000. ISBN 0399236201. Ages 12-14.

Alex Rider is saddened by the news that his guardian and uncle Ian was killed in a car accident, but his suspicions rise when he finds his uncle’s car riddled with bullet holes. Soon, Alex is pulled into the world of covert operations and Britain’s MI-6, where Ian Rider had served as a secret agent. Dragged into a case involving a potentially dangerous new computer called Stormbreaker, Alex is coerced into going undercover in his uncle’s place to gather more information. Reluctantly, Alex becomes entangled in a game of cat and mouse as he discovers the truth about Stormbreaker, and seeks out his uncle’s killer. Alex’s unbelievable debut adventure in this engaging spy series is sure to leave you wanting more!

Abrahams, Peter. Down The Rabbit Hole: An Echo Falls Mystery. Laura Geringer Books, 2005. ISBN 0060737018. Ages 10-14.

Ingrid Levin-Hall’s life couldn’t be better. She gets to play club soccer and lands the lead role of Alice in the Echo Falls production of Alice In Wonderland. But then her world seems to fall apart. After being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Ingrid realizes that she may be the only one who can solve the recent murder in town. Searching for clues like her favorite detective, Sherlock Holmes, Ingrid gets closer and closer to the truth. Echo Falls, once her quaint and simple little town, is now one full of forgotten history, scandals and secrets. But there are dangerous players involved as well, and it is only so long before Ingrid realizes she may have gotten in over her head. Read this first book in the Echo Falls Mystery series to find out whodunit!

Stewart, Trenton Lee. The Mysterious Benedict Society. Megan Tingley Books, 2007. ISBN 978-0316003957. Ages 10-14.

When orphan Reynie Muldoon answers the newspaper ad looking for gifted children, he never imagined the adventure he was signing himself up for. Together with three other bright and parent-less children--Sticky Washington, Kate Wetherall and Constance Contraire--Reynie embarks on a dangerous mission for the mysterious Mr. Benedict. As Mr. Benedict's secrets agents, they go undercover as new students at The Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, a special school on Nomansan Island with sinister intentions that only they can put a stop to.

Raskin, Ellen. The Westing Game. Puffin Books, 1978. ISBN 014034991X. Ages 10-13.

When Samuel Westing is found dead, sixteen people are brought together unexpectedly for the reading of his will, and are challenged to a contest to determine which of them is his murderer—the winner of which will inherit his millions. Chaos ensues as they are divided into pairs and given different sets of clues, clues that will lead them one step closer to a killer. More questions arise when bombings and burglaries threaten to end the game for some. Who killed Mr. Westing? Which team will solve the mystery first? And do you have what it takes to figure it out before anyone else does? Gather the clues and find out!

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Found (The Missing: Book 1). Simon & Schuster, 2008. ISBN 978-1416954170. Ages 9-12.

Thirteen years ago a plane full of babies appeared out of nowhere, then later disappeared without a trace. Now Jonah and his friend Chip, who are both adopted, are getting anonymous messages and warnings telling them they are “one of the missing.” Along with Jonah's sister Katherine, they vow to solve the mystery. Were they two of the babies from the plane? And if so, where did they come from? And who is sending the mysterious messages? Find out in Found, the first book in Haddix’s exciting new series—The Missing.