Feldman, Jody. The Gollywhopper Games. Greenwillow Books, 2008. ISBN 978-0061214509. Ages 10-14.

Gil Goodson wants more than anything to start over in a new town with his family, somewhere where they are not constantly reminded of the Incident that ruined everything. So when the town’s Golly Toy & Game Company announces its 50^th anniversary ultimate competition, Gil sees his chance to win enough to give them that new life. As one of thousands of kids competing in the competition, Gil must solve puzzles and master trivia, as well as complete physical stunts, better and faster than all the others. But will the attention he receives from the games be too much for his family after all the bad press? And does he have what it takes to win it all? Fans of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory won't want to miss this gollywhopper of a read!

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?

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.

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.

The Exploratorium. Exploratopia. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2006. ISBN 978-0316612814. Ages 9-12.

Experiment with science by exploring yourself, the places around you and other interesting stuff! Conduct experiments to find out why we need our noses to taste things, why some sand is magnetic, and why it's so hard to tell a counterfeit bill from a real one. Experiments are prefaced and followed up with interesting history and facts to reinforce the knowledge learned in each exploration.

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!

Balliett, Blue. Chasing Vermeer. Scholastic, 2004. ISBN 978-0439799270. Ages 10-13.

Three people receive the same mysterious letter, a curious book shows up, and a Vermeer painting is stolen. Coincidence? Not according to Calder Pillay and Petra Andalee. Then the art thief challenges the world to take a closer look at Vermeer’s work, but for Calder and Petra, there are more personal reasons for solving the mystery. Using secret codes and intuition, the unlikely pair forge a friendship and are determined to get to the bottom of things—no matter how dangerous things may get. Because neither can rest until Vermeer’s A Lady Writing is returned where she belongs. Readers can also find an interactive mystery in the book's illustrations. Read Balliett's The Wright 3 and The Calder Game for more adventures with Calder and Petra.

Riordan, Rick. The 39 Clues: The Maze Of Bones. Scholastic, 2008. ISBN 978-0545090544. Ages 9-12.

When Grace Cahill dies, she leaves her heirs with a choice—take the $2 million or give it up for one clue that will lead them on a wild journey in search of a great treasure and all the power in the world. For Amy and Dan Cahill, the money is tempting, but the adventure means learning more about their grandmother, their deceased parents, and a family history that includes almost every major figure and event known to man. But there are others who take the clue as well, and they all have one objective in mind—take out their competition. Now Dan and Amy are running for their lives, and searching for the answers to their first clue, and the beginning of the greatest adventure they will ever have. Read all ten of the 39 Clues books, and search for the clues yourself at http://www.the39clues.com/.