The Best Mystery Books for Tweens: 23 Middle Grade Mysteries to Devour
I became addicted to mystery books for tweens when I started driving my elementary-aged kids to and from the shore each weekend. I needed to find stories that were appropriate for them, that would keep me entertained too.
Since children can often understand books that are slightly above their reading level, I decided to try my hand at middle grade mysteries. Soon, a deep obsession was born.
While we still love listening to all kinds of audiobooks on our family roadtrips, my personal favorites are the mysteries. We discuss what we think is going to happen next while trying to get the answer or solve the clues before the main characters.
While I’ve listened to tons of tween mystery books at this point, I wanted to highlight my family’s favorites below. I’d also like to recommend our list of mystery books for younger kids, if you think your kids won’t like the books below.
*mystery book for tweens Post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through links result in a small commission to us at no cost to you. Some books have been gifted. All opinions are our own.
Mystery Book Series for Tweens
The Mysterious Benedict Society
Author: Trenton Lee Stewart
Year: 2007
Genre: Middle Grade Mystery
Age: 9 – 12
More info: Mysterious Benedict Society #1
Plot
This delightful story is about a group of extremely gifted children who are sent to spy on an evil organization. Together, these genius kids use logic and quick thinking to accomplish their secret mission without being caught! The children in the Mysterious Benedict Society must infiltrate the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened to uncover a plot to control the minds of citizens around the world.
Why Kirsten loves it
I read this story to my boys at bedtime and it was the perfect read-aloud. We all enjoyed the complexity of the story and the silly scenarios. Years later, we watched the Disney TV adaptation as well!
Why Jackie loves it
This is the first middle-grade book in a series that is geared toward older kids. It was funny and interesting and extremely clever.
Find this book in: Middle Grade Mystery Books / Books About Puzzles / Books like KOTLC / Secret Society Books / Best Gifts for 10-year-olds / Best Books for a 10-year-old / Books With Neurodivergent Characters
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library
Author: Chris Grabenstein
Year: 2015
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction
Age: 9 – 11
More info: Mr. Lemoncello’s Library #1,
Plot
Mr. Lemoncello’s library is one of a kind. It’s full of holograms, logic puzzles, and hidden games. To officially open the new library, a few lucky kids get to spend the night inside as they try to win Mr. Lemoncello’s game and be the first team to escape.
Why Kirsten loves it
If you are looking for great bedtime stories for kids, this series will hit the mark. It will get your kids engaged with one-of-a-kid puzzles and delightful twists and turns.
Find this book in: Audiobooks for Kids / Netflix Book Adaptations / Middle Grade Mysteries / Books for 10-year-olds / Read Aloud Books / Best Puzzle Books
Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor
Author: Ally Carter
Year: 2020
Genre: Middle Grade Mystery
Age: 8 – 12
More info: Winterborne Home #1
Plot
April is the newest arrival at the orphanage, but she’s convinced she isn’t going to be there for long. As she starts to meet her foster family and get familiar with the mansion, she uncovers a secret. As she makes friends, she digs deeper into the mystery behind the Winterborne family.
Why Kirsten loves it
The first book in the mystery series about a group of orphans living in the Winterborne mansion is spellbinding. It ends on a cliffhanger and my kids were desperate to start the next book right after finishing!
Find this book in: Mystery Books for Tweens / Best Books for 12-year-olds
The Candymakers
Author: Wendy Maas
Year: 2010
Genre: Middle Grade Mystery
Age: 8 – 12
More info: The Candymakers #1
Plot
I decided to read this book with my boys prior to our visit to Candytopia. It was a lovely take on life at a candy factory and felt almost like an updated version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. 4 kids are competing to win a candy-making contest to have their creation mass-produced.
Why Kirsten loves it
The candy reminded me of Wonka’s Factory, but the whimsy and fun of the book reminded me a bit of Mr. Lemoncello’s Library. There are puzzles and secrets to unfold and descriptions of delectable delights. In short, it’s a fun read-aloud story that will leave you craving the next book in the series and a closet full of chocolate.
Find this book in: Books for Tweens / Best Books for 10-year-olds / Mystery Books for Tweens / Family Audiobooks
Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
The first of three books in the Book Scavengers series, this story is all about Emily and James. They are on the hunt to uncover the latest game by Garrison Griswold.
Griswold has recently entered a coma and it’s up to Emily and James to uncover who attacked him before they get attacked next. This pick in our list of mystery books for tweens is filled with fun and adventure.
For more books like this one, check out our list of books about books for kids.
Middle Grade Mysteries: Spy Books for Tweens
Spy School by Stuart Gibbs
The first book in Gibbs’s series is about Ben Ripley, a child CIA agent trying to defeat the evil organization Spyder. As he attends the secret junior CIA boarding school, he gets into loads of situations that put his espionage skills to good use.
In each book of the series, Ben and his fellow agents tackle a new problem. They take place at various new locations as the series progresses. It’s already 10 books deep and every pick from the series is a fun choice for a list of mystery books for tweens.
City Spies
Author: James Ponti
Year: 2020
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction
Age: 10 – 12
More info: City Spies #1
Plot
MI6 has recruited a bunch of kids to be their newest spy group – the City Spies. They attend boarding school while learning various spy tactics. Soon they get to go on a mission to Paris to put what they learned into action. Subsequent books take place in San Francisco and Beijing.
Why Kirsten loves it
At this point, this series is on our pre-order series list. It’s action-packed and filled with the kind of adventure my boys crave in their books.
Find this book in: Best Books for 11-year-olds / Middle Grade Books for Tweens / Mystery Books for Tweens
Harriet The Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
Harriet the Spy has been a classic children’ book for over 50 years. The 11-year-old is never without her notebook to write her observations in. When the notebook falls into the hands of her friends, they all get very angry with Harriet.
Will she be able to right her wrongs? There is a reason this realistic fiction book for a 10-year-old has been adapted repeatedly for the screen. It’s got life lessons for every child.
Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation
Author: Stuart Gibbs
Year: 2021
Genre: Middle Grade Mystery
Age: 10 – 12
More info: Charlie Thorne #1
Plot
Charlie Thorne is a child genius and the world’s best code breaker. So the CIA has dragged her into the hunt for Albert Einstein’s hidden code. She’s trying to get it before the Furies use it to destroy the world.
Why Jackie loves it
Charlie is hunting for something from Charles Darwin and Cleopatra in the subsequent sequels. Each story has her using her wits to outsmart everyone around her. I love that this genius is a female too!
Find this book in: Mystery Books for Tweens / Best Books for 10-year-olds
For more books like these, check out our list of kids’ books about spies.
Award-Winning Middle Grade Mystery Books for Tweens
Holes
Author: Louis Sachar
Year: 1998
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction
Age: 9 – 12
More info: National Book Award Winner, Newbery Medal Winner, Holes #1
Plot
When a boy under a curse is sent to a detention camp he’s taught to behave by digging holes all day, every day. Â It doesn’t take long for him to realize he’s digging for a reason – but what are the camp wardens looking to find?
Why Jackie loves it
Holes should be on every child’s list. It’s clever and will captivate the attention of any child. Read it and then watch the movie starring Shia LeBeouf.
Find this book in: Books About Camp / Best Books for 11-year-olds / Mystery Books for Tweens / Bedtime Stories for Kids / Ultimate List of Middle Grade Books
The Egypt Game
Author: Zilpha Neatly Snyder
Year: 1967
Genre: Middle Grade Mystery
Age: 8 – 12
More info: Newbery Honor Winner
Plot
The 6 “Egyptians” play in the back lot of an antique store, dressing up, performing rituals, and speaking with Oracles. Then, a murder happens in the area and trouble comes to the lot.
Why Kirsten loves it
This middle grade fiction enchanted me as a young girl. Don’t worry, there is a happy ending to this tween mystery book and also a sequel about gypsies!
Find this book in: Middle Grade Fiction / Best Books for 10-year-olds / Mystery Books for Tweens
The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Author: Brian Selznick
Illustrator: Brian Selznick
Year: 2007
Genre: Graphic Novel
Age: 8 – 11
More info: Caldecott Medal Winner
Plot
This middle grade mystery is an amazing story of Hugo Cabret, an orphan in the Paris train station where he winds the clocks so that nobody will discover his secrets. Soon he discovers a drawing and a notebook that will lead him to the biggest adventure of his life.
Trigger Warnings
Grief, Death of parent
Why Jackie loves it
Don’t let the length of this mystery book for kids deter you. Even though it’s long, there are gorgeous illustrations on every other page and the writing is only a paragraph at a time.
Find this book in: Best Books for 10-year-olds / Middle Grade Books for Tweens / Mystery Books for Tweens / Long Books
The Westing Game
Author: Ellen Raskin
Year: 1979
Genre: Middle Grade Mystery
Age: 9 – 11
More info: Newbery Medal Winner
Plot
When Mr. Westing dies, he leaves the residents of Sunset Towers named in his will. But they need to solve the mystery of his death in order to win control of his company and gain his vast fortune. Your family will love trying to work out what happened along with the characters!
Why Kirsten loves it
The tween book that got me into mysteries as a child is also great as an audiobook. This classic 70s book is still a must-read today! It has withstood the test of time.
Find this book in: Best Middle Grade Mystery Books / Books for 11-year-olds / Books About Puzzles
Fantasy and Sci-Fi Mystery Books for Tweens
Winterhouse
Author: Ben Guterson
Year: 2018
Genre: Middle Grade Mystery / Fantasy
Age: 9 – 13
More info: Edgar Award Finalist, Agatha Award Finalist
Plot
Elizabeth is an orphan whose aunt and uncle have shipped her to Winterhouse for the Christmas holiday. There, she meets the owner, Norbridge Falls, and learns secrets about his slightly evil family. Along the way, she meets another child guest – Freddy – and becomes fast friends with him. Together, they unlock codes and solve puzzles. The best part is that the first page of each chapter has a mini puzzle for readers to complete.
Why Kirsten loves it
My boys and I like to listen to books together in the car or when doing a puzzle. The standout book for me this month was Winterhouse. This middle grade mystery was as enthralling to me as it was to my children. I loved the slight bits of magic in the story and the captivating setting of an expansive ski hotel on a snowy mountain at Christmas time.
Find this book in: Paranormal Books / Books for a 10-Year-Old / Books About Puzzles / Fantasy Books for Tweens / Hotel Novels / Christmas Chapter Books
Greenglass House
Author: Kate Milford
Year: 2016
Genre: Middle Grade Mystery
Age: 9 – 12
More info: Greenglass House #1
Plot
The Greenglass House is an inn for smugglers and the winter season means it’s supposed to be quiet for Milo, the owner’s child. But instead, guest after guest checks in for the holidays, and items go missing around the inn. Soon, Milo and the chef’s daughter, Meddy, are off searching for the guests’ connection to the inn, uncovering secret after secret along the way.
Why Kirsten loves it
This mystery reminded me of Harry Potter in some ways. A child is trying to uncover the secrets of Greenglass House, a hotel for smugglers and spies before the adults do. I chose this as a family read-aloud and it was wonderful.
Find this book in: Best Ghost Books / Best Winter Books / Terrific Hotel Novels / Best Mystery Books for Tweens / Best Family Audiobooks / Books With Colors in the Title / Christmas Chapter Books / Best Books for 11-year-olds
The Strangers
Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix
Year: 2020
Genre: Middle Grade Sci-Fi Mystery
Age: 8 – 12
More info: Greystone Secrets #1
Plot
The three Greystone kids have to go into hiding after their mother disappears and news reports suggest that 3 OTHER greystone kids that look just like them were kidnapped.
As they try to uncover the mystery, they get a little help from Natalie, the daughter of the woman who is helping them hide. Soon they find a secret passage to another dimension. Can they find their mother and figure out what is going on?
Why Kirsten loves it
I listened to this sci-fi mystery with my kids on a road trip and was thoroughly entertained myself. When the book concluded, my son eagerly checked the rest of the series out at the library and finished it all in a week!
Find this book in: Mystery Books for Tweens / Books for 12-year-olds
Art Heist Mystery Books for Tdkdl
weens
Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett
When a famed Vermeer painting goes missing, Petra and Calder are thrust into the middle of a scandal! Can they solve an art mystery that’s stumped the F.B.I.?
Why We Love It: The first in a 4 book series, this is a great book that is interactive too. There are hidden puzzles in pictures and a code for readers to break in this tween mystery book.
Find this Book in Best Puzzle Books
The Van Gogh Deception
Author: Deron R. Hicks
Year: 2017
Genre: Middle Grade Mystery
Age: 9 – 13
More info: Lost Mysteries #1
Plot
Described as Dan Brown meets Jason Bourne, this story lives up to those clever titles. After all, it opens in the National Gallery when a boy wakes up with amnesia.
What unravels is a high-stakes mystery with a boy trying to figure out his identity while simultaneously trying to stop one of the biggest art heists to ever be attempted.
Why Kirsten loves it
The first in a series of middle grade novels, it captured the attention of my D.C.-obsessed son. It’s a fast-paced art caper that will keep your tween fully engrossed. It’s the first in a must-read series of books for 11-year-olds.
Find this book in: Best Books for 11-year-olds / Books for Tweens / Middle Grade Mystery Books
Animal Mystery Books for Tweens
Howliday Inn
Author: James Howe
Illustrator: Â Lynn Munsinger
Year: 2006
Genre: Middle Grade Mystery
Age: 8 – 10
More info: Bunnicula #2
Plot
Technically the sequel to Bunnicula, this read-aloud book can be read as a stand-alone. Chester and Harold are being boarded while their family is on vacation, but they are convinced they are staying in a haunted hotel!
Why Kirsten loves it
I remember laughing out loud as I read this middle grade mystery book as a child. I recently read it aloud again with my children and they had the exact same reaction I did! You will be busting at the seams with laughter. I highly recommend this one as a bedtime read-aloud during Halloween.
Find this book in: Halloween Chapter Books / Best Mystery Books for Tweens / Best Books for 9-year-olds / Best Bedtime Stories
Belly Up
Author: Stuart Gibbs
Year: 2010
Genre: Middle Grade Mystery
Age: 9 – 12
More info: Fun Jungle #1
Plot
After a hippo dies at FunJungle Zoo, it’s up to Teddy and his friend Summer to prove that the Hippo was murdered. But investigating Hippo’s homicide is a dangerous affair. This funny story kept this former zoo employee quite entertained.
Why Jackie loves it
A funny, clever story that’s the first in the FunJungle series by Stuart Gibbs.
Find this book in: Books for 10-year-olds / Zoo Books / Best Middle Grade Books / Best Mystery Books for Tweens
The Great Pet Heist by Emily Ecton
Do you have a reluctant reader that wants a funny story that isn’t too difficult? Enter The Great Pet Heist!
After Butterbean accidentally causes her own to take a spill, the pets enter crisis mode – HOW WILL THEY EAT? With her band of fellow animals, Butterbean decides to steal from a neighbor down the hall.
If your tweens love Ocean’s Eleven, they will love this one too!
Stand-Alone Tween Mystery Books
Greetings from Witness Protection!
Author: Jake Burt
Year: 2018
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction
Age: 9 – 12
Plot
What a fun story about an orphan girl tasked by the U.S. Marshalls to keep a family alive. As she enters into witness protection with them, she puts her street smarts and pick-pocketing abilities to good use.
But can she keep her new family safe? Will she be able to hide from her own past? All while avoiding any C’s in school… You’ll just have to read this tween mystery book to find out.
Why Kirsten loves it
This is a fun and unique story that will entertain even the pickiest reader. It’s a great audiobook for family road trips too!
Find this book in: Realistic Fiction Books / Books for 12-year-olds / Mystery Books for Tweens
Plot
This middle-grade story is about a boy named Matthew who has severe OCD and has trouble leaving his house due to his anxiety. He has not gone to school and his hands bleed from washing them repeatedly. He spends his time at the window observing the neighborhood.
Matthew is the last person to have seen the toddler next door before the four-year-old disappeared. Now Matthew is thrust into the middle of the investigation to find the little boy before its too late. Can he leave his comfort zone to help?
Trigger Warnings
Severe anxiety
Why Jackie loves it
I love the fact that this book looks at the world from Matthew’s point of view. It is a very readable, eye-opening middle-grade mystery book for 13-year-olds
Find this book in: Best Books for a 11-Year-Old / The Best Mystery Books for Tweens / The Best Books of 2017 / Books With Neurodivergent Characters
For more middle grade books, check out our list of books for 10-year-old, 11-year-old, 12-year-old, or 13-year-old readers.
Did you find any mystery books for tweens to add to your list?
The Ultimate List of Mystery Books
Love Mysteries? We created this list and carefully divided it by sub-genre for anyone who lives a good mystery as much as we do.
