First Clues: More Mysteries for Children and Young Adults

The First Clue Mysteries website was updated this weekend with seven additional series for the junior sleuths in your family.

The characters featured in the Boxcar Children mysteries by Gertrude Chandler Warner are also in a series written for beginning readers. The Benny and Watch mysteries feature Benny Alden (the youngest of the Boxcar children) and his dog Watch and will delight readers aged 4 to 6 with simple stories and colorful illustrations. There are currently 15 books in the series. (Note: Gertrude Chandler Warner died in 1979 but her publisher continues to produce mysteries for children in her name.)

The Character mysteries feature twins Charlie and Hailey and are written by Elizabeth L. Hamilton. These entertaining stories also illustrate character building traits that will resonate with the reader. Of the three books available, the first teaches the basic meaning of character. The second calls for courage of conviction. In the third the twins learn responsibility. This series is recommended for pre-teens.

Like the Benny and Watch mysteries, the Fletcher mysteries by Elizabeth Levy feature a character from another series though are written for a younger audience. Fletcher is a dog that belongs to Gwen and Jill (from the Something Queer mystery series, also by the same author). He and his flea Jasper help solve crimes in their neighborhood. The five books in this series are recommended for readers aged 6 to 9.

The Johnny Dixon mysteries combine suspense, science fiction, and fantasy. The first eight books in the series were written by John Bellairs, the author of several novels and two other series for young adults, who died in 1991. The ninth book, The Drum, the Doll, and the Zombie, was completed by Brad Strickland who also has written the three most recently published mysteries in the series. These books are recommended for readers aged 9 to 12.

Written by Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry, the Red Rock mysteries feature 13-year-old twins Bryce and Ashley Timberline. Whether at home, in school or out chasing down evidence, both Bryce and Ashley bring their excitement and enthusiasm for seeking out justice and defending the needy to every task they undertake. Their investigative cases take on a fuller dimension as they learn to live out their faith in every area of life. The 15 books in this series are written for readers aged 8 to 12.

A series for young readers, the Sly the Sleuth mysteries by Donna Jo Napoli and her son Robert Furrow feature Sylvia "Sly" and her cat Taxi. They operate the Sleuth for Hire agency and use their wits and reasoning to solve problems for their friends and neighbors. Each of the three books in the series contains three mystery stores in the form of early reader chapter books. The Sly the Sleuth mysteries are recommended for new readers aged 4 to 6.

The first book in the Zeke Armstrong mysteries by Daniel Hale and his teenage nephew Matthew Labrot, Red Card, was the 2002 winner of the Agatha Award for Best Children's/Young Adult Mystery. Zeke Armstrong is a 13-year-old sports fanatic and amateur sleuth. There are currently two books in this series which is recommended for readers 10 and older.

First Clue Mysteries is pleased to provide information on over 50 mystery series for children and young adults. Each series is conveniently listed under three different age categories (New Sleuth, ages 4 to 7; Future Sleuth, aged 7 to 10; and Sleuth in Training, ages 10 and older). If you have a favorite mystery series you'd like to see added to our site, please contact us.

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