First Clues: Mysteries for Kids is pleased to announce a selection of new mystery, suspense and thriller books (including series titles) scheduled for publication during July 2013, listed in approximate order of reading level, from books for younger readers to books for teens and young adults.
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The Case of the Missing Donut
Alison McGhee
This entertaining mystery is recommended for readers aged 4 to 6.
The sheriff and his deputy dog have been charged with a mission: to bring a dozen donuts home safely. All seems to be going well until the young sheriff peeks inside the box to check on the tasty treats. They're practically calling his name, and in the blink of an eye (and with just a few nibbles), a donut disappears! Wherever could that missing donut be? Luckily, this is one mystery the sheriff and his deputy are sure to bring to a close.
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The King of Scotland's Sword
Steve Stevenson
Agatha: Girl of Mystery
This third book in the series is recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.
Rumors of ancient curses and mischievous ghosts surround the disappearance of a priceless sword said to belong to the legendary Scottish King, Robert the Bruce. Determined to solve the case of this missing relic, Agatha packs her kit and heads to the Highlands!
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Cooking Camp Disaster
Carolyn Keene
Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew
Featuring a younger Nancy Drew and friends, this series book is recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.
Nancy, Bess, and George are excited to be spending some of their summer at Kid Kuisine, a cooking camp where they are going to learn how to make delicious treats from Chef Giorgio. At the end of the camp, they will be cooking for their families — and someone will win Best Chef!
But after a few days, it's clear that one of their fellow campers is not as excited as they are. From salty brownies to super-spicy pizza, things are not as yummy as they should be: Someone is sabotaging the food. Could it be the stuck-up Jeremy, who is intent on winning Best Chef? Or the chef's assistant, who might have hidden motives of her own? It's up to the Clue Crew to figure out who's ruining the recipes — and everyone's appetite!
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Diamonds Are a Thief's Best Friend
Hope McLean
Jewel Society
This second in a four-book series of heist adventures is recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.
Still smarting after their last run-in with the Rivals, the Jewels focus on their upcoming trip to the Big Apple. But the girls can't stop thinking about the cryptic letter they found, describing not one, but four precious gems that now need their protection!
Even more confusing, the Jewels start receiving anonymous notes, one of which claims the Rivals will try to steal a diamond during their trip to New York City! But which one is it? Finding the right diamond in New York is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
The Jewels get to work, using all their expertise to unravel the mystery of the secret letter and outsmart the Rivals, as a furious game of cat and mouse ensues across New York City. Will the Rivals rule again? Or can the Jewels conquer in quiz bowl AND stop a crime?
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The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail
Richard Peck
This stand-alone historical adventure mystery is recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.
The smallest mouse in London's Royal Mews is such a little mystery that he hasn't even a name. And who were his parents? His Aunt Marigold, Head Needlemouse, sews him a uniform and sends him off to be educated at the Royal Mews Mouse Academy. There he's called "Mouse Minor" (though it's not quite a name), and he doesn't make a success of school. Soon he's running for his life, looking high and low through the grand precincts of Buckingham Palace to find out who he is and who he might become.
Queen Victoria ought to be able to help him, if she can communicate with mice. She is all-seeing, after all, and her powers are unexplainable. But from her, Mouse Minor learns only that you do not get all your answers from the first asking. And so his voyage of self-discovery takes him onward, to strange and wonderful places.
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The Hypnotists
Gordon Korman
Hypnotists
This first book in a new series is recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.
Jackson Opus has always been persuasive, but he doesn't know that he's descended from the two most powerful hypnotist bloodlines on the planet. He's excited to be accepted into a special program at the Sentia Institute — but when he realizes he's in over his head, Jackson will have to find a way to use his powers to save his friends, his parents, and his government.
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Rules for Ghosting
A. J. Paquette
This stand-alone mystery is recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.
Twelve-year-old Dahlia has always lived at Silverton Manor-having spent fifty years as its resident ghost. When Oliver Day and his family show up as house-sitters the day Mrs. Tibbs, a Liberator sent by the Spectral Investigative Council, arrives to teach Dahlia the proper rules for ghosting, Dahlia can't wait to make new friends.
But the unscrupulous ghost hunter, Rank Wiley, and the crooked town councilman, Jock Rutabartle, plan to rid Silverton Manor of its ghosts and sell it to the highest bidder. With her home and friendships at stake Dahlia may have to break the rules of ghosting as quickly as she learns them to solve the mystery of her death and save the manor.
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First Clues: Mysteries for Kids is your source for information on over 200 mystery series for children and young adults, where each series is conveniently listed under four different age categories (New Sleuths, ages 4 to 6; Future Sleuths, ages 7 to 9; Junior Sleuths, ages 10 to 12; and Apprentice Sleuths, ages 13 and older).
Click on the Amazon button to see also the special Whispersync offer associated with this title.
