First Clues: Mysteries for Kids, your source for information on over 100 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; Sleuths in Training, ages 10 to 12, and Apprentice Sleuths, ages 13 and older), is pleased to announce 10 new mystery books (8 series books) scheduled for publication during June, 2009.
Wilson and Miss Lovely by John Stadler
The Back-to-School Mystery Series
Wilson had just finished his first week of school and could not wait for the next one to begin. He was very fond of his new teacher, Miss Lovely. But something was wrong that day—very wrong. There were no school buses, the school itself was empty, and something strange was approaching. Undeterred and ever-hopeful that he would see Miss Lovely soon, Wilson went through his normal school day alone—he did his math lesson alone, his science lesson alone, sent himself to the principal’s office when he was naughty, and more, but still ... something was approaching. Stadler skillfully uses gatefold flaps to keep the suspense mounting until we find out just who—or what—was approaching in the first book of this series.
The Back-to-School Mystery Series are recommended for readers aged 4 to 6.
The Mystery of the Missing Books by Doug Cushman
The Dirk Bones Series
In the town of Ghostly, where everything is spooky, something really strange is going on: Books are disappearing! And not just any books—only those written by the famous author Edgar Bleek. Luckily ace reporter Dirk Bones is on the case. As Dirk tracks down information about the only clue—a weird spotted leaf—the mystery gets even more bizarre. What is happening in Ghostly? Expect the unexpected in this second Dirk Bones mystery about a fearless reporter in a town full of silly, creepy creatures.
The Dirk Bones Series are recommended for readers aged 4 to 6.
The Molly Shoe Mystery by David A. Adler
The Young Cam Jansen Series
Aunt Molly is in town. Cam Jansen and her best friend, Eric, are at the airport to greet her. They find Aunt Molly, but her favorite high heels are missing! Did she leave them in Peru, or China, or behind a trash can? Will gumshoe Cam find Aunt Molly’s missing shoes? The 14th book in this delightful Level 2 reading series. For older readers, see also the Cam Jansen mystery series.
The Young Cam Jansen Series are recommended for readers aged 4 to 6.
The Ransom Note Blues by Jill Santopolo
The Alec Flint Series
Alec Flint is a super sleuth in training, with one mystery under his belt, and a really great partner named Gina. When Gina's mom, a local newspaper reporter, gets a ransom note at work, Alec and Gina are on the case. The note claims that something belonging to the whole town has been stolen ... but that something could be anything! The partners do their best to spend as much time as possible sleuthing, but their schoolwork keeps getting in the way. The entire fourth grade is doing a unit on the abstract artist Jackson Pollock that's sponsored by a distant relative of Pollock's. Alec and Gina have more important things to worry about than a bunch of paintings with lots of strange paint dripped on the canvas. But are the detectives overlooking an important clue? Could the mysterious sponsor and the abstract paintings have something to do with the ransom note? The 2nd book in this series.
The Alec Flint Series are recommended for readers aged 7 to 9.
The Ghost at Old Oak Way by Laurie Cameron and Laura Meagher
The Acorn Mysteries
Eliza is seeing things, but what she hears shakes her to the core. The Bookshop has been in her family since before the Civil War and now it s in financial trouble. Strange things are happening ... Eliza receives mysterious messages, stumbles across obscure clues, and finds hidden spaces in The Bookshop. When a creepy man starts popping up in unexpected places, she knows not to trust him. When Eliza learns he is planning to buy The Bookshop, she becomes more suspicious, convinced there is something in the family shop worth finding. It's up to three seventh graders, Eliza, her best friend Melinda, and the new kid Simon, to unravel the mystery and save The Bookshop in the first book of this series.
The Acorn Mysteries are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.
The Legend of Burial Island by David Crossman
The Bean and Ab Mystery Series
In a tale overflowing with adventure, teens Bean Carver and Abigail Peterson -- and a Middle Eastern princess summering on their island -- pull off narrow escapes by boat, ultralight, and mini-submarine. Bizarre occurrences indicate that the legends surrounding nearby Burial Island-site of a tragedy during the French and Indian Wars-might not be merely folktales. Bean and Ab solve a baffling mystery, plus get some clues about the importance of loyalty and friendship. The 3rd book in this series.
The Bean and Ab Mystery Series are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.
Uncer Cover by Barbara Mitchelhill
The Damian Drooth, Supersleuth Series
Damian's amazing detective skills are called on when rich boy, Clavin Baggington, has his super-expensive bike stolen at the Green Park Holiday Village . With a brilliant and cunning plan, Damian solves the crime in style - but not before Mum's blood pressure rises to new heights and the Holiday Village is thrown into chaos. Even Inspector Crockitt, hoping for a peaceful week's break, becomes unwillingly and painfully involved. The 7th book in this series.
The Damian Drooth, Supersleuth Series are recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.
Ballerina Detective and the Missing Jeweled Tiara by Karen Rita Rautenberg
Non-series
Providing a colorful slice of life, mystery, light romance, and personal struggles, this adventure tale draws readers into the life of a contemporary American girl, Kayla, in her quest to pursue her dreams and find her identity in the exciting transition from childhood to early adolescence. The story takes an unexpected turn when someone steals her friend Amber's most prized possession—the gold tiara she planned to use as the crown in The Nutcracker ballet. Suddenly, Kayla and her fellow ballerina friend Vicki find themselves embroiled in the roles of amateur detectives. Kayla also discovers something very special about herself; she gets the starring role in a school play but must overcome stage fright and the difficulty of memorizing her lines all while experiencing her first crush on a boy.
This book is recommended for readers aged 10 to 12.
The Mystery of the Third Lucretia by Susan Runholt
The Kari and Lucas Series
If it hadn’t been for Lucas’s photographic memory, they might not have remembered the man. It had been almost a year since she and Kari noticed him copying a famous Rembrandt painting in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. But now in the National Gallery in London, they spot the same guy, copying another Rembrandt. Then, when a never-before-seen Rembrandt painting is discovered in Amsterdam, the girls begin to suspect the truth. Convinced that no one will believe them without hard and fast evidence, the teenage sleuths embark on a madcap adventure to find the forger and bring him to justice. The 1st book in this series. Also available: The Mystery of the Third Lucretia (hardcover edition).
The Kari and Lucas Series are recommended for readers aged 13 and older.
The Boxer and the Spy by Robert B. Parker
Non-series
When a shy high school student’s body is found washed up on the shore of a quiet beach town—an apparent suicide—Terry Novak doesn’t know what to think. He decides to do some investigating with the help of his best friend, Abby. Before long, they learn that asking questions puts them in grave danger. Fortunately, Terry has been learning about fighting, thanks to a retired boxer, who teaches him to use his head and keep his feet set beneath him—lessons Terry takes to heart in more ways than one. Also available: The Boxer and the Spy (hardcover edition).
This book is recommended for readers aged 13 and older.
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