The Cozy Mystery List Blog

Cozy Mystery (and Other Favorite) Books, Movies, and TV

Mystery Books for Pre Teens…

preteenThis next comment was sent in by Nana B:

“Any suggestions for cozy book mysteries for a 9 year old??”

Holly did answer:

“NanaB — for a 9 year old, try the Sammy Keyes series. Great mysteries for the ‘tween set (and adults can enjoy them too — I’m proof!). Well written, tons of fun, lots of humor, spunky young teen detective — sort of Nancy Drew of 21st century.”

Do any of you know of some really good mystery books that are written for +/- nine year olds? If so, please post a comment. Thank you!
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Here are some suggestions for children’s mystery books. As usual, you should take a look at the suggested age level and/or reading level that is given on each book.

Agatha Awards Best Children & Young Adult Winners and Nominees

Edgar Awards Best Juvenile

American Girl History Mysteries

Robert Arthur: Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators (The Secret of Terror Castle is the first of the series)

Blue Balliett & Brett Helquist (Illustrator): Chasing Vermeer

Blue Balliett & Brett Helquist (Illustrator): The Wright 3

Blue Balliett & Brett Helquist (Illustrator): The Calder Game

Blue Balliett: The Danger Box

Mac Barnett & Adam Rex (Illustrator): Brixton Brothers Mystery Series

Michael D. Beil: Red Blazer Girls Mystery Series

Enid Blyton: Adventure Mystery Series

Enid Blyton: Famous Five Mystery Series

Enid Blyton: Secret Seven Mystery Series

Enid Blyton: Secret Mystery Series

Elise Broach: Shakespeare’s Secret

Michael Buckley & Peter Ferguson (Illustrator): The Sisters Grimm: Fairy Tale Detectives

Bruce Campbell: Ken Holt Mystery Series

Julie Campbell: Trixie Belden Mystery Series

Simon Cheshire: Saxby Smart, Private Detective Mystery Series

Gennifer Choldenko: Al Capone Mystery Series

Bruce Coville: My children loved all of his books. My Teacher Is An Alien, etc. (More sci-fi, with a touch of mystery…)

Franklyn W. Dixon: The Hardy Boys Mystery Series

John R. Erickson & Gerald L. Holmes (Illustrator): Hank the Cowdog Series (My children loved these!) (More adventure, with a tough of mystery…)

Jack Gantos: Norvelt Series

John Grisham: Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer Mystery Series

Mary Downing Hahn: Closed for the Season

Mary Downing Hahn: The Dead Man in Indian Creek

Mary Downing Hahn: All the Lovely Bad Ones

Mary Downing Hahn: Deep and Dark and Dangerous

Mary Downing Hahn: The Doll in the Garden

Mary Downing Hahn: The Old Willis Place

Mary Downing Hahn: Time for Andrew

Mary Downing Hahn: Wait Till Helen Comes

Kim Harrington: Sleuth or Dare Mystery Series

Marie Jacks, Jahanna N. Malcolm, A. E. Parker, Dona Smith, Eric Weiner: Clue Mystery Series

Carolyn Keene: The Nancy Drew Mystery Series

David A. Kelly: Ballpark Mystery Series

Andrew Lane: Young Sherlock Holmes Mystery Series

Caroline Lawrence: Roman Mysteries Series

Carole Marsh: Real Kids, Real Places Mystery Series (The Mystery in New York City)

Louise Moeri: A Horse for X.Y.Z.

Katherine Hall Page: Christie & Company Mystery Series

Shane Peacock: Boy Sherlock Holmes Mystery Series

Justin Richards: Invisible Detective Mystery Series

Ron Roy & John Steven Gurney (Illustrator): A to Z Mystery Series

Lois Snelling: The Yellow Cup Mystery, etc.

Donald J. Sobol: Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective

Nancy Springer: Enola Holmes Mystery Series

Rebecca Stead: When You Reach Me

Rebecca Stead: Liar & Spy

Sheila Turnage: Mo & Dale Mystery Series

Wendelin Van Draanen: Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief, etc.

Gertrude Chandler Warner: The Boxcar Children Mystery Series

Penny Warner: Mystery of the Haunted Caves  ’01 (Agatha & Anthony Awards for Best Juvenile Mystery) (9-12 year olds)

Penny Warner: Code Busters Club Mystery Series Book #1: Skeleton Key (9-12 year olds)

Marjorie Weinman Sharmat & Marc Simont (Illustrator): Nate the Great Mystery Series (My children loved these.)

Jacqueline West: The Shadows (book #1 in the Books of Elsewhere)

Jerry West: The Happy Hollisters Mystery Series

Betty Ren Wright: The Dollhouse Murders AND Christina’s Ghost

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Best Selling Authors with Children’s or Young Adult Mystery Series, Part 1

Best Selling Authors with Children’s or Young Adult Mystery Series, Part 2

Best Selling Authors with Children’s or Young Adult Mystery Series, Part 3

Laura Alden, Phillip DePoy, Sean Keefer, & Nancy Jill Thames… Four Mystery Author Additions to the Cozy Mystery Site…

I am in the process of trying to add more mystery authors who you all have recommended for me to add to the Cozy Mystery site. Those of you who requested authors a while ago must be wondering why I haven’t listed them yet. So, without further ado, here are the four newest mystery authors I have added to the Cozy Mystery site.

Laura Alden: PTA Mystery Series… This series has, as its sleuth, the owner of a children’s bookstore. She is a single parent. The first in the series was nominated for the Agatha Award for Best First Novel.

Phillip DePoy: Fever Devilin Mystery Series AND Flap Tucker Mystery Series… Fever Devilin is an Appalachian folklorist and Flap Tucker is a private detective. Both series take place in Georgia.

Sean Keefer: Stand Alone Mysteries… Keefer is an attorney from South Carolina. His debut, stand alone mystery features an attorney from South Carolina.

Nancy Jill Thames: Jillian Bradley Mystery Series… The sleuth in this series is a gardening columnist. She solves her mysteries at different resorts, accompanied by Teddy, her little Yorkshire Terrier. This series is on the “No Profanity” list of mystery books.

Authors Who Are Similar to Lee Harris

Mary Joy has asked me to come up with a list of authors who are similar to Lee Harris. I will begin with a few who I think qualify to be included in this theme:

Authors Who Are Similar to Lee Harris:

Leslie Meier: Lucy Stone Mystery Series…

Sister Carol Anne O’Marie: Sister Mary Helen Mystery Series…

Monica Quill: Sister Mary Teresa Mystery Series…

Livia J. Washburn: Fresh Baked Mystery Series…

Valerie Wolzien: Susan Henshaw Mystery Series…

Please post your recommendations of authors who are similar to Lee Harris, and I will add them to the list.

♦To access more Cozy Mysteries by theme click on this link.♦

Mike Befeler, Janet Bolin, Joyce Oroz, & Dorothy St. James … Four of the Newest Mystery Authors Added to the Cozy Mystery Site…

I am (again!) trying to post a few of the many mystery authors you all have recommended as belonging on the site. The four newest mystery author additions to the site are:

Mike Befeler   Befeler, with his Stanford Bachelor’s and his UCLA Master’s, writes the Paul Jacobson Geezer-Lit Mystery Series. This series has a unique sleuth, as he is an octogenarian. 

Janet Bolin   Bolin writes the Threadville Mystery Series. This series will be of special interest to those of us who enjoy needleworking of all types: embroidery, crocheting, knitting, quilting, all sorts of arts, and/or crafts. The series takes place in a village which attracts many people with these interests. The sleuth is the owner of a high-tech embroidery shop.

Joyce Oroz   Oroz is a painter/author who writes the Josephine Stuart Mystery Series. Josephine, the sleuth, is a middle aged painter who is recently widowed.

Dorothy St. James  St. James pens the White House Gardener Mystery Series which, of course, takes place in Washington D C. The sleuth is an assistant gardener who has been hand-picked by the first lady.

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