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NLS Published Bibliographies

Mysteries for Younger Readers

2012

Detective looking at ground through magnifying glassIntroduction

Mysteries written for children might seem like lightweight diversions, but they can be valuable educational tools as well as entertainment. The amateur detectives in these books interact with adults and often outsmart them. They find clues, sort them out, and evaluate the suspects—all the while bringing the reader along on the journey. Plots can hinge on the ability to crack codes, use deductive logic, and analyze contradictory statements. All fiction exercises the imagination, but mysteries have the additional benefit of helping young people develop their critical skills and experience the satisfaction of having solved a puzzle.

Many authors set their plots in ordinary places. Something strange might happen in the neighborhood, at the zoo, or on a Boy Scout camping trip, and an investigator—who is much like the reader—takes action. Readers get to exercise their problem-solving skills in very familiar settings.

Some writers involve their readers in a direct way. The Encyclopedia Brown series is set up to allow readers to solve the mysteries and compare their solutions to Encyclopedia’s conclusions. David Adler’s heroine Cam Jansen uses her photographic memory to solve crimes, and the books feature memory quizzes to help readers sharpen their powers of observation.

Some mysteries incorporate a history lesson. Caroline Lawrence’s books take place during the Roman Empire and portray the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. Virginia Hamilton’s The House of Dies Drear takes place in the present but deals with mysteries in a house that was a station in the Underground Railroad.

This collection of mysteries covers a wide range: classics—Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, the Boxcar Children, and Encyclopedia Brown—as well as more recent works.

The books in this bibliography are listed in alphabetical order by author, then by title. Titles are available on digital cartridge (DB) and/or on the Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD), which allows registered patrons to download digital talking books and audio magazines. Patrons who wish to use BARD must have a blank cartridge, a USB cord, a digital player, a computer, and a high-speed Internet connection. Some digital titles may be available only for download. You may register for BARD at https://nlsbard.loc.gov.

Youth Mysteries

The Postcard  DB 69680
8 hours 13 minutes
by Tony Abbott
read by Erik Sandvold
While cleaning out his recently deceased grandmother’s house in St. Petersburg, Florida, thirteen-year-old Jason receives a mysterious phone call about a postcard, which triggers his quest for the chapters of a hidden manuscript revealing his family history. For grades 5-8. Edgar Award. 2008.

Behind the Curtain: An Echo Falls Mystery  DB 65929
6 hours 23 minutes
by Peter Abrahams
read by Kristin Allison
With mysterious happenings piling up in her hometown of Echo Falls, eighth-grader Ingrid Levin-Hill begins sleuthing around, Sherlock Holmes style. One Saturday morning on her way to MathFest, Ingrid is kidnapped and wakes up in the trunk of a car. For grades 6-9. 2006.

Down the Rabbit Hole: An Echo Falls Mystery  DB 61373
7 hours 12 minutes
by Peter Abrahams
read by Kristin Allison
Going to soccer practice, thirteen-year-old Ingrid Levin-Hill encounters local oddball Cracked-Up Katie. Later that evening someone kills Katie. Observing details, just as Ingrid’s hero Sherlock Holmes does, helps Ingrid investigate the murder case in her hometown of Echo Falls. For grades 6-9. 2005.

Into the Dark: An Echo Falls Mystery  DB 67021
5 hours 43 minutes
by Peter Abrahams
read by Kristin Allison
When an environmental activist is found dead on the farm of thirteen-year-old Ingrid Levin-Hill’s grandfather, the young Sherlock Holmes aficionado investigates to clear her grandfather of murder charges. But Grampy refuses to cooperate or provide an alibi. For grades 6-9. 2008.

Cam Jansen and the Summer Camp Mysteries: A Super Special  DB 65614
1 hour 17 minutes
by David A. Adler
read by Peter Lavezzoli
Cam Jansen and her best friend Eric Shelton are spending three weeks at Camp Eagle Lake, where they play sports, do crafts, and solve three mysteries. A beginning chapter book. For grades 2-4. 2007.

The Last Treasure  DB 59883
7 hours 30 minutes
by Janet S. Anderson
read by Lindsay Ellison
Distant cousins Ellsworth and Jess spend the summer looking for hidden treasure at the old clan homestead, where an ancestor’s spirit still roams. Along the way the teens also uncover family secrets. For grades 6-9. 2003.

The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen: M.T. Anderson’s Thrilling Tales  DB 63656
3 hours 19 minutes
by M.T. Anderson
read by Kristin Allison
On vacation, Katie, Lily, and Jasper—from Whales on Stilts (DB 60549)—make their way to the Moose Tongue Lodge, where the guests are other young heroes from books. The three travelers are quickly caught up in a mystery involving quintuplets in lederhosen and a screaming ventriloquist. For grades 5-8. 2006.

Under Copp’s Hill  DB 55775
4 hours 11 minutes
by Katherine Ayres
read by Carol Dines
In 1908 eleven-year-old Innie joins the library club at the settlement house that serves immigrant families of Boston’s North End. When items and money disappear, Innie’s past as a troublemaker puts her under suspicion. For grades 4-7. 2000.

The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity: The Brixton Brothers  DB 70339
2 hours 54 minutes
by Mac Barnett
read by Jack Fox
Twelve-year-old Steve Brixton, a fan of Bailey Brothers mysteries, is mistaken for a real detective. Steve eludes librarians, police, and the mysterious Mr. E as he seeks a missing quilt containing coded information—and solves his first case. For grades 4-7. 2009.

The Beast of Blackslope: The Sherlock Files, Book 2  DB 69456
3 hours 7 minutes
by Tracy Barrett
read by Kristin Allison
A huge monster is terrorizing the peaceful village of Blackslope, England, where Xena and Xander Holmes, an American sister and brother, are spending a year. The siblings set out to solve this mystery using clues in their ancestor Sherlock Holmes’s casebook. For grades 4-7. 2009.

The Hundred-Year-Old Secret: The Sherlock Files, Book 1  DB 67717
2 hours 39 minutes
by Tracy Barrett
read by Kristin Allison
Upon moving to London, American siblings Xena and Xander Holmes, ages twelve and ten, respectively, are inducted into the Society for the Preservation of Famous Detectives. They learn Sherlock Holmes was their ancestor, and they tackle the unsolved case of a missing painting from his casebook. For grades 4-7. 2008.

A Handful of Thieves  DB 37879
3 hours 55 minutes
by Nina Bawden
read by John Horton
When a con man disappears with Fred’s grandmother’s savings, five children—who call themselves the Cemetery Committee—set out to find the thief and recover the money. For grades 3-6. 1967.

The Ring of Rocamadour: The Red Blazer Girls, Book 1  DB 69050
6 hours 43 minutes
by Michael D. Beil
read by Anne Hancock
Sophie St. Pierre, Margaret Wrobel, and Rebecca Chen—newly attired in the seventh-grade red blazers of St. Veronica’s school in Manhattan—meet their elderly neighbor Elizabeth Harriman. The friends are soon involved in their first case—solving mysterious puzzles to find an archaeological treasure. For grades 5-8. 2009.

The House with a Clock in Its Walls  DB 45943
4 hours 14 minutes
by John Bellairs
read by Erik Sandvold
A ten-year-old orphan, his warlock uncle Jonathan, and a neighboring witch search Jonathan’s house to find a hidden clock that is programmed to end the world. Prequel to The Figure in the Shadows (RC 45944). For grades 5-8.

Shakespeare’s Secret  DB 64246
4 hours 38 minutes
by Elise Broach
read by Michele Schaeffer
Named after a character in a Shakespeare play, misfit sixth-grader Hero becomes interested in exploring this connection and other puzzling matters: a valuable diamond supposedly hidden in her house, an intriguing neighbor, and the unexpected attention of the most popular boy in school. For grades 4-7. 2005.

Freddy Goes Camping  DB 27774
5 hours 31 minutes
by Walter R. Brooks
read by Phyllis Dorflinger
Mr. Camphor’s dour aunts Elmira and Minerva are staying with him for the summer because the Lakeside summer hotel is closed for repairs and lack of help—all of the workers have left in fear of a ghost. Mr. Camphor enlists the help of Freddy the pig and his detective partner, Mrs. Wiggins the cow, who disguise themselves as campers to go ghost busting. For grades 4-7. 1948.

Night Wings  DB 69883
3 hours 47 minutes
by Joseph Bruchac
read by Erik Todd Dellums
Paul, a thirteen-year-old Abenaki, realizes too late that his dreams about a winged monster pursuing him were a warning: Paul and his grandfather are abducted from their trailer and forced to lead a search for ancient treasure. Both fight to preserve their ancestors’ secrets—and to survive. For grades 5-8. 2009.

Enemy in the Fort  DB 55781
4 hours 9 minutes
by Sarah Masters Buckey
read by Carol Dines
In 1754 twelve-year-old Rebecca lives at a fort in New Hampshire after her parents are taken prisoner by the Abenaki tribe. A boy who had also been a hostage is returned after two years, but Rebecca suspects him of being a thief. For grades 4-7. 2001.

Gangsters at the Grand Atlantic: American Girl History Mysteries  DB 59374
4 hours 27 minutes
by Sarah Masters Buckey
read by Carol Dines
In 1925, after witnessing gangster violence in Philadelphia, twelve-year-old Emily accompanies her older sister on a trip to the New Jersey shore. To her horror, Emily discovers that the thugs she saw are now staying at her hotel and that they are bootleggers. For grades 4-7. 2003.

The Case of the Nana-Napper: A Wright and Wong Mystery, Book 2  DB 64353
4 hours 38 minutes
by Laura J. Burns
read by Ray Childs
When her dependable grandmother is missing from her souvenir shop, Agatha Wong believes that Nana Wong has been kidnapped. She enlists her crime-solving partner, Orville Wright, who has Asperger syndrome, to help solve the case. For grades 4-7. 2005.

The Case of the Prank That Stank: A Wright and Wong Mystery, Book 1  DB 64127
5 hours 18 minutes
by Laura J. Burns
read by Ray Childs
Seventh-graders Agatha Wong and Orville Wright, who has Asperger syndrome, help organize a prank involving fire at a school football game. When their rival school’s field house burns down, Wright and Wong team up to prove their high jinks did not cause the blaze. For grades 4-7. 2005.

The Case of the Slippery Soap Star: A Wright and Wong Mystery, Book 4  DB 64561
5 hours 7 minutes
by Laura J. Burns
read by Ray Childs
Mrs. Wright’s dinner with her favorite soap-opera star ends in mortification when she is accused of stealing the guests’ jewelry. Sleuths Agatha Wong and Orville Wright, who has Asperger syndrome, search for the real thief. For grades 4-7. 2005.

The Case of the Trail Mix-Up: A Wright and Wong Mystery, Book 3  DB 64382
4 hours 25 minutes
by Laura J. Burns
read by Ray Childs
Class bully Stu Frysley is missing in the woods on the seventh-grade camping trip. Sleuths Orville Wright, who has Asperger syndrome, and Agatha Wong follow Stu’s trail in case the legendary ghost, Ax Jack, has snatched him. For grades 4-7. 2005.

The Black Tower: A Herculeah Jones Mystery  DB 65102
2 hours 33 minutes
by Betsy Byars
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
Herculeah Jones gets involved in yet another dangerous mystery when she visits elderly stroke victim Shivers Hunt in his tower mansion (called Haunt House by kids). Oddly, Mr. Hunt wants Herculeah to read him the story The Terror in Black Tower. For grades 4-7. 2006.

Dead Letter: A Herculeah Jones Mystery  DB 67943
2 hours 29 minutes
by Betsy Byars
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
Inside the lining of a second-hand coat, Herculeah Jones discovers a letter that reads like a cry for help. Herculeah and her best friend Meat track down clues about the coat’s owner, but someone doesn’t want them to know the truth. For grades 4-7. 1996.

Death’s Door: A Herculeah Jones Mystery  DB 67748
2 hours 10 minutes
by Betsy Byars
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
When a gunman shoots at her best friend Meat, supersleuth Herculeah Jones jumps into action. Before she knows what’s happening, she is kidnapped and taken to Death’s Door, a mystery bookstore. For grades 4-7. 1997.

King of Murder: A Herculeah Jones Mystery  DB 67725
2 hours 15 minutes
by Betsy Byars
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
Herculeah and her sidekick Meat visit a local book store, where they meet murder-mystery author Mathias King. His actions make Meat uncomfortable, and Herculeah suspects that King may write so well about crime because he might just be a murderer. For grades 4-7. 2006.

We the Children: Benjamin Pratt and the Keepers of the School, Book 1  DB 71167
2 hours 43 minutes
by Andrew Clements
read by Andy Pyle
Ben Pratt’s life is full of unwelcome changes: his parents’ separation and the town’s plan to tear down his seaside school to build an amusement park. Ben becomes involved in defending the building after a dying janitor gives him an old engraved gold coin. For grades 3-6. 2010.

Flatfoot Fox and the Case of the Bashful Beaver  DB 43102
0 hours 23 minutes
by Eth Clifford
read by Christopher Walker
Flatfoot Fox, who runs a detective agency, considers himself the smartest detective in the world. But when Bashful Beaver comes to ask for help in locating his big black bag of beautiful bright blue buttons, Flatfoot Fox allows his assistant, Secretary Bird, to head up the investigation—with rather unusual results. For grades 2-4. 1995.

Flatfoot Fox and the Case of the Missing Eye  DB 36652
0 hours 18 minutes
by Eth Clifford
read by John Horton
Flatfoot Fox, who claims to be the smartest detective in the whole world, and his assistant Secretary Bird have just been approached by Fat Cat—someone has stolen Fat Cat’s glass eye! The theft took place at Fat Cat’s very own birthday party. Suspects include Really Ridiculous Rabbit, Picky Pig, Greedy Goat, and Snake-in-the Grass. Companion to Flatfoot Fox and the Case of the Nosy Otter (RC 36554). For grades 2-4. 1990.

Circle of Fire  DB 55632
3 hours 45 minutes
by Evelyn Coleman
read by Carol Dines
Tennessee, 1958. Mendy puts herself in danger when she discovers that the Ku Klux Klan is planning to bomb the Highlander Folk School in order to disrupt a visit from Mendy’s hero, Eleanor Roosevelt. For grades 4-7. 2001.

Mystery of the Dark Tower  DB 55771
3 hours 40 minutes
by Evelyn Coleman
read by Carol Dines
In 1928 twelve-year-old Bessie and her younger brother are taken by their father to live with his sisters in Harlem. When he disappears, Bessie feels trapped without her mother and her familiar North Carolina life. For grades 4-7. 2000.

Diamonds in the Shadow  DB 68439
6 hours 20 minutes
by Caroline B. Cooney
read by Margaret Strom
Connecticut. Jared Finch voices his disapproval when his parents volunteer to host a West African refugee family of four, the Amabos. It turns out that the Amabos are not innocent victims: they have a secret—and a dangerous former soldier on their trail. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 2007.

On the Edge  DB 24369
5 hours 21 minutes
by Gillian Cross
read by David Palmer
Tug, who has been hit on the head and kidnapped, wakes to find himself with strangers in an unfamiliar place and uncertain of his identity. Meanwhile, Jinny decides to solve the mystery of the house at the edge of town and save the boy in it. For grades 5-8. 1984.

Mr. Chickee’s Funny Money: Flint Future Detectives, Book 1  DB 60758
3 hours 20 minutes
by Christopher Paul Curtis
read by Rick Wiseman
Mr. Chickee, the blind neighbor of Flint Future Detectives Club member Steven, gives him a quadrillion dollar bill that pictures soul singer James Brown. Treasury agent Fondoo chases Steven, his friend Russell, and Russell’s dog Zoopy in order to retrieve the money. For grades 4-7. 2005.

Mr. Chickee’s Messy Mission: Flint Future Detectives, Book 2  DB 64923
5 hours 5 minutes
by Christopher Paul Curtis
read by Gary Roan
Flint Future Detectives Club members Steven Carter and his friends Russell and Richelle follow Russell’s dog, Rodney Rodent, into a mural to chase a demonic-looking gnome—only to find the mysterious Mr. Chickee on the other side. For grades 4-7. 2007.

The Ghost of Fossil Glen  DB 47637
3 hours 21 minutes
by Cynthia DeFelice
read by Liz Solar
Stuck on the face of a cliff while looking for fossils, sixth-grader Allie is guided to safety by a mysterious voice. Other strange happenings lead Allie to believe she is dealing with a ghost—of a girl not unlike herself. For grades 4-6. 1998.

The Hardy Boys: The Tower Treasure, The House on the Cliff, The Secret of the Old Mill  DB 51783
10 hours 28 minutes
by Franklin W. Dixon
read by Brian Conn
Three classic mysteries featuring brothers Frank and Joe Hardy. In the The Tower Treasure the boys investigate the theft of a friend’s jalopy, in The House on the Cliff they become involved with smugglers, and in The Secret of the Old Mill they search for a counterfeiter. For grades 3-6. 1927.

The London Eye Mystery  DB 67204
5 hours 10 minutes
by Siobhan Dowd
read by Alexander Strain
England. When Ted and Kat’s cousin Salim disappears from the London Eye Ferris wheel, even the police are baffled. So Ted, whose brain is wired differently, and his older sister Kat work together to solve the mystery. For grades 5-8. 2007.

Holy Smoke: A Bones and the Duchess Mystery  DB 59410
2 hours 46 minutes
by Alexandra Eden
read by Don Feldheim
When a neighborhood church burns down, the pastor hires former police officer Bones Fatzinger to find the culprit—with one condition: Bones will only get the job if he teams up with Verity (a.k.a. “the Duchess”), a clever twelve-year-old girl with Asperger syndrome. For grades 5-8. 2004.

Trouble at Fort La Pointe  DB 55774
4 hours 17 minutes
by Kathleen Ernst
read by Carol Dines
In 1732 twelve-year-old Suzette, an Ojibwe French girl living along Lake Superior, hopes her father wins the trapping contest so that he can quit being a voyageur—pelt collector for the French fur-trading companies—and stay home. When he is accused of stealing, Suzette investigates to find the real thief. For grades 4-7. 2000.

Whistler in the Dark  DB 57688
4 hours 22 minutes
by Kathleen Ernst
read by Cyn Delafield
In 1867 twelve-year-old Emma and her widowed mother move from Chicago to a tiny mining town in the Colorado Territory to start a newspaper. Someone, however, wants them to fail. For grades 4-7. 2002.

Ginger Pye  DB 58399
5 hours 26 minutes
by Eleanor Estes
read by Jill Fox
Ten-year-old Jerry Pye and his younger sister Rachel get a new puppy and name him Ginger. When Ginger disappears, the adventurous children set out to find him. They suspect the little dog has been spirited away by a mysterious stranger wearing a yellow hat. For grades 3-6. Newbery Medal. 1951.

Last Shot  DB 60035
6 hours 47 minutes
by John Feinstein
read by Pat Bottino
Eighth-graders Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson have won a sports-writing contest with a prize trip to New Orleans for the Final Four college basketball tournament. Their reporting becomes sleuthing when they discover that a talented player is being blackmailed into throwing the final game. For grades 6-9. 2005.

Vanishing Act  DB 63662
7 hours 35 minutes
by John Feinstein
read by Pat Bottino
Eighth-grade sports reporters Susan Carol Anderson and Stevie Thomas are covering the U.S. Open tennis championships in New York City. When Russian star Nadia Symanova is kidnapped before her match, Susan Carol and Stevie track down clues—and corruption. Sequel to Last Shot (DB 60035). For grades 6-9. 2006.

Disappearing Act  DB 57186
2 hours 32 minutes
by Sid Fleischman
read by Erik Synnestvedt
Twelve-year-old Kevin and his opera-singing older sister Holly flee from their Albuquerque home after their archaeologist mom disappears in Mexico and they are stalked by a mysterious man. The two wind up as street performers in Venice, California, until they are discovered by their unknown nemesis. For grades 4-7. 2003.

The Fire Bug Connection: An Ecological Mystery  DB 39816
3 hours 5 minutes
by Jean Craighead George
read by Grainne Cassidy
Maggie Mercer is spending the summer with her parents at a research center in Maine, where she enjoys studying insects. As Maggie leans out of her window the morning of her twelfth birthday, a raven flies straight toward her, and Maggie recalls her grandmother’s warning that a murder will take place if that happens. Then the firebugs in Maggie’s collection begin to die. For grades 3-6. 1993.

Cat among the Pigeons: A Cat Royal Adventure, Book 2  DB 68299
6 hours 52 minutes
by Julia Golding
read by Colleen Delany
London, 1790s. Catherine “Cat” Royal, an orphan who lives at the Drury Lane Theater, rallies her companions to try to save her friend Pedro from the clutches of Mr. Hawkins, a slave master who considers Pedro his property. For grades 5-8. 2006.

Den of Thieves: A Cat Royal Adventure, Book 3  DB 69164
8 hours 23 minutes
by Julia Golding
read by Colleen Delany
London and Paris, 1791. When the Theater Royal Drury Lane closes, Miss Catherine “Cat” Royal loses her job and home. But after Mr. Sheridan proposes sending her to Paris disguised as a ballerina to report on the Revolutionary War, Cat accepts—and becomes a spy. For grades 5-8. 2007.

The Diamond of Drury Lane: A Cat Royal Adventure, Book 1  DB 68160
8 hours 9 minutes
by Julia Golding
read by Colleen Delany
London, 1790. Streetwise beyond her years, orphan Catherine “Cat” Royal tries to find a diamond supposedly hidden in the Drury Lane Theater where she lives. This treasure hunt involves 2 bare-knuckled boxers, 3 enemies, and 438 rioters. For grades 5-8. 2006.

The Secret Within  DB 57780
6 hours 23 minutes
by Theresa Martin Golding
read by Anne Hancock
Thirteen-year-old Carly lives at the New Jersey shore, where she dodges her abusive father by sneaking out at night to roam the boardwalk. When a stranger questions her about the mysterious packages she delivers for her father, Carly’s neighbors suspect her father of criminal activities and rally around to help Carly. For grades 6-9. 2002.

The Clue at the Bottom of the Lake: Cabin Creek Mysteries, Book 2  DB 67130
1 hour 45 minutes
by Kristiana Gregory
read by Jack Fox
Alerted by their dog in the middle of the night, Jeff and his brother David watch a fishing boat dump a large bundle overboard near Lost Island. Suspecting foul play, the boys and their cousin Claire investigate. For grades 3-6. 2008.

The Legend of Skull Cliff: Cabin Creek Mysteries, Book 3  DB 67691
1 hour 22 minutes
by Kristiana Gregory
read by Jack Fox
When a camper disappears from Skull Cliff, ten-year-old David, his older brother Jeff, and their cousin Claire join the search. A counselor discovers a ransom note, so everyone is looking for a kidnapper—but the clues don’t add up. Could the town curse be at work? For grades 3-6. 2008.

The Secret of Robber’s Cave: Cabin Creek Mysteries, Book 1  DB 67099
1 hour 52 minutes
by Kristiana Gregory
read by Jack Fox
On David’s tenth birthday, he and his twelve-year-old brother Jeff paddle their canoe to Lost Island to look for clues to a legend involving a robber, a cave, a sheriff, and stolen treasure. When the boys’ nine-year-old cousin Claire joins in, they piece together the truth. For grades 3-6. 2008.

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer  DB 71512
5 hours 5 minutes
by John Grisham
read by Brian Conn
Both kids and adults ask eighth grader Theo for legal advice because he knows the court system so well. But when his friend Julio approaches Theo about a possible surprise witness for an ongoing murder trial—the biggest in Strattenburg’s history—it’s Theo’s turn to seek counsel. For grades 5-8. 2010.

The House on the Gulf  DB 64378
5 hours 34 minutes
by Margaret Peterson Haddix
read by Constance Crawford
Florida. At first twelve-year-old Brittany and her single mother are delighted with sixteen-year-old Bran’s deal for them to house-sit for an elderly couple. But Bran’s strange behavior after they move into the house makes Britt suspect that they aren’t really supposed to be there. For grades 5-8. 2004.

The Big Nap: From the Tattered Casebook of Chet Gecko, Private Eye  DB 69475
2 hours 0 minutes
by Bruce Hale
read by Robert Sams
Someone is turning the students at Emerson Hicky Elementary School into zombies, and it’s up to fourth-grade detective Chet Gecko to find out who. For grades 3-6. 2001.

Farewell, My Lunchbag: From the Tattered Casebook of Chet Gecko, Private Eye  DB 54319
1 hour 36 minutes
by Bruce Hale
read by Lee Look
When fourth-grade private eye Chet Gecko is called to catch someone who is stealing food from the school cafeteria, the lizard finds himself framed for the crime. For grades 3-6. 2001.

From Russia with Lunch: From the Tattered Casebook of Chet Gecko, Private Eye  DB 69632
2 hours 5 minutes
by Bruce Hale
read by Robert Sams
During library period, Principal Zero proposes replacing librarian Cool Beans with a Bibliomalgamator—a contraption invented by Dr. Tanya Lightov. As the supernatural collides with the high-tech and students’ behavior becomes more strange, detective Chet Gecko tries to figure out how to return things to normal. For grades 3-6. 2009.

Give My Regrets to Broadway: From the Tattered Casebook of Chet Gecko, Private Eye  DB 59073
2 hours 8 minutes
by Bruce Hale
read by Robert Sams
Gecko detective Chet and his mockingbird partner Natalie Attired investigate the disappearance of Scott, the lead actor in the school play. Unless they find Scott, Chet will have to perform as stand-in and kiss a girl on stage. For grades 3-6. 2004.

The Hamster of the Baskervilles: From the Tattered Casebook of Chet Gecko, Private Eye  DB 55377
2 hours 17 minutes
by Bruce Hale
read by L.J. Ganser
Something is trashing the classrooms at Emerson Hicky Elementary School, and fourth-grade detective Chet Gecko sets out to find the creature that’s responsible. For grades 3-6. 2002.

Hiss Me Deadly: From the Tattered Casebook of Chet Gecko, Private Eye  DB 69621
2 hours 11 minutes
by Bruce Hale
read by Robert Sams
Lizard detective Chet Gecko is hired by Principal Zero to investigate the disappearance of valuable items—including Mama Gecko’s pearl necklace—from Emerson Hicky Elementary School. For grades 3-6. 2007.

Key Lardo: From the Tattered Casebook of Chet Gecko, Private Eye  DB 69603
1 hour 59 minutes
by Bruce Hale
read by Robert Sams
When new guy James Bland, a chubby penguin, announces that he is a detective, Chet Gecko is annoyed and jealous. Especially after Chet and his partner Natalie are fired from their next case—and James replaces them. For grades 3-6. 2006.

The Malted Falcon: From the Tattered Casebook of Chet Gecko, Private Eye  DB 57596
1 hour 47 minutes
by Bruce Hale
read by Gary Tipton
Lizard detective Chet Gecko and his mockingbird partner Natalie Attired are hired to find a missing winning ticket for free dessert and also to retrieve a valentine. But will Chet’s sweet tooth prevent him from doing his job? For grades 3-6. 2003.

Murder, My Tweet: From the Tattered Casebook of Chet Gecko, Private Eye  DB 69476
2 hours 6 minutes
by Bruce Hale
read by Robert Sams
Detective Chet Gecko and his mockingbird partner Natalie Attired are trailing a cheating boyfriend for parakeet Anne Gwish when Natalie is framed for blackmail and suspended from Emerson Hicky Elementary School. For grades 3-6. 2004.

The Mystery of Mr. Nice: From the Tattered Casebook of Chet Gecko, Private Eye  DB 56076
1 hour 36 minutes
by Bruce Hale
read by Jack Wallen
When the principal of his school begins acting nice to him, Chet Gecko realizes that this man is an imposter and sets out to find the real Principal Zero. For grades 3-6. 2000.

The Possum Always Rings Twice: From the Tattered Casebook of Chet Gecko, Private Eye  DB 69477
2 hours 1 minute
by Bruce Hale
read by Robert Sams
The best lizard detective at Emerson Hicky Elementary School tackles a case that lands him knee-deep in school politics. Chet and his partner Natalie Attired try to find out who is sending threatening notes to stop sandpiper Viola Fuss from running for student council president. For grades 3-6. 2006.

This Gum for Hire: From the Tattered Casebook of Chet Gecko, Private Eye  DB 57733
2 hours 13 minutes
by Bruce Hale
read by Robert Sams
To save his own skin, lizard private eye Chet Gecko sets out to solve the mystery of Emerson Hicky Elementary School’s disappearing football players. For grades 3-6. 2002.

Trouble Is My Beeswax: From the Tattered Casebook of Chet Gecko, Private Eye  DB 59494
2 hours 7 minutes
by Bruce Hale
read by Robert Sams
When a teacher, Mr. Ratnose, accuses student Shirley Chameleon of cheating on a test, she pleads with detective Chet Gecko to clear her name. This request leads Chet and his mockingbird partner Natalie Attired to investigate a cheating ring in their elementary school. For grades 3-6. 2003.

The House of Dies Drear  DB 33494
6 hours 26 minutes
by Virginia Hamilton
read by Carolyn Byrd
Thomas Small, an African American teenager, moves with his family to Ohio, where his father will teach history. Their new house was once Dies Drear’s Underground Railroad station and is replete with secret tunnels, nearby cave hideouts, and tales of ghosts, murder, and hidden treasures. Prequel to Mystery of Drear House (DB 26358). For grades 5-8 and older readers. Edgar Allan Poe Award. 1968.

The Mystery of Drear House: The Conclusion of the Dies Drear Chronicle  DB 26358
5 hours 13 minutes
by Virginia Hamilton
read by Carolyn Byrd
It has been eight months since the Small family moved into Drear House, once the home of wealthy abolitionist Dies Drear and a stop on the Underground Railroad. Mr. Small is busily cataloging the stupendous treasure from the secret cavern and underground maze. But the Darrows have not given up their search. Sequel to The House of Dies Drear (DB 33494). For grades 5-8. 1987.

Doppelganger: The Bloodwater Mysteries, Book 3  DB 67584
3 hours 25 minutes
by Pete Hautman
read by Mark Delgado
Teen sleuth Roni Delicata finds a photo on a missing-children’s website that resembles her friend Brian Bain. That same day Brian’s picture appears in a local newspaper, bringing unwelcome attention from some shady characters. Does Brian have a double? For grades 6-9. 2008.

Skullduggery: The Bloodwater Mysteries, Book 2  DB 66288
3 hours 48 minutes
by Pete Hautman
read by Victoria Gordon
Sleuths Roni and Brian, from Snatched (DB 66129), find local archaeologist Andrew Dart knocked unconscious atop a pile of bones. Their investigation pits them against the wealthy Bloodwater family, which wants to build condominiums on a Native American burial site. For grades 6-9. 2007.

Snatched: The Bloodwater Mysteries, Book 1  DB 66129
4 hours 1 minute
by Pete Hautman
read by Victoria Gordon
Eleventh-grader Roni uses her overactive imagination and curiosity to write a crime column for her high school newspaper. When classmate Alicia Camden is beaten and kidnapped, Roni teams up with Brian, a freshman science prodigy, to investigate. Some violence. For grades 6-9. 2006.

Flush  DB 60792
7 hours 23 minutes
by Carl Hiaasen
read by Erik Sandvold
The Florida Keys. With their father jailed for sinking a gambling boat, Noah Underwood and his sister Abbey gather evidence that casino owner Dusty Muleman is illegally emptying sewage tanks into coastal waters. They receive help from a former card dealer, a pirate, and Dusty’s ex-girlfriend. For grades 5-8. 2005.

Scat  DB 68759
9 hours 14 minutes
by Carl Hiaasen
read by Michael Kramer
Florida. While her biology class is on a field trip to the Black Vine Swamp, Mrs. Starch goes missing during a mysterious wildfire. Believing the class bully Smoke is involved, Nick and his friend Marta investigate and encounter some unusual people—and a panther. For grades 5-8. 2009.

The next three books should be read in the following order:

The Sands of Time  DB 56171
7 hours, 6 minutes
by Michael Hoeye
read by Bruce Nelson
Despite fierce opposition from mouse supremacists and other residents of Pinchester, three mice team up with an old chipmunk to prove that there existed, long before the time of mice, a Cat Kingdom. Sequel to Time Stops for No Mouse (RC 54785). For grades 6-9. 2002.

No Time like Show Time: A Hermux Tantamoq Adventure  DB 60261
6 hours 51 minutes
by Michael Hoeye
read by Bruce Nelson
Watchmaker mouse Hermux Tantamoq enters the exciting and somewhat shady world of show business to investigate a mysterious blackmailer at the Varmint Theater. Sequel to The Sands of Time (DB 56171). For grades 6-9. 2004.

Time to Smell the Roses: A Hermux Tantamoq Adventure  DB 65627
6 hours 54 minutes
by Michael Hoeye
read by Michael Russotto
While immersed in wedding plans, Hermux, the watchmaker mouse detective, is hired to find the heir of the DeRosenquill rose dynasty. During the search, Hermux discovers a homeless teenager, fields of dying flowers, and killer bees. Sequel to No Time like Show Time (DB 60261). For grades 6-9. 2007.

 

The next three books should be read in the following order:

In Darkness, Death  DB 58269
5 hours 11 minutes
by Dorothy Hoobler
read by Erik Sandvold
Eighteenth-century Japan. Young Seikei helps his foster father Judge Ooka investigate a samurai’s murder. One clue, an origami butterfly, leads Seikei and a former ninja on a long journey to find the assassin. Sequel to The Demon in the Teahouse (RC 53402). Some violence. For grades 6-9. 2004.

The Sword That Cut the Burning Grass: A Samurai Mystery  DB 61812
5 hours 3 minutes
by Dorothy Hoobler
read by Erik Sandvold
Eighteenth-century Japan. With the help of a servant girl and an imperious old man, fourteen-year-old apprentice samurai Seikei sets out to rescue young emperor Yasuhito from kidnappers and to save the sacred sword from falling into the wrong hands. Sequel to In Darkness, Death (DB 58269). Some violence. For grades 6-9. 2005.

A Samurai Never Fears Death: A Samurai Mystery  DB 65248
4 hours 46 minutes
by Dorothy Hoobler
read by Erik Sandvold
Eighteenth-century Japan. Now a samurai, Seikei returns home to Osaka, where he becomes involved in a murder investigation at a puppet theatre. Meanwhile, he suspects a possible connection between his family’s tea shop and smugglers. Sequel to The Sword That Cut the Burning Grass (DB 61812). For grades 6-9. 2007.

 

The Falcon’s Malteser: A Diamond Brothers Mystery, Book 1  DB 68521
4 hours 47 minutes
by Anthony Horowitz
read by Gary Tipton
Thirteen-year-old Nick and his older brother Tim, a self-proclaimed detective, accept a seemingly easy first case—safeguarding a package for Johnny Naples, who is a dwarf. But the next day, Johnny is dead and the case has become dangerous. For grades 5-8. 1986.

The Greek Who Stole Christmas: A Diamond Brothers Mystery, Book 5  DB 69699
1 hour 45 minutes
by Anthony Horowitz
read by Gary Tipton
London, England. Fourteen-year-old Nick and his older brother Tim, an ineffectual private detective, investigate a death threat against the popular Greek singer Minerva, who is scheduled to open Santa’s workshop at Harrods. For grades 5-8. 2007.

Public Enemy Number Two: A Diamond Brothers Mystery, Book 2  DB 68542
4 hours 42 minutes
by Anthony Horowitz
read by Gary Tipton
After thirteen-year-old Nick refuses to help a Scotland Yard inspector, he finds himself framed for a jewel robbery and imprisoned as the cellmate of public enemy number one—fifteen-year-old Johnny Powers. Nick and his older brother, the bumbling detective Tim Diamond, attempt to clear Nick’s name. For grades 5-8. 1987.

South by Southeast: A Diamond Brothers Mystery, Book 4  DB 69240
3 hours 32 minutes
by Anthony Horowitz
read by Gary Tipton
A gun-wielding man bursts into Tim’s detective agency claiming someone is trying to kill him. After disguising himself in Tim’s coat, he departs. Minutes later Nick and Tim find the man dying in a phone booth, and the brothers are drawn into an international spy case. For grades 5-8. 1991.

Three of Diamonds: A Diamond Brothers Mystery, Book 3  DB 69227
4 hours 55 minutes
by Anthony Horowitz
read by Gary Tipton
Bumbling detective Tim Diamond and his younger brother Nick search for a missing philanthropist in “The Blurred Man,” deal with Parisian drug smugglers in “The French Confection,” and wind up trapped on a Scottish island with a murderer in “I Know What You Did Last Wednesday.” For grades 5-8. 2002.

The Alex Rider series should be read in the following order:

Stormbreaker: An Alex Rider Adventure  DB 63401
5 hours 26 minutes
by Anthony Horowitz
read by Michael Russotto
After the murder of his guardian Uncle Ian, fourteen-year-old Alex Rider is blackmailed into completing Ian’s dangerous undercover work for MI6, Britain’s intelligence agency. The boy’s assignment is to infiltrate computer millionaire Herod Sayle’s business and search for viruses. For grades 6-9. 2000.

Point Blank: An Alex Rider Adventure  DB 63559
6 hours 10 minutes
by Anthony Horowitz
read by Michael Russotto
Fourteen-year-old Alex Rider’s espionage work for British MI6 takes him to the French Alps on a mission to investigate an exclusive boarding school for delinquent sons of wealthy parents. Alex discovers brainwashed clones and evil headmaster Dr. Grief. For grades 6-9. 2001.

Skeleton Key: An Alex Rider Adventure DB 63823
7 hours, 40 minutes
by Anthony Horowitz
read by Michael Russotto
Reluctant teenage spy Alex Rider foils a Chinese plot to upset the Wimbledon tennis championships. He is loaned to the CIA and sent to a Cuban island. There he must find out what a former psychopathic Russian general is planning to do with a nuclear bomb.  For grades 6-9. 2002.

Eagle Strike: An Alex Rider Adventure  DB 63901
7 hours 17 minutes
by Anthony Horowitz
read by Michael Russotto
After a close call with an assassin in France, fourteen-year-old spy Alex Rider investigates pop star philanthropist Damian Cray. Cray’s new video game conceals something sinister involving drugs, nuclear missiles, and Air Force One. And then a family secret is revealed. For grades 6-9. 2003.

Scorpia: An Alex Rider Adventure  DB 64169
9 hours 1 minute
by Anthony Horowitz
read by Michael Russotto
Fourteen-year-old Alex Rider goes to Venice, Italy, determined to track down Scorpia because of the organization’s connection to his deceased father. But the for-hire terrorist group, which plans to kill thousands of British schoolchildren, ensnares Alex for its own purposes. For grades 6-9. 2004.

 

Bunnicula Meets Edgar Allan Crow  DB 64921
3 hours 2 minutes
by James Howe
read by Neil Berman
Twelve-year-old Peter Monroe has won an overnight visit from M.T. Graves, author of the FleshCrawlers series, and Graves’s pet crow. Household dogs Harold and Howie are thrilled, but Chester the cat is suspicious and predicts a gruesome fate for the Monroe family pets. For grades 3-6. 2006.

Ghost Light on Graveyard Shoal: American Girl History Mysteries  DB 59437
4 hours 1 minute
by Elizabeth McDavid Jones
read by Miriam Wagner
Glenn Island, Virginia; 1895. Twelve-year-old Rhoda’s father operates a U.S. Lifesaving Station, where he risks his life to save people from shipwrecks. Rhoda becomes suspicious that someone is luring boats into treacherous waters in order to salvage their bounty, and she searches for the culprit. For grades 4-7. 2003.

The Bungalow Mystery  DB 50916
3 hours 20 minutes
by Carolyn Keene
read by Kristin Allison
Nancy Drew has a terrifying experience in a deserted bungalow while trying to help a friend in trouble. For grades 3-6. 1930.

Buried Secrets  DB 28480
3 hours 19 minutes
by Carolyn Keene
read by Terry Hayes Sales
When Nancy saves candidate Todd Harrington from a sniper’s bullet, a reporter challenges her to solve the mystery of the death of Todd’s father, who was mayor of River Heights and died while running for governor. Warned by a prowler to drop the case, Nancy is almost killed when someone tries to run her car off the road. A Nancy Drew mystery. For grades 5-8. 1987.

The Clue in the Crumbling Wall: Nancy Drew Mystery Stories  DB 60503
3 hours 22 minutes
by Carolyn Keene
read by Kristin Allison
A policewoman asks Nancy Drew to help find a professional dancer named Juliana Johnson who disappeared ten years earlier. Clues lead to a large but neglected estate that Juliana stands to inherit—if she can claim it in time. For grades 3-6. 1945.

The Clue in the Diary: Nancy Drew Mystery Stories  DB 65799
3 hours 11 minutes
by Carolyn Keene
read by Kristin Allison
After finding a diary near a blazing mansion and seeing a stranger running away, Nancy becomes involved in an arson case. Investigators suspect Joe Swenson set the fire after the owner of the house swindled him, but Nancy thinks that Joe is innocent. For grades 4-7. 1932.

The Clue in the Jewel Box: Nancy Drew Mystery Stories  DB 66282
4 hours 28 minutes
by Carolyn Keene
read by Kristin Allison
Nancy’s kindness leads her to search for the missing grandson of Madame Alexandra, a former queen who is living under an assumed name in River Heights. Nancy’s only clue is a faded photograph of the prince at age four. For grades 4-7 and older readers. 1943.

The Clue of the Broken Locket: Nancy Drew Mystery Stories  DB 66276
3 hours 13 minutes
by Carolyn Keene
read by Kristin Allison
When Nancy meets Cecily Curtis at Misty Lake, two mysteries turn up. One concerns Cecily’s fiancé, a singer who believes a record company is cheating him. The other involves a Curtis family treasure hidden during the Civil War—Cecily’s only clue being half of a gold locket. For grades 4-7. 1934.

The Clue of the Tapping Heels: Nancy Drew Mystery Stories  DB 66563
3 hours 11 minutes
by Carolyn Keene
read by Kristin Allison
Nancy investigates strange tapping sounds in the house of a retired actress and discovers that they are messages being sent in Morse code. But who is sending them and why? Meanwhile someone is stealing the actress’s prized Persian cats. For grades 4-7. 1939.

False Notes: Nancy Drew, Girl Detective  DB 64683
2 hours 51 minutes
by Carolyn Keene
read by Kristin Allison
Nancy Drew suspects that Leslie, the daughter of a mayoral candidate, has been kidnapped but is confused when Leslie isn’t reported missing. Nancy enlists the help of her friends George and Bess to search for the girl on their own. For grades 3-6. 2004.

The Haunted Bridge: Nancy Drew Mystery Stories  DB 66556
3 hours 12 minutes
by Carolyn Keene
read by Kristin Allison
Nancy’s father is on the trail of an international ring of jewel thieves. While relaxing at the Deer Mountain Hotel, Nancy, Bess, and George become involved in Mr. Drew’s case and link it to a ghost that is haunting a bridge near the resort. For grades 4-7. 1937.

High Risk: Nancy Drew, Girl Detective  DB 63791
2 hours 40 minutes
by Carolyn Keene
read by Kristin Allison
Nancy Drew searches for a stolen zoning-law document that would prevent retired librarian Evaline Waters’s house from being bulldozed for a factory. Meanwhile, Nancy’s new flying lessons put her in contact with a shady pilot. For grades 3-6. 2004.

The Message in the Hollow Oak: Nancy Drew Mystery Stories  DB 66481
3 hours 17 minutes
by Carolyn Keene
read by Kristin Allison
Challenged by professional detectives to find a priceless message hidden centuries ago in a hollow oak tree by a missionary, Nancy and her friends travel to Illinois. After being stalked by a shadowy enemy, Nancy pursues this dangerous adversary. For grades 4-7. 1935.

Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk: Nancy Drew Mystery Stories  DB 66768
3 hours 11 minutes
by Carolyn Keene
read by Kristin Allison
On a cruise from Holland to New York, Nancy, Bess, and George share their cabin with a young South African woman who is accused of stealing a diamond bracelet. A trunk mistakenly delivered to their cabin provides Nancy’s first clue that jewel thieves are on board. For grades 4-7. 1940.

Mystery of the Ivory Charm: Nancy Drew Mystery Stories  DB 66460
3 hours 11 minutes
by Carolyn Keene
read by Kristin Allison
Nancy investigates a suspicious circus-elephant trainer from India who wears an ivory charm for protection and who warns her of danger. Things become more complicated when the trainer’s assistant—who is also his foster son—seeks refuge at the Drew home. For grades 4-7. 1936.

Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion: Nancy Drew Mystery Stories  DB 67009
3 hours 17 minutes
by Carolyn Keene
read by Kristin Allison
A friend of Nancy’s father stands accused of sending a truck loaded with explosives to Florida’s Cape Kennedy Space Center. While trying to prove his innocence, Nancy investigates a spooky moss-covered mansion with wild animals roaming the grounds. For grades 4-7. 1971.

Nancy’s Mysterious Letter: Nancy Drew Mystery Stories  DB 65921
3 hours 2 minutes
by Carolyn Keene
read by Kristin Allison
When Nancy Drew mistakenly receives a letter intended for a British heiress with the same name, the girl sleuth searches for the missing woman. But a dangerous man is determined to stop the investigation. For grades 4-7. 1932.

Password to Larkspur Lane: Nancy Drew Mystery Stories  DB 66261
3 hours 14 minutes
by Carolyn Keene
read by Kristin Allison
A message attached to a wounded homing pigeon prompts Nancy to search for an imprisoned elderly woman. Meanwhile the grandparents of Nancy’s pal Helen are frightened by the nighttime appearance of a wheel of blue fire near their isolated lakeside home. Nancy connects the two mysteries. For grades 4-7. 1933.

The Quest of the Missing Map: Nancy Drew Mystery Stories  DB 66254
4 hours 9 minutes
by Carolyn Keene
read by Kristin Allison
While investigating eerie occurrences at a small cottage decorated with ship models, Nancy discovers a connection between the strange events and a treasure island. She has half of a map but needs to locate a missing twin boy who has the other half. For grades 4-7 and older readers. 1942.

A Race against Time: Nancy Drew, Girl Detective  DB 64494
2 hours 44 minutes
by Carolyn Keene
read by Kristin Allison
The money Nancy Drew helped raise for the River Heights Biking for Bucks charity race is missing. Nancy’s team—consisting of her pals Bess and George and Nancy’s boyfriend Ned—competes while Nancy searches for the culprit. For grades 3-6. 2004.

The Secret in the Old Attic: Nancy Drew Mystery Stories  DB 65416
4 hours 15 minutes
by Carolyn Keene
read by Kristin Allison
Teenage sleuth Nancy Drew searches for hidden unpublished music manuscripts to save the genteel March family from destitution. A trail of obscure clues from a packet of letters leads to the March mansion’s cluttered attic—but who is trying to frighten Nancy away? For grades 4-7 and older readers. 1944.

The Sign of the Twisted Candles: Nancy Drew Mystery Stories  DB 65934
3 hours 13 minutes
by Carolyn Keene
read by Kristin Allison
Swindlers are trying to steal the fortune of Bess and George’s great-granduncle, but when Nancy investigates, it nearly ruins her friendship with the girls. During her sleuthing, Nancy ends a family feud and discovers the identity of a sixteen-year-old foster daughter. For grades 4-7. 1933.

The Whispering Statue: Nancy Drew Mystery Stories  DB 65592
4 hours 1 minute
by Carolyn Keene
read by Kristin Allison
While vacationing at Sea Cliff with her chums Bess and George, Nancy becomes involved in two mysteries: one concerns a valuable collection of rare books and the other a whispering marble statue that looks like her. For grades 4-7 and older readers. 1937.

Without a Trace: Nancy Drew, Girl Detective  DB 64658
2 hours 55 minutes
by Carolyn Keene
read by Kristin Allison
Nancy Drew and her friends Bess and George investigate the theft of a priceless Fabergé egg from a new neighbor. Meanwhile, someone is smashing all of the neighborhood gardens’ zucchinis. For grades 3-6. 2004.

Stolen Children  DB 68747
4 hours 14 minutes
by Peg Kehret
read by Jill Fox
Fourteen-year-old Amy Norlund is thrilled when Mrs. Edgerton asks her to babysit for three-year-old Kendra. Amy just completed a babysitting class, but it did not cover what to do if two thugs with a gun show up. She has to figure that out for herself. For grades 5-8. 2008.

The Black Jacket Mystery: A Trixie Belden Mystery  DB 61508
5 hours 0 minutes
by Kathryn Kenny
read by Jill Ferris
Trixie is active in organizing an ice carnival to raise funds for her Mexican pen pal’s school library. But when a series of thefts and accidents occur in her neighborhood and a mysterious problem faces local horse groom Bill Regan, Trixie investigates. For grades 4-7. 1961.

The Happy Valley Mystery: Trixie Belden  DB 61991
4 hours 25 minutes
by Kathryn Kenny
read by Mimi Bederman
While vacationing at her uncle Andrew’s sheep farm in Iowa, Trixie and the Bob-Whites track down the thieves who are behind the mysterious disappearance of several sheep. For grades 4-7. 1962.

The Mysterious Code: A Trixie Belden Mystery  DB 61628
4 hours 39 minutes
by Kathryn Kenny
read by Graci Ragsdale-Miller
Thirteen-year-old Trixie Belden and her friends in the Bob-White club decide to have an antique show to raise money for charity. But thieves ransack the clubhouse and try to rob them of their donated treasures. For grades 4-7. 1961.

The next four books should be read in the following order:

The Secrets of Vesuvius: The Roman Mysteries, Book 2  DB 57214
4 hours 23 minutes
by Caroline Lawrence
read by Michele Schaeffer
Flavia Gemina, from The Thieves of Ostia (RC 55246), and her companions journey to her uncle’s farm after rescuing Roman admiral Pliny from a capsized boat. On the farm there is a riddle to solve and signs that Mt. Vesuvius nearby will soon erupt. For grades 5-8. 2001.

The Pirates of Pompeii: The Roman Mysteries, Book 3  DB 57213
4 hours 28 minutes
by Caroline Lawrence
read by Michele Schaeffer
In the chaos after Mt. Vesuvius has erupted, burying Pompeii, Flavia Gemina and her friends seek shelter in a refugee camp—where children begin disappearing. Flavia’s investigations reveal that a powerful citizen may be involved. Sequel to The Secrets of Vesuvius (DB 57214). For grades 5-8. 2002.

The Assassins of Rome: The Roman Mysteries, Book 4  DB 57894
4 hours 35 minutes
by Caroline Lawrence
read by Michele Schaeffer
Rome, A.D. 79. Jonathan, from Pirates of Pompeii (DB 57213), joins Jewish uncle Simeon on a twofold quest to find Jonathan’s long-lost mother and warn the emperor of an assassination plot. Danger lurks in the palace, where Jonathan’s friends Nubia, Lupus, and Flavia Gemina follow him. For grades 5-8. 2002.

The Dolphins of Laurentum: The Roman Mysteries, Book 5  DB 58206
4 hours 24 minutes
by Caroline Lawrence
read by Michele Schaeffer
Italy, A.D. 79. Following The Assassins of Rome (DB 57894) Flavia Gemina’s family is bankrupt after their trading ship sinks. Flavia and her friends Lupus, Nubia, and Jonathan plan to retrieve sunken treasure, but the slave dealer who killed Lupus’s parents is also after the loot. For grades 5-8. 2003.

 

The Seance  DB 68007
6 hours 59 minutes
by Iain Lawrence
read by Erik Sandvold
New York, 1926. Houdini’s arrival to perform his magic and expose fraudulent mediums directly affects thirteen-year-old Scooter King, who helps his mother make her seances convincing. Complications grow when Scooter finds a murdered man in Houdini’s Burmese Torture Tank. For grades 5-8. 2008.

Dragons in the Waters  DB 42667
9 hours 1 minute
by Madeleine L’Engle
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
Aboard a freighter bound for Venezuela, Poly and Charles O’Keefe, fourteen and twelve, meet young Simon Renier. The three encounter an imposter, the theft of an irreplaceable portrait of Simon Bolivar, and a murder for which all the passengers and crew become suspects. For grades 6-9. 1976.

Wicked Will  DB 70416
4 hours 13 minutes
by Bailey MacDonald
read by Kristin Allison
Stratford-on-Avon, 1576. Viola, who is traveling with Uncle Matthew’s acting troupe, has trouble maintaining her disguise as a boy, Tom Pryne, around inquisitive twelve-year-old Will Shakespeare. But Will’s overactive imagination serves them well when Uncle Matthew is accused of murdering a mean farmer. For grades 5-8. 2009.

Missing since Monday  DB 56360
3 hours 17 minutes
by Ann M. Martin
read by Erin Jones
Fifteen-year-old Maggie and her older brother Mike are left to care for their half sister Courtenay while their father and stepmother take a long-awaited vacation. Courtenay is declared a missing child when she fails to return home from preschool, and life becomes a nightmare for the family. For grades 5-8. 1986.

Shadows in the Glasshouse  DB 55777
3 hours 22 minutes
by Megan McDonald
read by Carol Dines
Jamestown, Virginia; 1621. After a hazardous ocean crossing, Merry, a poor twelve-year-old English orphan, is indentured to a glassblower. She uncovers sabotage at the glass-making site and has to prove her own innocence. For grades 4-7. 2000.

The Witch’s Guide to Cooking with Children  DB 70628
2 hours 49 minutes
by Keith McGowan
read by Laural Merlington
Sol, eleven, and his younger sister Connie move to Grand Creek with their father and stepmother. The siblings discover that their neighbor Fay Holaderry is a witch who eats children and nothing in the town is what it seems. For grades 4-7. Commercial audiobook. 2009.

The Graffiti Mystery: Damian Drooth Supersleuth  DB 69854
0 hours 39 minutes
by Barbara Mitchelhill
read by Joe Peck
After discovering graffiti in the boys’ bathroom, the principal of Damian Drooth’s school threatens to punish all the students unless the person responsible comes forward. Damian, ace detective, undertakes an investigation but winds up being the main suspect. For grades 2-4. 2007.

Finding Zola  DB 58341
3 hours 30 minutes
by Marianne Mitchell
read by Margaret Strom
Thirteen-year-old Crystal, paralyzed from a car accident, searches for Zola, the elderly woman who is supposed to help while Crystal’s mother is out of town. With the help of her older cousin, she uncovers a dangerous plot. For grades 5-8. 2003.

Sly the Sleuth and the Food Mysteries  DB 66161
1 hour 27 minutes
by Donna Jo Napoli
read by Jill Fox
Sly’s friends need her detective skills to solve three cases involving food. What is wrong with Mrs. Olsen’s cookies? Why is Sly’s friend Princess behaving strangely at the girls’ cooking club? Why are Jack’s oranges disappearing? For grades 2-4. 2007.

Sly the Sleuth and the Pet Mysteries  DB 60344
1 hour 4 minutes
by Donna Jo Napoli
read by Jill Fox
Sly, also known as Sylvia, starts a detective agency, Sleuth for Hire. Her first case is to figure out why Kate’s cat is so fat when Kate feeds her so little. Sly solves this problem and two other mysteries involving pets, friends, and neighbors. For grades 2-4. 2005.

Sly the Sleuth and the Sports Mysteries  DB 65905
1 hour 23 minutes
by Donna Jo Napoli
read by Jill Fox
Sly uses her detective skills to help her friends solve three cases involving sports. Jack needs to get rid of the birds on the soccer field, Melody is missing her ballet slippers and her swim fins, and Sly’s little neighbor Brian has the basketball blues. For grades 2-4. 2006.

Bernie Magruder and the Bats in the Belfry: A Bessledorf Hotel Mystery  DB 58518
2 hours 45 minutes
by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
read by Gary Tipton
As Halloween approaches, Bernie Magruder, of the Bessledorf Hotel family, is determined to identify some dangerous new bats in Middleburg. They are roosting in the church belfry, whose annoying bells ring hourly, night and day, as requested in wealthy Mrs. Scuttlefoot’s will. For grades 4-7. Edgar Award. 2003.

Bernie Magruder and the Case of the Big Stink: A Bessledorf Hotel Mystery  DB 58918
1 hour 56 minutes
by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
read by Gary Tipton
Someone is releasing a very toxic smell in Middleburg, and many residents are becoming sick. Bernie Magruder and his friends Georgene and Weasel investigate who is behind the mask of the Mad Gasser. For grades 4-7. 1983.

Bernie Magruder and the Disappearing Bodies: A Bessledorf Hotel Mystery  DB 59438
2 hours 20 minutes
by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
read by Grace Ragsdale
Bernie’s father may lose his job as manager of the Bessledorf Hotel because of dead bodies that mysteriously appear and disappear. Bernie and his friends investigate the problem. For grades 4-7. 1986.

Bernie Magruder and the Haunted Hotel: A Bessledorf Hotel Mystery  DB 58907
2 hours 36 minutes
by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
read by Gary Tipton
After the Magruders make some repairs to the Bessledorf Hotel and put a cement floor in the basement, they suddenly begin receiving visits from a ghost who resembles an eleven-year-old boy. Once again Bernie and his friends Georgene and Weasel investigate. For grades 4-7. 1990.

The Treasure of Bessledorf Hill: A Bessledorf Hotel Mystery  DB 46716
2 hours 37 minutes
by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
read by Pam Ward
When a resident of the Bessledorf Hotel in Middleburg, Indiana, reports seeing a pale yellow light bobbing around on the hill, hotel manager Magruder has his family investigate. On his son Bernie’s watch, the boy and his friends track the light and soon find deep holes throughout the area. Perhaps the legend of buried treasures is true. For grades 4-7. 1997.

Midnight for Charlie Bone: Children of the Red King, Book 1  DB 59154
7 hours 41 minutes
by Jenny Nimmo
read by Anne Hancock
Ten-year-old Charlie’s relatives discover that he has magical talents inherited from their ancestor the Red King. They send Charlie to the Bloor’s Academy, where he makes new friends and solves a mystery. But a wicked branch of the family uses its powers unwisely. For grades 5-8. 2002.

Spider Kane and the Mystery under the May-Apple  DB 38365
1 hour 59 minutes
by Mary Pope Osborne
read by Pam Ward
Much to his mother’s disapproval, butterfly Leon Leafwing falls madly in love with gorgeous gossamer-winged Mimi—who has a past. When Mimi is kidnapped, Leon and his friends seek out sleuth Spider Kane. They all travel to the Dark Swamp in search of Mimi, who has been forced into the service of the evil Emperor Moth. For grades 3-6. 1992.

Edenville Owls  DB 65328
3 hours 49 minutes
by Robert B. Parker
read by Michael Russotto
Edenville, Massachusetts; 1945. As Bobby starts the eighth grade, he faces several challenges: forming a basketball team without a coach, coping with new feelings for his old friend Joanie, and discovering the identity of the suspicious-looking man who is threatening Bobby’s teacher Miss Delaney. Some strong language. For grades 6-9. 2007.

The next three books should be read in the following order:

Eye of the Crow: The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His First Case  DB 66448
7 hours 35 minutes
by Shane Peacock
read by Guy Williams
London, 1867. Intrigued by the gruesome stabbing death of a woman, thirteen-year-old Sherlock Holmes visits the crime scene, where he sees an Arab youth wrongly accused of the murder. By searching for the real criminal, Sherlock places himself in danger. For grades 5-8. 2007.

Death in the Air: The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His Second Case  DB 70217
7 hours 38 minutes
by Shane Peacock
read by Guy Williams
London, July 1867. Thirteen-year-old Sherlock Holmes watches as trapeze star Monsieur Mercure plummets one hundred feet to the floor of the Crystal Palace. Sherlock examines the broken trapeze bar, hears Mercure’s last words, and notices something that no one else sees. For grades 5-8. 2008.

Vanishing Girl: The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His Third Case  DB 70380
8 hours 54 minutes
by Shane Peacock
read by Guy Williams
Victorian London. Young Master Sherlock investigates an abduction case. Fourteen-year-old Victoria of the wealthy Rathbone family disappears in broad daylight from crowded Hyde Park. There are no clues, and no ransom note is sent until several months pass. For grades 5-8. 2009.

 

The River between Us  DB 57400
4 hours 6 minutes
by Richard Peck
read by Annie Wauters
Illinois, 1861. Tilly Pruitt’s mother accepts two mysterious young women from New Orleans, Delphine and Calinda, as boarders in the early days of the Civil War. Fifteen-year-old Tilly finds them fascinating, but townspeople think they are Confederate spies. Their secrets emerge after Tilly’s brother, a Union soldier, is wounded. For grades 6-9. 2003.

Freak the Mighty  DB 38800
3 hours 35 minutes
by Rodman Philbrick
read by Bruce Huntey
Maxwell Kane, a large, lumbering eighth-grader who calls himself a “butthead goon,” has lived with his grandparents since his dad’s imprisonment for killing his mom. Mean-spirited schoolmates and special ed have left him totally unprepared for a friendship with Kevin, who calls himself “Freak,” a genius with a birth defect that has left his body small and weak. Through genuine comradery, the two become “Freak the Mighty.” For grades 6-9 and older readers. 1993.

Max the Mighty  DB 48951
3 hours 14 minutes
by Rodman Philbrick
read by Bruce Huntey
In this sequel to Freak the Mighty (DB 38800), fourteen-year-old Maxwell Kane helps a young girl—nicknamed “Worm” because she loves to read—escape from her abusive stepfather. Max runs away with Worm to the distant town of Chivalry, Montana, searching for her biological father. For grades 6-9. 1998.

Two Miss Mallard Mysteries: Surfboard to Peril and Stage Door to Terror  DB 51945
0 hours 35 minutes
by Robert Quackenbush
read by Suzanne Toren
Miss Mallard, the world-famous ducktective, solves two cases in different parts of the world. While surfing in Hawaii, she hits a valuable carved stone that helps settle a dispute over land. In Paris, France, the granddaughter of an old friend performing at the Canard-Rouge is ducknapped as Miss Mallard watches. For grades 2-4. 1986.

The Tattooed Potato and Other Clues  DB 10582
4 hours 10 minutes
by Ellen Raskin
read by Shirley Reynolds
In a humorous spoof of a detective story, seventeen-year-old Dickory Dock answers an ad for an artist’s assistant and finds herself embroiled in a web of mysteries. For grades 5-8. 1975.

The Westing Game  DB 58350
5 hours 39 minutes
by Ellen Raskin
read by Christopher Walker
The mysterious death of eccentric millionaire Samuel W. Westing brings together an unlikely assortment of heirs who must uncover the circumstances of his death before they can claim their inheritance. For grades 5-8. Newbery Medal. 1978.

The Strange Case of Baby H  DB 57251
4 hours 18 minutes
by Kathryn Reiss
read by Carol Dines
After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, twelve-year-old Clara finds a baby on the doorstep of her family’s boarding house. Clara sets about unraveling the mystery of the little girl’s arrival—especially since the infant is disguised as a boy and is believed to have been kidnapped. For grades 4-7. 2002.

The Ninth Nugget: A to Z Mysteries, “N”  DB 58212
1 hour 12 minutes
by Ron Roy
read by John Fulks
When Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose visit a dude ranch in Montana, they soon have another mystery to solve: who broke into the ranch’s safe and stole a large gold nugget that Josh had found in a creek. For grades 2-4. 2001.

The Orange Outlaw: A to Z Mysteries, “O”  DB 59451
0 hours 57 minutes
by Ron Roy
read by John Fulks
While visiting Dink’s uncle in New York City, Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose help uncover who is responsible for stealing a very valuable painting from the apartment. For grades 2-4. 2001.

The Panda Puzzle: A to Z Mysteries, “P”  DB 57693
0 hours 58 minutes
by Ron Roy
read by Bruce Huntey
Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose investigate the kidnapping of the new baby panda from the local zoo. For grades 2-4. 2002.

The Quicksand Question: A to Z Mysteries, “Q”  DB 57791
1 hour 0 minutes
by Ron Roy
read by Gary Tipton
The town of Green Lawn has been collecting money to build a bridge so ducks can safely cross the road to and from the river. When someone steals the plastic bank containing the cash, Dink sets out with his friends Josh and Ruth Rose to find the culprit. For grades 2-4. 2002.

The Unwilling Umpire: A to Z Mysteries, “U”  DB 57881
1 hour 17 minutes
by Ron Roy
read by Russ Weinstein
When the umpire at a fund-raiser baseball game is accused of stealing a collection of autographed baseballs, friends Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose try to prove his innocence. By using the Internet they nab the real crook. For grades 2-4. 2004.

Rescuing Seneca Crane  DB 70392
5 hours 49 minutes
by Susan Runholt
read by Mare Trevathan
Edinburgh, Scotland. Fourteen-year-old American girls Kari and Lucas befriend lonely teenage piano prodigy Seneca Crane. When Seneca disappears after a concert, Kari and Lucas follow a clue—and their own instincts—to find Seneca and attempt a rescue. For grades 5-8. 2009.

Grave Matters: Jennie McGrady Mystery  DB 65506
6 hours 8 minutes
by Patricia H. Rushford
read by Catherine Byers
Jennie McGrady travels to Ireland with her grandmother, retired detective Helen Bradley, to stay at a castle owned by Helen’s childhood friend. As Helen settles her mother’s estate and Jennie traces her ancestry, several accidents threaten both their lives. For grades 6-9. 2002.

From Charlie’s Point of View  DB 61308
7 hours 21 minutes
by Richard Scrimger
read by Michael Russotto
Fourteen-year-old Charlie was born blind, but that does not deter him from proving his father’s innocence in the Stocking Bandit bank-robber case. Charlie enlists the help of two friends and a guardian angel to find the real criminal, following leads to a family crypt. For grades 6-9. 2005.

Nate the Great and the Big Sniff  DB 58462
0 hours 18 minutes
by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
read by Tere Mele
Boy detective Nate the Great follows clues to find his lost dog Sludge in a department store. Beginning chapter book. For grades K-3. 2001.

Nate the Great and the Hungry Book Club  DB 71041
0 hours 24 minutes
by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
read by Mark Delgado
Boy detective Nate the Great and his dog Sludge join Rosamond’s book club to find out who has been stealing pages from the books. A school librarian gives them some clues. A beginning chapter book. For grades K-3. 2009.

Buried Alive  DB 56728
3 hours 9 minutes
by Gloria Skurzynski
read by Catherine Byers
Jack and Ashley accompany their mother, wildlife veterinarian Olivia Landon, to investigate the death of wolverines in Denali National Park in Alaska. There the siblings take a dogsled ride and get lost in the freezing wilderness. For grades 4-7. 2003.

Deadly Waters  DB 52401
3 hours 11 minutes
by Gloria Skurzynski
read by Nick Sullivan
When the Landon family and their latest foster child visit the Everglades National Park in Florida, the youngsters go off for a day of fishing and photography. But they encounter a thief, a manatee, and a shark as they uncover the mystery of dying manatees. For grades 4-7. 1999.

Night of the Black Bear: A Mystery in Great Smoky Mountains National Park  DB 65656
3 hours 29 minutes
by Gloria Skurzynski
read by Elisabeth Rodgers
Accompanying their mother, who is investigating the latest bear attack, Jack and Ashley enlist the help of new friends Yonah Firekiller and Merle Chapman for their own search. The four get caught up in an argument over ancestral land rights, and Merle’s lie makes them targets. For grades 4-7. 2007.

Running Scared  DB 56725
3 hours 19 minutes
by Gloria Skurzynski
read by Catherine Byers
Ashley and Jack Landon become lost in a cave in Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Among their adventures they discover some robbers and find out why the bat population is dwindling. For grades 4-7. 2002.

Valley of Death  DB 56707
3 hours 13 minutes
by Gloria Skurzynski
read by J.P. Linton
Eleven-year-old Ashley is kidnapped while the Landons are in Death Valley National Park. While searching for Ashley, her brother Jack finds a missile-testing site as well as the key to what’s killing the desert’s bighorn sheep. For grades 4-7. 2002.

The Boys of San Joaquin  DB 63488
5 hours 2 minutes
by D. James Smith
read by Geoffrey Centlivre
California, 1951. Twelve-year-old Paolo, his little brother Georgie, and their deaf cousin Billy join the search for money missing from the church collection. The boys are surprised by what they learn about their small town before they finally discover the culprit. For grades 5-8. Edgar Award. 2005.

Independence Hall: I, Q; Book 1  DB 69049
7 hours 14 minutes
by Roland Smith
read by Erik Sandvold
Thirteen-year-old Quest, nicknamed “Q,” and fifteen-year-old Angela become instant brother and sister when their musician-parents marry. But Angela is being followed, and she and Q quickly learn each other’s strengths and secrets. Amid bodyguards, Mossad agents, and Secret Service operatives, the teens question who to trust. For grades 6-9. 2008.

The Egypt Game  DB 37531
4 hours 10 minutes
by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
read by Lynn Schrichte
A group of children entranced by the study of Egypt play a game with secret meetings, rites, and ceremonies in an abandoned yard behind the antique shop. The game helps an unhappy eleven-year-old solve her personal problems and leads to the identification of a lurking stranger. For grades 4-7. 1967.

Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Secret Pitch  DB 67365
1 hour 14 minutes
by Donald J. Sobol
read by Mark Ashby
Ten-year-old Encyclopedia Brown solves ten puzzling cases. In “The Case of the Secret Pitch,” Bugs Meany tries to swindle Speedy Flanagan out of his baseball bat, but Encyclopedia spots a mistake that proves Bugs lied. For grades 3-6. 1965.

Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Sleeping Dog  DB 67363
1 hour 6 minutes
by Donald J. Sobol
read by Mark Ashby
Match wits with fifth-grader Leroy “Encyclopedia” Brown to solve ten short mysteries. In the title piece, a beagle named Elmo falls asleep during tryouts for a job as a pet-food taster. Encyclopedia Brown figures out who put knockout powder in Elmo’s food bowl—can you? Solutions included. For grades 3-6. 1968.

Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective  DB 11047
1 hour 11 minutes
by Donald J. Sobol
read by John Richardson
No problem stymies ten-year-old Encyclopedia Brown, who opens his own detective agency and solves ten new crimes. For grades 3-6. 1963.

Encyclopedia Brown Finds the Clues  DB 67364
1 hour 15 minutes
by Donald J. Sobol
read by Mark Ashby
Idaville’s detective in sneakers solves ten baffling cases, from recovering a client’s prized tooth collection to catching a sneaky thief by following a trail of paint. For grades 3-6. 1966.

Encyclopedia Brown Keeps the Peace  DB 67343
1 hour 11 minutes
by Donald J. Sobol
read by Mark Ashby
Clues provided in ten cases challenge the reader to try to think the way Encyclopedia Brown does and solve each mystery. Join him in cases with suspicious cave drawings, a mysterious wanted man, a valuable missing diamond ring, and others. For grades 3-6. 1969.

The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets: An Enola Holmes Mystery, Book 3  DB 66881
3 hours 37 minutes
by Nancy Springer
read by Jill Fox
While hiding from her older brothers, Enola investigates the disappearance of Dr. Watson. A bouquet of flowers symbolizing death, delivered to Dr. Watson’s home, is her first clue. For grades 6-9. 2008.

The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline: An Enola Holmes Mystery, Book 5  DB 70046
3 hours 42 minutes
by Nancy Springer
read by Jill Fox
London, late 1850s. Enola, the much-younger sister of Sherlock Holmes, turns to Florence Nightingale for help when Enola’s investigation into the disappearance of her landlady Mrs. Tupper, a Crimean War widow, grows cold. For grades 6-9. 2009.

The Case of the Left-Handed Lady: An Enola Holmes Mystery, Book 2  DB 66832
4 hours 37 minutes
by Nancy Springer
read by Jill Fox
London, 1889. Eluding her brothers Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes, fourteen-year-old Enola sets up her own detective agency in London under an assumed name. Using many disguises and costumes, Enola investigates the disappearance of sixteen-year-old Lady Cecily, who may have eloped. For grades 6-9. 2007.

The Case of the Missing Marquess: An Enola Holmes Mystery, Book 1  DB 66634
4 hours 14 minutes
by Nancy Springer
read by Jill Fox
England, 1888. When her sixty-four-year-old mother disappears on Enola’s fourteenth birthday, Enola sends telegrams to her much-older brothers Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes. After deciphering why her mother left, Enola escapes to London to search for her and becomes involved in a second mystery. For grades 6-9. 2006.

The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan: An Enola Holmes Mystery, Book 4  DB 68690
3 hours 56 minutes
by Nancy Springer
read by Jill Fox
London, 1889. Fourteen-year-old Enola, younger sister of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes, endeavors to save her friend Lady Cecily from being forced into a miserable marriage. For grades 6-9. 2008.

Mystery at Chilkoot Pass  DB 55790
4 hours 1 minute
by Barbara Steiner
read by Carol Dines
At the start of the Klondike gold rush in 1897, twelve-year-old Hetty travels to the Canadian mines with her family and their friends. But someone along the trail is stealing things from the group, and Hetty becomes determined to find the thief. For grades 4-7. 2002.

The Bianca Balducci series should be read in the following order:

Uncovering Sadie’s Secrets: A Bianca Balducci Mystery  DB 59089
4 hours 58 minutes
by Libby Sternberg
read by Michele Schaeffer
Fifteen-year-old Bianca befriends Sadie Sinclair, a mysterious classmate who is overly concerned about a “friend” being framed for murder. Aided by her best pal Kerrie, private-eye sister Connie, and would-be boyfriend Doug, Bianca sets out to uncover Sadie’s secrets. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 2003.

Finding the Forger: A Bianca Balducci Mystery  DB 61305
4 hours 37 minutes
by Libby Sternberg
read by Michele Schaeffer
Bianca Balducci leads a hectic teenage life worrying about Christmas shopping, boyfriends, and a bad home perm while helping her private investigator sister on an art forgery case—at the Baltimore museum where her friend Sarah works. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 2004.

 

The Blob That Ate Everyone  DB 45226
2 hours 2 minutes
by R.L. Stine
read by Terence Aselford
Zackie Beauchamp loves to write scary stories, so when he finds an old typewriter in an antique shop, he thinks it will be perfect for his hobby. But Zackie is not prepared for what happens when he takes the typewriter home. For grades 4-7. 1997.

Calling All Creeps  DB 45199
2 hours 6 minutes
by R.L. Stine
read by Terence Aselford
Because he must earn twenty points for after-school activities, Ricky Beamer has signed up to work on the school newspaper. But editor Tasha just doesn’t seem to like Ricky, who is considered somewhat of a nerd, and gives him silly assignments. Then Tasha kicks him off the paper. Ricky is so furious, he seeks revenge. For grades 4-7. 1998.

Don’t Go to Sleep!  DB 45225
2 hours 7 minutes
by R.L. Stine
read by Terence Aselford
Twelve-year-old Matthew Amsterdam, a geek according to his older brother and sister, has the tiniest bedroom in their house—with hardly room for him, let alone his books. The bigger bedroom is supposed to be for guests. One night Matt decides to sleep there anyway, and when he wakes up, he is older than his brother and sister. For grades 4-7. 1997.

The House Where Nobody Lived: A Lewis Barnavelt Mystery  DB 65588
4 hours 17 minutes
by Brad Strickland
read by Erik Sandvold
Lewis befriends David, whose family has moved into a strange, long-abandoned old house that was built by a sea captain. Lewis and his friend Rose Rita investigate supernatural goings-on in the house and discover that they may be dealing with powerful, ancient Hawaiian spirits. For grades 4-7. 2006.

The Specter from the Magician’s Museum: A Lewis Barnavelt Mystery  DB 61554
4 hours 18 minutes
by Brad Strickland
read by Erik Sandvold
New Zebedee, Michigan; 1950s. Lewis Barnavelt and his friend Rose Rita Pottinger decide to perform a magic act for the school talent show. While researching in a magician’s museum, Rose Rita becomes ensnared by an evil spell, and it’s up to Lewis to free her. For grades 4-7. 1998.

The Tower at the End of the World  DB 57295
4 hours 20 minutes
by Brad Strickland
read by Erik Sandvold
Lewis Barnavelt and his friends from The House with a Clock in Its Walls (DB 45943) are invited to vacation on an island in Lake Superior. They encounter evil sorcerer Ishmael Izard and have to find his doomsday clock before he destroys the world. For grades 5-8. 2001.

The Whistle, the Grave, and the Ghost  DB 61518
4 hours 27 minutes
by Brad Strickland
read by Erik Sandvold
On a Boy Scout campout in the Michigan woods, Lewis Barnavelt discovers a  grave and a whistle that draws him, his friend Rose Rita Pottinger, and his uncle Jonathan into a battle with evil. Sequel to The Tower at the End of the World (DB 57295). For grades 5-8. 2003.

The Minstrel’s Melody  DB 53804
3 hours 54 minutes
by Eleanora E. Tate
read by Jill Fox
Musically talented Orphelia, twelve, runs away from her home in Calico Creek, Missouri, to join Madame Meritta and Her Marvelous Traveling Troubadours Talent Show, which is headed for the 1904 World’s Fair in Saint Louis. In the process, the African American child learns that lynching has affected her family. For grades 5-8. 2001.

Sammy Keyes and the Art of Deception: A Sammy Keyes Mystery  DB 58672
6 hours 3 minutes
by Wendelin Van Draanen
read by Erin Jones
Seventh-grader Sammy is attending an art show with her grandmother and elderly friend Hudson when a thief tries to steal some paintings. Grams and Sammy thwart the robbery, but their investigation uncovers shady deals. Meanwhile Sammy falls for her school rival’s older brother. For grades 5-8. 2003.

Sammy Keyes and the Cold Hard Cash: A Sammy Keyes Mystery  DB 68693
6 hours 15 minutes
by Wendelin Van Draanen
read by Erin Jones
While sneaking up a fire escape to her grandmother’s apartment in a seniors-only building, thirteen-year-old Sammy scares an old man into having a heart attack. He begs Sammy to throw out the bundles of money in his pockets—then dies. But a stranger starts asking questions. For grades 5-8. 2008.

Sammy Keyes and the Curse of Moustache Mary: A Sammy Keyes Mystery  DB 59183
5 hours 29 minutes
by Wendelin Van Draanen
read by Erin Jones
During a weekend in the country, seventh-grader Sammy and her friends are drawn into a generations-old family feud that involves an old diary, modern-day illegal drugs, and Sammy’s stolen skateboard. Eventually Sammy solves the mystery of a burnt-down cabin and learns about trust. For grades 5-8. 2000.

Sammy Keyes and the Dead Giveaway  DB 65541
6 hours 37 minutes
by Wendelin Van Draanen
read by Erin Jones
After accidentally killing her teacher’s bird, Sammy considers letting her archrival Heather take the blame. A bigger issue involves a city councilman’s motives for evicting a friend of Sammy’s grandmother. There is also the end-of-the-year school dance to worry about. For grades 5-8. 2005.

Sammy Keyes and the Hollywood Mummy: A Sammy Keyes Mystery  DB 59363
6 hours 1 minute
by Wendelin Van Draanen
read by Erin Jones
Thirteen-year-old Sammy was abandoned by her mom Dominique, who followed dreams of stardom to Hollywood. Sammy and her friend Marissa take a bus to find Sammy’s mom. But when one of Dominique’s roommates is murdered, Sammy investigates and discovers seedy characters and backstabbing actors. For grades 5-8. 2001.

Sammy Keyes and the Psycho Kitty Queen: A Sammy Keyes Mystery  DB 66838
6 hours 33 minutes
by Wendelin Van Draanen
read by Erin Jones
Sammy and her friend Holly urgently try to figure out why dead cats are turning up in neighborhood garbage cans. Sammy also deals with a visit from her mother, the truth about her upcoming fourteenth birthday, and her crush on her nemesis Heather’s brother. For grades 5-8. 2004.

Sammy Keyes and the Search for Snake Eyes: A Sammy Keyes Mystery  DB 58117
5 hours 49 minutes
by Wendelin Van Draanen
read by Erin Jones
A girl, frightened and running from a gang member, leaves her baby with thirteen-year-old Sammy Keyes at the mall. Sammy sets out to find the young mother after turning the child over to Officer Borsch. Meanwhile Sammy’s teammates plot to remove her from the softball team. For grades 5-8. 2002.

Sammy Keyes and the Skeleton Man: A Sammy Keyes Mystery  DB 49112
4 hours 38 minutes
by Wendelin Van Draanen
read by Abigail Dorn
Halloween night turns out to be especially frightening for seventh-grader Sammy and two friends when a skeleton rushes by them near a creepy house. The front door opens, revealing a fire. Sammy puts it out and finds a tied-up masked man. Now she has a mystery to investigate. For grades 5-8. 1998.

Sammy Keyes and the Wild Things: A Sammy Keyes Mystery  DB 66127
6 hours 30 minutes
by Wendelin Van Draanen
read by Erin Jones
When Sammy joins a Girl Scout camping trip to observe endangered wild condors, she deals with scorpions and poison oak. But finding an injured condor leads Sammy and two other girls to bigger problems—getting lost in the canyon and encountering a dangerous poacher. For grades 5-8. 2007.

Stolen  DB 68257
3 hours 22 minutes
by Vivian Vande Velde
read by Mare Trevathan
While running through a forest, a young girl about twelve summers old realizes she does not remember anything—not even her own name. After kindly farmers take her in, she learns that she might be Isabelle, and that she could have been stolen by a witch. For grades 5-8. 2008.

The Callender Papers  DB 23488
5 hours 57 minutes
by Cynthia Voigt
read by Patricia S. Giles
Thirteen-year-old Jean, an orphan, spends the summer on a mountain estate, sorting family papers for an eccentric artist. She becomes intrigued with the mysteries surrounding the family’s past, but soon realizes that the more she learns about the death of the artist’s wife and the disappearance of his daughter, the more she is putting her life in danger. For grades 6-8. 1983.

Bicycle Mystery  DB 43505
1 hour 49 minutes
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
read by Michael Pinney
As the Alden children plan a bicycle trip, Benny wonders what kind of adventure they will have along the way. On the first day of their trip, they get caught in a bad rain storm and take shelter in an abandoned house. Before long a cute little dog is whining at the window. For grades 4-7. 1970.

The Black Widow Spider Mystery: Boxcar Children Mysteries  DB 60058
1 hour 42 minutes
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
read by Gary Roan
Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny volunteer to help the new couple down the street unpack. The slightly unusual Blackwells have decorated their front gate with spiders and filled their house with mysterious boxes. The children are convinced the neighbors are hiding something. For grades 3-6. 2003.

Blue Bay Mystery  DB 17802
2 hours 7 minutes
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
read by Virginia Kearns
The Alden children discover a castaway on a South Sea island. A mystery unfolds as they try to determine who the stranger is and why he was left on the island. For grades 4-7. Easy reading. 1961.

The Boxcar Children: A Boxcar Children Mystery  DB 63706
2 hours 24 minutes
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
read by Miriam Wagner
Four orphaned children—Jessie, Henry, Violet, and Benny Alden—run away and live in an abandoned boxcar until they are found by their grandfather, Henry James Alden, who turns out to be a kind man. Sixtieth-anniversary edition. For grades 3-6. 1942.

Bus Station Mystery  DB 37359
1 hour 50 minutes
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
read by Michael Pinney
The Aldens—Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny—have decided to visit a science fair thirty miles from their New England home, and they’ll be traveling by bus. As they depart they run into two mysterious boys and a perturbed Frank Timmons, who manages the bus station. Timmons might be linked to a paint factory that the Aldens discover is polluting a river. For grades 3-6 and older readers. 1974.

Caboose Mystery  DB 37357
2 hours 2 minutes
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
read by Michael Pinney
The Aldens—Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny—will be spending the summer traveling in an old-fashioned wooden caboose that belongs to a friend of Grandfather Alden. It used to be a circus caboose, and it has a mysterious past that the Aldens soon become enmeshed in. For grades 3-6 and older readers. 1966.

The Deserted Library Mystery  DB 43507
1 hour 59 minutes
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
read by Michael Pinney
When grandfather decides he wants the old Rock Falls library to become a landmark instead of being leveled, the Alden children head to the village to clean the building. But when they enter the library, they discover that they are not alone. For grades 4-7. 1991.

The Haunted Cabin Mystery  DB 43504
1 hour 54 minutes
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
read by Michael Pinney
The Alden children are headed for a trip up the Mississippi River on a paddle-wheel boat and a visit with their grandfather’s friend Cap Lambert. Then they learn that Cap has hurt his ankle and doesn’t want visitors. The Alden children head for Cap’s cabin anyway with plans to help him. For grades 4-7. 1991.

Houseboat Mystery  DB 37358
2 hours 8 minutes
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
read by Michael Pinney
One hot July day, the Aldens—Grandfather, Henry, Jessie, Violet, Benny, and their dog Watch—go for a drive in hopes of cooling off. To their surprise, they discover a road leading to a small river and meet up with a Mr. Rivers, who rents them a houseboat. They soon find themselves stalked and determine to find out why. For grades 3-6. 1967.

The Ice Cream Mystery: A Boxcar Children Mystery  DB 60053
1 hour 55 minutes
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
read by Miriam Wagner
Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny are determined to find out who is sabotaging the Greenfield Ice Cream Barn. They search for suspects while they put up posters, invent new flavors, and ride in the ice-cream wagon pulled by Butterscotch the horse. For grades 3-6. 2003.

The Midnight Mystery: A Boxcar Children Mystery  DB 59689
2 hours 0 minutes
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
read by Graci Ragsdale
While staying at the old home of a famous artist known for her one-of-a-kind clocks, the Aldens—Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny—hear a mysterious midnight tapping sound along with the regular chimes and decide to investigate. For grades 3-6. 2003.

The Mystery at Skeleton Point: A Boxcar Children Mystery  DB 59445
1 hour 46 minutes
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
read by Graci Ragsdale
Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny help a relative clean out an old house where the previous owner, a doctor, had collected skeletons. When valuable statues disappear the children learn of a local myth about a walking skeleton, and they decide to investigate. For grades 3-6. 2002.

The Mystery of Alligator Swamp: A Boxcar Children Mystery  DB 59440
1 hour 55 minutes
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
read by Mimi Bederman
Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny are in Louisiana learning about fishing and Cajun cooking. When a boat is found with a bite in it, locals believe a ghost alligator attacked it. The Alden children set out to discover if the swamp is really haunted. For grades 3-6. 2002.

The Mystery of the Mummy’s Curse: A Boxcar Children Mystery  DB 59436
1 hour 56 minutes
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
read by Rick Wiseman
The Alden children help out behind the scenes at the Greenfield Museum’s new exhibit on ancient Egypt and learn about life thousands of years ago. But when bad luck strikes, the siblings think it could be the mummy’s curse. For grades 3-6. 2002.

The Mystery of the Purple Pool  DB 51133
1 hour 54 minutes
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
read by L.J. Ganser
Their grandfather is in New York on a business trip and the Aldens have come along to do some sightseeing. Instead, they end up investigating mysteries plaguing the hotel—the swimming pool is purple, sugar and salt have switched places in the dining room, and the elevator stops between floors. For grades 3-6. 1994.

The Pet Shop Mystery  DB 51169
1 hour 55 minutes
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
read by L.J. Ganser
When the owner of the Pretty Bird Pet Shop has to take a few days off, she asks the Alden children to help her new employee, Mr. Fowler, take care of the animals. The children soon discover Mr. Fowler is involved in an illegal scheme. For grades 3-6. 1996.

The Spy Game: A Boxcar Children Mystery  DB 70252
1 hour 33 minutes
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
read by Richard Magesis
The Boxcar children—Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden—discover a secret message carved on stones in their neighbor Amanda Penner’s backyard. Soon they are involved in solving a strange puzzle that could lead to gold. For grades 3-6. 2009.

The Stuffed Bear Mystery: A Boxcar Children Mystery  DB 59443
1 hour 32 minutes
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
read by Gary Roan
Grandfather James takes Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny to the Teddy Bear Jamboree, where they learn how the stuffed animals are made and repaired. When a valuable bear is stolen from the toy hospital, the kids begin an investigation. For grades 3-6. 2002.

Surprise Island: A Boxcar Children Mystery  DB 64077
2 hours 20 minutes
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
read by Graci Ragsdale Miller
The four Alden children are delighted when their grandfather proposes that they spend the summer on a small, family-owned island. They will live in a barn with old Captain Daniel nearby in the fisherman’s hut. Joe, a young handyman with a secret, is also staying there. For grades 3-6. 1949.

The Tattletale Mystery: A Boxcar Children Mystery  DB 60061
2 hours 14 minutes
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
read by Miriam Wagner
Someone called the Tattletale sends the Alden children strange notes hinting at an art-related mystery. When the Greenfield art gallery hosts its annual contest, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny connect the letters to a talented new painter—who could be an imposter. For grades 3-6. 2003.

The Yellow House Mystery: A Boxcar Children Mystery  DB 64082
2 hours 50 minutes
by Gertrude Chandler Warner
read by Miriam Wagner
The Alden children’s grandfather tells them about a man who disappeared years ago from a run-down yellow house on Surprise Island. Not even the man’s wife knew how or why. Now the children discover a long-lost letter that starts them tracking the clues. For grades 3-6. 1953.

So B. It  DB 58658
4 hours 29 minutes
by Sarah Weeks
read by Madelyn Buzzard
After spending her life with her mentally challenged mother and agoraphobic neighbor, twelve-year-old Heidi sets out from Reno, Nevada, to New York State to find out who she is. With the help of some old photographs she uncovers family secrets. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 2004.

Cherry Ames, Senior Nurse  DB 64354
5 hours 6 minutes
by Helen Wells
read by Anne Hancock
Working in the children’s ward during her senior year of nursing school, Cherry Ames meets Lex Upham, a young doctor with a questionable reputation. When someone steals a new drug that could help the war effort, everyone suspects Lex. Cherry sets out to prove his innocence. For grades 5-8. 1944.

Cherry Ames, Veterans’ Nurse  DB 64656
4 hours 29 minutes
by Helen Wells
read by Kristin Allison
Army nurse Cherry Ames returns home to Illinois and begins a new assignment at a veterans rehabilitation hospital. While healing the bodies and spirits of wounded soldiers, Cherry meets Toby, a four-year-old boy with a life-threatening disease. Cherry wants to help but doesn’t trust Toby’s doctor. For grades 5-8. 1946.

Cherry Ames, Visiting Nurse  DB 64386
5 hours 11 minutes
by Helen Wells
read by Anne Hancock
Cherry Ames lands a visiting nurse position in New York and moves into a Greenwich Village apartment with her friends. Cherry treats the new patients in her district but becomes especially concerned with the welfare of a mysterious recluse who may need her help. For grades 5-8. 1947.

Jack’s Knife  DB 64486
7 hours 54 minutes
by Beverley Wood
read by Bill Wallace
A stray bull terrier leads fourteen-year-old Jackson Kyle from modern-day Canada to 1930s Juneau, Alaska. During the trip back in time, Jackson solves a mystery and finds an opportunity to right an injustice done by his friend Al McMann, ninety-one, a former frontier lawman. For grades 5-8. 2005.

The Case of the Goblin Pearls: Chinatown Mystery, Volume 1  DB 46951
4 hours 28 minutes
by Laurence Yep
read by Faith Potts
Someone steals a priceless string of pearls during the New Year’s parade in Chinatown. Auntie Tiger Lil, followed by her niece Lily in a large cylindrical costume, hotly pursues the thief. What they learn about the pearls’ origins causes Tiger Lil to make her own decision about honesty and justice. For grades 5-8. 1997.

Death on the Amazon  DB 58387
2 hours 50 minutes
by Paul Zindel
read by Gary Tipton
P.C. Hawke and his buddy Mackenzie Riggs accompany P.C.’s archaeologist dad to Peru to escort a mummy down the Amazon River. An obnoxious Texas millionaire is murdered on the boat. With no police nearby, it’s up to P.C. and Mac to question the superstitious passengers. For grades 4-7. 2002.

The E-Mail Murders  DB 59181
2 hours 34 minutes
by Paul Zindel
read by Gary Tipton
High school junior P.C. Hawke and pal Mackenzie accompany Mac’s psychiatrist dad to a conference in Monaco, where a psychiatrist colleague is murdered. The teens work with the local police inspector’s blind daughter to determine whether the perpetrator is a notorious serial killer or a copycat. For grades 4-7. 2001.

The Gourmet Zombie  DB 58040
2 hours 42 minutes
by Paul Zindel
read by Gary Tipton
P.C. Hawke and his friend Mackenzie Riggs are planning a joint sixteenth birthday celebration when they learn that prominent chefs in New York City are being poisoned. As the two investigate they wonder who will be alive to prepare their feast. For grades 4-7. 2002.

The Lethal Gorilla  DB 57803
3 hours 5 minutes
by Paul Zindel
read by Gary Tipton
Amateur private investigators P.C. (Peter Christopher) Hawke and Mackenzie Riggs join Mackenzie’s mother, who is the New York City coroner, on a case involving the murder of the Bronx Zoo’s most famous zoologist. Suspects include both humans and wild animals. For grades 4-7. 2001.

The Phantom of 86th Street  DB 58130
2 hours 29 minutes
by Paul Zindel
read by Gary Tipton
P.C. Hawke and his friend Mackenzie Riggs suspect that a serial murderer is targeting passengers on New York City’s 86th Street bus route. Their investigation leads them to several potential suspects at a local hospital. For grades 4-7. 2002.

The Scream Museum: P.C. Hawke Mysteries, Case 1  DB 59353
3 hours 26 minutes
by Paul Zindel
read by Gary Tipton
New York City. The Museum of Natural History’s head of research is found murdered at work. High school sleuth P.C. Hawke and his classmate Mackenzie come to the defense of their friend Tom Boggs, the museum’s assistant custodian, when he is accused of the crime. For grades 4-7. 2001.

The Square Root of Murder  DB 57840
2 hours 47 minutes
by Paul Zindel
read by Gary Tipton
High school junior P.C. Hawke and his pal Mackenzie Riggs are taking calculus at Columbia University when their cruel professor, Eva Dunaway, is killed with an arrow. Trying to solve the murder, the two amateur sleuths concentrate the investigation on their eclectic classmates. For grades 4-7. 2002.


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Posted on 2014-12-02
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