'TIS THE SEASON FOR A CREEPY GOTHIC TALE

After her mother's sudden departure from the family, Elizabeth Murmur and her dour father Henry move back to his childhood home, or rather, the eerie and enormous Victorian manor where he grew up long ago, Witheringe House. The place is positively creepy, and possibly even haunted. Definitely haunted if you ask Zenobia, Elizabeth's imaginary (or is she?) friend, who is determined to make contact with the spirit presence she is sure is inhabiting the forbidden East wing of the manor. But Elizabeth isn't as brave or daring as Zenobia, and is petrified at the thought of seeing or communicating with a ghost. 

That is until she stumbles across a tombstone on the sprawling grounds, which reads Tourmaline, aged seven years. Beloved daughter of Edward and Lydia. Adored sister of Henry. Does this mean Elizabeth had an aunt she never knew about? What could have happened to her? If her father won't give her any answers, she'll have to discover them for herself, even if spirits and spooks are involved. But what she uncovers will lead her to places--both tangible and other-worldly--she never imagined, and require more than a modicum of bravery, mettle, and heart. 

Elizabeth and Zenobia by Jessica Miller is at turns droll and suspenseful, but always shrouded in the moodiest of mystery. Readers in fifth grade and up will be dying to find out what happens. 

A STATE-OF-THE-ART HISTORICAL MYSTERY

Laura Marx Fitzgerald, author of Under the Egg, is back with a new art-centric mystery in The Gallery. It's the height of roaring twenties, and twelve-year-old Martha O'Doyle finds herself employed as a servant for the wealthy, pompous newspaper magnate, Mr. Archer J. Sewell. The grand Fifth Avenue mansion is a far cry from the tiny Brooklyn apartment she shares with her family, and our inquisitive heroine wastes no time exploring every opulent corner. But it is the ever-absent eccentric mistress of the house--Mrs. "Wild Rose" Sewell, supposedly bedridden due to her madness--who really piques Martha's curiosity. What drove her so crazy in the first place? What is the story behind her hidden collection of world-renowned paintings? And what can a mere maid like Martha possibly do to bring all the secrets of this mansion to light? 

This compelling middle-grade novel features a spunky and relatable protagonist, backed by a cast of intriguingly quirky characters, fascinating historical details, and an action-packed mystery that will keep young readers in 5th to 8th grades turning the pages all the way to the very end. 

THE RANCH IS SECURE WITH HANK IS ON THE SCENE

A chicken's been murdered. All clues lead him to conclude that it's the work of the coyotes but Hank, head cowdog security at the ranch, can't seem to catch those darn coyotes. Of course they are not the only ones longing for a chicken dinner, but Hank's got to be better than those wild cousins of his. One night, after another chicken's been mauled, Hank just couldn't resist anymore and gave in to his baser instincts and wakes up with a mouthful of feathers. Caught red-mouthed full of blood and feathers, and feeling unappreciated, he sets off for the canyons to live the life of a barbarian. He falls in with the pack of unsavory coyotes and must prove his courage and win the paw of the beautiful chief's daughter.

The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog by John Erickson is the first book in this fun mystery adventure series set on a Texas ranch where the security team sometimes prefer naps over work .

FOLLOW THAT GOOSE!

All manner of cucumber foods are available at the annual Bloomsberry Cucumber Festival for free! Too bad Margaret isn't in the mood for stewed cucumbers, or cucumber casserole, or cucumber shakes. As Margaret is being forced to eat stewed cucumbers, she and her buddies discover a stolen necklace in the dish. Realizing that their neighbor would be accused of the theft, they follow her goose for clues all over town in order to catch the real thief.

A Recipe 4 Robbery by Marybeth Kelsey is a very pleasant old fashioned kind of mystery with lots of red herrings and narrow escapes. For readers 4th and older.

CAT OF THE THEATER

One cannot imagine the world behind the scenes of the theatre - at least not in the 18th century! Mystery, intrigue, and spectacular performance fill the pages and Cat Royal's life, a young orphan girl left on the steps of the Drury Lane Theater in London. What lurks behind the curtain isn't what you would expect, and Cat leads you through the exciting city life of old England. THE DIAMOND OF DRURY LANE by Julia Golding spins a tale of dangerous adventure and paints a picture of what life was like more than 200 years ago. For 6th grade and up.

HALLOWEEN READS

My Dog's a Scaredy Cat: A Halloween Tail by Henry Winkler

The tenth in the Hank Zipzer series. This time Hank and his friends set out to make the scariest haunted house ever to impress everyone this Halloween. For 4th -6th

Sammy Keyes and the Skeleton Man by Wendelin Van Draanen

It's Halloween and Sammy and her friends are trick-or-treating when they are almost run down by someone in a skeleton costume. Once again Sammy is thrown into a middle of a mystery goes off in search of who tied up "Frankenstein" and what did the skeleton steal? For 6th - 8th

Which Witch? by Eva Ibbotson

Which witch will the Wizard marry? All the local witches compete to be the great wizard's wife and they create the most amazing magic to impress him. But one beautiful witch can only make beautiful white magic and not black magic like the others. Does she stand a chance? For 4th -6th

Whispering to Witches by Anna Dale

On his way to vacation with this mom and stepfamily, Joe accidentally stumbles upon a coven of witches among the human population and is pulled into a mystery to help them find a missing magical page. For 6th - 8th

All Hallows' Eve by Vivian Vande Velde

Set on Halloween Eve this collection of short stories will scare you with tales of murder, cemeteries and the dead (or is it the undead?). For 6th - 8th

Witch Child by Celia Rees

The diary of a young girl escaping one witch hunt in the Old World only to find that she must hide her true nature once she arrives in 1659 Salem. Witches are blamed for everything that is wrong and she must hide her abilities from the villagers who have taken her in. For 6th - 8th

Summer vacation has just started and brother and sister Ned and Hazel Frump are looking forward to sleeping in, shooting hoops and all the other joys of summer but when their dad disappears, their summer plans change in The Mystery of the Martello Tower by Jennifer Lanthier. At first they assume that he is just off on a short business trip then when they see a photo of him in handcuffs being put in a Turkish jail it appears that this not one of his usual trips. Soon life for the pair becomes dangerous when they babysitter leaves town and their apartment is burgled. Safety comes in the form of some previously unknown relatives who take the kids in and help them solve not only their father's mysterious disappearance but some long unanswered questions about their family as well in this very exciting and suspenseful mystery.

For grades 5 through 8.

HANNAH WEST - SEATTLE SUPER SLEUTH

Hannah West on Millionaire's Row by Linda Johns

Look for this title in our paperback section - fourth in the series.

Another plucky sleuth who is "technically homeless" since she and her mother had to sell their house but are now house sitting for other people's homes. This time they are house sitting for a couple who owns a home on historic Millionaire's Row and five cats. All their former clients and friends come together for this installment of Hannah West, where it seems like there really isn't a crime but more of a mysterious moving of the neighboring houses' things. Weird things happen, like a toilet seat cover is closed, a toaster is moved to a different place, a bowl of fruit is placed where there wasn't one before. Is it a Feng Shui ghost? The neighborhood watch doesn't have a clue and the police aren't taking it seriously, but Hannah West, has her keen eye on the problem and is determined to solve it.

For readers in grades 4th and older.

CAN YOU SOLVE THE MYSTERY?

Solve these mysteries in Lakewood Hills along with sixth graders Hawkeye Collins and Amy Adams. Hawkeye has such a keen eye, that he often help the police with their cases, but more often he just helps people all around town. Like the Encyclopedia Brown series, readers are asked to find the clues, but here readers are given a sketch to look at as well.

If you love to solve mysteries then put your brain in gear and read this collection of mysteries in The Case of the Chocolate Snatcher by M. Masters.

For readers in 4th grade and older.

SAMURAI WANNABE

Seikei can now return to his family as a samurai, but how will they treat him after all these years? In A Samurai Never Fears Death, the third book in the series, Seikei returns to his hometown but instead of a warm family reception, he finds his brother and sister at the center of several murders and a smuggling ring.

An intricate historical murder mystery for middle school readers and older.

A IS FOR ASSASSIN

The year is 1569, and the 13-year-old Lady Grace is about to choose her husband from three potential suitors. She is the favorite of Queen Elizabeth's maids of honour, and while Grace's mother was on her death bed, the Queen promised to marry Grace to a worthy courter. Grace chooses Lord Robert as her potential husband, but it isn't long before a wrench is thrown into the works and Lady Grace must find the killer of the suitor she turned down. Written in a journalistic format, ASSASSIN by "Grace Cavendish" is the first in the Lady Grace Mysteries series, and chronicles Grace's first "pursuivant" adventure for the Queen. For 5th grade and older.

DINOSAURS SOLVING MYSTERIES?

Ever hear of a dinosaur doing police work? Here's a book that will really surprise you then. DETECTIVE DINOSAUR by James Skofield is a collection of three mysteries that Detective Dinosaur and his partner Officer Pterydactl must solve involving a missing hat, a squeaky shoe and a noisy something down a dark alley. Perfect if you just learned to read and want something a little longer, but you're not quite ready for chapter books. For K-2nd grades.

A MYSTERY SOLVED

Claudia Kincaid feels like no one in her family appreciates her and so she decides to run away to teach them a lesson and to escape her straight A life. She convinces her younger brother Jaime to come with her to not only keep her company but to help finance the operation as he had a large savings. The two run off to New York City where take up residence in the very large Metropolitan Museum of Art and discover a beautiful statue of an angel with a mysterious background. Claudia becomes obsessed with the need to solve the mystery of the art piece and in the process shares an incredible adventure with her brother.


A good read for anyone who likes mysteries with a bit of adventure, this is best for 4th grade and older.

SUMMER OF MYSTERY: A TICK TOCK SECRET

After coming to the rescue of a little girl raised by two elderly aunts, Nancy Drew, begins looking for clues to a second will left by their wealthier cousin only to find out that many others are also desperately seeking the new will.

Nancy Drew and the Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene is the first in this classic girl sleuth series. For readers in 4th - 6th grade.

CURSED ROSE!

Jackson Jones and the Curse of the Outlaw Rose by Mary Quattlebaum

Strange things start to happen to everyone and everything around Jackson Jones after he takes a cutting from a cemetery. But unlike his best friend, he doesn't believe in curses until he starts adding it all up...

1. The cleaning crew got poison ivy

2. Old Mr. K sprained his ankle

3. The bully got stung by a bee

4. Suddenly there was no rain for weeks

5. All the plants in the community garden are dying, except for the outlaw rose...

What do you think? Is the rose cursing everything around Jackson because he disturbed its resting ground?

For readers in 2nd- 3rd grade who enjoy a little ghost in their story.

HERO IS A HERO

Shakespeare's Secret by Elise Broach

Hero is named after a character in a Shakespearean play, but try explaining that to schoolmates who think it sounds more like a name for a dog. After moving into her new home, she hears the story of a lost necklace possibly hidden or left behind by the previous owners of her house. She sets out to find the lost treasure with the help of her mysterious crotchety elderly neighbor and a popular boy from school. As the mystery of the necklace's whereabouts unfolds, she learns about its history and to accept her unusual name.

A complex mystery that's even better than Chasing Vermeer. For readers in 6th - 8th grades.