Here are the top 30 bestselling mysteries & detectives books for 10 year olds. Please click Read Review to read book reviews on Amazon. You can also click Find in Library to check book availability at your local library. If the default library is not correct, please follow Change Library to reset it.
1. The Boxcar Children Books 1-4
by: Gertrude Chandler Warner Release date: Sep 01, 1990 Number of Pages: 160 Find in Library Read Review |
2. Serafina and the Twisted Staff (Serafina Book 2)
by: Robert Beatty Release date: Jul 12, 2016 Number of Pages: 384 Find in Library Read Review |
A mysterious series of attacks test Serafina’s role as Biltmore’s protector, culminating in a tragedy that tears Serafina’s best friend, Braeden Vanderbilt, from her side. Heartbroken, she flees.
Deep in the forest, she comes face-to-face with the evil infecting Biltmore–and discovers its reach is far greater than she’d ever imagined. All the humans and animals of the Blue Ridge Mountains are in terrible danger. For Serafina to defeat this new evil before it engulfs her beloved home, she must search deep inside herself and embrace the destiny that has always awaited her.
3. The Secret Keepers
by: Trenton Lee Stewart, Diana Sudyka Release date: Sep 27, 2016 Number of Pages: 512 Find in Library Read Review |
A magical watch
4. Serafina and the Black Cloak
by: Robert Beatty Release date: Jun 14, 2016 Number of Pages: 320 Find in Library Read Review |
Serafina’s hunt leads her into the very forest that she has been taught to fear, where she discovers a forgotten legacy of magic. In order to save the children of Biltmore, Serafina must not only face her darkest enemy, but delve into the strange mystery of her own identity.
5. The Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew Collection: Sleepover Sleuths; Scream for Ice Cream; Pony Problems; The Cinderella Ballet Mystery; Case of the Sneaky Snowman
by: Carolyn Keene, Macky Pamintuan Release date: Jul 08, 2014 Number of Pages: 480 Find in Library Read Review |
The first five books in the Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew chapter book series are now available in a collectible boxed set, perfect for aspiring sleuths!
This clue-filled boxed set includes:
Sleepover Sleuths
Scream for Ice Cream
Pony Problems
The Cinderella Ballet Mystery
The Case of the Sneaky Snowman
6. Holes
by: Louis Sachar, Vladimir Radunsky, Bagram Ibatoulline Release date: May 09, 2000 Number of Pages: 233 Find in Library Read Review |
Winner of the Newbery Medal and the National Book Award! This #1 New York Times bestselling, modern classic in which boys are forced to dig holes day in and day out is now available with a splashy new look.
Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnatses. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys’ detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the boys build character by spending all day, every day digging holes exactly five feet wide and five feet deep. There is no lake at Camp Green Lake. But there are an awful lot of holes.
It doesn’t take long for Stanley to realize there’s more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. But what could be buried under a dried-up lake? Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment—and redemption.
Includes a double bonus: an excerpt from Small Steps, the follow-up to Holes, as well as an excerpt from Louis Sachar’s new middle-grade novel, Fuzzy Mud.
“A smart jigsaw puzzle of a novel.” —The New York Times
WINNER OF THE BOSTON GLOBE-HORN BOOK AWARD
A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW NOTABLE CHILDREN’S BOOK
SELECTED FOR NUMEROUS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR AND ALA HONORS
7. Nate the Great
by: Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, Marc Simont Release date: Apr 15, 1977 Number of Pages: 80 Find in Library Read Review |
Nate the Great has a new case! His friend Annie has lost a picture. She wants Nate to help her find it. Nate the Great must get all the facts, ask the right questions, and narrow the list of suspects so he can solve the mystery.
Check out the Fun Activities section in the back of the book!
Visit Nate the Great and Sludge!
NatetheGreatBooks.com
*“Marc Simont has dressed Nate the Great in Sherlock Holmes garb, and Marjorie Weinman Sharmat has perfectly reduced Sam Spade sentences to fit primary grade sleuths. Adults won’t mind reading this aloud again and again. Kids will like Nate the Great. Kids will want to read more of his books.” —School Library Journal, Starred
“The illustrations capture the exaggerated, tongue-in-cheek humor of the story.” —Booklist
8. Took: A Ghost Story
by: Mary Downing Hahn Release date: Sep 06, 2016 Number of Pages: 272 Find in Library Read Review |
9. Meg Mackintosh Mysteries Set: Books 1-4 (Meg Mackintosh Mystery series)
by: Lucinda Landon Release date: Sep 01, 2007 Number of Pages: 192 Find in Library Read Review |
10. The Boxcar Children (The Boxcar Children, No. 1) (Boxcar Children Mysteries)
by: Gertrude Chandler Warner, L. Kate Deal Release date: Jan 01, 1989 Number of Pages: 154 Find in Library Read Review |
11. The Treasure of the Sea: A Geronimo Stilton Adventure (Thea Stilton: Special Edition #5)
by: Thea Stilton Release date: Sep 27, 2016 Number of Pages: 320 Find in Library Read Review |
The mouselets and their friend Will Mystery travel to the underwater world to find the magical music. On their mission, they swim through dangerous waters, encounter strange and fantastical creatures, and even reveal an ancient mystery. It’s a mousetastic aquatic adventure!
12. The Invention of Hugo Cabret
by: Brian Selznick Release date: Jan 30, 2007 Number of Pages: 533 Find in Library Read Review |
13. The Titan’s Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3)
by: Rick Riordan Release date: Apr 08, 2008 Number of Pages: 352 Find in Library Read Review |
Please note: While the cover of the book may vary the content is the same.
14. Sleepover Sleuths (Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew #1)
by: Carolyn Keene, Macky Pamintuan Release date: Jun 01, 2006 Number of Pages: 96 Find in Library Read Review |
Nancy and her two best friends, George and Bess, are so excited! They have been invited to Deirdre’s sleepover party! There will be pizza, cake, and even a pajama fashion show. But the most exciting thing is that the party has a City Girls doll theme. All of the guests are bringing their dolls with them!
But then Deirdre’s City Girls doll — Hollywood Heather — goes missing. Is her sleepover ruined? Or is there a detective in the room who can make sense of this mystery?
15. The Abominable Snowman/Journey Under the Sea/Space and Beyond/The Lost Jewels of Nabooti/Mystery of the Maya/House of Danger (Choose Your Own Adventure 1-6) (Box Set 1)
by: R. A. Montgomery Release date: Sep 30, 2011 Number of Pages: 864 Find in Library Read Review |
16. The Kingdom of Fantasy (Geronimo Stilton)
by: Geronimo Stilton Release date: Dec 01, 2009 Number of Pages: 320 Find in Library Read Review |
I knew from the start that it was no ordinary day, but I certainly didn’t expect to find a golden staircase in my attic. Up at the top, there was a door. And beyond the door was a world I never could have imagined — the Kingdom of Fantasy!
Along with my guide, a frog named Scribblehopper, I set off on an incredible adventure to save the Queen of the Fairies. But along the way, I had to face giant scorpions, witches, sea serpents, pixies, and dozens of other creatures that I had only ever heard stories about. Holey cheese, what a journey! Could I save the Queen . . . and my own tail?
17. Nate the Great Goes Undercover
by: Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, Marc Simont Release date: Feb 15, 1978 Number of Pages: 80 Find in Library Read Review |
Beginning readers are introduced to the detective mystery genre in these chapter books. Perfect for the Common Core, kids can problem-solve with Nate, using logical thinking to solve mysteries!
Somebody has been raiding Oliver’s garbage can each night. How can Nate narrow the long list of suspects down to one? Nate the Great might just have to go under cover . . . under cover of the garbage can lid, that is!
Check out the Fun Activities section in the back of the book!
Visit Nate the Great and Sludge!
NatetheGreatBooks.com
*“Marc Simont’s charcoal and pastel illustrations provide the perfect backdrop for this clever case.” —School Library Journal, Starred
“First graders’ favorite private eye solves the case of Oliver’s scattered garbage in those short, easy sentences that Sharmat transforms into crisp, tough-guy humor.” —Kirkus Reviews (A Kirkus Reviews Editor’s Choice)
18. The Secret Series Complete Collection
by: Pseudonymous Bosch Release date: Oct 02, 2012 Number of Pages: 2016 Find in Library Read Review |
Catch up on the adventures of Cass and Max-Ernest with The Secret Series Collection. This boxed set includes all five paperback novels in the New York Times bestselling Secret Series: The Name of this Book Is Secret; If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late; This Book Is Not Good for You; This Isn’t What It Looks Like; and You Have to Stop This.
19. Hoot
by: Carl Hiaasen Release date: Dec 27, 2005 Number of Pages: 292 Find in Library Read Review |
Everybody loves Mother Paula’s pancakes. Everybody, that is, except the colony of cute but endangered owls that live on the building site of the new restaurant. Can the awkward new kid and his feral friend prank the pancake people out of town? Or is the owls’ fate cemented in pancake batter?
“A wonderful tour de-force.” —The Boston Globe
“A rollicking, righteous story.” —The Miami Herald
“Yes, it is a hoot.”—The Washington Post
From the Hardcover edition.
20. Book Scavenger (The Book Scavenger series)
by: Jennifer Chambliss Bertman Release date: Apr 12, 2016 Number of Pages: 368 Find in Library Read Review |
A New York Times bestseller!
For twelve-year-old Emily, the best thing about moving to San Francisco is that it’s the home city of her literary idol: Garrison Griswold, book publisher and creator of the online sensation Book Scavenger (a game where books are hidden in cities all over the country and clues to find them are revealed through puzzles). Upon her arrival, however, Emily learns that Griswold has been attacked and is now in a coma, and no one knows anything about the epic new game he had been poised to launch. Then Emily and her new friend James discover an odd book, which they come to believe is from Griswold himself, and might contain the only copy of his mysterious new game.
Racing against time, Emily and James rush from clue to clue, desperate to figure out the secret at the heart of Griswold’s new game?before those who attacked Griswold come after them too.
The paperback edition of Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman features a gorgeous, brightened cover and an interview with the author.
“Full of heart and replete with challenging ciphers for readers to decode, Bertman’s debut is literary cousin to classic puzzlers like The Westing Game.” ?Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Fans of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library will appreciate the abundant literary allusions, and readers will hope for more adventures.” ?Shelf Awareness, starred review
An Amazon Best Book of the Year
An Indie Next List Pick
A PW Best Book for Summer
A Bank Street College Best Book of the Year
An Amazon.com Best Book of the Month
A Texas Lamplighter Award Nominee
A Pennsylvania Young Readers Choice Award Nominee
A Georgia Children’s Book Award Finalist
21. The Hardy Boys Secret Files Collection Books 1-5: Trouble at the Arcade; The Missing Mitt; Mystery Map; Hopping Mad; A Monster of a Mystery (Hardy Boys: The Secret Files)
by: Franklin W. Dixon, Scott Burroughs Release date: Aug 05, 2014 Number of Pages: 496 Find in Library Read Review |
When there’s trouble brewing in Bayport, brothers Frank and Joe Hardy are the go-to guys for solving cases. Help crack the first five cases in the Hardy Boys chapter book series!
This boxed set includes:
Trouble at the Arcade
The Missing Mitt
Mystery Map
Hopping Mad
Monster of a Mystery
22. Ballpark Mysteries #1: The Fenway Foul-up (A Stepping Stone Book(TM))
by: David A. Kelly, Mark Meyers Release date: Feb 22, 2011 Number of Pages: 112 Find in Library Read Review |
Thanks to Kate’s mom, a sports reporter, cousins Mike Walsh and Kate Hopkins have tickets to the Red Sox game and All Access passes to Fenway Park. But as they’re watching batting practice before the game, the lucky bat of Red Sox star slugger Big D is stolen . . . right in front of dozens of people. Without the bat, Big D can’t seem to hit a thing. Can Kate and Mike figure out who pinched the bat before Big D and the Sox chalk up a loss?
The Fenway Foul-Up includes a fun fact page about Boston’s Fenway Park.
Cross Ron Roy’s mystery series with Matt Christopher’s sports books and you get the Ballpark Mysteries: fun, puzzling whodunnits aimed right at beginning readers.
23. Brainwashed: Crime Travelers Spy School Mystery Series Book 1
by: Paul Aertker, Brian Luster Release date: Jan 13, 2014 Number of Pages: 300 Find in Library Read Review |
– Mark Robichaux, Editor, New York
This is an edge of your seat adventure. Strap your children in for this middle grade book that is a guaranteed wild ride. If your children love excitement, don’t miss this action-packed read!
Lucas Benes is a boy on a mission. While sleeping on the roof of his father’s hotel-spy school, thirteen-year-old Lucas Benes finds a baby alone and learns that the Good Company has restarted its profitable brainwashing business. Brainwashed (Crime Travelers collection #1) tracks the secret urban adventures of the New Resistance, a network of international teenage spies. Lucas leads a group of friends through the hotspots of Paris– from the catacombs to the Eiffel tower–in an all-out effort to sabotage a brainwashing ceremony that could potentially turn them all into “Good” kids.
This humorous and exciting middle school series with short chapters is perfect for school reading lists. “This mystery book is like a secret diary of lost little kids in adverse international settings.” A secret spy rider uses Kano, Minecraft, and Psion to help the kids travel the planet. A worldwide spy school. A book about Paris for kids learning about Paris and the recent attacks in Paris. Parents, teachers, and librarians will appreciate the worldwide geography and appropriate language for ages 9 – 14.
24. Nate the Great and the Crunchy Christmas
by: Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, Craig Sharmat Release date: Oct 06, 1997 Number of Pages: 80 Find in Library Read Review |
Annie’s dog is unhappy. When Fang is unhappy, everyone is unhappy. Especially Nate the Great. So Nate agrees to sniff out Fang’s mysteriously missing Christmas mail. It’s cold and snowy. But Nate the Great and his dog, Sludge, will try to solve this holiday case in time for Fang to have a crunchy, munchy Christmas.
Check out the Fun Activities section in the back of the book!
Visit Nate the Great and Sludge!
NatetheGreatBooks.com
“All the usual characters, Sharmat’s wry humor, and Simont’s lively, appealing watercolors are packed into this easy reader that’s sure to be popular all year long.”–School Library Journal
“Nate uncovers some snowy clues to deliver a lip-smacking holiday greeting to Fang and his owner. Simont’s loose, humorous chalk and watercolor spots help turn this beginning reader into a page-turner.”–Publishers Weekly
25. The Math Inspectors: Story One – The Case of the Claymore Diamond (Volume 1)
by: Daniel Kenney, Emily Boever Release date: Dec 05, 2014 Number of Pages: 136 Find in Library Read Review |
26. Nate the Great and the Snowy Trail
by: Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, Marc Simont Release date: Dec 01, 1983 Number of Pages: 80 Find in Library Read Review |
Nate the Great has his work cut out for him. Rosamond has lost his birthday present! But how can Nate find his missing present when Rosamond won’t tell him what it is?
Check out the Fun Activities section in the back of the book!
Visit Nate the Great and Sludge!
NatetheGreatBooks.com
“Brisk and bright as always, with pictures of a lovably scowling Nate and a voguishly strange Rosamond . . . for added appeal.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Readers will have a dandy time following the case and will sympathize with Nate’s wish that he had failed to solve it when he finds the dismaying ‘present’.”—Publishers Weekly
“The tongue-in-cheek mystery unfolds briskly. Simont’s . . . cartoons are in tune with Sharmat’s comic touch.”—Booklist
27. Lockwood & Co., Book Four The Creeping Shadow
by: Jonathan Stroud Release date: Sep 13, 2016 Number of Pages: 464 Find in Library Read Review |
28. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4)
by: J.K. Rowling, Jim Dale Release date: Jul 08, 2000 Number of Pages: 17 Run Time: 1233 minutes Find in Library Read Review |
Running time: 20 hrs., 30 mins. 17 CDs.
Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts for his fourth year of magical adventures in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. This year Harry turns 14 and becomes interested in girls — one in particular. And with Dark Magic comes danger, as someone close to Harry dies. You’ll have to listen to learn more! The audio is available on July 8th.
29. The Candymakers
by: Wendy Mass Release date: Oct 03, 2011 Number of Pages: 480 Find in Library Read Review |
Logan, the candymaker’s son, who can detect the color of chocolate by feel alone?
Miles, the boy allergic to rowboats and the color pink?
Daisy, the cheerful girl who can lift a fifty-pound lump of taffy as if it were a feather?
Philip, the suit-and-tie-wearing boy who’s always scribbling in a secret notebook?
This sweet, charming, and cleverly crafted story, told from each contestant’s perspective, is filled with mystery, friendship, and juicy revelations.
30. Ballpark Mysteries Super Special #1: The World Series Curse (A Stepping Stone Book(TM))
by: David A. Kelly, Mark Meyers Release date: Sep 13, 2016 Number of Pages: 144 Find in Library Read Review |
Red Sox versus Cubs. Game five. It looks like Mike and Kate are about to watch the Cubs win it all. But then someone starts messing with the team—ruining equipment, getting Cubs players in trouble, and even stirring up an old baseball curse. Now the Red Sox are coming back! Who will win the ultimate baseball trophy? And can Mike and Kate make sure it’s won fair and square?
Ballpark Mysteries are the all-star matchup of fun sleuthing and baseball action, perfect for readers of Ron Roy’s A to Z Mysteries and Matt Christopher’s sports books, and younger siblings of Mike Lupica fans. Each Ballpark Mystery also features Dugout Notes, with amazing baseball facts.
Best Selling Books for 10 year olds:
- Action & Adventure
- Activities, Crafts & Games
- Animals
- Biographies
- Classics
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Technology
- Early Learning
- Education & Reference
- Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths
- History
- Holidays & Celebrations
- Humor
- Literature & Fiction
- Mysteries & Detectives
- Religions
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Science, Nature & How It Works
- Sports & Outdoors
- Children’s Cookbooks
Recommended Books for 10 year olds:
- Action & Adventure
- Activities, Crafts & Games
- Animals
- Biographies
- Classics
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Technology
- Early Learning
- Education & Reference
- Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths
- History
- Holidays & Celebrations
- Humor
- Literature & Fiction
- Mysteries & Detectives
- Religions
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Science, Nature & How It Works
- Sports & Outdoors
- Children’s Cookbooks
Best Selling Mysteries & Detectives Books for:
- 3 Year Olds
- 4 Year Olds
- 5 Year Olds
- 6 Year Olds
- 7 Year Olds
- 8 Year Olds
- 9 Year Olds
- 10 Year Olds
- 11 Year Olds
- 12 Year Olds
- Teen & Young Adults
Recommended Mysteries & Detectives Books for:
- 3 Year Olds
- 4 Year Olds
- 5 Year Olds
- 6 Year Olds
- 7 Year Olds
- 8 Year Olds
- 9 Year Olds
- 10 Year Olds
- 11 Year Olds
- 12 Year Olds
- Teen & Young Adults
Last updated: Monday, December 5, 2016 8:06 AM