Rosie Schonell's favourite middle grade books full of mystery, clues and clever sleuthing…

I have recently discovered this series and are thoroughly enjoying Plum and Woo and the Suspicious Scarf. It’s a middle-grade mystery series featuring two memorable protagonists: Hannah Plum and Patti Woo, who spend holidays together because their parents are “dating.”

Plum and Woo are an unlikely pair with very different personalities, and those contrasting traits make them both relatable. At the same time, their shared age and experiences help their friendship feel genuine as the story unfolds.

Set largely in a chalet surrounded by a snowy forest, the girls follow clues, face moments of danger, and work through the ups and downs of their friendship while also navigating the complexities of their parents’ relationship.

I recommend this series for readers aged 9 to 12. There are three books in the series, written by an Australian author.

This is a fast-paced and entertaining spy thriller.

It forms part of a series featuring Ruby, a thirteen-year-old genius code-cracker who is confident, brave, and sassy. When Ruby is recruited by a secret spy organisation, she is drawn into an adventure full of cryptic codes, puzzles, and unexpected twists.

Although the story is told in the third person, Lauren Child uses italics to capture Ruby’s inner thoughts and observations. Ruby’s inner monologue is funny, sharp, and highly relatable for the intended age group. Lauren Child does an excellent job of getting into the mind of a thirteen-year-old.

This is a substantial, thick book, and at times the plot becomes complex, with lots of turns. I recommend it for readers aged 10 to 14.

This book is part of the Scarlet and Ivy series, centred on twins Scarlet and Ivy as they attend the gloomy Rookwood boarding school.

The setting has a foreboding, haunted atmosphere that heightens the mystery from the outset. Against this backdrop, Scarlet and Ivy face secrets and tensions among students, alongside teachers whose behaviour becomes increasingly sinister. When a theft occurs in the dormitory one night, the suspense escalates. There are late-night footsteps, strange noises, and the unsettling sense that someone is watching.

The narration alternates between Ivy and Scarlet from chapter to chapter. This shifting point of view helps the reader understand both girls as individuals, while also exploring their sisterly tension and loyalty (adding another layer of suspense!). 

I recommend this series for readers aged 9 to 12.

This is an oldie but a goodie, first published in 2007.

It is a standalone mystery narrated by Ted, a neurodiverse boy who thinks differently from other children. Ted's unique skills include noticing patterns, paying close attention to detail, and seeing what others overlook. All qualities that make him the perfect detective.

Ted and his sister, Kat, watch their cousin Salim board the London Eye. But when the ride ends, Salim does not get off. So begins the mystery: What has happened to Salim?

I would recommend this great page turner for readers aged 11 to 14.

This is the second book in this detective series, which focuses on the adventures of Friday Barnes, an eleven-year-old girl detective.

Friday is on a scholarship at the prestigious boarding school, Highcrest Academy, but school is anything but easy. She has a brain wired like a computer and is considered by many of her peers to be a daggy nerd. Friday’s trademark “terrible brown cardigan and green beret” doesn’t help!

In the second book, Friday is once again solving mysteries, but this time, she becomes intrigued by the behaviour of a strange, but charming, new boy.

This book is very readable, at times funny, and all about sleuthing and solving clues. Middle graders will love the boarding school setting, mysteries, and following the adventures of an unlikely hero, Friday Barnes, whose sleuthing skills outsmart her peers, her teachers, and, at times, even the police.

The author is Australian. I would recommend this book for readers aged 9 to 12.