Check out some great mystery books!

By: Mrs. Dembowski

Copyright 2009

A Mystery story….

• usually has characters trying to solve a problem or “mystery”

•sometimes the characters involved in the story are called “detectives”

•hints or “clues” are given to help in solving the mystery

Here are some book titles we have in our library….

that could be called “Mysteries”...

The Adventures of Bunnicula...

Chester the cat, Harold the dog, and Howie the puppy set out to save the neighborhood vegetables from a vampire rabbit. Through a series of misunderstandings, what seems impossible suddenly seems likely.

My Teacher Flunked the Planetby Bruce Coville

Continues the hilarious adventures of Peter Thompson, who finds himself touring the earth with a bunch of aliens in disguise, and discovering a secret that may save the

planet-- or destroy it.

Other books by Bruce Coville...

Mary Rose and Jo-Beth and their father visit a trolley-car museum, where their guide tells them about the strange happenings there. Almost immediately, they experience one firsthand--a voice warning them of danger. This is followed by a talking bear, mannequins that come to life and an out-of-control popcorn machine. Just as the girls feel they are doomed, they find the culprits--two boys and their unemployed, ill father who have been making the museum their home. The girls take readers on an entertaining adventure that will keep them on edge from chapter to chapter.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark…

How would you like to be woken up by the sound of a ghost walking up the stairs toward your room? I wouldn't, but reading about it is fun. If you are a enthusiastic reader you might never get a chance to put it down. This book is full of fantasy and legends that have been passed down for years, but some of them are from recent times. My personal favorite story is The Window. In this story a girl living with her brothers sees a creature that looks like a man stand up in the moonlight. Megan doesn't think it will return and goes back to sleep. Then later in the night the creature returns and closer, Megan wants to run but is afraid it will break in before she could escape. She goes back to sleep again. At about midnight Megan hears a scratching at her window, she runs but….. you will have to read the rest to find out what happens.

Boxcar Children series...

Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny, four orphaned brothers and sisters, suddenly appear in a small town. No one knows who these young wanderers are or where they have come from.

Frightened to live with a grandfather they have never met, the children make a home for themselves in an abandoned red boxcar they discover in the woods. Henry, the oldest, goes to town to earn money and buy food and supplies.

Fifth-grader Nolan Byrd has suffered at the hands of school bully Bubba Bixby for too long. Inspired by a class project, Nolan (a.k.a "Byrd-the-Nerd") creates a "cyber-superhero" alter ego called Shredderman, and sets out to avenge himself and his fellow Bubba-sufferers. Students must create a newspaper page, complete with stories and photos, on a topic of their choice. In a flash, Nolan realizes he has the perfect subject: "I had an idea that would make Bubba Bixby sorry he'd ever called us names. Or swiped our stuff. Or breathed his trashy breath down our throats. I’d do my report on Bubba Bixby!" Shortly thereafter Shredderman is born, and Nolan springs into action, armed with a computer, a cleverly concealed digital camera, and his own top-secret Web page, Shredderman.com, "where truth and justice prevail!"

When workers dig up a skateboard in Brett's backyard he's so excited. While he's not a very good skateboarder, he enjoys it a lot. But the moment he steps on "The Lizard" all that changes.

Suddenly Brett can do any trick he tries. Stuff that he could never do before. Soon Brett gets the feeling that there's something evil about "The Lizard" and starts investigating.

But will he be able to find out the truth about "The Lizard" before it's too late?

This book explores what happens on a mysterious floor between twelve and fourteen, and this time it's a portal to the bad old days of privateers and witch hunts.

Lured by a weird message on their answering machine, Buddy and his older sister Liz make separate quantum leaps (via elevator) three hundred years into the past, and join their ancestors on a dangerous but funny adventure.

Instep is a village at the foot of a cliff called Kneeknock Rise. A terrible moaning can be heard from the cloud of mist which hides the top of the cliff. No one knows what it is...nobody has ever gone to see and returned!.

How about a good ghost story??

Has anyone seen a ghost??

Gwen's Mother and father had died in a car accident five years earlier. So her Great Aunt Marie took her in to take care of her. One day her Aunt Marie suddenly died. So Gwen was in foster care again. And she meets her long lost brother Greg who decides to take care of her along with his new wife Liz. Greg and Liz take Gwen to this big fancy house where this lady lives her name is Mrs.Mercy. Who decides to take care of Gwen, Gwen is confused.Mrs Mercy has two kid Jason and Tessie. Well one night Gwen was asleep when she heard some voices, they were two men in a boat and a girl named Rose . Gwen thought she was dreaming but she wasn't dreaming, they were GHOSTS!Check out this exciting mystery story!

A Ghost in the Houseby Betty Ren Wright

Strange things happen when twelve-year-old Sarah is alone in the house with Great Aunt Margaret, who appears to be the victim of a ghost seeking revenge for a death in the past.

This is another Herculeah Jones mystery. In this episode, Herculeah Jones buys a coat at a used clothing store. She discovers a note in the lining that made her believe the person who used to own the coat was murdered. Herculeah is not a person to forget such things and always needs to search out the answers. After sneaking around the dead lady's house, she is almost ran over by a car. Someone does not want her to find her answer!

Martin and his little brother Peter like the little hilltop cabin where they move after Dad loses his job--until they begin to hear eerie laughter in their room at night. It's the ghost of Tom Buffle, who used to live there. He’s lonely, and looking for companionship, but the boys, especially Peter, are too scared to oblige.

Detective stories

can be very interesting to read….

“Oh, no!" said Liza. "I won't live in a haunted house."

The "haunted house' is the old Blake place, and despite Liza's protests, that's where the Roberts family is going to live.

Liza, Bill, and Jed soon realize that something weird is happening in and around their new home. Nearly every morning they find mysterious messages. Strange footprints appear, lights flash, and secret compartments pop open. Is John Blake's ghost responsible? If not, who is?

Sammy Keyes is awesome. She's not at all another Nancy Drew copy; she's so much more believable and likable. Feisty, curious, and not always obedient or well-behaved.

The mystery itself is great, too! The clues are subtle enough to make it interesting, and not too far out or complicated to be make it unbelievable.

The narrative is fun and casual, making this a good book for reluctant readers, but also enjoyable for the avid readers too. Once you pick up this book, you won't be able to get enough of Sammy!

Hardy Boys Mysteries

ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN TO THE RESCUE!!

Whenever ten-year-old Leroy (nicknamed "Encyclopedia") Brown's father, Chief of Police of Idaville, had a difficult case, Encyclopedia always managed to solve it at the dinner table. So, he decided to open his own detective agency.

A to Z MysteriesA ghostly guest has checked into the Shangri-la Hotel! It's almost Halloween and reports of strange sounds and even stranger sights are coming from Green Lawn's only hotel. Hotel guests and neighbors are being scared away, and it's up to the A to Z detectives to figure out what's going on--before Green Lawn turns into a ghost town!

There are also mystery “series” books…..that we can examine.

Hank the CowdogSomeone has been raiding Sally May's garbage barrels! Hank knows the crime is the work of a notorious gang of raccoons, but in a tragic case of mistaken identity, the Head of Ranch Security is himself forced to take the heat. Even more trouble lies ahead. Rip and Snort, the good-for-nothing coyote brothers, are planning to pull an even bigger job. Not only is Hank powerless to stop them, he's forced to fight on the side of evil--and must contend with terrifying forces!

                 

Chet Gecko MysteriesChet Gecko is a sleuth who also also loves to be an artist. He is caught drawing in class and is sent to the principal's office for discipline. However, something is strange about the principal’s behavior.

Chet and his sidekick Natalie, a mockingbird, soon discover that he is an impostor who is plotting to turn Emerson Hicky Elementary into a vocational school for crime.

Can they save the school in time? Read and find out!

Jigsaw Jones

Second-grade detective Jigsaw Jones and his partner, Mila, have an eerie case to wrap up

when a mummy is spotted at the class Halloween party.

NOWLet’s line up quietly so we can check out

books today!