It’s Elementary! Books for Junior Detectives

When the lower case x from Charley’s alphabet disappears, the other letters set off to find him. Young readers become detectives on the quest to find the lower case letters and will rejoice when little x finds a way to rescue his rescuers from becoming alphabet soup.

Ike LaRue, famous correspondent (introduced in Dear Mrs. LaRue) known by readers as a four-legged letter writer with a flair for exaggeration now turns to solving the mysterious disappearance of neighborhood cats.

Encyclopedia Brown comes by his name honestly: he often seems like a walking book of knowledge. But this fifth grader knows how to put his knowledge to use — much to the disgust of the bad guys! At the end of each chapter, Encyclopedia Brown solves the mystery and readers are asked if they know how. The clever answers are at the book of the book.

The I Spy books ask readers to use their sharp eyes to solve the rhyming riddles and identify the hidden objects on each page. The masterfully composed, intricate and crisp photographs are filled with readily recognizable images, just hidden out of sight.

Meet Nate the Great, the neighborhood detective. He’s just finishing up breakfast (pancakes, of course) when his friend Annie calls, asking his help to find a missing painting. Can Nate’s keen powers of observation and deductive reasoning save the day?

Geronimo Stilton narrates his cheesy saga of a reputation run amok. In this installment of the heavily illustrated, pun-filled series, the writer-detective-mouse must protect his reputation from an unscrupulous imposter.

How Theodore Geisel, a dreamer and doodler from Springfield, Massachusetts, came to be Dr. Seuss, is reveled through a concise text and selected early work by the artist. This book provides a rare glimpse into the personal life of the innovative children’s book author and illustrator.

This book of mysterious and haunting pictures are paired with equally mysterious captions. They are supposedly from the collection of one Harris Burdick. What could they mean? Ordinary scenes become startling and astounding in these black and white illustrations.

Friends and amateur detectives Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose set out to help their friend whose money for a new dinosaur museum has been stolen. Who could have gotten into the life-sized Tyrone the Tyrannosaurus and why?

Trixie’s summer is boring until she meets the new girl who moves into the area. Together Honey and Trixie meet a runaway boy and help him solve the mystery of his eccentric uncle. The first in a series of mysteries written more than 50 years ago has been reissued and reflects a less cynical era.

Is there really such a thing as a “photographic memory”? That’s how Cam Jansen got her nickname — Cam is short for Camera. And she uses her amazing ability all the time to solve mysteries — this time, to find a lost tooth.