Mystery books are a great favourite of readers at any age – from adults to adolescents and even younger kids. Children are naturally curious readers and they are even more interested if they find someone they identify with which, of course, would be other children. And as if by magic, to answer this need, the central characters are young boys and girls; though there can also be amateurs and professionals, awkward bunglers and focused sleuths. In fact they can be just about anybody. They are universal. More importantly, they are loveable and ideal role models for growing children who may be unwilling to learn lessons from his/her parents. Reading these, children have their imagination stimulated and activated. Mystery books are the closest to an education with entertainment, and their heroes are the next best after parents to teach them morals. And with a number of Amazon offers on books, getting the best ones for your kids is hardly tiresome!
Here are the top 7 must-read mystery books/series for children:
1. The Geronimo Stilton & Thea Stilton Series
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Elisabetta Dami has created the detectives mice brother and sister in her series of books, Geronimo Stilton series and Thea Stilton series. These narratives naturally include a lot of play on words pertaining to mice, A Fabumouse Vacation for Geronimo, and cheese, The Mysterious Cheese Thief, and other items that give mice pleasure. The titles are very engaging and help learners pick up new languages and language play with enjoyment and ease. Four Mice Deep in the Jungle is a play on the words mice/miles, and the golf-loving, happy-go-lucky hero is a charming character. The books are illustrated deliciously and are written in colourful fonts that attract and amuse the young readers. In fact, Geronimo prefers comfort to travel. But his sister Thea is restless for action, and when circumstances force them to travel, they do so with absolutely delightful results. The series is also paired with various games that entertain children and educate them on various fields such as language and logical thinking. These two series are ideal for 6- 12 year old readers.
2. The Famous Five Series
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Enid Blyton’s The Famous Five revolves around two boys, two girls and a dog who, along with their close friends, have adventures when they come back home for the holidays from school. The novels are easy to visualise and follow. They evoke a deep sense of mystery in the Enchanted Wood, Five Go to a Smuggler’s Top, Five Go off in a Caravan, Five on a Treasure Island, The Five Go Adventuring Again, and many more. The stories can also be read aloud and can therefore be a good bonding time for parents. The Five Have Plenty of Fun, The Five Are Together Again and other such titles help children think and anticipate what is going to happen, important skills for future readers of more complex materials. The books have entertained generations of readers and still remain universal favourites. These books delight children from age 8 and up.
3. Nancy Drew
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Nancy Drew is a young detective who appeals more to girls. She is intelligent and impulsive and her behaviour is somewhat non-serious and fun-loving. The stories are told in the first person, and this makes her a more believable and realistic character. The Secret of the Old Clock, Mystery at the Ski Jump are two titles that promise great adventures and interesting events to read and enjoy. The Mystery of the Fire Dragon and other such titles are nice continuation of children’s stories from the fairy books. Nancy is naturally caught up in such adventures and we find her very often forgetting her daily work to go off on her adventures. Written under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene by numerous authors over the years, Edward Stratemeyer’s Nancy Drew series runs into more than one hundred and twenty books. These books are targeted for readers of 10 years and above.
4. The Hardy Boys
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Once again, Edward Stratemeyer created the Hardy Boys series under the collective pseudonym of Franklin W. Dixon. The Hardy Boys are a rich pair of brothers who encounter various adventures as they solve every kind of crime—petty ones to felonies, and remain calm and collected always. They form nice foils to each other with the older one being a thinker and the younger a little more impulsive. In any case, they are very loveable, and charm young readers with their easy manners and unflappable temperament. The Apeman’s Secret, The Yellow Feather Mystery and other books running into a total of nearly 70 are the delight of children who are 9 years old and above. The books are written in a simple and charming language specifically to wean the children from being glued to the small screen. They remain an all-time favourite, changing and adjusting to the times and their values.
5. The Secret Seven
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The Secret Seven are some of the most characters by Enid Blyton. Many of their adventures happen unexpectedly, but are interesting exactly for that reason. The Secret Seven is the earliest book after which fourteen more follow. The titles always carry the Secret Seven society name. Their work is shown in titles such as Well Done Secret Seven, Go Ahead Secret Seven, Three Cheers Secret Seven and the like. The adventures involve all the seven, but there are friends who sometimes do not like them and are seeking to cause some trouble. Thus, hostile strangers and familiar friends cause intriguing situations that need to be resolved and explained. They are helped by Scamper, their pet dog who is also counted as a member for being useful in their adventures. The Secret Seven are popular with children around the ages of 6-8.
6. Agatha Christie’s Mystery Novels
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Agatha Christie is a successful writer who can be read by children in the early teens to above. She is the queen of mystery with more than sixty-six novels to her credit. The Crooked House is popularly regarded as one of her best novels. Her detectives, Hercule Poirot and Jane Marple are iconic characters in detective fiction. The French detective is suave and sophisticated and has a unique style of investigating. Jane Marple, for her part, is very British and calm in her detective work. Christie also has a very successful mystery drama The Mousetrap. She has such wonderful titles such as Nemesis, a name that aptly describes her detective Miss Jane Marple. Cards on the Table is a chilling mystery involving a group of clever murderers. The Mirror Cracked from Side to Side plays up on some dark beliefs for its tensions. The fact that some of her novels like Murder on the Orient Express have been transformed into successful films shows her versatility.
7. Sherlock Holmes
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One of the most famous detectives of all time is the fictional Sherlock Holmes and his friend Dr. John Watson who narrates the stories. The Hound of the Baskervilles, A Study in Scarlet, and other such stories have won the praise of many aficionados of detective fiction. The detective is a master of disguises, combat, and many other forms of defensive and offensive attack. His other novels include The Sign of the Four, and The Valley of Fear. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has also written numerous short stories. These have been collected in various anthologies such as the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes to name a few. The stories have had a huge influence on many fields in real life such as forensics and so on. Though these books are for teenagers and above, these books are also available in children’s editions.
So wait no more and avail the discount offers on books to gift your precious little ones a treat!
