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The Ghost of Fossil Glen (age 9-12)
by Cynthia C. DeFelice
letters/journal ... mystery ... friendship ... spooky
Allie Nichols knows she's being pursued by a ghost. But her friend Karen calls her a liar and doesn't want to hear stuff like that. It is Allie's old pal Dub who listens eagerly as Allie tells him about a voice that guides her safely down a steep cliff side, the face in her mind's eye of a girl who begs ``Help me,'' and a terrible nightmare in which that girl falls to her death. Who is the girl? Is she the ghost? And what does the ghost want from Allie? As Allie discovers that her role is to avenge a murder, she also learns something about friendship, false and true, in this gripping ghost story and murder mystery.
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STE
When You Reach Me (age 9-12)
by Rebecca Stead
mystery ... family
Publisher commments: This remarkable novel holds a fantastic puzzle at its heart. By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it's safe to go, and they know who to avoid. Like the crazy guy on the corner. But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a kid on the street for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda's mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen. And then a mysterious note arrives, scrawled on a tiny slip of paper. The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows things no one should know. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she's too late.
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ANG
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda (age 9-12)
by Tom Angleberger
humor ... school ... mystery
Publisher comments: In this funny, uncannily wise portrait of the dynamics of a sixth-grade class and of the greatness that sometimes comes in unlikely packages, Dwight, a loser, talks to his classmates via an origami finger puppet of Yoda. If that weren't strange enough, the puppet is uncannily wise and prescient. Origami Yoda predicts the date of a pop quiz, guesses who stole the classroom Shakespeare bust, and saves a classmate from popularity-crushing embarrassment with some well-timed advice. Dwight's classmate Tommy wonders how Yoda can be so smart when Dwight himself is so clueless. With contributions from his puzzled classmates, he assembles the case file that forms this novel.
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AVI
Murder at Midnight (age 9-12)
by Avi
knights/castles/dragons ... magic ... mystery ... spooky
Publisher comments: A plot to overthrow King Claudio is brewing in the Kingdom of Pergamontio. Scholarly Mangus the magician — along with his street-smart and faithful new servant boy, Fabrizio — have been marked as easy scapegoats for the traitor lurking within the king's court. Together, these two unlikely partners must gather clues to solve the mystery and prove their innocence before the stroke of midnight. . . or face death! Intricate plotting, surprise twists, and lively prose make for another suspenseful page-turner that stands alone or sets the stage for MIDNIGHT MAGIC!
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BRO
Masterpiece (age 9-12)
by Elise Broach
the arts ... mystery ... friendship
Publisher comments: Marvin lives with his family under the kitchen sink in the Pompadays apartment. He is very much a beetle. James Pompaday lives with his family in New York City. He is very much an eleven-year-old boy. After James gets a pen-and-ink set for his birthday, Marvin surprises him by creating an elaborate miniature drawing. James gets all the credit for the picture and before these unlikely friends know it they are caught up in a staged art heist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that could help recover a famous drawing by Albrecht Durer. But James can't go through with the plan without Marvin's help. And thats where things get really complicated (and interesting!).
American Girl History Mysteries (age 9-12)
historical ... mystery
Each mystery takes you to an exciting moment in American history.
title: Circle of Fire by Evelyn Coleman F COL
title: Hoofbeats of Danger by Holly Hughes F HUG
title: Mystery of the Dark Tower by Evelyn Coleman F COL
title: Mystery on Skull Island by Elizabeth McDavid Jones F JON
title: The Night Flyers by Elizabeth McDavid Jones F JON
title: Secrets on 26th Street by Elizabeth McDavid Jones F JON
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BAR
Sherlock Files Series (age 9-12)
by Tracy Barrett
adventure ... mystery
Publisher comments: Xena and Xander Holmes, an American brother and sister living in London for a year, discover that Sherlock Holmes was their great-great-great grandfather when they are inducted into the Society for the Preservation of Famous Detectives and given his unsolved casebook, from which they attempt to solve the case of a famous missing painting.
title: The Hundred-Year-Old Secret
title: The Beast of Blackslope
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GIF
Eleven (age 9-12)
by Patricia Reilly Giff
realistic ... growing up ... family ... mystery ... identity
Publisher comments: Sam is almost 11 when he discovers a locked box in the attic above his grandfather Mack’s room, and a piece of paper that says he was kidnapped. There are lots of other words, but Sam has always had trouble reading. He’s desperate to find out who he is, and if his beloved Mack is really his grandfather. At night he’s haunted by dreams of a big castle and a terrifying escape on a boat. Who can he trust to help him read the documents that could unravel the mystery? Then he and the new girl, Caroline, are paired up to work on a school project, building a castle in Mack’s woodworking shop. Caroline loves to read, and she can help. But she’s moving soon, and the two must hurry to discover the truth about Sam.
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MAR
A Family Trait (age 9-12)
by Terri Martin
family ... mystery
Catalog: Living with her mother and grandparents on their Michigan farm, eleven-year-old Iris tries to find out about her father, who died before she was born, and to solve a local murder mystery involving a friend of her grandmother.
The 39 Clues (age 9-12)
historical ... action ... adventure ... mystery
Minutes before she died Grace Cahill changed her will, leaving her decendants an impossible decision: "You have a choice: one million dollars or a clue." Grace is the last matriarch of the Cahills, the world's most powerful family. Everyone from Napoleon to Houdini is related to the Cahills, yet the source of the family power is lost. 39 clues hidden around the world will reveal the family's secret, but no one has been able to assemble them. Now the clues race is on, and young Amy and Dan must decide what's important: hunting clues or uncovering what REALLY happened to their parents.
title: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan F RIO
title: One False Note by Gordon Korman F KOR
title: The Sword Thief by Peter Lerangis F LER
title: Into the Gauntlet by Margaret Peterson Haddix F HAD
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LOW
The One Hundredth Thing About Caroline (age 9-12)
by Lois Lowry
humor ... mystery ... family
When their mother starts to date the mystery man on the fifth floor who has been instructed by his agent to "eliminate the children" by the first of May, eleven-year-old Caroline and her older brother figure they're targeted to be the victims of a savage crime.
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ROB
The Pet-Sitting Peril (age 9-12)
by Willo Davis Roberts
mystery
A boy who does odd jobs in an apartment house becomes involved with a gang of arsonists employed by the building's owner, who plans to destroy it in order to collect the insurance.
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ROB
To Grandmother's House We Go (age 9-12)
by Willo Davis Roberts
family ... mystery
To avoid foster home care while their mother is recuperating from illness, three children run off to the home of a grandmother they have never seen, where they find a cold reception and a terrible secret.
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BAR
The Great Gradepoint Mystery (age 9-12)
by Barbara Bartholomew
math/science/technology ... school ... mystery
When the grades of twelve-year-old Ricky and his friends inexplicably drop at the beginning of junior high, they suspect someone may be tampering with the school computer during a competition with a rival junior high.
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HAH
Time For Andrew: a Ghost Story (age 9-12)
by Mary Downing Hahn
family ... mystery ... spooky
Aunt Blythe's house gives Andrew the creeps, full of dark rooms, creaky noises, and the sound of a woman sobbing somewhere in the shadows. Then, in the middle of the night, Andrew awakens to find a boy standing in his room...a boy who is Andrew's double, except he looks as if he's come from the grave. He wants to follow him, to a place where he will meet the spirits of long-dead ancestors...a place from which Andrew may never return.
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HAH
Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story (age 9-12)
by Mary Downing Hahn
family ... mystery ... spooky
Heather is such a whiny little brat. Always getting Michael and me into trouble. But since our mother married her father, we're stuck with her...our "poor stepsister" who lost her real mother in a mysterious fire. But now something terrible has happened. Heather has found a new friend, out in the graveyard behind our home: a girl named Helen who died with her family in a mysterious fire over a hundred years ago. Now her ghost returns to lure children into the pond...to drown! I don't want to believe in ghosts, but I've followed Heather into the graveyard and watch her talk to Helen. And I'm terrified. Not for myself, but for Heather...
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SEL
The Invention of Hugo Cabret: a Novel in Words and Pictures (age 9-12)
by Brian Selznick
the arts ... mystery ... math/science/technology ... historical
Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.
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PAR
Liza, Bill and Jed Mysteries (age 9-12)
by Peggy Parish
action ... adventure ... realistic ... mystery
Who or what is taking the kitchen scraps from the garbage every night? What starts out as a puzzle becomes a mystery. Every night Grandma leaves table scraps in a wrapped plastic bag in the garbage can where, according to plan, the McNellis children pick them up to feed their kittens. But the plan changes when the bag is gone in the morning. The twins, Liza and Bill, and brother Jed decide to investigate the matter. First the children discover Liza's missing red sweater in a part of the woods she hadn't been to before, next they read about runaway children in the newspaper, and then their new puppy is lost. Finally they find a teepee in the woods with what seems to be Indians in warpaint dancing and shooting arrows! The young detectives must put all the clues together and solve the mystery.
title: Key to the Treasure
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CHR
Mystery Coach (age 9-12)
by Matt Christopher
mystery ... sports
When their coach becomes ill and their baseball team starts falling apart, several of the Blazers begin receiving coaching tips from an anonymous phone caller.
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BUC
The Sisters Grimm Series (age 9-12)
by Michael Buckley
fantasy ... folklore ... humor ... mystery
In the tradition of Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events and The Spiderwick Chronicles comes a new humorous mystery of fantastic circumstances. The Sisters Grimm Book One: The Fairy Tale Detectives introduces us to two orphaned sisters, Sabrina and Daphne, who are sent to live with their mysterious grandmother, Relda Grimm. Grandmother Grimm lives in a strange town in New York State, known for it's extraordinary number of unexplained and unusual crimes. As soon as the sisters arrive, they begin to unravel a mystery that leads to their ancestors' magical beginnings. Sabrina and Daphne learn they are descendants of the Brothers Grimm, who were actually detectives of the magical phenomenon perpetrated by the Everafters, a parallel race of magical beings. They soon discover it is the Grimm family's legacy to keep the Everafters in line and the two sisters are the sole heirs to this challenge!
title: The Fairy-Tale Detectives
title: The Unusual Suspects
title: The Problem Child
title: Once Upon a Crime
title: Magic and Other Misdemeanors
title: Tales From the Hood
title: The Everafter War
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BAC
Ulysses Moore Series (age 9-12)
by Pierdome Baccalario
action ... adventure ... fantasy ... mystery
Eleven-year-old twins Jason and Julia have just moved from London to an old mansion on the English coast. Their new home is filled with twisting tunnels and strange artifacts from around the world, and the twins can't wait to discover all its secrets. Before long, Jason, Julia, and their friend Rick stumble upon a mysterious-looking door hidden behind an old wardrobe. But none of the keys in the house will open it. What lies behind the door? And why has someone tried to conceal it? Jason, Julia, and Rick are determined to find out, no matter what it takes....
title: The Door To Time
title: The Long-Lost Map
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NAY
Night Cry (age 9-12)
by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
growing up ... family ... mystery
Often left alone on their five-acre Mississippi farm by her traveling-salesman father, Ellen learns, through a terrifying experience, to distinguish between real and false fears.
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ROB
Megan's Island (age 9-12)
by Willo Davis Roberts
family ... mystery
First eleven-year-old Megan is astonished when her mother insists on taking her and her younger brother up to the lake cottage a week before school is out; then they find mysterious strangers following them.
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ROB
Scared Stiff (age 9-12)
by Willo Davis Roberts
family ... mystery
When their mother disappears, two brothers go to stay with a great uncle in a mobile home park next to an abandoned amusement park and begin a search which puts them in danger.
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ROB
The Minden Curse (age 9-12)
by Willo Davis Roberts
mystery
When Danny goes to a small village to live with his aunt and grandfather, it soon becomes apparent that he and his dog are afflicted with the minden curse. Whenever catastrophes occur, they're sure to be involved.
sequel: More Minden Curses
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ROB
The View From the Cherry Tree (age 9-12)
by Willo Davis Roberts
action ... mystery
Rob admits having seen a murder, but no one believes him--except the murderer.
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EIS
Mystery at Camp Windingo (age 9-12)
by Lisa Eisenberg
spooky ... mystery
Fourteen-year-old Kate Clancy, a summer counselor at Camp Windingo, encounters some frightening and unsettling events and finally confronts a dangerous thief.
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LAN
The Diamond in the Window (age 9-12)
by Jane Langton
mystery ... fantasy
Eleanor and Eddy are searching for the lost children, Ned and Nora, who vanished from the old room at the top of the house without a trace. In the room, they find verses scratched on the window by Prince Krishna before he, too, disappeared. Now the verses become clues to guide them, but the search is long and mysterious, leading the children deep into dreams that turn into real-life nightmares.
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The Star of Kazan (age 9-12)
by Eva Ibbotson
mystery ... identity
Set in pre-World War I Vienna, a young servant girl Annika learns that she is actually an aristocrat whose true home is an ancient castle. There, Annika discovers that all is not as it seems in the lives of her newfound family.
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COV
The Ghost in the Big Brass Bed (age 9-12)
by Bruce Coville
mystery ... spooky
When sixth grader Nina Tanleven starts working at an antiques shop, she never expects to stumble onto a mystery ... or into danger. But that's exactly what happens when she and her best friend, Chris, go to pick up an antique wardrobe at old Miss Watson's. From the moment the girls set foot in the run-down mansion, they sense that it's haunted ... even before they discover the tower room with its big brass bed and grieving little girl ghost!
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SNY
The Trespassers (age 9-12)
by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
adventure ... mystery ... spooky
It all starts the summer after Neely finishes fifth grade. She is trying to entertain her little brother, Grub, when they accidentally find a way to sneak into Halcyon House, a magnificent mansion that has been deserted for years. Inside they discover a wonderful surprise, a playroom full of fabulous old-fashioned toys. Despite the spookiness of the house and the rumors about a ghost that haunts it, and despite the fact that they don't belong there, the playroom becomes their secret hideaway.
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SNY
Gib Rides Home (age 9-12)
by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
identity ... mystery ... historical ... family
Gib Whittaker's life at Lovell House Orphanage in the early 1900s is pretty bleak. But along with hours of chores, bad food, and paddlings, the boys do get some schooling, and reading and writing are better than scrubbing floors. Still, Gib's fondest dream is to have a real family. So when Georgie Olson is adopted, Gib can't help being jealous, even when he finds out that the "adoption" really means being farmed out to work as unpaid labor until the age of 18. When Gib himself is farmed out, he arrives at the home he has always dreamed of. But he's soon aware of barely concealed tensions and secrets kept hidden from him.
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WRI
The Dollhouse Murders (age 9-12)
by Betty Ren Wright
spooky ... family ... mystery
Catalog: A dollhouse filled with a ghostly light in the middle of the night and dolls that have moved from where she last left them lead Amy and her retarded sister to unravel the mystery surrounding grisly murders that took place years ago.
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SNY
Janie's Private Eyes (age 9-12)
by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
mystery
Intent on investigating a rash of dog disappearances, eight-year-old Janie forms a detective agency and involves her friends and unwilling family in tracing clues and suspects.
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SNY
The Headless Cupid (age 9-12)
by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
spooky ... mystery ... magic ... friendship
When the four Stanley children meet Amanda, their new stepsister, they're amazed to learn that she studied witchcraft. They're stunned to see her dressed in a strange costume, carrying a pet crow, and surrounded by a pile of books about the supernatural. It's not long before Amanda promises to give witchcraft lessons to David, Janie, and the twins. But that's when strange things start happening in their old house. David suspects Amanda of causing mischief, until they learn that the house really was haunted a long time ago. Legend has it that a ghost cut the head off a wooden cupid on the stairway. Has the ghost returned to strike again?
sequel: The Famous Stanley Kidnapping Case
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BAL
Chasing Vermeer (age 9-12)
by Blue Balliett
the arts ... mystery
When a book of unexplainable occurances brings Petra Andalee and Calder Pillay together, strange things start to happen: seemingly unrelated events connect, an eccentric old woman seeks their company, and an invaluable Vermeer painting disappears. Before they know it, the two find themselves at the center of an international art scandal. As Petra and Calder are drawn clue by clue into a mysterious labyrinth they must draw on their powers of intuition, their skills at problem solving, and their knowledge of Vermeer. Can they decipher a crime that has left even the FBI baffled?
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LAW
The Roman Mystery Series (age 9-12)
by Caroline Lawrence
mystery ... historical
In the first of this series, Thieves of Ostia, the dogs on Flavia's street have started dying mysteriously, and she is determined to find out why. Her investigation leads her to three extraordinary people: Jonathan, her new neighbor; Nubia, an African slave; and Lupus, a mute beggar boy. The four embark on a search for the killer--and that's when the excitement begins.
title: The Thieves of Ostia: a Roman Mystery
title: The Secrets of Vesuvius
title: The Dolphins of Laurentum
title: The Twelve Tasks of Flavia Gemina
title: The Gladiators From Capua
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KON
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (age 9-12)
by E. L. Konigsburg
realistic ... the arts ... mystery ... adventure
Claudia knew that she could never pull off the old-fashioned kind of running away...so she decided not to run FROM somewhere, but TO somewhere. And so, after some careful planning, she and her younger brother, Jamie, escaped right into a mystery that made headlines!
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BEL
The House With a Clock in Its Walls (age 9-12)
by John Bellairs
spooky ... magic ... mystery
A boy goes to live with his magician uncle in a mansion that has a clock hidden in the walls which is ticking off the minutes until doomsday.
sequel: The Figure in the Shadows
sequel: The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring
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KEE
Nancy Drew Series (age 9-12)
by Carolyn Keene
mystery
In each book, teenage detective Nancy Drew solves a new mystery with determination and sharp wit.
title: The Baby-Sitter Burglaries
title: The Bungalow Mystery
title: The Clue in the Crossword Cipher
title: The Clue in the Jewel Box
title: The Clue in the Old Stagecoach
title: The Clue of the Black Keys
title: The Clue of the Broken Locket
title: The Clue of the Dancing Puppet
title: The Clue of the Leaning Chimney
title: The Clue of the Tapping Heels
title: The Clue of the Velvet Mask
title: The Double Jinx Mystery
title: The E-mail Mystery
title: The Haunted Bridge
title: The Haunted Showboat
title: The Hidden Staircase
title: The Message in the Hollow Oak
title: The Moonstone Castle Mystery
title: The Mystery at Lilac Inn
title: Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk
title: The Mystery of the Fire Dragon
title: Mystery of the Glowing Eye
title: Mystery of the Ivory Charm
title: Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion
title: Nancy's Mysterious Letter
title: Password to Larkspur Lane
title: The Secret at Lone Tree Cottage
title: The Secret in the Old Attic
title: The Secret of Mirror Bay
title: The Secret of Red Gate Farm
title: the Secret of Shadow Ranch
title: The Secret of the Forgotten City
title: The Secret of the Golden Pavilion
title: The Secret of the Old Clock
title: The Sign of the Twisted Candles
title: The Sky Phantom
title: The Strange Message in the Parchment
title: The Whispering Statue
title: The Witch Tree Symbol
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DIX
The Hardy Boys Series (age 9-12)
by Frank Dixon
mystery
In each book Frank and Joe Hardy, boy detectives, investigate a new mystery.
title: All Eyes on First Prize
title: The Clue of the Screeching Owl
title: Dinosaur Disaster
title: A Figure in Hiding
title: The Firebird Rocket
title: First Day, Worst Day
title: Footprints Under the Window
title: Game Plan for Disaster
title: The Ghost at Skeleton Rock
title: The Great Airport Mystery
title: The Gross Ghost Mystery
title: The House on the Cliff
title: Hunting for Hidden Gold
title: Mystery at Devil's Paw
title: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk
title: Mystery of the Desert Giant
title: Pirates Ahoy!
title: Pumped-up Pizza Problem
title: The Secret of Skull Mountain
title: The Secret of the Caves
title: The Secret of the Old Mill
title: The Secret Warning
title: The Shore Road Mystery
title: The Short-wave Mystery
title: Sky Sabotage
title: The Skyfire Puzzle
title: The Tower Treasure
title: The Twisted Claw
title: The Viking Symbol Mystery
title: While the Clock Ticked
title: Who Took the Book?
title: The Missing Chums
title: The Mystery of Cabin Island
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COL
Artemis Fowl Series (age 9-12)
by Eoin Colfer
math/science/technology ... mystery ... adventure ... science fiction ... brilliant protagonist ... adventure ... action ... fantasy
Artemis Fowl, a charming but villainous twelve-year-old, takes on the dangerous world of the Fairy People in this unforgettable story. Full of unexpected twists and turns, Artemis Fowl opens up a riveting world of fantasy and mystery where anything, literally, is possible.
title: Artemis Fowl

LM Nixon Elementary School, Sat Aug 25 11:55:32 2012
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