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Five Faves: Mysterious High-Low Intermediate Books

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Intermediate Mystery books are a gold mine. High-low books refer to titles that are of high interest to readers, but contain low level vocabulary. These titles are clever, action-packed, and have several books in the series to keep the mystery alive. These intermediate mystery books are the first in their series and are sure to appease any mystery loving reader.

The Ghost Tree
Written by Natasha Deen
Illustrated by Lissy Marlin
New York: Random House Children's Books, 2022. Intermediate. 95 pages.

With a dash of paranormal mixed with mystery, this book introduces Asim, a Guyanese American fourth grader who moves to a new town. After a visit to a graveyard, an evil spirit is unleashed. Asim works with new friends, Rokshar and Max, to save their town. With scarily cool illustrations to accompany this text, this book is great for any amateur sleuths who love a touch of creepy.

Detective Duck: The Case of the Strange Splash
Written by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver
Illustrated by Dan Santat
New York: Amulet Books, 2023. Intermediate. 67 pages.

Readers who enjoy humor, a little mystery, and a lot of animals will love this detective book featuring Willow Feathers McBeaver, aka Detective Duck. Along with other animals, Detective Duck solves mysteries caused by human disruptions to their home. With full color pictures, this mystery is perfect for readers just beginning to read chapter books.

Written by Kayla Whaley
Illustrated by Chloe Burgett
New York: Random House, 2023. Intermediate. 80 pages.

In this revitalization of the classic A to Z Mysteries series, three kids, along with a dog, solve animal related mysteries. In the first book, Abbi, Lydia, and Daniel discover that all of the alpacas are missing from the Maine State Fair, except for one. As they look for clues, they may realize that detective work is more complicated than they initially thought. 

The Weird Sisters: A Note, a Goat, and a Casserole
Written by Mark David Smith
Illustrated by Kari Rust
Toronto, ON: Owlkids Books, 2022. Intermediate. 69 pages.

Three weird witch sisters, Hildegurp, Yuckmina, and Glubbifer set up a pet store. One day, a nine-year-old girl asks them for help in finding her lost pet goat. As the four of them set out to solve the mystery, they discover new friends, hilarious misunderstandings, and whimsical moments. This book highlights the conflicting hopes of wanting to fit in while desiring to be true to oneself. 

By Veronica Mang
New York: Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, 2021. Intermediate. 95 pages.

Three girls become super sleuths when they uncover a secret society of famous female spies in history. When one of the spies asks them for help in finding a missing cheetah, the girls must decide if they can become spies themselves.
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