Skip to main content

Five Faves: Mysterious High-Low Intermediate Books

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.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

If You Like...KPop Demon Hunters

KPop Demon Hunters has been one of the most talked-about movies of the summer. If you loved this movie as much as I did, you don't want the magic (or the music) to stop. Try reading these books that touch on some of the same topics and themes as the animated hit! Brick Dust and Bones By M. R. Fournet New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2023. Fiction. 247 pages. Orphaned Marius works in the family business--as their cemetery's ghost caretaker. However, Marius also moonlights as a monster hunter in order to earn the costly Mystic currency he needs to bring his mother back from the dead. As the window to bring his mother back begins to close, Marius's exploits get more and more dangerous, and he may have set his sights on a monster too big to handle on his own. Like Mira, Marius longs for familial connection, and his work as a monster hunter will satisfy the thrill of demon hunting for fans the movie. Where's Halmoni? By Julie J. Kim Seattle, WA: Little Bigfoot, 2017. Comics. W...

Dog Man Read Alikes

Dog Man  is a popular graphic novel for middle graders all about the adventures of a half-man, half-dog police officer. With 14 books in the series, many readers can't get enough of these hilarious stories! If your child is looking for more books like Dog Man, here are some great options to try out.  Dex Dingo: World's Best Greatest Ever... Inventor By Greg Foley Los Angeles: Disney-Hyperion, 2024. Comic. 157 pages.  Dex Dingo doesn't know what he wants to do when he grows up. His classmates all seem to know, but he just doesn't feel like he is the BEST at anything. When a class assignment challenges him to figure out what he wants to be, he decides he wants to become the world's best ever inventor! Filled with beautifully drawn spreads and kid-approved humor, this book is sure to please any Dog Man fan.  Troubling Tonsils Written by Aaron Reynolds Illustrated by Peter Brown  New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2025. Fiction. 71 pages.  ...

Review: Faker

Faker By Gordon Korman New York: Scholastic Press, 2024. Fiction. 214 pages. 12-year-old Trey is used to starting over at a new school -- he has the routine perfectly memorized: make new friends, introduce his dad to the wealthy parents of his new friends, and "Houdini" themselves out of there before they get caught running their latest scam. Trey's dad is a master con artist, and Trey has just been promoted to full-partner. Their new scheme for the next big score brings them to the affluent suburb of Boxelder, TN where Trey's dad has cooked up a fake electric car company for investors to buy into. The only problem is that Trey is starting to grow tired of moving around and never putting down roots, especially after forming a fast friendship with Logan and developing a crush on Kaylee, a socially conscious girl in his class. As Trey longs for a normal life, is there any way he can convince his dad to get out of the family business? Gordon Korman is a perennial favorit...