With this in mind, Warwick’s introduces its own March Madness with a sale of selected children’s young adults’ mystery books giving customers 20 percent off on their purchase. A kid sleuth starring in detective stories can be one of the best page-turners around.
For example, a staff favorite is Maureen Sherry’s Walls Within Walls in which the children in a New York apartment discover their new home is filled with hidden panels and a mysterious book, putting them on an adventure through the city. Solving this puzzle could lead to a great fortune.
Several publishers have series that will keep a youngster reading one book after another. Kids love series (always starting with the first one, of course) so that adventure can be relived in story after story.
For younger readers, the most popular chapter books include Geronimo Stilton, A to Z Mysteries (b for The Bald Bandit), and the Ballpark Mysteries (i.e. The Astro Outlaw) among many others. Those who enjoyed the Fancy Nancy children’s books will find her now with her own detective series, Nancy Clancy.
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A step up from there would be Barrie Sumy’s I So Don’t Do Famous series. Prequels include I So Don’t Do Spooky and I So Don’t Do Makeup featuring a middle school girl who solves mysteries with the help of her mother, who happens to be a ghost. There’s also Gilda Joyce, Psychic Investigator, also assisted by the paranormal.
Not with spirits, but his own cunning, is Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer written by John Grisham (The Last Juror, The Pelican Brief, etc.). Teddy’s parents are both private investigators, but their son’s talents are much needed to solve the firm’s challenges.
The whole family might enjoy an evening reading one or more of these mystery books, providing a valuable diversion from TV or movies.
Jim is a bookseller at Warwick's
Happy to see this focus on mysteries, and looking forward to my launch of THE WIG IN THE WINDOW with you all in June.
ReplyDeleteThose Warwick's customers seeking some other mystery recommendations might check out "Sleuths, Spies, and Alibis," a blog dedicated to kids' & YA mysteries and thrillers: http://sleuthsspiesandalibis.blogspot.com/