Finished with the Percy Jackson series? Looking for a little suspense this month? We’re not simply talking stories about ghosts and goblins, we’re talking MYSTERIES. Throw these titles in the pile alongside The 39 Clues.
Into the Forrest by Anthony Browne (Candlewick). A little boy awakens after a storm to find his father missing. As he heads into the forest, the stark pencil images become full of spikes and gnarls and foreboding. Only the young boy remains in full color. Although he meets a few familiar characters in the woods, the text is clean and sparse, leaving much to the imagination. Isn’t that what childhood terrors are all about? (6 – 10)
Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett, illus. by Brett Helquist (Scholastic). This is the first of three “art mysteries” by Balliett (followed by The Wright 3 and The Calder Game) and is perfect for young mystery lovers. Loaded with information, yet surprisingly clear, there are visual clues in the illustrations along with math problems in “pentominoes,” word twists, coded letters and a very clear sense of danger. Even a red herring or two! A great read aloud with lots of conversation along the way. (8 – 12)
Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt (Boyds Mill Press). Keturah is a poor medieval village girl who has the gift of storytelling. This spellbinding tale finds her searching for true love, but like Scheherazade, she must captivate her audience (Lord Death) to gain her next day’s search. Her village of Tide-by-Rood transforms through Keturah’s eyes from a dirty little town into a beautiful and treasured land as her time runs out. What causes this transformation? (10 and up)
Nursery Crimes, by Arthur Geisert (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). Here’s a quirky tale about a French Pig couple who move to Iowa to start a topiary and salvage business. How’s that for a start? With intricate double spread pictures in fall colors, the mystery of the stolen topiaries unfolds before your eyes. A magical visual treasure. (5 – 10)
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