Series: Young and Yang (Middle Grade Fic)

AUTHOR: Kristen Kittscher (US)
PUBLISHED: HarperCollins ; 2013.
PAGES/ILL: ~370 pages.
SERIES: Young and Yang. The Wig in the Window ; The Tiara on the Terrace.

PLOT: (Book 1: The Wig in the Window)
Best friends, 7th graders Sophie Young and Grace Yang, love mysteries and have made a game out of spying on their neighbours. When they discover a bloody scene at the home of their bizarre middle-school counsellor, they are on the case to prove she is not what she seems. Soon the girls are breaking secret codes, being followed by a strange blue car, and tailing strangers. As the case heats up, they are under pressure, which threatens their friendship.

REVIEW:
This is a really fun story for fans of The Secret Seven, The Famous Five, Encyclopaedia Brown, and Nancy Drew (and their parents would have likely liked Trixie Belden and the Hardy Boys). The age-range would target children who have long since moved on from the Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew series, but are not be ready for the full series featuring the older Nancy Drew.
The plot has little twists and more suspense than your average middle-grade mystery fiction.
Overall, I highly recommend this series. It would be an appropriate class read-aloud for Grades 4-6

For promoting it in school libraries, I would display this book (along with the others I've listed) together with articles about real-life child investigators, such as this one.

For more mystery and suspense books, check out the list from A Mighty Girl.

AGE: 9+.
GENRE: Detective and Mystery Fiction.
RATING: 4 1/2 - 5 stars.

Series: Phyllis Wong Mysteries (Middle Grade Fic)

AUTHOR: Geoffrey McSkimming (US)
PUBLISHED: Allen & Unwin ; 2014.
PAGES/ILL: ~390 pages.
SERIES: Phyllis Wong Mysteries. Phyllis Wong and the Forgotten Secrets of Mr Okyto ; Phyllis Wong and the Return of the Conjuror ; Phyllis Wong and the Waking of the Wizard.

PLOT: (Book 2: Phyllis Wong and the Return of the Conjuror)
Phyllis Wong, the girl magician, returns to solve a crime from history. Someone has been selling mint-condition copies of Shakespeare's collected plays and Phyllis suspects someone is up to no good. With a secret from her great-grandfather, and with help from her friends Clement and Chief Inspector Inglis, it's up to Phyllis to solve the puzzle and prevent the theft of Shakespeare's missing play.

REVIEW:
This is a fun story, and although I won't go out of my way to read another in the series for my personal choice, I can see it being popular with middle-grade girls. I would have no problem recommending it to children who like 'Matilda' by Roald Dahl.
The book series also has a web-site.

AGE: 9+.
GENRE: Realistic fantasy.
RATING: 3 1/2 stars.

Series: Treasure Hunters (Fic)

AUTHOR: James Phelan (Aust)
PUBLISHED: 2013
SERIES: Treasure Hunters
FIRST BOOK: Treasure Hunters

PLOT:
The Kidd siblings have grown up diving down to shipwrecks and traveling the world, helping their famous parents recover everything from swords to gold doubloons from the bottom of the ocean. But after their parents disappear n the job, the kids are suddenly thrust into the biggest treasure hunt of their lives. They'll have to work together to defeat dangerous pirates and dodge the hot pursuit of an evil treasure hunting rival, all while following the cryptic clues left by their father to find a treasure which may hold the secret to their mother's disappearance.

REVIEW:
This book is hits the target age with humour, adventure, skilled and intelligent kids outwitting adults, families sticking together, pirates, treasure, mystery, and bad guys.

It lacks substance (certainly no where near the sophistication of Harry Potter), and the plot is very unrealistic - the children are quite ok with the disappearance of both parents, every crisis is resolved within the chapter and a new one crops up in the next (which is also expeditiously and over-simply solved). However, it is exactly these elements that make for such fun and light reading for children.

Some of the humour might go over some kids' heads, but it will still be a good read for both boys and girls. Illustrations will keep the interest of some reluctant readers. It is a book for children who are looking for something quick and easy.

Could be a class read-aloud with 3-5th graders.

AGE: 8-12
GENRE: Realistic fiction with a dash of fantasy
RATING: 3 1/2 stars

The Adventures of Sir Roderick, The Not-Very Brave (Fic)

AUTHOR: James O'Loghlin (Aust)
PUBLISHED: Australia : Pan, c2014.

PLOT:
Being a knight is the last thing Roderick wants, but that's what he becomes when he saves the Queen's life. When the Queen bids her knights to seek out a wizard, he must go where he is sent, and thus begins an adventure involving an invisible girl, a talking bear (who is rather funny), the wizard, a kidnapping, giant cockroaches, and more!

REVIEW:
The bear adds some light humour, and the plot has enough twists that it stays interesting till the end. There are some moments that could be scary for some children (but certainly not as scary as Goosebumps and the like). There are themes of magic, friendship, betrayal, bravery and courage, questioning authority, trust, and self-actualisation.

It would be a good option for a third-grade read aloud (the plot would go way over the heads of some 2nd graders).

AGE: 8-12.
GENRE: Fantasy fiction.
RATING: 4 - 4 1/2 stars.

Series: The Magician's House (Fic)

AUTHOR: William Corlett (UK)
PUBLISHED: 1990
SERIES: The Magician's House
FIRST BOOK: The Steps Up the Chimney

PLOT:
Three children go to their uncle's house where they discover a magician at the top of stairs inside a chimney. He recruits them to fight against his evil apprentice.

REVIEW:
Similar to, but not as good as the Narnia series. The first book is reminiscent of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.
Deals with "magic" bordering on wizardry, with spiritual possession of animals (not something I'd promote lightly), good vs evil, etc.

AGES: 9-11
GENRE: Fantasy
RATING: 3 1/2 stars

The Graveyard Book (Fic)

AUTHOR: Neil Gaiman (UK)
PUBLISHED: 2008

PLOT: As his family are being murdered, a toddler wanders into a graveyard. Pursued by the murderer, the ghosts of the graveyard are charged with his safekeeping, and there he is raised.
As he grows, he learns about the other ghosts in the graveyard, the dangers in and out of the graveyard, ghouls, witches, himself, and his would-be murderer.

REVIEW: A wonderfully-written story that can make you laugh and cry.  It has horror themes, and might be genuinely scary for some children, but these parts are quickly resolved, and any conflict always ends on a high note.

This would be an ideal read-aloud for 7th or 8th grade.

AGES: 11+ (I'd hesitate before recommending this to under 11s or 12s - it really depends on the child's maturity and what they have previously read. This book is perfect for high school reluctant readers, with enough appeal to engage adults).
GENRE: Horror
RATING: 6 stars!!

Nancy Drew series

AUTHOR: A variety of ghost authors, all published under the pseudonym 'Carolyn Keene' (US) (1930-present)

NOTES: Made up of different series aimed at different ages (see AGES, below). Follows Nancy, an amateur sleuth, and her two best friends. In the younger series' (Notebooks, Clue Crew) Nancy is 8-9 years old, and she solves "crimes" such as missing hats and toys. In the older series (Girl Detective, On Campus, Files, Mystery Stories) she is 18+, and she solves mysteries of stolen jewelry and home invasions. The 'On Campus' series focuses more on relationships and college life than mysteries.
Films and video games, and graphic novels have also been made about the character, along with "off-shoot" books such as "Nancy Drew Cookbook" and "Campfire stories". Most attractive to young girls with advanced reading skills.

AGES/RATING:
JUNIOR PRIMARY:
~ The Nancy Drew Notebooks (short chapter books, 1994-2005) ages 6-8. 4 stars.
~ Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew (longer chapter books, 2006+) ages 6-8/9. 4 stars.

UPPER PRIMARY/MIDDLE SCHOOL
~ Nancy Drew Mystery Stories (short novels, 1930-2003) ages 8-13. 4 stars.
~ Nancy Drew, Girl Detective (short novels, 2004+) ages 8-15. 4 1/2 stars.
~ Nancy Drew Files (short novels, 1986-1997) ages 9-15. 4 1/2 stars.
~ Nancy Drew On Campus (short novels, 1995-1998) ages 11-15. 3 1/2 stars.

GENRE: Mystery/Crime, Realistic Fiction

Alex Rider series

AUTHOR: Anthony Horowitz (UK) (2000's)

NOTES: The series comprises a list of novels as well as graphic novels, short stories, and supplementary books, as well as movies and a video game, and a website. All this makes is an excellent series to get kids reading.

PLOT: A 14-year-old orphan, Alex Rider, discovers that his uncle, a spy with MI6, has been training him to be a spy also. After his uncle's death, MI6 recruits Alex, sending him on various missions across the world.

AGE: 9, 10+. Attracts boys from 4th/5th grade with solid reading ability.

GENRE: Action, Adventure, Mystery, Thriller. RATING: 5 stars.

Conspiracy 365 Series

AUTHOR: Gabrielle Lord (Australia)

INFO/ISSUES: A 12-book series (one for each month); also has its own website http://www.conspiracy365.com. Issues of death, running away, solving a mystery, friendship, family, trust. Suspenseful, but in a "safe" way.

AGES: Recommended for boys ages 10-15, or as a read-aloud-to-the-class for ages 10-14. Might attract reluctant male readers.

PLOT: "They killed your father. They'll kill you. You must survive the next 365 days." A 15 y.o. boy must race against time (and the 'baddies' - thugs and police) as a wanted fugitive to solve the mystery of his father's death and a centuries-old family secret.

GENRE: Action, Adventure, Mystery. RATING: 5 stars.