Author Topic: Books for Budding Mystery Lovers  (Read 8636 times)

Becke Davis

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Books for Budding Mystery Lovers
« on: October 22, 2020, 11:13:15 pm »
My 8-year-old granddaughter is really getting interested in mysteries. Her mom and dad got her started on the Boxcar Children series, which I never read as a child. We now read them together, reading alternate pages out loud to each other. We're on Book 14 - as far as I can tell, this series pretty much goes on forever.

Her mom has started reading Nancy Drew books to her, too.

There are some written-for-kids mysteries Adaline (my granddaughter) can read for herself. She enjoys the NATE THE GREAT books that were a big hit with her dad: http://rhcbooks.com/series/NTG/nate-the-great

But her absolute favorite is BABY MONKEY, PRIVATE EYE. (I confess, I love that one, too - I hope there's a sequel soon.)

https://www.thebrianselznick.com/babymonkey.htm


JRob

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Re: Books for Budding Mystery Lovers
« Reply #1 on: October 23, 2020, 03:53:58 am »
There's a series of mystery novels under the American Girl banner as well. I know I bought one for a cousin.

Becke Davis

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Re: Books for Budding Mystery Lovers
« Reply #2 on: October 23, 2020, 03:07:00 pm »
There's a series of mystery novels under the American Girl banner as well. I know I bought one for a cousin.

How did I miss this? Thanks so much! I love to give books to the kids in my extended family - and if they're mysteries, so much the better!

https://www.americangirl.com/shop/c/mysteries

What books got you all started on mysteries? For me it was Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden. My mom also had some Judy Bolton mysteries I enjoyed. I also read Hardy Boys books, Cherry Ames books - which usually included a mystery, and eventually I moved on to Agatha Christie.

I have a lot of nieces and nephews - I'd love your recommendations for exciting books! My 5-year-old granddaughter likes books that are a little scary, but not TOO scary. :-)

JRob

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Re: Books for Budding Mystery Lovers
« Reply #3 on: October 23, 2020, 03:51:54 pm »
Encyclopedia Brown, the Three Investigators, The Hardy Boys and Sherlock Holmes were my gateway to a lifelong love of mysteries.

Becke Davis

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Re: Books for Budding Mystery Lovers
« Reply #4 on: October 23, 2020, 04:07:26 pm »
Encyclopedia Brown, the Three Investigators, The Hardy Boys and Sherlock Holmes were my gateway to a lifelong love of mysteries.

I forgot about Encyclopedia Brown! I didn't read Sherlock Holmes until I was in high school.

My daughter's favorites were Lois Duncan's mysteries and Christopher Golden's BODY OF EVIDENCE forensic mysteries. We had a deal that if she read a good book, I'd read it, too, so we could talk about it. She is back to working full time so she doesn't read quite as many books as I do, but she still manages to introduce me to new books and authors I haven't read.

JRob

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Re: Books for Budding Mystery Lovers
« Reply #5 on: October 24, 2020, 11:13:16 am »

I forgot about Encyclopedia Brown! I didn't read Sherlock Holmes until I was in high school.

My daughter's favorites were Lois Duncan's mysteries and Christopher Golden's BODY OF EVIDENCE forensic mysteries. We had a deal that if she read a good book, I'd read it, too, so we could talk about it. She is back to working full time so she doesn't read quite as many books as I do, but she still manages to introduce me to new books and authors I haven't read.

The reason I read Sherlock Holmes so young was my parents giving me a digest sized edition of THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES. I read it numerous times and just loved it. I'm pretty sure it was this one:


Becke Davis

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Re: Books for Budding Mystery Lovers
« Reply #6 on: October 24, 2020, 06:43:33 pm »
That's wonderful! I love it when people (of any age) discover books after receiving some as gifts. My aunt used to get Nancy Drew books for me - the first books I ever owned. I love libraries but I think owning a book makes it extra-special.

JRob

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Re: Books for Budding Mystery Lovers
« Reply #7 on: October 25, 2020, 06:37:15 am »
That's wonderful! I love it when people (of any age) discover books after receiving some as gifts. My aunt used to get Nancy Drew books for me - the first books I ever owned. I love libraries but I think owning a book makes it extra-special.

That's how I got into The Hardy Boys as well. I got those blue hardcover editions as a kid and read as many as I could get my hands on. There's one that I would actually like to get my hands on again because I remember it so fondly. I think it is called The Shattered Helmet.

Years later as an adult my grandmother gave me a bag of books and while the majority of them didn't hold much interest for me, there was a hardcover edition of the John Sandford thriller RULES OF PREY. It's the first book in the Lucas Davenport series and that launched my fandom for Sandford's writing.

Becke Davis

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Re: Books for Budding Mystery Lovers
« Reply #8 on: October 25, 2020, 03:12:26 pm »
That's wonderful! I love it when people (of any age) discover books after receiving some as gifts. My aunt used to get Nancy Drew books for me - the first books I ever owned. I love libraries but I think owning a book makes it extra-special.

That's how I got into The Hardy Boys as well. I got those blue hardcover editions as a kid and read as many as I could get my hands on. There's one that I would actually like to get my hands on again because I remember it so fondly. I think it is called The Shattered Helmet.

Years later as an adult my grandmother gave me a bag of books and while the majority of them didn't hold much interest for me, there was a hardcover edition of the John Sandford thriller RULES OF PREY. It's the first book in the Lucas Davenport series and that launched my fandom for Sandford's writing.

I know I've read some of his books. He has written a lot more than I realized! http://www.johnsandford.org/listofbooks.html

JRob

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Re: Books for Budding Mystery Lovers
« Reply #9 on: October 25, 2020, 07:40:58 pm »
That's wonderful! I love it when people (of any age) discover books after receiving some as gifts. My aunt used to get Nancy Drew books for me - the first books I ever owned. I love libraries but I think owning a book makes it extra-special.

That's how I got into The Hardy Boys as well. I got those blue hardcover editions as a kid and read as many as I could get my hands on. There's one that I would actually like to get my hands on again because I remember it so fondly. I think it is called The Shattered Helmet.

Years later as an adult my grandmother gave me a bag of books and while the majority of them didn't hold much interest for me, there was a hardcover edition of the John Sandford thriller RULES OF PREY. It's the first book in the Lucas Davenport series and that launched my fandom for Sandford's writing.

I know I've read some of his books. He has written a lot more than I realized! http://www.johnsandford.org/listofbooks.html

I've read just about everything he's written.

Becke Davis

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Re: Books for Budding Mystery Lovers
« Reply #10 on: October 26, 2020, 02:33:23 pm »
It's so cool your grandmother inadvertently got you started on Sandford's books. I know I've read a couple of them, but it's been awhile. I'm almost afraid to get started again.
« Last Edit: October 26, 2020, 02:43:10 pm by Becke Davis »