# Mystery books assigned in US schools

**27** books in the Mystery genre that US schools assign. Sourced from state ELA standards, AP/IB syllabi, and Common Core exemplar lists.

**Lexile range:** 750L–750L
**Grade span:** 2–12
**Canonical URL:** https://readinglist.school/genre/mystery
**License:** [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) — please credit ReadingList.school when citing.

## Recurring themes

- mystery (10)
- mystery and detective stories (10)
- friendship (7)
- family (5)
- murder (5)
- detective and mystery stories (4)
- identity (3)
- justice (3)
- survival (3)
- families (2)

## Authors in this genre

- Holly Jackson (2)
- Peg Kehret (2)
- Betsy Cromer Byars
- Betty Ren Wright
- Chris Van Allsburg
- Clifford B. Hicks
- Danielle Valentine
- Diana Urban
- Ellen Raskin
- Gordon Korman

## Mystery titles

- [Alvin's Swap Shop](https://readinglist.school/book/alvins-swap-shop) by Clifford B. Hicks _(Grades 4–6)_
- [Closed for the Season](https://readinglist.school/book/closed-for-the-season) by Mary Downing Hahn _(Grades 3–8)_
- [Down the Rabbit Hole](https://readinglist.school/book/down-the-rabbit-hole) by Peter Abrahams _(Grades 2–8)_
- [Framed!](https://readinglist.school/book/framed) by James Ponti _(Grades 3–8)_
- [Hannah Sharpe, Cartoon Detective](https://readinglist.school/book/hannah-sharpe-cartoon-detective) by Janet Tashjian _(Grades 3–6)_
- [How to Survive Your Murder](https://readinglist.school/book/how-to-survive-your-murder) by Danielle Valentine _(Grades 9–12)_
- [Nightmare Mountain](https://readinglist.school/book/nightmare-mountain) by Peg Kehret _(Grades 3–6)_
- [Not Quite Dead Yet](https://readinglist.school/book/not-quite-dead-yet) by Holly Jackson _(Grades 7–12)_
- [Pie](https://readinglist.school/book/pie) by Sarah Weeks _(Grades 3–8)_
- [Skeleton Creek](https://readinglist.school/book/skeleton-creek) by Patrick Carman _(Grades 3–8)_
- [Skeleton Man](https://readinglist.school/book/skeleton-man) by Joseph Bruchac _(Grades 3–8)_
- [Something Big Has Been Here](https://readinglist.school/book/something-big-has-been-here) by Jack Prelutsky _(Grades 3–5)_
- [Swindle](https://readinglist.school/book/swindle) by Gordon Korman _(Grades 4–7)_
- [Tarot Says Beware](https://readinglist.school/book/tarot-says-beware) by Betsy Cromer Byars _(Grades 3–8)_
- [Terror at the Zoo](https://readinglist.school/book/terror-at-the-zoo) by Peg Kehret _(Grades 3–6)_
- [That's Not My Name](https://readinglist.school/book/thats-not-my-name) by Megan Lally _(Grades 9–12)_
- [The Agathas](https://readinglist.school/book/the-agathas) by Kathleen Glasgow _(Grades 9–12)_
- [The Apothecary](https://readinglist.school/book/the-apothecary) by Maile Meloy _(Grades 2–8)_
- [The Dollhouse Murders](https://readinglist.school/book/the-dollhouse-murders) by Betty Ren Wright _(Grades 4–7)_
- [The Maze of Bones](https://readinglist.school/book/the-maze-of-bones) by Rick Riordan _(Grades 3–8)_
- [The Name of the Game Was Murder](https://readinglist.school/book/the-name-of-the-game-was-murder) by Joan Lowery Nixon _(Grades 3–8)_
- [The Reappearance of Rachel Price](https://readinglist.school/book/the-reappearance-of-rachel-price) by Holly Jackson _(Grades 7–12)_
- [The Stranger](https://readinglist.school/book/the-stranger) by Chris Van Allsburg _(Grades 3–5)_
- [The Westing Game](https://readinglist.school/book/the-westing-game) by Ellen Raskin _(750L · Grades 5–7)_
- [Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer](https://readinglist.school/book/theodore-boone-kid-lawyer) by John Grisham _(Grades 4–6)_
- [Three Times Lucky](https://readinglist.school/book/three-times-lucky) by Sheila Turnage _(Grades 4–7)_
- [Under the Surface](https://readinglist.school/book/under-the-surface) by Diana Urban _(Grades 7–12)_

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_Generated from primary-source citations indexed on ReadingList.school. JSON API: https://readinglist.school/api/genre/mystery · HTML view: https://readinglist.school/genre/mystery._