# Books about mystery and detective stories assigned in US schools

**11** books in the US-school assigned-reading canon explore _mystery and detective stories_. Sourced from state ELA standards, AP/IB syllabi, and Common Core exemplar lists.

**Grade span:** 3–8
**Canonical URL:** https://readinglist.school/theme/mystery-and-detective-stories
**License:** [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) — please credit ReadingList.school when citing.

## Authors who explore mystery and detective stories

- [Peg Kehret](https://readinglist.school/author/peg-kehret) (2 books)
- [Betsy Cromer Byars](https://readinglist.school/author/betsy-cromer-byars)
- [Chris Van Allsburg](https://readinglist.school/author/chris-van-allsburg)
- [James Ponti](https://readinglist.school/author/james-ponti)
- [Margaret Peterson Haddix](https://readinglist.school/author/margaret-peterson-haddix)
- [Mary Downing Hahn](https://readinglist.school/author/mary-downing-hahn)

## mystery and detective stories canon

- [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)_
- [Framed!](https://readinglist.school/book/framed) by James Ponti _(Grades 3–8)_
- [Nightmare Mountain](https://readinglist.school/book/nightmare-mountain) by Peg Kehret _(Grades 3–6)_
- [Running Out of Time](https://readinglist.school/book/running-out-of-time) by Margaret Peterson Haddix _(Grades 3–8)_
- [Skeleton Creek](https://readinglist.school/book/skeleton-creek) by Patrick Carman _(Grades 3–8)_
- [Something Big Has Been Here](https://readinglist.school/book/something-big-has-been-here) by Jack Prelutsky _(Grades 3–5)_
- [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)_
- [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 Stranger](https://readinglist.school/book/the-stranger) by Chris Van Allsburg _(Grades 3–5)_

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