Children's Mystery Books

Children's mystery books bring to the fore the mystery to end all mysteries: how to ensure a child be entertained and edified at the same time? What sorts of books will keep junior occupied for an afternoon while also providing food for thought?

Picking out new books for a child can be a tedious task. One never knows whether new books will live up to the hype, or whether older books are still relevant or available. Yet by researching the field of children's mystery books, one can soon accumulate enough knowledge to make an informed decision.

Children's Mystery Books Are Great

Our goal is to help you find the best information about children's mystery books. One way to approach the issue is to look at classics in the field of children's literature. Every English major's program of study begins with the books that have proven valuable over the course of generations. The same principle applies to children's books.

Two series of books that have stood the test of time are the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. Both series were started between 1927 and 1930, yet continue to be popular today. In fact, earlier volumes of books from both series outstrip newer volumes in terms of modern appeal.

The Continued Relevance of Older Books

Both the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series have been updated in more recent times in an attempt to appeal to a more modern audience. In the 1980s, two new series were spawned, entitled "The Nancy Drew Files" and "The Hardy Boys Casefiles." Both enjoyed a degree of success, and over one hundred books were published in each series.

However, many of the books from these newer series have since fallen out of print, while the original books continue going strong! This lends credence to the "classic" designation for the vintage books in each series. There is something magical about the original collections of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, something that survives to this day to continue to draw in readers.

The British Invasion

Speaking of magic, no discussion of children's mystery books would be complete without the mention of the Harry Potter series. Wildly popular, these books by British author JK Rowling seem to delight adults as much as kids! Sometimes, children's mystery books are not just for children.

In the case of Harry Potter, it is again important to pay attention to the vintage of the product. However, the distinction between editions of Harry Potter mysteries is rather muddy compared to the books above. Different editions of Harry Potter were released in the United States and United Kingdom, with the UK version standing as the definitive edition. As you can see, it pays to do your homework when attempting to unravel the intrigue surrounding children's mystery books.