Book Finder

Teen sports reporter Susan Carol is competing as a swimmer at her first-ever Olympic games. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime, and her best friend Stevie is both amazed and envious. Usually they cover sporting events together, now he’s covering her. But Stevie can’t shake the feeling that something’s not right. Everyone wants a piece of Susan Carol’s success — agents, sponsors, the media. Just how far will they go to ensure that America’s newest Olympic darling wins gold?
 

Join this “mysterious FACTopia tour…” to encounter top secrets, unsolved mysteries, dark caves, deep ocean dwellers, hidden history, and more. Lots more! Photographs and comical illustrations combine for an intriguing, fact-based jaunt through time and places.

Unbeknownst to his family, Theo wants to become a police officer unlike the rest of his family who are, well, thieves. Each family member is described and depicted throughout in exaggerated illustrations equal to the over-the-top humor in this readable, slightly irreverent novel.

A teen nicknamed Wrecker becomes involved with a fake Covid vaccination card smuggling ring to further confuse his already complicated his life. By turns humorous and tense, this fast-paced novel set in the Florida Keys is sure to engage readers.

Few people realize that the fame of Leonardo da Vinci’s 16th century painting was created in large measure by its theft in the 20th century. The lively narrative alternates between the artist and the search for the missing painting. Sardonic illustrations add humor and interest to this well-documented and fascinating story.

Two books from a Little Free Library hold the secret of a town’s long hidden mystery. Told from different points of view — a boy named Evan, Al (a ghost librarian), and a handsome orange cat called Mortimer — reveal the secret behind the town’s puzzling history in this twisty, satisfying tale.

In their seventh adventure, the detective team is informed by the Coast Gourd that a captain was found but without his ship. Will the InvestiGators be able to solve their latest mystery on the high sea or will they will be all tied up (or is it tide up …)? Read in order or as a standalone, this silly, pun-filled installment is sure to delight.

Aven Green loves to tell people that she lost her arms in an alligator wrestling match, or a wildfire in Tanzania, but the truth is she was born without them. And when her parents take a job running Stagecoach Pass, a rundown western theme park in Arizona, Aven moves with them across the country knowing that she’ll have to answer the question over and over again. Her new life takes an unexpected turn when she bonds with Connor, a classmate who also feels isolated because of his own disability, and they discover a room at Stagecoach Pass that holds bigger secrets than Aven ever could have imagined. 

Chester likes his routines, but his new friend is the complete opposite. Nonetheless, the pair work together to solve the riddle behind the mysterious notes that Chester thinks are from his father — all while dealing with a bully and trying to prevent his mother from worrying. Likeable characters and an engaging mystery fill this satisfying novel.

Can an undercover nerd become a superstar secret agent? In this graphic novel adaptation of the popular prose books, Ben Ripley is recruited into the CIA’s Academy of Espionage due to his enthusiastic gaming abilities and his exceptional math skills. As Ben tries to adapt to life at his new top-secret school, he unwittingly becomes the target of a deadly assassin. (School Library Journal)

A gripping view of the Revolutionary War through the eyes of a 12-year-old spy. When young Sophia Calderwood witnesses the execution of Nathan Hale in New York City, she resolves to do all she can to help the American cause. Recruited as a spy, she becomes aware that someone in the American army might be switching sides, and she uncovers a plot that will grievously damage the Americans if it succeeds. 

What is that dreadful smell in New Mouse City? Not to worry — Geronimo Stilton is on the job! In this first graphic version featuring the rodent star of many books, cartoon illustrations and over-the-top silliness are sure to please young graphic aficionados.

Mango and Brash right the wrongs created by “crime, corruption, and confusion.” They are the InvestiGators, with an emphasis on gators, for Mango and Brash are alligators. Fast-paced and slightly goofy, this clever tale is sure to delight graphic novel and mystery aficionados alike.

Could the Mac B growing up in the 1980s really have been a spy before he became an author? Who gets called to England to help the Queen? Not likely, but it sure makes a good adventure. Amusing line drawings use limited color to add to the humor in the start of a new series. Fun and adventure with Mac B continue in Mac B. Kid Spy: The Impossible Crime (opens in a new window).

Who is Baby Monkey? Well, he’s a baby and a monkey but one with a job: he’s a Private Eye! Readers will solve the mysteries with Baby Monkey as they carefully examine signature monochromatic sketches interspersed with narrative. The format is wholly original as is the humor and art. (For the less keen-eyed, a key to the visuals is included.)

Kayla loses a tooth but now can’t find it! Will the Tooth Fairy still visit her? Can her trusty canine, King, help solve the mystery of the missing tooth?  The latest installment is sure to delight fans and stands on its own as a recognizable, satisfying, everyday mystery just right for newly independent readers.

The winter sports season is here, and the Aldens are excited about all the snow activities — especially snowboarding. But soon they find themselves in the middle of a mystery surrounding a star athlete and a stolen snowboard.

Pigeon has given up his private detective work. That is until a young canary goes missing along with other colorful birds. Young mystery lovers will enjoy the humor and graphic comic elements in this comical mystery.

Jasmine Toguchi (first introduced in Jasmine Toguchi, Mochi Queen), uses her detective skills to find out why her best friend and older sister are no longer excited about the Japanese celebration of Girl’s Day. Characters and events are recognizable and engaging to cause a chuckle or two.

Emily and James (first introduced in The Book Scavenger (opens in a new window)) return in this standalone companion which involves ciphers, books by Mark Twain, mystery, and dastardly plots. Sophisticated readers will appreciate the intrigue and shadowy goings-on that claim Emily’s favorite bookstore.

From Jarrett J. Krosoczka comes Never Say Narwhal, the final installment in the hilarious, high-action illustrated middle grade series featuring two platypus detectives, perfect for fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Big Nate, and Jarrett’s own Lunch Lady series. Frank Pandini Jr. is the mayor of Kalamazoo City, and everyone is celebrating—everyone except for Zengo, O’Malley, and Cooper, who can’t seem to close a single case. To make matters worse, a mysterious hulking shadow has appeared in waters around KC. Could this spell the end for the Platypus Police Squad?

When their parents steal a monkey from the zoo to help them pick pockets, our heroes rush into action and return the wily animal using disguises, inventions, and old-fashioned shoe leather. They also learn what a monkey can do in 11 minutes! This is the first book in a new, funny series.

Ted and Kat watched their cousin Salim board the London Eye, but after half an hour it landed and everyone trooped off — except Salim. Ted and his older sister, Kat, become sleuthing partners and follow a trail of clues across London in a desperate bid to find their cousin. Ultimately it comes down to Ted, whose brain works in its own very unique way, to find the key to the mystery.

The year is 1862, and 12-year-old P.K. “Pinky” Pinkerton is on the run from Whittlin’ Walt and his gang of ruthless desperados. P.K. is determined to hold on to Ma’s last priceless possession: the deed to a large amount of land and silver mines in the Nevada Mountains. P.K. will have to be both clever and cunning to evade the band of outlaws. All this is seen through the eyes of P.K., a half-Lakota kid with Asperger Syndrome, which makes him chronically unable to interpret the intentions of people around him.