Book picks similar to
Get a Clue! by Lisa Banim


mystery
lizzie-mcguire
childhood
fiction

The Best Is Yet to Come


Anne Mazer - 2004
    There's a lot to do before the big event, including finding the perfect graduation outfit. Once the ceremony is over, Abby plans to spend a quiet summer preparing for sixth grade. Then Abby's mother college friend, Laurie, and her young daughter, Wynter, arrive for an extended stay. Laurie--a musician--is trying to get her career back on track. She expects Abby to care for Wynter while she's out. Before long, Abby gets fed up. Abby's mom confronts Laurie, and Abby is able to reclaim her pre-middle school summer.

Let's Pretend This Never Happened


Jim Benton - 2004
    Actually, it was better than okay. Angeline got her long, beautiful hair tangled in one of the jillion things she has dangling from her backpack, and the school nurse -- who is now one of my main heroes -- took a pair of scissors and snipped two feet of silky blond hair from the left side of her head, so now Angeline only looks like The Prettiest Girl in the World if you're standing on her right. (Although personally, I think she would look better if I was standing on her neck.)

The Boxcar Children


Gertrude Chandler Warner - 1924
    Their goal is to stay together, and in the process they find a grandfather.

Harriet the Spy


Louise Fitzhugh - 1964
    Every day on her spy route she "observes" and notes down anything of interest to her:I BET THAT LADY WITH THE CROSS-EYE LOOKS IN THE MIRROR AND JUST FEELS TERRIBLE.PINKY WHITEHEAD WILL NEVER CHANGE. DOES HIS MOTHER HATE HIM? IF I HAD HIM I'D HATE HIM.IF MARION HAWTHORNE DOESN'T WATCH OUT SHE'S GOING TO GROW UP INTO A LADY HITLER.But when Harriet's notebook is found by her schoolmates, their anger and retaliation and Harriet's unexpected responses explode in a hilarious way.

School of Fear


Gitty Daneshvari - 1999
    Theodore Bartholomew is petrified of dying. Lulu Punchalower is scared of confined spaces. Garrison Feldman is terrified of deep water. With very few options left, the parents of these four twelve year-olds send them to the highly elusive and exclusive School of Fear to help them overcome their phobias. But when their peculiar teacher, Mrs. Wellington, and her unconventional teaching methods turn out to be more frightening than even their fears, the foursome realize that this just may be the scariest summer of their lives.

The Nixie's Song


Tony DiTerlizzi - 2007
    Eleven-year-old Nicholas Vargas only thinks his life has been turned upside down after his developer father remarries and moves his new wife and daughter into the soon-to-be completed Mangrove Hollow. But an "expedition" to a nearby lake turns up a little nixie with a giant problem - the huge, lumbering, fire-breathing variety - and it's up to Nick; his stepsister, Laurie; and his big brother, Julian (plus a familiar face from the original Spiderwick Chronicles) to figure out the best way to stop a host of rampaging giants before all of Florida goes up in smoke.

The Fairy-Tale Detectives


Michael Buckley - 2005
    After the mysterious disappearance of their parents, the sisters are sent to live with their grandmother--a woman they believed was dead! Granny Relda reveals that the girls have two famous ancestors, the Brothers Grimm, whose classic book of fairy tales is actually a collection of case files of magical mischief. Now the girls must take on the family responsibility of being fairy tale detectives.

The Candymakers


Wendy Mass - 2010
    Who will invent a candy more delicious than the Oozing Crunchorama or the Neon Lightning Chew? Logan, the Candymaker's son, who can detect the color of chocolate by touch alone?Miles, the boy who is allergic to merry-go-rounds and the color pink? Daisy, the cheerful girl who can lift a fifty-pound lump of taffy like it's a feather? Or Philip, the suit-and-tie wearing boy who's always scribbling in a secret notebook?This sweet, charming, and cleverly crafted story, told from each contestant's perspective, is filled with mystery, friendship, and juicy revelations.

Kittens in the Kitchen


Lucy Daniels - 1994
    Even outside the clinic, Mandy can't resist helping any animal in need. But when a stray cat gives birth in Mr. William's kitchen, he is absolutely furious. Can Mandy and her friend James find homes for four newborn kittens in just one week?

The Smuggler's Treasure


Sarah Masters Buckey - 1999
    These suspenseful stories will leave readers on the edge of their seats! Each spine-tingling tale features a brave, clever girl solving an intriguing mystery at an important time in America's past.Elisabet comes face to face with a famous pirate when she tries to free her father, who is a prisoner in the War of 1812.

The Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds


David A. Adler - 1980
    When Jennifer "Cam" Jansen and her friend Eric are at the mall, they witness a robbery at the jewelry store! Can Cam's amazing photographic memory help catch a thief?

Diary of a Wimpy Kid


Jeff Kinney - 2007
    But when Rowley's star starts to rise, Greg tries to use his best friend's popularity to his own advantage. Recorded in his diary with comic pictures and his very own words, this test of Greg and Rowley's friendship unfolds with hilarious results.

The Black Book of Buried Secrets


Mallory Kass - 2010
    Their desperate hunt for the 39 Clues lies behind some of history’s biggest enigmas – the curse of the Hope diamond, the race to summit Mt. Everest, the wild life and death of Harry Houdini. And now – finally – the secrets are out. With an introduction by Rick Riordan, The 39 Clues: The Black Book of Buried Secrets reveals the shocking truth about history’s most notorious family.In full, lush color, The 39 Clues: The Black Book of Buried Secrets lays bare each hidden fact, concealed strategy, top agent, lost founder, secret base and hushed-up scandal of the Clue hunt. This complete guide to the Cahills contains information on all five branches, including the notoriously elusive Madrigals. The must-know information includes:-Full files on the enigmatic Man in Black.-The true purpose of the Madrigal branch.-The complete story of the fire that split the original Cahill family.-The truth about the night Hope and Arthur Cahill died.-Open access to the secrets of the Lucian, Ekaterina, Tomas and Janus branches.It’s never too late to join the hunt – especially with The 39 Clues: The Black Book of Buried Secrets to provide complete access to the Cahill’s most deeply-buried secrets.http://www.scholastic.com/kids/39clues/http://www.the39clues.com/

The Tower Treasure


Franklin W. Dixon - 1927
    This first one, "The Tower Mystery," introduced the action, mystery, and suspense themes. The boys continue to deliver thrills to this day.It all starts with the boys, Frank and Joe, on their motorcycles delivering important papers to a lawyer in Willowville for their father, Fenton Hardy. He's the well-known private investigator in Bayport. A reckless driver almost forces them over the embankment. It is not long before they find that their friend Chet's yellow jalopy has been stolen, possibly by the same red-haired driver! Stolen loot may be the issue. Later a dying criminal confesses that the loot has been stashed "in the tower" and the Hardy Boys make an astonishing discovery.

The Westing Game


Ellen Raskin - 1978
    Westing's will. And though no one knows why the eccentric, game-loving millionaire has chosen a virtual stranger—and a possible murderer—to inherit his vast fortune, one thing's for sure: Sam Westing may be dead ... but that won't stop him from playing one last game!