Prek - 2nd grade Book of the Month
Detective Blue by Steve Metzger illustrated by Tedd Arnold
If you like nursery rhymes, then this book is for you! Little Boy Blue, now known as Detective Blue, works for the Blue Detective Agency. His day started out as any other day, the dish ran away with the spoon. But on this fine day, he solves the disappearance of Miss Muffett. He interviews all his nursery rhyme friends, and searches far and wide for her. You’ll never guess where she was! This book is a great bedtime story for all the little kids out there!
3rd - 5th grade Book of the Month
Detective Pony by Jeanne Betancourt
In the middle of the night, Anna hears Acorn's whinny in the Crandal paddock. There is a fire in Dr. Crandal's animal clinic! If you love ponies and a good mystery, then this is the book for you! Read along and help Anna and Acorn solve the mystery of the fire and missing cat! Can Acorn save the animals?
Jodi Beck, 5th grader at Guthrie Elementary, also suggested another good mystery book. Middle World, by J&P Voelkel, gets her recommendation. She writes, "In the Mayan jungle, 14-year-old Max Murphy finds himself in the tiny country of San Xavier, where a desperate search for his missing parents begins and where he meets Lola, a quick-thinking Maya girl who helps him survive the dangers of the rainforest and unlock the secret of the Jaguar stones".
6th - 8th grade Book of the Month
Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman
When I first thought of a mystery book, this one popped up in my mind! I LOVED these books when I was in 6th grade. Skeleton Creek is a series of books written as the journals of two best friends, Ryan McCray and Sarah Fincher. The two search to find why their town in Oregon is called Skeleton Creek. They sneak out and investigate the town, mostly the haunted mechanical dredge, and weird supernatural events happen along the way. To make it even better, throughout the book there is a website and a code to enter to watch the videos of Ryan and Sarah’s nighttime adventures. So not only do you get to read the books, you get to watch them as you read!
Kaleb Brendle, 8th grader at GJH, thinks readers would also enjoy reading Violets Are Blue. by James Patterson. In his recommendation, he says, "It involves murder mysteries, and I like to try and figure out who the murderer is. Alex Cross, a special FBI detective, investigates a series of murders that appears to be by a vampire."
9th - 12th grade Book of the Month
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
I must admit, I have not read this book, but it is on my list to read before the movie comes out (September 19!!!!!!!). I’m a bit upset that the reviews I have read have been negative, but I still want to push through and read it! The Maze Runner is the first of three of the dystopian world of “the glade”. Thomas, the main character, has woken up in an elevator remembering nothing but his name, and is thrown into a group of 60 other teen boys, who have all gone through the same thing. But once Thomas gets there, everything is changed. I am really excited to read the book, and see the movie, because who wouldn’t want to see a movie with Dylan O’Brian as the main character?
Mrs. Ferguson, Guthrie Library Aide, suggests the book Shoot the Moon by Billie Letts. She writes, "In 1972, DeClare, Oklahoma, a young mother, Gaylene Harjo was murdered, and when her son Nicky’s pajamas were found near a creek but didn’t find his body it was assumed that the child was also killed. But now, after thirty years later Nicky returns to Declare, shocking the town with his sudden reappearance and stirring up long-buried memories. But what he discovers about the night he vanished is for more than he, or anyone, bargains for. For a mystery, this story kept me wondering so that I wanted to keep reading to find out."
Guthrie HS senior, MacKenzie McGaha, believes many young adults would find The Mediator Series by Meg Cabot very interesting. MacKenzie says, "I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a good mystery series! There's a hot guy in Susannah Simon's bedroom. Too bad he's a ghost. Suze is a mediator-a liaison between the living and the dead. In other words, she sees dead people. And they won't leave her alone until she helps them resolve their unfinished business with the living. But Jesse, the hot ghost haunting her bedroom, doesn't seem to need her help. Which is a relief, because Suze has just moved to sunny California and plans to start fresh, with trips to the mall instead of the cemetery, and surfing instead of spectral visitations. But the very first day at her new school, Suze realizes it's not that easy."
Disclaimer: Although these are great books, please know that Mrs. Shipman only has one copy of these books in the library. Really, the point of the Book of the Month is to spark your interest in reading, so if the book isn’t in the library, it’ll be okay. Mrs. Shipman and I have come up with a way for you to get a mystery book when the selected books are checked out. There will be a list of mystery books that you can look through and find a book on your level.