Featured Genre: Mysteries

Because mysteries have been around for well over 150 years (beginning with Wilkie Collins's The Moonstone), a great deal of diversity exists within the genre. Essentially, though, a mystery involves a problem that begs for a logical -- or scientific -- solution: someone has been murdered, some object has been stolen, or some inexplicable something keeps occurring.

The following terms may be useful to discuss when studying mysteries:
- alibi, clue, crime scene, deduction
- detective, evidence, red herring
- sleuth, suspect, victim, witness

Classic Mysteries

- Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol
- Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
- Holes by Louis Sachar
- The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
- The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
- You Be the Jury by Marvin Miller

Internet Resources for Mysteries

MysteryNet's Kids Mysteries
http://kids.mysterynet.com/
This fun, interactive website includes puzzles, magic tricks, and mystery stories written by other kids.

Mysteries of Deep Space
http://www.pbs.org/deepspace/
If you are looking for some scientific mysteries, check out this site. From black holes to supernovas, PBS examines the unexplained facets of the universe.

Spine Tingling Mysteries for Young People
http://www.slco.lib.ut.us/mystery-list-yp.htm
Looking for a good book? This web page provides an informative bibliography of sping tingling mysteries for young people selected by Carrie Kelley, a librarian at Sandy Library.