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This is a fictional story that revolves around discovering secrets or solving crimes. This is a genre of fiction that deals with the solution of a crime or the unraveling of secrets. Typically involves anything that is kept secret or remains unexplained/unknown.

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-Has a conflict/crime to be solved
-A main character that may be the "detective" that must solve a mystery
-Involves suspects and other characters with motives
-Contains suspense!
-Usually has a "red herring"
-Author will foreshadow and leave clues for the reader

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1. Detective Novels- These novels typically revolve around a detective who is investigating a crime or solving a mystery/puzzle case.
2. Cozy Mystery Novels- Detective novels that contain no violence and no profanity. The detective usually use their own intelligence and intellect, instead of police or others.
3. Caper Novels- Mystery stories told from the criminal's point of view
4. Police Procedural Novels- These mystery novels involve a protagonist who is a member of the police force.

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For this lesson plan, students will be introduced to this genre and explore all of the elements involved. They will be identifying the main components in a mystery such as the plot, vocabulary, etc. (Grades 3-5)

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Preinstructional Planning
Students will:

Identify the main "ingredients" in a typical mystery, including common characters and plot structure

Define vocabulary that appears regularly in mysteries

Use a mystery story map to organize the elements of a mystery

Mystery picture books

The Detective's Dictionary Vocabulary List printable

Ingredients for a Mystery Checklist printable

Reading Detective Suspect List Worksheet printable

Reading Detective Case Report Worksheet printable

Whiteboard or chart paper and markers

Optional: Computer with Internet access (if you choose to use mini-mysteries from the suggested websites on Day 2)

Optional: Detective Words Mystery Memory Game printable

Optional: Scissors

Optional: Laminating materials

1. Select and pre-read a few picture book mysteries. For suggested titles, see my Books to Support a Mystery Genre Study book list.

2. Preview and print an online "Solve-It" mini-mystery referenced in Day 2 of the lesson.

3. Make copies of the Ingredients for a Mystery Checklist printable, Reading Detective Case Report Worksheet printable, Reading Detective Suspect List Worksheet printable, and The Detective's Dictionary Vocabulary List printable.

4. Optional: Copy the Detective Words Mystery Memory Game printable on card stock. Make enough copies for every two students in your class. Cut out the cards and store them in matching sets. I laminate the cards for future use.

5. Optional: Create a mystery-themed bulletin board in your classroom to display the definitions of important mystery words and copies of important handouts.

Day 1: What Is a Mystery?

Step 1: Ask students, "What is a mystery?" List their responses on the whiteboard or a sheet of chart paper.

Step 2: Underline words in their responses that are found on the The Detective's Dictionary Vocabulary List printable. Explain to students that all mysteries contain important vocabulary words that students must learn before they begin studying the mystery genre.

Step 3: Using the Detective's Dictionary Handout printable, go through each vocabulary word one at a time asking students to give their own definition of the word. After one or two students give their own definition, reveal the correct definition. I make small posters that state the definition of each word. As I reveal the definition to my class, I hang the poster on a mystery-themed bulletin board in my classroom, as shown in the photo at left, that will remain intact throughout the Mystery Genre Study.

Optional: Have students play the Detective Words Mystery Memory Game with a partner. Print multiple copies of the game cards on card stock. Make enough copies for your students to play the game with a partner. The rules are just like the standard memory game in which students take turns turning over cards and matching the detective words to the correct definition.

Day 2: Recipe for a Mystery

Step 1: Explain to students that most mysteries are made up of the same "ingredients," or story elements.

Step 2: Pass out the Ingredients of a Mystery Checklist. Go over the checklist to make sure that students understand all of the story elements on the checklist.

Step 3: Tell students that you will be reading a mystery aloud to the class. Explain to the students that they will be revisiting the checklist after you read the mystery to determine if the mystery included the items on the checklist.

Step 4: Read a short mystery aloud to the class, and invite the class to solve the mystery. (I have found these " Solve-It Mysteries" to be perfect for this activity. You can also choose a picture book from my recommended book list, Books to Support a Mystery Genre Study.)

Step 5: After solving the mystery, return to the Ingredients for a Mystery Checklist printable. As a class, go through the checklist, checking off the parts that were in the mystery you read to the class. Emphasize the ideas that these ingredients can be found in every mystery they read.

Step 6: Add this checklist to your mystery-themed bulletin board so that you can refer to it as you continue to read mysteries in the class.

Day 3: Keeping a Suspect List

Step 1: Explain to students that reading a mystery is like being a detective. When solving a case, detectives often consider many suspects before they can finally determine who committed the crime. To keep track of the suspects, it is important that they collect information about each suspect.

Step 2: Display a copy of the Suspect List printable. Go over the worksheet with your students and explain to them that they will use this worksheet to keep track of the suspects in the mystery you will be reading to the class.

Step 3: Read aloud another short mystery to your class.

Step 4: After reading the mystery, use the Suspect List printable to record the suspects that your students think could have committed the crime in the story. Make sure that students can give you a reason why a character is a suspect. (This is what is to be recorded in the second column on the worksheet.)

Step 5: You may want to do this activity with multiple short mysteries over the next few days so that students will be comfortable maintaining a Suspect List on their own in Reading Detectives Lesson Plan printable the second lesson in the Exploring the Mystery Genre Unit Plan.

Step 6: Add the completed Suspect List printable to your mystery-themed bulletin board for students to use as a reference when completing their own reports in the future.

Day 4: Mystery Story Map

Step 1: Explain to students that detectives must complete a case report after a mystery has been solved to show how the information they collected helped them crack the case.

Step 2: Display the Detective's Case Report printable. (Point out that this may be similar to other story maps that they have used, but this one is specific to the mystery genre.) Go over each story element on the worksheet.

Step 3: Using a mystery that you have previously read aloud to the class, complete the Detective's Case Report printable with the help of your students.

Step 4: You may want to do this activity with another short mystery over the next couple days so that students will be comfortable completing a Detective's Case Report printable independently when reading a chapter book mystery in Lesson 2: Reading Detectives.

Step 5: Add the completed Detective's Case Report to your mystery-themed bulletin board for students to use as a reference when completing their own case reports in the future.

Since all activities in this lesson are completed as a class, it is easy to support all learners. Be sure not to rush through the activities you are modeling so that all students thoroughly understand each activity and will be able to do the worksheets on their own at a later date. Don't hesitate to repeat an activity if you feel that your class needs more practice.

Invite a local police officer to talk to students about solving real cases in the community. Oftentimes, police officers can teach students about fingerprints, DNA, and other clues they collect to solve crimes. You can also visit the FBI for Kids website.

In my weekly newsletter, I always let parents know exactly what we are studying each week. During the Mystery Genre study, I encourage parents to read mysteries with their children at home, and I send home a copy of the mystery vocabulary for students to study. If you have parents who are police officers or who are involved in investigating crimes, you can even invite them to talk to your class.

Are students beginning to use and understand the mystery vocabulary?

Do I need to re-teach any of the lessons from Days 1-4 to help students better understand how to complete the worksheets?

Were students able to gather clues and solve the mysteries I read aloud?

Are students excited about the mystery genre?

Since most activities in this lesson are completed as a class, your assessment will be informal. You will assess the class collectively to determine how well students understand the concepts and if they are using the clues from the stories to solve the mysteries. You could also create a vocabulary quiz to test the students' knowledge of the vocabulary on the Detective's Dictionary printable.

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Ingredients of a Mystery Lesson Plan | Scholastic

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Preinstructional Planning Students will: Identify the main "ingredients" in a typical mystery, including common characters and plot structure Define vocabulary that appears regularly in mysteries Use a mystery story map to organize the elements of a mystery Mystery picture books The Detective's Dictionary Vocabulary List printable Ingredients for a Mystery

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Students will create a mystery of their own containing all of the elements involved such as a setting, a crime/problem, suspects, etc. This lesson will help demonstrate their knowledge of the elements in a mystery story. (Grades 3-5)

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Preinstructional Planning

Lined paper and pencils

Planning Your Mystery Worksheet printable

Ingredients for a Mystery Checklist printable

Materials for publishing a final book (bordered paper, blank books, etc.)

Optional: Hardcover blank books

1. Copy a class set of the Planning Your Mystery Worksheet printable for Part 1.

2. Copy a class set of the Ingredients for a Mystery Checklist printable for Part 3.

3. Optional: Find parent volunteers willing to type the final copies of the students' mysteries to cut down on the publishing time in class.

4. Optional: If you plan to have your students publish their mystery stories in hardcover blank books, you should order the books prior to starting the mystery unit to ensure you'll have them in time.

Part 1: The Mystery Planning Sheet

By this time, students have listened to and read many mysteries, so they should be very familiar with the common story elements that appear in the majority of stories that can be categorized as a mystery. Over the next few days, you will be taking students through each step of the Planning Your Mystery Worksheet printable so that students can map out their own mysteries one step at a time.
Step 1: Choose a Setting

Read aloud the description of a setting on the Planning Your Mystery Worksheet.

Make a list of settings from mysteries that students have read during this mystery unit or prior to the mystery genre study in class. Encourage students to think about popular mystery series including Encyclopedia Brown, A to Z Mysteries, Boxcar Children, Cam Jansen, Jigsaw Jones, etc.

Have students choose a setting from the list or come up with one on their own. Encourage students to personalize their setting by giving it a name if it is a school, a town, a store, etc.

Have students record their setting in the "What Is Your Setting?" section on their Planning Your Mystery Worksheet and describe the setting in detail.

Ask for volunteers to share their setting with the class. It is often helpful for students who are having hard time coming up with a setting on their own to hear ideas from their peers.

Step 2: Determine the Problem in the Mystery

Read aloud the section of the Planning Your Mystery Worksheet that describes the problem component of a mystery.

Make a list of problems students have come across in mysteries they have read in class or independently. Again, encourage students to think about popular mystery series.

Have students choose a category for the type of problem they will be including in their own story. Categories include:

An event that cannot be explained

A secret

Something that is lost or missing

A crime or prank that has been committed

Ask students to describe their problem in detail in the "What Is Your Problem?" section on their Planning Your Mystery Worksheet.

Allow volunteers to share their problem with the class. This often sparks ideas for students who are struggling to determine a problem on their own.

Step 3: Create Your Suspects

Read aloud the section of the Planning Your Mystery Worksheet that explains the rules for creating suspects.

Refer back to a short mystery you read aloud in class during Lesson 1: Ingredients of a Mystery to remind students how authors include multiple suspicious characters in a mystery so the mystery is not easily solved.

Have students revisit the problem they will be developing in their story and think about what type of characters could be created that would have something to do with the problem. For instance, if a student author decides to write a story about stolen money at a school fair, suspects might include the president of the student council who helped plan the fair, the janitor who locked up the money after the fair was over, or the student who kept talking about how he didn't have enough money to buy a present for his teacher for Christmas.

Divide students into groups of three or four. Have each student share the problem they plan to include in their story with the member so their group. Ask group members help each other brainstorm possible suspects for each student's' problem. Note: I am very careful when creating these groups. I make sure that students I think might struggle to come up with ideas are grouped with my students who are able to think more deeply about a story and give helpful advice to the struggling writers.

After students have met with other students in the class, have them complete the "Who Are Your Suspects?" section of the Planning Your Mystery Worksheet. Remind students that they must include both the name of the suspect and why he or she is suspicious. What would be his or her motive for committing the crime?

Step 4: Decide Who Will Be the Detective and What Will Be Clues

Read aloud the section of the Planning Your Mystery Worksheet that explains the rules for creating a detective for the mystery.

Make a list of detectives from mysteries that students have read during this mystery unit or prior to the mystery genre study in class.

Have students decide the following things:

Will my detective be an adult or a kid? How old is my detective?

Will my detective be a boy or a girl?

Will my detective have a sidekick or a group of friends who help solve the case?

What name will I give my detective?

What will my detective look like?

What type of personality will my detective have?

Where will my detective live?

Once students think about the information listed above, have them fill out the "Who Is Your Detective?" section of the Planning Your Mystery Worksheet.

Ask for volunteers to share their descriptions of the detectives they plan to create in their stories.

After students have met with other students in the class, have them complete the "What Are the Clues in Your Story?" section of the Planning Your Mystery Worksheet. Remind students that some of the clues can lead the reader off track (red herrings), but the author must provide some clues that do help the reader actually solve the crime.

Step 5: Plan a Sequence of Events

Using a short mystery that you read aloud to the class in Lesson 1: Ingredients of a Mystery, work as a class to put the main events in the order they occurred in the story in the "Sequence of Events" section of the example Planning Your Mystery Worksheet.

Now ask students to brainstorm the main events that will happen in their own mystery by completing the "Sequence of Events" section on their own Planning Your Mystery Worksheet. Remind them that they are not writing the entire story on the planning sheet; they are just giving a brief overview of the main events.

Part 2: Drafting the Mystery

Once students have completed the plan for their mystery, they will begin writing it in the form of a story. In Lesson 1: Ingredients of a Mystery, students learned that the "Recipe for a Mystery" includes a clear beginning, middle, and end. Take students through the following steps to turn their plan into a complete story.
Step 1: The Beginning
In this section, the characters are introduced and the reader learns the mystery. Encourage students to be very descriptive when describing the main characters. A lesson about describing a character's appearance can be a separate mini-lesson.
Step 2: The Middle
In this section, the detective(s) work to solve the mystery by interviewing suspects and gathering clues. Have students refer back to their planning sheets to review the sequence of events, the main suspects, and the clues they decided to include in their story.
Step 3: The End
In this section, the mystery is solved. Remind students that they should include some evidence in this section to prove who committed the crime.

Part 3: Writing Teams

Step 1: Assign students to writing teams with whom they will share their story and from whom they will receive feedback. Remind students that being part of a team means that you support your teammates and provide them with help when necessary.

Step 2: While in their writing teams, each author should get a chance to read aloud his or her story while the others listen.

Step 3: After the story is read, the team should use the Ingredients for a Mystery Checklist that was introduced in Lesson 1 to make sure the author included all necessary story elements in his or her mystery.

Optional: I also ask members of the team to give one compliment and one suggestion for the author after they finish the checklist.

Step 4: After all authors have shared their mysteries, provide time for students to make any corrections or improvements to their story that they feel are necessary based on the meeting with their writing team.

Step 5: Students should also edit the story for spelling, grammar, and punctuation with the help of the teacher, parent editors, or peer editors.

Part 4: Publishing the Mysteries

Once students have written the final drafts of their stories, decide how each story will be published. You may want to arrange to have parents type the final copies to cut down on the publishing time in class if you want the stories to be typed. Choose from the publishing options below or use one of your own.

Order blank hardcover books. Have each student paste his or her typed story on the pages inside or write the story by hand on the pages. Encourage students to illustrate the cover and the pages.

Use old newspapers to cover the front and back covers of a thin notebook. Have students paste their typed stories on the pages inside or write their story by hand on the pages. Encourage students to illustrate the pages.

Purchase thematic stationery from an office supply store or scrapbook store and print blank lines on the paper. Students can add the story to a writing portfolio or display the stories on a bulletin board for others to read.

Combine all of the stories in a class book. Send the book home with a different student each night so that parents can read all of the mysteries written by the students in your class. When the book has been sent home with all students, put it in your class library to be enjoyed by all students this year and in years to come.

Note: However you plan to publish the stories, consider adding an "About the Author" section and including a picture of the author dressed as a detective with a magnifying glass and/or other detective props.

Writing a mystery will probably not be easy for students. It requires a great deal of careful planning and higher level thinking to transform a story plan into an actual mystery. I have established a writing workshop in my classroom. This format allows for independent writing time every day. It is during this time that I conference with my writers both individually and in small groups.

As I discover the strengths and weaknesses of my writers, I plan focus groups to address common obstacles students are facing in their writing. Students can sign up for a conference, but I also make sure that I conduct individual conferences with my students who need additional support on a regular basis.

Invite parents to a "Meet the Detectives" event as described on the Exploring the Mystery Genre Unit Plan page. Even if you do not invite parents into the classroom, students can still take their published pieces home to share with their parents.

Do I need to provide additional modeling for my students when walking them through the Planning Your Mystery Worksheet?

Do I need to provide additional support for specific students?

Is this lesson to challenging for my class? If so, should we work together to write a class mystery instead?

The main piece that I use for assessment is the student's published mystery. I create a rubric that I share with the students before they begin their story to let them know what I expect. Our district also has a 6-point scoring rubric that I use to assess the 6 Traits of Writing, but you may choose to create a rubric more specific to the mystery genre.

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The Making of a Mystery Lesson Plan | Scholastic

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Preinstructional Planning Lined paper and pencils Planning Your Mystery Worksheet printable Ingredients for a Mystery Checklist printable Materials for publishing a final book (bordered paper, blank books, etc.) Optional: Hardcover blank books Copy a class set of the Planning Your Mystery Worksheet printable for Part 1.

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Students will go through the process of how to write a mystery story, using workshop. They will learn writing tips, challenges, and strategies to help them write a mystery. (Grades 6-8)

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What does it take to create a truly spooky story? In this workshop, I'll share writing tips, strategies, and challenges to help you write and publish a mystery. When you're done with my workshop, you can publish your own mystery online!

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Writing with Writers: Mystery Writing | Scholastic.com

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This learning activity helps students write a mystery step by step by following tips and suggestions from writer Joan Lowery Nixon. After reading about Nixon, students write their descriptive pieces and publish them online. A teacher's guide and booklist is included.

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For this lesson, there will be 3-5 small items from the classroom in a paper bag/shoe box. Students can come up with ideas of what is in the box without opening it and can share their ideas. Then, we will open the box and the teacher will explain it is a "box of evidence" from a crime scene. They must come up with a mystery story that involves the items from the box as clues to solve their story and mystery. (Grades k-2)

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Build a mystery around the contents of a bag of evidence.

Objectives
Students will

examine and identify the contents of a bag.

formulate a story that includes all contents of the bag.

create a logical mystery that includes the 5Ws (who, what, where, when, and why).

Keywords
mystery, writing, evidence
Materials Needed

several paper bags

common items such as pens, wrappers, receipts, and other objects

paper and pencils

Lesson Plan

Some of the most creative writing is sparked by a simple thing. This language arts activity based on common objects can be done as a whole group activity, or with students working individually, with partners, or in small groups. Preparation for the activity includes gathering many common items like pens, wrappers, and receipts. Put five objects each in several paper bags (as many as will be required for your students or their groups). Vary the contents by including things like a rubber band, a barrette, lipstick, and any other small objects that may be appropriate.

Put 3-5 small items from the classroom in a small paper bag or shoebox and pass it around the classroom. Allow students just a few moments each to imagine what might be in the container without opening it. When the items reach the last student, collect the container. Invite the students to share their ideas about the container's contents. Then open it and discuss each item. Have the students help you tell the story of the objects. Where did each object come from? Who owns it?

If desired, place students in groups or allow them to choose partners. Distribute a bag to each student or group. Explain that this is a "bag of evidence" from a crime scene. The students' job is to write a mystery story that includes the objects as "clues" to solve the mystery. Each story must follow a logical pattern and address the questions who, what, where, when, and why.

Extension Activity
Create "radio mysteries" by having students read and record their work. These will be even more effective if students write their papers in play form.

Assessment

Have students read their stories to the class and collect their work. Listeners can note the answers to the 5Ws for each story read. Evaluate the written work according to classroom writing expectations.

Lesson Plan Source

Education World

Submitted By

Cara Bafile

National Standards
LANGUAGE ARTS: English
Click to return to this week's Lesson Planning article, It's a Mystery!

Originally published 02/14/2003
Last updated 10/12/2010

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Build a mystery around the contents of a bag of evidence. Objectives Students will examine and identify the contents of a bag. formulate a story that includes all contents of the bag. create a logical mystery that includes the 5Ws (who, what, where, when, and why).

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Students will get to experiment with fingerprints and identify patterns of fingerprints. You can create a mystery involved with your classroom and fingerprints; students will experiment and be able to identify the culprit among them. (Grades 3-5 or 6-8)

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Brief Description

Experiment with fingerprinting and analyze evidence to solve a classroom crime!

Objectives

Students will

use fingerprinting techniques.

identify patterns of fingerprints.

analyze fingerprints to determine pattern.

match sample prints to a set of fingerprints.

mystery, fingerprint, clue, experiment, forensics

Materials Needed

Lesson Plan

One of law enforcement's best investigative clues is the fingerprint. In this activity, students create two sets of fingerprints, analyze them, and use them to identify a culprit among them!

Secretly remove an object from the classroom and have your students look around the room to identify it. Once they have determined what has been taken, ask the students how they might go about investigating the crime to find out what happened to the object. Steer the discussion to examination of the area for fingerprints. Invite students to share what they know about taking fingerprints and how they are identified and used to solve crime.

If you choose, take the students online to the FBI Kids Web site and allow them to read the topic "About the FBI" through the fingerprint section. This is a short introduction about the bureau and its history. If you prefer, skip this online introduction but print copies of the page that contains the seven different patterns used to identify fingerprints: loop, double loop, central pocket loop, tented arch, plain arch, plain whorl, and accidental. Reserve these copies for use later in the lesson and move on to the next instruction.

Demonstrate how to create a fingerprint by rubbing the tip of a pencil over a small area on a page and placing a fingertip on it. Then press the fingertip on the sticky side of the tape and release. Put the piece of tape on plain white paper, and the fingerprint will be visible. With students working pairs, have them record two sets of their prints on the Fingered Felons Worksheet. When they have finished, instruct them to cut along the dotted line to separate the top section (Fingerprint Record) and bottom portion (Sample) of the sheet and collect the bottom section.

Using the Web site's illustrations of the fingerprint patterns online (or your printed copies), have the students identify the pattern of each of their fingers and note it on their handouts.

While students work, prepare for the next phase of the lesson. This may be done in several ways. If students are young, sort the "Sample" pages in small groups and choose one out of each group to use as the "culprit." Cut apart the fingerprints. Use a numeric code or other identifying mark on the back of the prints and cards to keep track of the materials. Label each card that you cut and its prints similarly so that you can recognize them. (For example, your first selected "culprit's" card could be labeled "1," with all prints cut and also labeled "1" on the back. The next might be labeled "2," and so on.)

When students are ready, mysteriously appear with the missing object and explain where you found it. Tell the students that you have lifted a few fingerprints from the object, and you need them to match the prints to individuals in the class. Put the students into the small groups you have organized, and distribute one print from a student in each group for them to identify.

To make the activity more challenging for older students, you may choose to remove the portion of the box around the fingerprint that tells what finger it represents. Or, collect and mix up the students' fingerprint cards (top portion of the worksheet), redistribute them randomly, and give out fingerprints that may or may not belong to the group.

If students of any age struggle with a print, you may give out a second, third, or more from a single card to enhance their chances of identifying the individual.

Groups may trade cards and mystery prints to continue the activity.

Assessment

For each fingerprint identified, have the groups of students write a brief summary that tells who they believe it belongs to, why, and its identification number from the back of the print.

Lesson Plan Source

Education World

Submitted By

Cara Bafile

National Standards

SCIENCE

Click to return to this week's Lesson Planning article, It's a Mystery!

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Brief Description Experiment with fingerprinting and analyze evidence to solve a classroom crime! Objectives Students will use fingerprinting techniques. identify patterns of fingerprints. analyze fingerprints to determine pattern. match sample prints to a set of fingerprints. mystery, fingerprint, clue, experiment, forensics Materials Needed Lesson Plan One of law enforcement's best investigative clues is the fingerprint.

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A year after losing two family members, a girl spends the summer in a small town with a Shakespeare festival.

Mom buys a summer house for herself, 12-year-old Cedar, and 8-year-old Miles in Iron Creek, where Mom grew up. It's been a year since a drunk driver killed Cedar's father and other little brother, Ben. As Cedar gets a job selling concessions at the Shakespeare festival, makes a friend named Leo, and finds herself and Miles obsessed with a morbid soap-opera arc on TV, Condie touches everything lightly but deftly with the family's grief. Leo and Cedar research-and give unauthorized tours about-a long-dead, famous actress from the town; Cedar's pulled by that research because she knows, now, that things can disappear forever. Ben was disabled (maybe autistic), and their relationship was sometimes difficult. Her relationship with Miles is stolid and understatedly touching. Details are careful and never extraneous; there's a reason it matters, at a certain moment, that "the milk was perfectly cold and the bananas not too ripe" in a bowl of cereal. Despite indicating that Cedar bonds with Leo because they're both outsiders-she as a biracial Chinese-American, he for vaguer reasons-an explanation for their friendship isn't necessary. Although Cedar's narration as a character of color is largely convincing, white is still the default for other characters unless otherwise specified. There's no monumental grief breakthrough, nor should there be: this is the realistic going on, day by day, after bereavement.

Honest, lovely, and sad. (Fiction. 10-13)

Did you like this book?

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A year after losing two family members, a girl spends the summer in a small town with a Shakespeare festival. Mom buys a summer house for herself, 12-year-old Cedar, and 8-year-old Miles in Iron Creek, where Mom grew up. It's been a year since a drunk driver killed Cedar's father and other little brother, Ben.

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It's been 42 days since the Monster Apocalypse began, and 13-year-old Jack Sullivan, a self-proclaimed "zombie-fighting, monster-slaying tornado of cool" is on a quest to find and rescue his not-so-secret crush, June Del Toro, whether she needs it, wants it, or not.

Jack cobbles together an unlikely but endearing crew, including his scientist best friend, Quint Baker; Dirk Savage, Parker Middle School's biggest bully; and a pet monster named Rover, to help him save the damsel in distress and complete the "ULTIMATE Feat of Apocalyptic Success." Middle-grade readers, particularly boys, will find Jack's pitch-perfect mix of humor, bravado, and self-professed geekiness impossible to resist. His sidekicks are equally entertaining, and it doesn't hurt that there are also plenty of oozing, drooling, sharp-toothed monsters and zombies and a host of gizmos and gadgets to hook readers and keep them cheering with every turn of the page. Holgate's illustrations play an integral role in the novel's success. They not only bring Brallier's characters to life, but also add depth and detail to the story, making plain just exactly how big Rover is and giving the lie to Jack's "killer driving." The marriage of text and illustration serves as a perfect example of what an illustrated novel can and should be.

Classic action-packed, monster-fighting fun (. (Graphic/horror hybrid. 8-12)

Did you like this book?

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A PROPERLY UNHAUNTED PLACE | Kirkus Reviews

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It's been 42 days since the Monster Apocalypse began, and 13-year-old Jack Sullivan, a self-proclaimed "zombie-fighting, monster-slaying tornado of cool" is on a quest to find and rescue his not-so-secret crush, June Del Toro, whether she needs it, wants it, or not.

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Summer is off to a terrible start for 12-year old African-American Candice Miller.

Six months after her parents' divorce, Candice and her mother leave Atlanta to spend the summer in Lambert, South Carolina, at her grandmother's old house. When her grandmother Abigail passed two years ago, in 2015, Candice and her mother struggled to move on. Now, without any friends, a computer, cellphone, or her grandmother, Candice suffers immense loneliness and boredom. When she starts rummaging through the attic and stumbles upon a box of her grandmother's belongings, she discovers an old letter that details a mysterious fortune buried in Lambert and that asks Abigail to find the treasure. After Candice befriends the shy, bookish African-American kid next door, 11-year-old Brandon Jones, the pair set off investigating the clues. Each new revelation uncovers a long history of racism and tension in the small town and how one family threatened the black/white status quo. Johnson's latest novel holds racism firmly in the light. Candice and Brandon discover the joys and terrors of the reality of being African-American in the 1950s. Without sugarcoating facts or dousing it in post-racial varnish, the narrative lets the children absorb and reflect on their shared history. The town of Lambert brims with intrigue, keeping readers entranced until the very last page.

A candid and powerful reckoning of history. (Historical mystery. 8-12)

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Summer is off to a terrible start for 12-year old African-American Candice Miller. Six months after her parents' divorce, Candice and her mother leave Atlanta to spend the summer in Lambert, South Carolina, at her grandmother's old house. When her grandmother Abigail passed two years ago, in 2015, Candice and her mother struggled to move on.

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Bear frantically and very dramatically searches for a thief who has stolen the delicious chocolate cake.

Bear is distraught that the cake, which was supposed to appear on Page 5 of his simple alphabet book, has disappeared. Bear pleads directly with readers for help in finding the thief somewhere within the book. The furry protagonist then questions suspects, barreling through the alphabet letter by letter. Even inanimate objects draw suspicion, for it's possible that the helicopter or the kite might have helped the culprit escape. Bear continues to blame everyone and everything he encounters, but most have strong alibis and witnesses. Finally he fingers Pig as his prime suspect, punishing him severely. But Octopus, Robot, and Walrus are skeptical and have noticed some anomalies. Sharp-eyed young readers will take note as well, for there are clues in plain sight from which Bear tries to divert attention. There's the empty plate on his own page, dark stains around his mouth, and several pauses for ice cream and yogurt. When confronted, he denies knowledge or tries to silence his accusers. But he is truly caught. However, his punishment actually delights him, for he must bake a new cake. Boutavant's bright, large-scale illustrations are filled with delightful details, and Bear's overwrought reactions are positively loony. This is a perfect vehicle for reading aloud or reading together over and over, with lots of opportunities for highly expressive emoting and giggles galore.

Goofy, hilarious, laugh-out-loud fun for all. (Picture book. 3-6)

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THE CASE OF THE MISSING CAKE | Kirkus Reviews

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Bear frantically and very dramatically searches for a thief who has stolen the delicious chocolate cake. Bear is distraught that the cake, which was supposed to appear on Page 5 of his simple alphabet book, has disappeared. Bear pleads directly with readers for help in finding the thief somewhere within the book.

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SOPHIE JOHNSON, UNICORN EXPERT, IS A DETEC... | Kirkus Reviews

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Unicorns aren't the only thing on which Sophie Johnson is certain she's an expert.

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A MYSTERY IN THE FOREST | Kirkus Reviews

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Deer, who has a talent for treats, tracks down a disruptive force in this Spanish import.