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Children's books and activities

Detectives and Explorers

Do you know any young sleuths, adventure-seekers, or explorers? We've gathered up a great collection of books, activities, apps, and websites for learning all about detectives and explorers.

Try pairing fiction with nonfiction books and exploring different genres [6] (like poetry and biographies) and formats (like graphic novels and audio books). You'll be creating your own "text sets" — collections of texts focused on a specific topic, such as detectives and explorers. Reading widely in this way helps children build background knowledge [7], vocabulary [8], and comprehension skills.

You might also want to explore DIY Science Camp: Archaeology [9].

Detectives and Explorers

How to explore this theme:

  • Read fiction and nonfiction books
  • Try some hands-on activities
  • Build writing skills with these fun ideas
  • Dig deeper with kid-friendly websites
  • Listen and learn with these podcasts especially for kids
  • Play and learn with mobile apps

More themed resources:

  • Growing Readers tip sheets (English & Spanish)
  • Video interviews with children’s authors
  • Washington DC for kids
  • [1]
  • [2]
  • [3]
  • [4]
  • [5]
Start with a Book is made possible with major support from the Park Foundation [10]

promo for text message tip serviceStart with a Book is made possible with generous support from the National Education Association [11]-->

Other topics to explore

  • Dinosaurs [17]
  • Geography, Travel and Cultures [18]
  • Heroes and Superheroes [19]
  • Inventions and Inventors [20]
  • Oceans, Rivers and Ponds [21]
  • Stars, Planets and the Night Sky [22]

Great Fiction & Nonfiction Books

Age Level: 3-6 years old

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""

When the lower case x from Charley's alphabet disappears, the other letters set off to find him. Young readers become detectives on the quest to find the lower case letters and will rejoice when little x finds a way to rescue his rescuers from becoming alphabet soup.

Purchase on Bookshop [28]

Purchase on Amazon [29]

Alphabet Mystery

By:
Audrey Wood

Age Level: 3-6 years old

""
Clothes on lines and a rhyming description ask readers to figure out what job the wearer might do. The first is a mail carrier who delivers to community workers until all come together for a rocket launch in a presentation with crisp illustrations on white pages and simple clues.

Purchase on Bookshop [30]

Purchase on Amazon [31]

Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do

By:
Katherine Heling
, Deborah Hembrook
Illustrated by: Andy Davies

Age Level: 3-6 years old

""

One day when Sally and her friends are playing, they notice that her dog and cat are missing. The children use map skills to explore their neighborhood and beyond to locate Sally's pets. Information and fun combine in this easy informational book.

Purchase on Bookshop [32]

Purchase on Amazon [33]

Follow That Map! A First Look at Mapping Skills

By:
Scot Ritchie

Age Level: 3-6 years old

""
The I Spy books ask readers to use their sharp eyes to solve the rhyming riddles and identify the hidden objects on each page. The masterfully composed, intricate and crisp photographs are filled with readily recognizable images, just hidden out of sight.

Purchase on Bookshop [34]

Purchase on Amazon [35]

I Spy Mystery: A Book of Picture Riddles

By:
Jean Marzollo
Illustrated by: Walter Wick

Age Level: 3-6 years old

""

The chase is on when Polo's book is stolen by a small alien. Polo, an engaging hound, pulls an amazing assortment of aids from his backpack, all leading to a satisfying conclusion. Colorful art placed in comic strip format is supported on large pages in Polo's second adventure.

Purchase on Amazon [36]

Polo: The Runaway Book

By:
Regis Faller

Age Level: 3-6 years old

""

A golden retriever with a "smart nose" is doing his job: tracking down a young child lost in the woods. The dog's narration is gentle with the child he's tracking seen in the dog's thought bubbles. Additional "dog nose facts" and advice for teachers and parents are presented after the child and parents are reunited.

Purchase on Amazon [37]

When You Wander: A Search-and-Rescue Dog Story

By:
Margarita Engle
Illustrated by: Mary Morgan

Age Level: 3-6 years old

""
All scientific inquiry begins with a question, something at which Jack is quite adept. He wonders why crackers have holes, why feet stink, why hair doesn't hurt when cut — and more. Child-like simplicity and expressive illustrations create a satisfying story that can be read on many levels — sure to generate even more inquisitiveness about children's everyday experiences.

Purchase on Bookshop [38]

Purchase on Amazon [39]

Why?

By:
Richard Torrey

Age Level: 3-6 years old

""
Is there really such a thing as a "photographic memory"? That's how Cam Jansen got her nickname — Cam is short for Camera. And she uses her amazing ability all the time to solve mysteries — this time, to find a lost tooth.

Purchase on Bookshop [40]

Purchase on Amazon [41]

Young Cam Jansen and the Lost Tooth

By:
David Adler
Illustrated by: Susanna Natti

Age Level: 3-6 years old

Age Level: 6-9 years old

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""

Private I tries to assuage 6 who just knows that 7 is coming to get him! Why? Because 7 8 9, of course! Wordplay and over-the-top humor make this satire of old detective stories sophisticated. Told with tongue in cheek language and colorful illustrations, this is a very funny tale.

Purchase on Bookshop [42]

Purchase on Amazon [43]

7 Ate 9

By:
Tara Lazar
Illustrated by: Ross MacDonald

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

When Jack and Annie don the magic baseball hats given to them by Morgan, they find themselves back in 1947 as batboys. There they learn a lot about the game, a player named Jackie Robinson, and how history was made.

Purchase on Bookshop [44]

Purchase on Amazon [45]

A Big Day for Baseball

By:
Mary Pope Osborne

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""
Ace Lacewing — whose business is bad bugs — narrates the saga of how he and his trusty sidekick and girlfriend foil the plot to overturn Queenie Bee. The exaggerated illustrations combine with staccato, pun-filled language to create this funny parody of detective stories.

Purchase on Amazon [46]

Ace Lacewing: Bug Detective

By:
David Biedrzycki

Age Level: 6-9 years old

cover of "Archeologists Dig for Clues" showing kids looking at a dig grid map

Archaeologists on a dig work very much like detectives at a crime scene. Every chipped rock, charred seed, or fossilized bone could be a clue to how people lived in the past. In this information-packed Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science book, Kate Duke explains what scientists are looking for, how they find it, and what their finds reveal.

Purchase on Bookshop [47]

Purchase on Amazon [48]

Archaeologists Dig for Clues

By:
Kate Duke

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

Follow three long ago adventurers who traveled around the world by bike, by herself, and on a sloop. The graphic novel format brings their adventures to life.

Purchase on Bookshop [49]

Purchase on Amazon [50]

Around the World: Three Remarkable Journeys

By:
Matt Phelan

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

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.)

Purchase on Bookshop [51]

Purchase on Amazon [52]

Baby Monkey, Private Eye

By:
Brian Selznick
, David Serlin

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""
Even as a child, Barnum Brown started collecting fossils. This boy from Carbondale, Kansas, grew up to be one of the 20th century's premier dinosaur hunters. He provided the American Museum of Natural History in NYC with its first tyrannosaurus Rex and more. Illustrations add wit to the informal telling; an author's note rounds out the presentation.

Purchase on Bookshop [53]

Purchase on Amazon [54]

Barnum's Bones: How Barnum Brown Discovered the Most Famous Dinosaur in the World

By:
Tracey Fern
Illustrated by: Boris Kulikov

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

Jack leaves the comfort of his aunt's Boston home lured west by the California Gold Rush. Accompanied by his aunt's British butler, Praiseworthy and Jack find not just riches to save his aunt but lots of memorable characters and lots of adventure.

Purchase on Bookshop [55]

Purchase on Amazon [56]

By the Great Horn Spoon!

By:
Sid Fleischman

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

Cam (short for "Camera") uses her photographic memory to help solve the theft of the cans and bottles to be recycled to earn money for her school. This installment in the gentle mystery series features a particularly timely topic.

Purchase on Amazon [57]

Cam Jansen and the Green School Mystery

By:
David Adler
Illustrated by: Joy Allen

Age Level: 6-9 years old

illustrated cover of Chasing Vermeer showing a boy holding a flashlight and a woman inside a museum.

As mysterious things happen in and around their Chicago school, Petra and Calder use their knowledge of the painter Vermeer, their intuition, and their problem solving skills to retrieve a stolen painting. The book's Illustrations contain clues that are revealed only upon close (and multiple) examinations. This quirky mystery is sure to please fans of E.L. Konigsburg's From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

Purchase on Amazon [58]

Chasing Vermeer

By:
Blue Balliett
Illustrated by: Brett Helquist

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

Chet Gecko is a sassy, wisecracking fourth-grade detective. Along with Natalie Attired, his mockingbird sidekick, he solves the many mysteries that plague Emerson Hicky Elementary. Each pun-filled novel introduces new silliness to this Sam Spade-esque series.

Purchase on Amazon [59]

Chet Gecko, Private Eye Series

By:
Bruce Hale

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""
Ellen Prentiss "was born with saltwater in her veins" whose father taught her to sail and navigate on his trading schooner. When she married a man who also loved the sea, Ellen's tenacity, her ability to read the sea and dare the win allowed them to sail from New York to San Francisco in 1851 in record-breaking time. A brief note about Ellen includes source notes.

Purchase on Amazon [60]

Dare the Wind: The Record-breaking Voyage of Eleanor Prentiss and the Flying Cloud

By:
Tracey Fern
Illustrated by: Emily Arnold McCully

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""
Ike LaRue, famous correspondent (introduced in Dear Mrs. LaRue) known by readers as a four-legged letter writer with a flair for exaggeration now turns to solving the mysterious disappearance of neighborhood cats.

Purchase on Amazon [61]

Detective LaRue: Letters from the Investigation

By:
Mark Teague

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

Boy detective Encyclopedia Brown is the fifth-grade mastermind behind Idaville's police force, "a complete library walking around in sneakers." Each book is set up so that readers can try to solve the case along with the boy genius, and the answers to all the mysteries are found in the back.

Purchase on Amazon [62]

Encyclopedia Brown Series

By:
Donald Sobol

Age Level: 6-9 years old

cover of "Flotsam" showing a fish's eye
A bright, science-minded boy goes to the beach equipped to collect and examine flotsam — anything floating that has been washed ashore. Bottles, lost toys, small objects of every description are among his usual finds. But there's no way he could have prepared for one particular discovery: a barnacle-encrusted underwater camera, with its own secrets to share … and to keep. [Amazon review]

Purchase on Bookshop [63]

Purchase on Amazon [64]

Flotsam

By:
David Wiesner

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""
Slide back to 1897 with Mattie, Alex, and Sophie where they meet a young writer named Jack London who might be involved in the mystery of a stolen dog. Before the children return to their own time, they learn about life during the Yukon Gold Rush in this highly readable fantasy.

Purchase on Amazon [65]

Gold in the Hills: A Tale of the Klondike Gold Rush

By:
Candice Ransom
Illustrated by: Greg Call

Age Level: 6-9 years old

Offley is a vibrant street where a delightful white mouse named Hermelin lives and narrates his story. Using an old manual typewriter, Hermelin shares how he solves mysteries and even saves a baby – and ultimately finds a human friend and partner. Humor abounds in the clever illustration and narrative in Hermelin’s appealing saga.

Purchase on Amazon [66]

Hermelin the Detective Mouse

By:
Mini Grey

Age Level: 6-9 years old

cover of "How the Sphinx Got to the Museum" showing stages of the journey

The history of the Hatshepsut sphinx: from its carving in ancient Egypt to its arrival in the hallowed halls of New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Readers will meet art movers, curators, conservators, riggers, registrars, retouchers, and more in this lively picture book for young Egyptologists.

Purchase on Amazon [67]

How the Sphinx Got to the Museum

By:
Jessie Hartland

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

As the sky grays and the leaves swirl by in a "green blizzard," two young boys and their parents share a cozy supper by the fireplace. The next morning, the boys discover that a big elm tree now lies stretched across their neighbor's yard. The old tree becomes the vehicle that whisks the pair to adventure, as they explore exotic jungles, confront pirates on the high seas, and travel to the stars.

Purchase on Amazon [68]

Hurricane

By:
David Wiesner
Illustrated by: David Wiesner

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

Julian narrates the story of how he, his little brother Huey and best friend Gloria become "crimebusters", save a dog named Crumbles, meet the Food Wizard and more. Enjoy the mysterious and silly adventures of three unlikely heroes as they solve everyday problems.

Purchase on Bookshop [69]

Purchase on Amazon [70]

Julian, Secret Agent

By:
Ann Cameron
Illustrated by: Diane Allison

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

Matthew Henson, the African American who accompanied Robert Peary on an expedition to the North Pole in the early 20th century, required both stamina and bravery. The man and his times are introduced here.

Purchase on Bookshop [71]

Purchase on Amazon [72]

Keep On! The Story of Matthew Henson

By:
Deborah Hopkinson
Illustrated by: Stephen Alcorn

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

Kayla is a human girl who solves mysteries with a bit of help from her dog, King. Together they figure out who has sent Kayla and her friend, Mason, the same anonymous coded letter. King may use his nose to help solve the mystery, but it is Kayla and Mason who break the code! A likeable new series for newly independent reader is accompanied by cheery illustrations.

Purchase on Bookshop [73]

Purchase on Amazon [74]

King & Kayla and the Case of the Secret Code

By:
Dori Hillestad Butler
Illustrated by: Nancy Meyers

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

Three pairs of siblings, sent to a summer camp that helps brothers and sisters get along, must unite to overcome an adversary at Camp Happy Harmony. The mystery unfolds through letters, memos, Post-It notes and delightful illustrations in this offbeat story with puzzle-like appeal.

Purchase on Bookshop [75]

Purchase on Amazon [76]

Letters from Camp: A Mystery

By:
Kate Klise
Illustrated by: M. Sarah Klise

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

Melonhead and his friend Sam go undercover thinking that they have identified a notorious fugitive sought by the FBI in this contemporary and funny adventure.

Purchase on Amazon [77]

Melonhead and the Undercover Operation

By:
Katy Kelly
Illustrated by: Gillian Johnson

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

Author/illustrator and self-taught naturalist Jim Arnosky introduces mysteries that surround unknown animals: "cryptozoology." Dramatic illustrations combine with an informative, engaging text to present a range of land and water creatures, starting with ocean giants, sharks, and squids.

Purchase on Amazon [78]

Monster Hunt: Exploring Mysterious Creatures

By:
Jim Arnosky

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

Relive the journey of the Apollo 11 where the first people stepped on the moon's surface and saw Earth from a very different perspective. Eloquent language and illustrations combine to present this historical event in a unique, unforgettable way.

Purchase on Amazon [79]

Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11

By:
Brian Floca

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""
Ruth Harkness continued her husband's work after his death. She traveled alone to China alone, unusual for a woman in the 1930s. She found an abandoned panda cub, brought it back to the United States to begin "panda-monium." Handsome illustrations evoke the period and places of Mrs. Harkness' travel. An author's note provides more information.

Purchase on Bookshop [80]

Purchase on Amazon [81]

Mrs. Harkness and the Panda

By:
Alicia Porter
Illustrated by: Melissa Sweet

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

Meet Nate the Great, the neighborhood detective. He's just finishing up breakfast (pancakes, of course) when his friend Annie calls, asking his help to find a missing painting. Can Nate's keen powers of observation and deductive reasoning save the day?

Purchase on Bookshop [82]

Purchase on Amazon [83]

Nate the Great

By:
Marjorie Weinman Sharmat

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""
Matt and his twin sister, Bibi accompany their scientist parents to Peru where they stumble into an archaeological adventure. They ride their guanaco (a cousin to the llama), decode the patterns on the poncho, and find the mysterious lost city of Quwi! A note to adults suggests additional patterning activities.

Purchase on Amazon [84]

Patterns in Peru: An Adventure in Patterning

By:
Cindy Neuschwander
Illustrated by: Bryan Langdo

Age Level: 6-9 years old

cover of "Seeker of Knowledge" showing man looking at hieroglyphics

In 1802, when Champollion was eleven years old, he vowed to be the first person to read Egypt's ancient hieroglyphs. He faced great challenges over the next twenty years as he searched for the elusive key to the mysterious writing.

Purchase on Amazon [85]

Seeker of Knowledge: The Man Who Deciphered Egyptian Hieroglyphs

By:
James Rumford

Age Level: 6-9 years old

 A bilingual picture book biography of Peruvian archaeologist and national icon Julio C. Tello, who unearthed Peru's ancient cultures and fostered pride in the country's Indigenous history.

Purchase on Bookshop [86]

Purchase on Amazon [87]

Sharuko: El Arqueólogo Peruano Julio C. Tello / Peruvian Archaeologist Julio C. Tello

By:
Monica Brown
Illustrated by: Elisa Chavarri

Age Level: 6-9 years old

Explore the many ways specific dogs put their super sniffing ability to use: from bedbug sniffers to explosive detectors to life-saving allergy detectors...and more.

Purchase on Bookshop [88]

Purchase on Amazon [89]

Super Sniffers: Dog Detectives On the Job

By:
Dorothy Hinshaw Hinshaw Patent

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny used to live alone in a boxcar. Now they have a home with heir grandfather and are spending a vacation traveling down the river on a houseboat. Throughout their journey, the Boxcar Children have the feeling they're being watched. Little do they know, someone is looking for something on their houseboat — and he'll stop at nothing until he gets it.

Purchase on Bookshop [90]

Purchase on Amazon [91]

The Boxcar Children: Houseboat Mystery

By:
Gertrude Chandler Warner

Age Level: 6-9 years old

photo cover of The Buzz on Bees showing bee against blue sky

Bees have been around for over 65 million years but have been in decline since early in the 21st century. This scientific mystery is better appreciated with a clearer understanding of the importance of these flying insects to humans. Mystery and background information are presented in handsome photographs and lucid text. Suggested activities are doable as is finding out more from recommended resources.

Purchase on Amazon [92]

The Buzz on Bees: Why Are They Disappearing?

By:
Shelly Rotner
, Anne Woodhull

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

Mike and Kate are back to solve a new mystery. This one is in the Nation’s Capital, where the brother of the president plays baseball for the Nationals. And someone is snitching the team’s equipment. The popular series presents another temperate mystery especially for baseball fans.

Purchase on Bookshop [93]

Purchase on Amazon [94]

The Capital Catch (Ballpark Mysteries)

By:
David A. Kelly
Illustrated by: Mark Meyers

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

This interactive guide takes you on a room-by-room tour of a natural history museum.You can open the specimen drawer filled with fossils, look at specimen slides through the microscope, and try these interactive features: a pop-up fossil finds map, a dinosaur time line, and a sliding chart that allows you to compare the size of dinosaurs with modern animals.

Purchase on Bookshop [95]

Purchase on Amazon [96]

The Dinosaur Museum

By:
National Geographic
Illustrated by: Sebastian Quigley

Age Level: 6-9 years old

illustrated cover of The Great Art Caper showing splattered paint and a hamster with a paint brush

GW, the hamster enjoys his evenings with his animal friends and is even beginning to like the second graders with whom he shares the room during the day. It is up to GW and his friends save the art show from the dastardly plot of mouse Harriet and her minions in this amusing, short graphic novel. A new story in the Pets on the Loose series.

Purchase on Bookshop [97]

Purchase on Amazon [98]

The Great Art Caper

By:
Victoria Jamieson

Age Level: 6-9 years old

illustrated cover of "The Museum Book" showing the front of a columned building
People have kept old and interesting things for a long, long time — in fact, Princess Bel-Shati Nannar in 550 BC kept her collections in what she called a museum. Read about unusual and interesting collections housed in museums in this gripping, informative, and highly readable book.

Purchase on Bookshop [99]

Purchase on Amazon [100]

The Museum Book: A Guide to Strange and Wonderful Collections

By:
Jan Mark
Illustrated by: Richard Holland

Age Level: 6-9 years old

illustrated cover of The Secret Cave showing person holding lantern as they enter a cave.

While looking for gold, four French boys accidentally discovered what was to be considered the best preserved and most famous prehistoric art. How the Lascaux cave was found is presented here in rich watercolors and stimulating text. The author's note provides additional information as well as a photograph of the discoverers.

Purchase on Amazon [101]

The Secret Cave: Discovering Lascaux

By:
Emily Arnold McCully

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

Sophisticated young scientists will enjoy dipping in and out of this funny but edifying compendium of science. Topics range from paleontology to astronomy with lots of ways to get involved (some requiring adult help). The comic format and brief information are appealing and sure to amaze and engage.

Purchase on Amazon [102]

The Stunning Science of Everything: Science with the Squishy Bits Left In

By:
Nick Arnold
, Tony De Saulles

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

Friends and amateur detectives Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose set out to help their friend whose money for a new dinosaur museum has been stolen. Who could have gotten into the life-sized Tyrone the Tyrannosaurus and why?

Purchase on Bookshop [103]

Purchase on Amazon [104]

The Talking T. Rex (An A to Z Mystery)

By:
Ron Roy
Illustrated by: Jon Steven Gurney

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

Exploring its history, geography, climate, and culture, this unique book takes readers on the ultimate adventure of climbing Mount Everest.

Purchase on Amazon [105]

The Top of the World: Climbing Mount Everest

By:
Steve Jenkins

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""
Go inside Wrigley Field where the Chicago Cubs play baseball with Mike and Katie as they solve the mystery of the missing ivy. Baseball aficionados and those who like a mystery are sure to enjoy this latest installment in an easier to read, baseball- themed mystery series.

Purchase on Bookshop [106]

Purchase on Amazon [107]

The Wrigley Riddle

By:
David Kelly

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""
Young Charles Darwin's voyages on the Beagle are presented in meticulously detailed (and documented) illustrations and text in an accessible but sophisticated format. Art and readable narrative combine seamlessly for a look at the individual and the information his work revealed.

Purchase on Bookshop [108]

Purchase on Amazon [109]

What Darwin Saw: The Journey that Changed the World

By:
Rosalyn Schanzer

Age Level: 6-9 years old

Age Level: 9-12 years old

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cover of Archaeolo for Kids showing images including the Spinx and hieroglyphics.

This activity book features 25 projects such as building a screen for sifting dirt at a dig, tracking soil age by color, counting tree rings to date a find, fashioning a stone-age tool, and “reading” objects excavated in your own backyard. Learn about human history and the science that brings it back to life.

Purchase on Bookshop [110]

Purchase on Amazon [111]

Archaeology for Kids

By:
Richard Panchyk

Age Level: 9-12 years old

In this graphic novel, learn all about the history of paleontology! This fascinating look at dinosaur science covers the last 150 years of dinosaur hunting, and illuminates how our ideas about dinosaurs have changed, and continue to change.

Purchase on Bookshop [112]

Purchase on Amazon [113]

Dinosaurs: Fossils and Feathers (Science Comics Series)

By:
MK Reed
Illustrated by: Joe Flood

Age Level: 9-12 years old

illustrated cover of Exploring Space showing a space rover.

From the ancient astronomers to the latest ideas about building a space elevator to make settlement possible on Mars. Warm-hued, fine-lined pictures use cutaways to show the inner workings of rockets, space suits, interstellar craft and an imagined settlement under the rosy soil of Mars.

Purchase on Bookshop [114]

Purchase on Amazon [115]

Exploring Space: From Galileo to the Mars Rover and Beyond

By:
Martin Jenkins
Illustrated by: Stephen Biesty

Age Level: 9-12 years old

""

Noah's dad is sure that the owner of the Coral Queen casino boat is flushing raw sewage into the harbor — which has made taking a dip at the local beach like swimming in a toilet. He can't prove it though, and so he decides that sinking the boat will make an effective statement, and he ends up the local lock-up. Now Noah is determined to succeed where his dad failed. He will prove that the Coral Queen is dumping illegally ... somehow.

Purchase on Bookshop [116]

Purchase on Amazon [117]

Flush

By:
Carl Hiaasen

Age Level: 9-12 years old

""

Welcome to the museum! Discover a collection of curated objects on every page, accompanied by informative text. Each chapter features a different ancient civilization, from the Silla dynasty of Korea to Africa, South America, Polynesia, Greece, Rome, and Egypt — and cultures everywhere in between.

Purchase on Bookshop [118]

Purchase on Amazon [119]

Historium: Welcome to the Museum

By:
Jo Nelson
Illustrated by: Richard Wilkinson

Age Level: 9-12 years old

A homing pigeon teams up with a parrot and their humans to investigate an animal crime spree in this action-packed, illustrated detective story

Purchase on Bookshop [120]

Purchase on Amazon [121]

Homer on the Case

By:
Henry Cole

Age Level: 9-12 years old

""

The Lewis and Clark expedition was well-documented by the explorers themselves; their travels and revelations have been compressed and illustrated for a thorough, informative, and fully sourced look at this momentous journey.

Purchase on Bookshop [122]

Purchase on Amazon [123]

How We Crossed the West: The Adventures of Lewis and Clark

By:
Rosalyn Schanzer

Age Level: 9-12 years old

""

Matthew Henson, an African American explorer, accompanied Robert Peary to the North Pole where together they placed a flag. The courage and perseverance of this remarkable man is revealed through his voice and luminous illustrations.

Purchase on Amazon [124]

I, Matthew Henson: Polar Explorer

By:
Carole Boston Weatherford
Illustrated by: Eric Velasquez

Age Level: 9-12 years old

cover of "If Stones Could Speak" showing a photo of Stonehenge

No matter how much is known, there's always more to learn. In a fascinating re-examination of Stonehenge and recent discoveries, readers are introduced to new interpretations and thinking.

Purchase on Bookshop [125]

Purchase on Amazon [126]

If Stones Could Speak: Unlocking the Secrets of Stonehenge

By:
Marc Aronson

Age Level: 9-12 years old

Illustrated cover of Lost In Outer Space showing spaceship and debris in space.

From "Houston, we've had a problem" to the final tense moments at Mission Control, Lost in Outer Space takes readers on the unbelievable journey of Apollo 13 and inside the minds of its famous and heroic astronauts.

Purchase on Bookshop [127]

Purchase on Amazon [128]

Lost in Outer Space: The Incredible Journey of Apollo 13

By:
Tod Olson

Age Level: 9-12 years old

""
Nine-year-old Steven has a quadrillion-dollar bill. Agent Fondoo and the U.S. Treasury Department want it. Enjoy the mystery, action, and humor in this first title featuring the Flint Future Detectives Club.

Purchase on Bookshop [129]

Purchase on Amazon [130]

Mr. Chickee's Funny Money

By:
Christopher Paul Curtis

Age Level: 9-12 years old

cover of "Muddy Max" showing a boy half covered in mud. The muddy side has large muscles

Max and his soil scientist parents live in a marsh where Max discovers mud’s special properties. He gains super powers to put things right – including a way to effectively deal with a bully.

Purchase on Bookshop [131]

Purchase on Amazon [132]

Muddy Max: The Mystery of Marsh Creek

By:
Elizabeth Rusch
Illustrated by: Mike Lawrence

Age Level: 9-12 years old

Meet up with scientists studying geysers, grizzlies, salamanders, cacti, and fireflies in some of America's most treasured places: Yellowstone, Sagaro, and Great Smoky Mountain National Parks.

Purchase on Bookshop [133]

Purchase on Amazon [134]

Park Scientists: Gila Monsters, Geysers, and Grizzly Bears in America’s Own Backyard

By:
Mary Kay Carson
Illustrated by: Tom Uhlman

Age Level: 9-12 years old

What do real pigeons do? They fight crime, of course! Meet the heroic pigeons secretly flying around chasing bad guys in this hilarious illustrated series.

Purchase on Bookshop [135]

Purchase on Amazon [136]

Real Pigeons Fight Crime

By:
Andrew McDonald
Illustrated by: Ben Wood

Age Level: 9-12 years old

Twelve-year-old Ariana, a tomboy, and her ladylike cousin Laila, recently arrived from Afghanistan, do not get along. But they pull together to investigate the vandalization of her family’s store and a rival one.

Purchase on Bookshop [137]

Purchase on Amazon [138]

Saving Kabul Corner

By:
N.H. Senzai

Age Level: 9-12 years old

""

Hopper dreads moving but dreads attending Stately Academy. Is it creepy beyond imagination; but once there, she and a new friend, Eni, learn how to solve the mystery using coding. Along the way, readers are introduced to binary coding in this first of a new graphic series.

Purchase on Bookshop [139]

Purchase on Amazon [140]

Secret Coders

By:
Gene Yang
Illustrated by: Mike Holmes

Age Level: 9-12 years old

""

Can the three friends — Eni, Hopper, and Josh — foil the dastardly principal to save the day? How can coding help? In this third installment of Secret Coders, information and adventure combine to create another exciting story.

Purchase on Bookshop [141]

Purchase on Amazon [142]

Secret Coders: Secrets & Sequences

By:
Gene Luen Yang
Illustrated by: Mike Holmes

Age Level: 9-12 years old

illustrated cover of "The Secrets of Stonehenge" showing stonhenge

Why was this amazing monument erected? How did our Stone-Age ancestors bring such massive stones to the site from so far away? How did they raise the enormous stones to their upright positions? What was Stonehenge used for, and who lived around the site?

Purchase on Amazon [143]

Secrets of Stonehenge

By:
Mick Manning
Illustrated by: Brita Granström

Age Level: 9-12 years old

Peruvian archaeologist and national icon Julio C. Tello unearthed Peru's ancient cultures and fostered pride in the country's Indigenous history. Growing up in the late 1800s, Julio Tello, an Indigenous boy, spent time exploring the caves and burial grounds in the foothills of the Peruvian Andes. Nothing scared Julio, not even the ancient human skulls he found. His bravery earned him the boyhood nickname Sharuko, which means brave in Quechua, the language of the Native people of Peru.

Purchase on Bookshop [86]

Purchase on Amazon [87]

Sharuko: Peruvian Archaeologist Julio C. Tello / El Arqueólogo Peruano Julio C. Tello

By:
Monica Brown
Illustrated by: Elisa Chavarri

Age Level: 9-12 years old

cover of "Stones, Bones, and Petroglyphs" showing a lizard on a rock in fron of a valley

Ancestral Puebloan people lived in the Mesa Verde region of Colorado for over a thousand years, then suddenly moved away around A.D. 1300. join this group of eighth-grade students as they go on the Ultimate Field Trip and search for answers to this ancient mystery. The students help archaeologists digging in the ruins for clues.

Purchase on Amazon [144]

Stones, Bones, and Petroglyphs: Digging into Southwest Archaeology

By:
Susan Goodwin

Age Level: 9-12 years old

The first in the Accelerati Trilogy, 14-year old Nick, his younger brother and his father have moved from Tampa (FL) to a ramshackle Victorian house in Colorado Springs. Peculiar things happen when items from the attic are sold. Could they really be inventions from inventor Nicola Tesla? Intrigue with plenty of humor and likeable characters in a fast-pace will leave readers awaiting the next book.

Purchase on Amazon [145]

Tesla’s Attic

By:
Neal Shusterman
Illustrated by: Eric Elfman

Age Level: 9-12 years old

Cover of the 5000-year-old Puzzle showing a boy surrounded by postcards, newspapers, and pyramids.

It is 1924, two years after the discovery of King Tut's tomb. Readers are invited to join a young boy, Will Hunt, as he and his family become part of an archaeological team led by world-famous Egyptologist Dr. George Reisner. Based on actual records of Reisner's history-making dig, Giza 7000X, this strikingly original picture book uses journal entries, funny postcards, and quirky cartoons to pull readers into an ancient unsolved mystery.

Purchase on Bookshop [146]

Purchase on Amazon [147]

The 5,000-Year-Old Puzzle: Solving a Mystery of Ancient Egypt

By:
Claudi Logan
Illustrated by: Melissa Sweet

Age Level: 9-12 years old

cover of "The Mighty Mars Rovers" showing a photo of a mars rover

This book tells the greatest space robot adventure of all time through the eyes — and heart — of Steven Squyres, professor of astronomy at Cornell University and lead scientist on the mission. This suspenseful page-turner captures the hair-raising human emotions felt during the adventures with two tough rovers.

Purchase on Bookshop [148]

Purchase on Amazon [149]

The Mighty Mars Rovers

By:
Elizabeth Rusch

Age Level: 9-12 years old

Hands-on Activities

Build on what you’re learning together through books with these family-friendly activities, experiments, and crafts.

  • arial photo of Stonhenge
    Ancient Stone Circle [150]
    BBC Hands on History
  • Female astronaut using the glove box on the International Space Station
    Astronaut Glove Box [151]
    Start with a Book
  • a pile of photos and a hole punch
    Backyard Photo Scavenger Hunt [152]
    No Time for Flash Cards
  • nature scavenger hunt with a walnut shell
    Backyard Scavenger Hunt [153]
    National Wildlife Federation
  • photo of woman helping two kids dig through dirt
    Big Dig/Little Dig [154]
    Start with a Book
  • drawing of a cypher wheel
    Cipher Wheel [155]
    Top Spy Secrets
  • small stack of chocolate chip cookies
    Cookie Excavation [156]
    Florida Public Archaeology Network
  • Kids playing with deep sea diver model
    Deep Sea Diver [157]
    PBS Sci Girls
  • Apollo 11 mission patch with eagle above the moon.
    Design a Mission Patch [158]
    Start with a Book
  • green dinosaur from Dinosaur Train animated show
    Dinosaur Train Geocaching [159]
    PBS Parents
  • A boy looking through a homemade telescope
    DIY Telescope [160]
    Start with a Book
  • photo of steampunk-style goggles
    Dragon Hunter Goggles [161]
    Dad Can Do
  • Closeup of geocaches
    Geocache Trail [162]
    National Wildlife Federation
  • Young boy jumping in the air
    How High Could You Jump on the Moon? [163]
    Start with a Book
  • animal tracks
    Hunting for Animal Tracks [164]
    Woodland Trust
  • lemon juice, lemon, paint brush and paper
    Invisible Ink [165] video
    PBS KIDS
  • DIY paper Mars lander
    Mars Lander [166]
    Start with a Book
  • A photo of astronauts on a space walk.
    Moving and Working in Space [167]
    Start with a Book
  • Detail of a child holding up a pirate scavenger hunt map
    Pirate Scavenger Hunt [168]
    The Flourishing Abode
  • Child making an animal track mold outside
    Plaster Casts of Animal Tracks I [169]
    Rosie Research
  • drawing of a hiker looking down at footprints
    Plaster Casts of Animal Tracks II [170]
  • DIY petroglyphs
    Plaster of Paris Petroglyphs [171]
    Pink Stripey Socks
  • photo of painted pottery
    Pottery Puzzle: Piecing It All Together [172]
    American Museum of Natural History Ology
  • two young boys showing off their rock collections
    Rock Collection [173]
    American Museum of Natural History Ology
  • photo of petroglyphs
    Sandpaper Petroglyphs [174]
    Start with a Book
  • pile of black and white photos
    Scavenger Hunt! Exploring Grandma's Attic [175]
    Family Tree Magazine
  • closeup of a fingerprint
    See Your Own Fingerprints [176] video
    SciShow Kids
  • drawing of a child using a DIY periscope to look over a fence
    Spy Periscope [177]
    Exploratorium
  • two young boys carrying a large stick on walk in the woods
    Stuff to Do Outside [178]
    Discover the Forest
  • child dressed like a pirate holding up treasure map
    Tea-Stained Treasure Maps [179]
    Kiwi Company
  • photo of items inside a glass jar
    Time Capsule [180]
    BBC Hands on History
  • Treasure Map [181]
    National Wildlife Federation
  • a child in a stream holding something in a net
    Water Detectives [182]
    Start with a Book

Summer Writing

Give kids a chance to flex their writing muscles all summer long. Try one of these prompts, selected from our writing contest archives and other literacy organizations.

  • Amelia Earhart, 1937: The High and the Flighty (Time Warp Trio) [183]
  • Archaeology Field Journal [184]
  • Cinquain Poem About the Lunar Landscape [185]
  • daVinci 1503: Breaking the Codex (Time Warp Trio) [186]
  • Greek Vases Tell a Story [187]
  • Inspired by Music: Holst’s “The Planets” [188] audio
    Start with a Book
  • Lewis and Clark, 1805 (Time Warp Trio) [189]
  • Old West, 1868: The Good, the Bad and the Goofy (Time Warp Trio) [190]
  • South Pole, 1911: Break an Egg (Time Warp Trio) [191]

Great Websites for Kids

Dive deeper into topics of interest with these media-rich and interactive sites.

  • Ancient Egypt [192]
  • Annie's Archaeology Laboratory [193]
  • Archaeology for Kids [194]
  • Archaeology: Clues from the Past [195]
  • Archaeology: Tools of the Trade [196]
  • Artifact of the Month [197]
  • Be a Martian: Help Map the Red Planet [198]
  • Birmingham Museum [199]
  • City of Materials [200]
  • Decode the Barcode [201]
  • Excavate!: Rome [202] $
  • Go West Across America with Lewis & Clark [203]
  • Hands on History [204]
  • Historical Scene Investigation [205]
  • Inca Investigation [206]
  • KidSpy [207]
  • Mount Vernon Archaeology [208]
  • Mysteries of Catalhoyuk [209]
  • National Geographic Kids [210]
  • NOVA: Ancient Worlds [211]
  • Ocean Adventures: Whale Watcher [212]
  • Prehistoric Road Trip [213] video
  • Telescopes from the Ground Up [214]
  • The Fin, Fur and Feather Bureau of Investigation [215]
  • The Great Dig at The British Museum [216]
  • The Oregon Trail [217]
  • Time Explorer at The British Museum [218]
  • Who Am I? A History Mystery [219]

Great Podcasts for Kids

Listen and learn with these podcasts especially for kids. These podcasts are free and easy to listen to from any device via Apple Podcasts [220] or Stitcher [221] — or from Listen Notes [222], a podcast search engine.

  • Can You Dig It [223] audio
    Wow in the World (NPR)
  • How to Become an Astronaut [224] audio
    Tumble Science
  • Lucy Wow [225] audio
    Go Kids Go
  • Paleo Nerds [226] audio
  • The Birthday Cake Thief [227] audio
    Molly of Denali (PBS)
  • The Explorer's Road Trip [228] audio
    Tumble Science Podcast
  • Treasure Island 2020 [229] audio
    Gen-Z Media/BYU Radio
  • Underwater Dinosaurs and a Real Life Indiana Jones [230] audio
    Fun Kids Science Weekly

Educational Apps

Educational apps recommended by Common Sense Media and other trusted reviewers.

  • Archaeologist: Ancient Egypt [231] $
  • Archaeologist: Jurassic Life for Kids [232] $
  • Britannica Kids: Ancient Egypt [233] $
  • Britannica Kids: Ancient Rome [234] $
  • Egyptian Hieroglyphics Decoder [235] $
  • Expeditions [236]
  • Gem Miner: Dig Deeper [237] $
  • Hidden Artifacts [238]
  • Journey Into the Deep [239] $
  • Mayan Mysteries [240] $
  • Paleontologist: Ice Age for Kids [241] $
  • Solve the Outbreak [242]
  • The Oregon Trail [243] $
  • The Pyramids [244] $

More Themed Resources

Growing Readers Tip Sheets

Simple activities for parents and kids to do together to build reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. Read online or print the PDF.

  • Capturing and Sharing Images [245]
  • Cause and Effect [246]
  • Journals and Field Notes [245]
  • Making Inferences and Drawing Conclusions [247]
  • Making Predictions [248]
  • Patterns and Categorizing [249]
  • STEM Tools at Home [250]
  • Steps in the Scientific Process [251]
  • Meet the Author

    Exploring the Galapagos. For her book on Darwin, writer Rosalyn Schanzer [252] was able to travel to the Galapagos Islands and experience firsthand what Darwin saw: the volcanic landscape, the iguanas, the blue-footed booby, and the giant tortoises.

Our Summer Blog

Our Summer Blog

  • Caught Read-Handed [253]
  • Build Your Child’s Spatial Awareness by Exploring the Outdoors [254]
  • 3... 2...1... Blast Off! AHC Inc. Space Rangers [255]
  • Stories: Step by Step [256]
  • A Summer Reading Scavenger Hunt [257]
  • We’re Going on a Bug Hunt! [258]

See more blog posts > [259]

Washington DC for Kids

Places

  • National Air and Space Museum [260]
  • National Geographic Museum [261]
  • National Museum of American History [262]
  • National Museum of Natural History [263]
  • National Museum of the American Indian [264]
  • Theodore Roosevelt Island [265]

See all DC Places > [266]


Source URL:https://www.startwithabook.org/summer-reading-learning/detectives-and-explorers

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