When it comes to mystery books for kids, most fans would agree that few detectives are smarter than Encyclopedia Brown or better at getting into trouble than Nancy Drew. These investigators, and many like them, have entertained kids for generations – and for good reason. There’s just something fun about watching kids piece together evidence to solve baffling mysteries and show up the local law enforcement in the process.
Still, no matter how many times the Hardy Boys survived the latest attempt on their lives, there was always something a little too squeaky clean about these famous detectives. After all, when was the last time that readers saw Encyclopedia Brown get punched in the face for sticking his nose into other people’s business, or Nancy Drew get clinically depressed when the evidence didn’t fit together? Sure these kids were smart – but are any teens as angst-free as these guys?
For mystery fans interested in reading kids mystery books with world-weary investigators who owe more to Humphrey Bogart than The Boxcar Children, the following detective books will provide that decidedly different change of pace.
The Adventures of Jack Lime
Need some photos taken to prove that your boyfriend’s been cheating on you? Want to get a bully thrown out of school by showing the principal a DVD of the jerk giving you an atomic wedgie? Then contact Jack Lime, a self-styled P.I. who can “fix problems” for his fellow high school students – no questions asked.
In this hilarious collection of short detective stories, readers follow Jack as he navigates the seedy underworld of his neighborhood in search of stolen bicycles, hamster hostages, and even an illegal gambling ring. Through a mix of street smarts, deductive reasoning, and sneakiness, Jack uncovers the truth behind the crimes he investigates – and gets the bruises to prove it.
Unlike Encyclopedia Brown, who had his girl bodyguard Sally Kimball to protect him from bullies, Jack has no such protection – and often finds himself on the wrong end of a fist during his investigations. In one adventure, Jack winds up taking beatings not only from some neighborhood toughs but also a bratty elementary school girl/informant, and his surprisingly tough grandmother.
As if this wasn’t enough to deal with, Jack has another unique quirk – he suffers from psychosomatic narcolepsy which causes him to fall asleep at inconvenient times, even in the middle of a fight. Add this to the fact that the femme fatales in this gumshoe’s life are also manipulative teenage girls, and you’ve got a P.I. with problems even Mike Hammer would shy away from.
A surprisingly effective mix of film noir and high school problem novels, The Adventures of Jack Lime offers a tongue-in-cheek parody of the hard boiled detective genre that fans of kids mystery books and humor fiction will read compulsively.
Sam the Cat Detective Books
When a cat burglar targets a fancy high rise or the feline star of a series of cat food commercials goes missing, the cats in town know there’s only one detective to call. His name is Sam, a tough-talking, streetwise cat who’s not afraid to sniff for something fishy in New York’s meaner alleys – provided his client pays his fee of half a pound of lox, plus expenses.
So goes mystery writer Linda Stewart’s clever cat mystery book series for kids about a secret cat society that comes to life when their human “roommates” leave – letting them run their own businesses. It’s a world where cats know how to use phones, computers, and microwave ovens (although humans remain clueless about the whole thing). And it’s a world where Sam the Cat Detective hunts the human crooks that crawl beneath the police’s radar.
While mystery readers will appreciate that Sam’s cases are challenging, it’s the characters that make this series fun to read. It’s hard not to hear saxophones playing while reading Sam’s humorously deadpan narration (which, like Jack Lime, is very reminiscent of Phillip Marlowe). Then there’s the supporting cast, which includes Sue (a sassy, green-eyed short hair who becomes Sam’s girl Friday), James Blond (the stunt double to a feline cat food star), and Spike (Sam’s faithful nosy sidekick).
Although the first Sam the Cat Detective book was published by Scholastic, subsequent cat mystery books – with Bogart movie-inspired titles like The Big Catnap and The Maltese Kitten – have been released by Cheshire House Books and can be found on Amazon.com. Fans can also order paw-tographed copies of Sam’s books, read a fun interview with Sam, and even email him questions at Sam the Cat’s Home Website.
Like stories about secret worlds and mysteries? Check out this Review of The Night Tourist.
Leck, James. The Adventures of Jack Lime. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2010. ISBN: 978-1-55453-365-7
Stewart, Linda. Sam the Cat Detective. New York: Scholastic Inc., 1993. ISBN: 0-590-46145-1
Stewart, Linda. The Big Catnap. New York: Cheshire House Books, 2000. ISBN: 0-9675073-5-9
Stewart, Linda. The Maltese Kitten. New York: Cheshire House Books, 2002. ISBN: 978-0967507385
Michael Jung - Michael Jung is a professional writer, children’s literature specialist, and online book dealer whose articles, reviews, interviews, ...
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