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Best Children's Detectives Books

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia Book 2)
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the second book in C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia , a series that has become part of the canon of classic literature, drawing readers of all ages into a magical land with unforgettable characters for over fifty years. Four adventurers step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land enslaved by the power of the White Witch. This is a stand-alone read, but if you would like to explore more of the Narnian realm, pick up The Horse and His Boy , the third book in The Chronicles of Narnia . Beginning with Chapter One when Lucy looks into the wardrobe and discovers Narnia and the faun, readers will find that this timeless story can still work the magic that C.S. Narnia fans will want to listen to this story over and over again, and new fans will be created as they listen for the first time.-Ginny Harrell, William McGarrah Elementary School, Morrow, GA.
Reviews
"As you read through you'll notice familiar things, almost like Deja-vu."
"This is a great go-to series any time you are wanting to get immersed in a fantastical world."
"This book should be required reading for all children with vivid imaginations."
"We love this book and it is the perfect intro for my 3 and 5 year old boys who now can't wait to read more C.S."
"I was able to pick up on the semi-religious theme as an adult but it'seems subtle and contains hidden lessons for any reader."
"A story full of mystery and adventure, written for children, but so delightful that adults love it too!"
"Forget any preconceived ideas you have sit back and enjoy."
"A great book for anybody between the age of 9-13."
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How to Catch a Monster
This book features vivid, full-color layouts with Kindle Text Pop-Up Eric hates taking a bath. Thankfully, Eric's mom and dad have the perfect plan to help their little boy. How to catch a monster is a fun and beautifully illustrated book with a surprisingly sweet ending that all readers will surely enjoy. One of the most professional looking indie ebooks I've seen and on par (or above) with published children's books. Every day I read a lot, and out of every children's book I have seen...well, ever...this is hands down the best of the best. My kids fell completely in love with this book from the very first page. I have bought a lot of kids books for the kindle in the last year and been disappointed with a number of them because the story was too short or too long or the pictures looked lousy on the kindle, but this one was perfect.
Reviews
"The twist at the end is super cute... And now my son is asking me to make cookies so every night he can call a monster to play with him before bed :). I'll be purchasing more books from Michael Yu in the future."
"Simple story line with unexpected twist."
"This book is fun, my son liked it."
"A very amusing book with colourful illustrations."
"This is one of my 4-year-old grandson's favorite bedtime books."
"Eric is your typical 4 year old who doesn't want to follow a normal bed time routine. One night his mother comes up with the idea that if Eric brushes his teeth, washes his face and puts on this pajama then climbs into bed and recites: "Monster, monster, one, two, three... won't you come out and play with me?"
"The first time I read this book to my grandson, he asked me for some chocolate chip cookies for his "monster"."
"The pictures are great and the story is the perfect length for a little one not to get bored."
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The Fairy-Tale Detectives (Sisters Grimm #1) (The Sisters Grimm)
In book one of this bestselling series, sisters Sabrina and Daphne are sent to live with their mysterious grandmother, Relda Grimm. Enter Sabrina and Daphne Grimm, two sisters seemingly abandoned by their parents, who have been brought to live with a grandmother whom they thought was dead. After their parents disappear, sisters Daphne and Sabrina Grimm are placed with a grandmother they have never heard about. Then Relda reveals the truth: the Grimms are descended from the famous storytelling brothers, and Ferryport Landing is a magical town, populated with "Everafters," characters straight from fairy tales.
Reviews
"The tension between "normal" people and the "Everafters" is well drawn and could lead readers to look more directly at the relationships in their own life."
"Sisters Grimm - has all the Gothic elements of the Brothers' Grimm fairytales - from the downtrodden and abused orphans, the spellbound parents, to the quirky and oft spiky personalities of all the characters."
"It was a lot of fun."
"Our son needed to pick a fairy tale for his first book report of the year. He was very upset that he couldn't read one of his fantasy books (Beast Quest, R.L."
"I truly recommend this book (And the series) to any one who likes mysteries and comedy."
"She says the characters are believable, there's lots of humor, and there's always a twist and a surprise to keep you thinking and interested."
"I like to read at least some of the books I let my 7 year old read."
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Best Children's Spy Books

Trickster's Queen (Daughter of the Lioness Book 2)
And just in time, she is brought out of exile and into the heart of the snakes’ den that is the Copper Isles royal court. Still, Aly must keep her wager with the trickster god and protect her charges: Sarai, the beautiful, dramatic, and rash potential queen, and Dove, the more cautious and often overlooked younger sister. Cracking open one of her marvelous novels always feels like coming home.”. — SARAH J. MAAS , #1 New York Times bestselling author. “Tamora Pierce didn’t just blaze a trail. Grade 7-10–In this sequel to the well-received Trickster's Choice (Random, 2003), Pierce deftly weaves an unforgettable story about Alianne (Aly) of Pirate's Swoop. Aly has become a maid to Lady Dovasary, daughter of the late duke, and, more importantly, she is now the spymaster of the raka rebellion that is determined to put Dovasary's sister on the throne in place of the four-year-old luarin king. Aly, who is the daughter of Alanna the Lioness of Tortall (from the "Lioness Quartet" series), is delightful in her deviousness. Pierce concludes the story of Alanna the Lioness' daughter, Aly, spymaster par excellence, in a fantasy thriller that continues the rich and complex tale begun in Trickster's Choice [BKL D 1 03].
Reviews
"Through some magical intervention Aly is enslaved and sent to the Tortall version of a Caribbean Island where she has to serve the needs of a God, save some young women, and try not to lose her minds at the Crows."
"The writing was well paced, and though k had not read the other titles stationed in the same universe, I was able to stay informed just the same without feeling like I was being fed context."
"Her family contains members of the ruling caste, but the two oldest daughters are also direct descendants of the previous Raka royal family."
"Ali ramps up the siege against the regents and finds allies in the strangest places."
"I've read many of The Tamora Pierce books and can say from the bottom of my heart that Trickster's Queen has gone far above my expectations in this brilliant series.The writing and the pinstroke ideas are absolutely fabulous!I stopped my whole week just because I couldn't put the book down.It rivaled Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness series down to the scenery.The writing spills with specific details keeping the reader informed and not guessing.The whole time you think what's going to happen then the writer comes back and surprises you with a twist.In Trickster's Queen you follow Aly(Alianne)of Pirate's Swoop,Daughter of Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau,Alanna is also the king's champion and the first Lady Knight or Tortal,through the final days of the Raka Rebellion,making it all possible with a little nudge from a Trickster God.The secretive,witty, and just plain brilliant mind of Aly keeps you wanting to see what she does next,Though the writer keeps you anticipating by long pauses.She ends up with a few 3-deminsional friends like Nawat(A crow who took on the form of a human)and Dove(A young girl who's brains can make a grown person's feel inferior).I just couldn't think of a different rating then 5 stars.This book and it's Duo series is a must read(Book 1:Trickster's Choice)."
"A lot of the paperbacks I get from Amazon end up being just a little bent or worn at the corners."
"One of my favorite series, and one of my favorite authors."
"When I got to the first Trickster book, however, this was not the case. I found Aly very unrelateable as a character, and she never seems to be phased about anything that happens to her. I found the other female characters of Pierce's books more relatable than Aly."
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Best Children's Fantasy & Supernatural Mystery Books

Titan's Curse, The (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3)
When the goddess Artemis goes missing, she is believed to have been kidnapped. The droll pitch is teen-perfect, as when Apollo heats up the scene by arriving in his fire-red Maserati, wearing jeans, a sleeveless T-shirt, and loafers. All in all, a winner of Olympic proportions and a surefire read-aloud.– Alison Follos, North Country School, Lake Placid, NY Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Their adventures range widely across the U.S., taking them to locales that include Washington, D.C., and the deserts of the Southwest and pitting them against the usual assortment of colorful adversaries. The Percy Jackson & the Olympians series is built around a terrific idea—that the half-mortal offspring of Greek gods live among us, playing out struggles of mythic scale—and Riordan takes it from strength to strength with this exciting installment, adding even more depth to the characters and story arc while retaining its predecessors' nonstop laughs and action.
Reviews
"While the second book in the series, *The Sea of Monsters*, helped to change my mind on this, it was still a bit underwhelming. The whole narrative felt like basically an endless series of cliff-hangers with little to no character development and not enough plot. Now, this isn't to say that I didn't enjoy the first two volumes, but just that they didn't quite (other than some interesting stuff such as likable characters and references to myths) *do* it for me, so to speak. This third book, however, really did make me a major *Percy Jackson* fan, and was absolutely a great read. In a rescue mission to save two fellow demi-gods, Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and their new friend Thalia, encounter trouble. Though they save the twin half-bloods, Annabeth goes missing, and to make matters worse, so does a powerful goddess ally, Artemis. Not only did Riordan expand on the mythology of the series, and the connections to Classical Greek myths, but the structure was different. Well, the answer is that they are a) kinda personality-driven, and this interferes with some proactiveness, as they have their own stuff to attend to and their personalities dictate this, and b) related, they are *busy*. For that matter, there is a delicate power balance that too much action on the part of *anyone* will upset."
"We also find out with why Nico is so grumpy and not very talkative with Annabeth anymore like he used to as a preteen. Leo even visited Calypso and we learned what that line in the prophecy about a promise was really Leo promising Calypso to free her from her prison so that one day they could open up a car repair garage/food place. Leo's ADHD hasn't been too bad, Piper can charmspeak things to being actual living things while also learning how to fight, and being in Tartarus both changed Percy and Annabeth while growing them more together."
"Everyone is on survival mode — Percy and Annabeth must survive Tartarus and reach the Doors of Death, as the rest of the team — Jason, Piper, Frank, Hazel, Leo, Nico, and Coach Hedge — travels on the Argo II to reach the House of Hades. The changing points of view allows the reader to keep up with the simultaneous events — sometimes jumping from one place to another at the most inopportune times, other times giving us just enough breathing room to relax for a millisecond. We follow Percy and Annabeth’s impossible and grueling journey through the most horrible of settings — in a surprising turn of events, there is more than just a horde of evil enemies down there… (a silver light as the end of this dark, dark tunnel?)."
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