Uncovering Secrets and Solving Mysteries: Detectives, Investigators, and Spies for Ages 7-17

written by Beth Anderson

Who doesn’t love a good mystery? I’ve always been a fan of stories about detectives, spies, and investigators. I read many Nancy Drew books as a child and later gravitated to international intrigue. The characters are critical thinkers who bring the reader along as they question, take risks, and solve problems. While there are many works of fiction in this category, what I love most are the TRUE stories.

Read on to learn about seven books for young readers, ages 7-17, featuring real people who uncovered secrets and solved mysteries. For several there are opportunities to pair books on the same subject to compare and contrast.

Detectives, Investigators, and Spies for Ages 7-17

HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT: KATE WARNE AND THE RACE TO SAVE ABRAHAM LINCOLN by Beth Anderson, illustrated by Sally Wern Comport (ages 7-10)

As a fan of the genre, the opportunity to write a true historical detective story was fascinating! And also a challenge because so much will never be known about Kate Warne, one of history’s mysteries. Hiding in Plain Sight shares the role of Kate in foiling the Baltimore Plot when rebels were bent on stopping Abraham Lincoln from becoming president in 1861. Working for the Pinkerton Detective Agency, Kate defied traditions as America’s first female detective. Reviewers have noted that the text reads like a thriller and art that’s meticulous and engaging. Back matter shares more on Kate, Pinkerton, and Lincoln, as well as some methods used by detectives. Knowing the story behind Lincoln’s first inauguration brings new understanding to this time in U.S. history and shares one of history’s unsung heroes.

THE EYE THAT NEVER SLEEPS: HOW DETECTIVE PINKERTON SAVED PRESIDENT LINCOLN by Marissa Moss, Illustrated by Jeremy Holmes (ages 7-10)

This book contains some of the same history as Hiding in Plain Sight, but it focuses on Allan Pinkerton and covers a wider time period to include how he came to the U.S., started his detective agency, and continued to serve Lincoln. Great details abound in the text and art of this engaging story, and back matter includes a timeline as well as notes from the author and illustrator. As a more traditional biography, this book makes an interesting companion to Hiding in Plain Sight to compare and contrast writing style, tone, illustration, characterization, and more.

THE MONA LISA VANISHES: A LEGENDARY PAINTER, A SHOCKING HEIST, AND THE BIRTH OF A GLOBAL CELEBRITY by Nicholas Day, illustrated by Brett Helquist (ages 10-14)

This middle grade book tells the story of the theft that made the Mona Lisa the most famous painting in the world. This fascinating read includes the thieves, the detectives, and the artist. Occasional black and white illustrations add to the text that takes the reader back in time more than a century into the art world in Paris and brings art history to life. This Sibert Medal winner has been called thrilling, stunning, entertaining, engaging, skillful, witty, and more. I heartily agree with all of those descriptions!

CODE BREAKER, SPY HUNTER: HOW ELIZEBETH FRIEDMAN CHANGED THE COURSE OF TWO WORLD WARS by Laurie Wallmark, illustrated by Brooke Smart (ages 7-10)

Like detectives and private investigators, spies must uncover secrets and worm out plans. This biography of Elizebeth Friedman begins with a girl who loves reading and languages and grows up to become part of the team that sets up the country’s first code-breaking unit for the U.S. government during WW I and develops ciphers to keep information from the enemy. She works on criminal cases and is called on again in WW II. When the enemy begins using an advanced code-making machine called the Enigma, Elizebeth is the one who finally breaks the complicated codes. Her work saved lives and helped end the war. Back matter shares more on codes and ciphers, an activity, and information on cryptography today.

SPYING ON SPIES: HOW ELIZEBETH SMITH FRIEDMAN BROKE THE NAZIS’ SECRET CODES by Marissa Moss (ages 10-14)

This middle grade book tells the story of Elizebeth Friedman for older or more advanced readers and has also received rave reviews. Having books on the same topic in two different formats is perfect for comparing and contrasting across texts, providing accessibility for varied reading levels, and inviting readers to explore a more lengthy and in depth work on a familiar topic.

THE ENIGMA GIRLS: HOW TEN TEENAGERS BROKE CIPHERS, KEPT SECRETS, AND HELPED WIN WORLD WAR II by Candace Fleming (ages 8-12)

I’ve been a fan of Candace Fleming’s work for a long time, and this middle grade book is another outstanding selection. It focuses on the teens and young women who worked as code breakers during WW II at Bletchley Park in England. Though they did not work as detectives or spies, they were a vital part of the intelligence gathering, decoding, and translating that was critical to the Allies. Readers are immersed in the lives of the girls and get to explore how codes and ciphers work, too. A fantastic story that engages on multiple levels.

SPIRIT SLEUTHS: HOW MAGICIANS AND DETECTIVES EXPOSED THE GHOST HOAXES by Gail Jarrow (ages 10-17)

For more mature readers (YA), here’s a stellar book from Sibert winner Gail Jarrow on a totally different topic—ghost detectives! Ghost hoaxes that deceived people in the early twentieth century are put to the test in Spirit Sleuths. Detectives and magicians investigate supernatural frauds and reveal how scammers took advantage of desperate people experiencing hard times. This fascinating book invites and encourages young people to question and think critically, a vital skill in this time of disinformation, misinformation, bias, conspiracy theories, artificial intelligence, and deep fakes.

Maybe it was all those detective stories I read that led me to now. As an author of nonfiction stories, I’ve become a bit of a history detective, digging out secrets, searching out answers, and putting the pieces together to create and share fascinating stories from the past. I hope the young readers in your life will enjoy puzzling, analyzing, and predicting…and, in the process, discover the power of true stories where detectives, investigators, and spies affect real lives and impact the world.

About Beth Anderson  

Beth Anderson is the author of more than ten picture books, including HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT, THOMAS JEFFERSON’S BATTLE FOR SCIENCE, and LIZZIE DEMANDS A SEAT. Her books have received awards and recognition from Bank Street College, ILA, Colonial Dames of America, JLG, Chicago Public Library, Museum of the American Revolution, NCSS-CBC, and NSTA. A former ELL educator and Reading Specialist, Beth’s experience in the classroom continues to inspire and inform her writing as she shares true stories that widen our world and invite kids to laugh, ponder, and question. Born and raised in Illinois, Beth now lives in Colorado. https://bethandersonwriter.com Follow her on BlueSky • Threads • Instagram • FaceBook • Pinterest

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