Mystery Books for Kids

A growling belly, a village full of traders, and one little green gem that should buy a roasted chicken - easy, right? But why do the villagers panic the moment the gem comes out? Why does a cat freeze solid by your knee, and why has the whole morning vanished in a blink? Something is very wrong with this shiny rock… This decodable reader practices the ‘kn’ sound in words like ‘knee,’ ‘knelt,’ ‘knocked,’ ‘knew,’ and ‘knucklehead.’

In the hills above a river valley, a girl named Amahle keeps the best garden in her village. One morning she finds a snake coiled at the garden’s edge, green and gold with calm copper eyes. Most people would run. Amahle stands still and looks back. What does a green-gold spirit snake want, and can one quiet girl protect it when the whole village turns against her? This Bookbot Level G story practices the soft ‘g’ sound in words like ‘village’, ‘gentle’, ‘courage’, and ‘danger’.

Fisi the hyena eats and eats, and the word “enough” means nothing to him. So when a windfall of bones appears in the rocky hills, his belly takes charge. Then a strange voice answers from a crack in the rocks, granting him a most convenient ‘permission’ to take it all. Is a real spirit hiding there, or is greedy Fisi fooling only himself? Will he ever learn to stop? This Bookbot Level S9 story practices the /ʃ/ sound in words like ‘permission’, ‘collection’, ‘commotion’, and ‘confession’.

When the yams run low and the whole village must share, why is the barn giving out less each morning even though the lock stays shut? Clever Mbe the tortoise thinks he has found a secret way to take more than his fair share, but a sharp eyed neighbor named Chinyere notices things others miss. Will anyone discover the truth? This Bookbot level practices the ’eigh’ sound with lesson words like ‘weight’, ’eight’, ’neighbor’, and ’eighty’.

‘Gnarled’ roots, ‘gnats’ hum, a ‘benign’ voice, a djinn who ‘gnaws’… The rains have failed and the animals have vanished, so when an ancient spirit offers hunter Demba a single gift, what will he choose? Not gold, not grain, but something his sharp young daughter Awa can carry all her life. Will his unusual wish be enough to feed twelve hungry families? This Bookbot level practices the ‘gn’ spelling making the /n/ sound, with words like ‘gnarled’, ‘gnats’, ‘benign’ and ‘gnaws’.

The Talking Skull draws you into a village where fast-legged Obiora is famous for spreading every story he hears. So what happens when he stumbles on a skull in the red dust that actually speaks? Will anyone believe him, and can he prove it before the king runs out of patience? This tale carries a lesson as old as the iroko tree. Practice the many sounds of ‘ough’ with lesson words like ‘brought’, ’though’, ’through’, ’enough’ and ‘rough’.

A young shepherd named Girma has never set foot inside a stone building, yet he can read the weather in the clouds and find water where the birds gather. So when the Emperor summons the wisest men in the land to answer three impossible questions, could a boy in one spare shirt possibly have the answers the scholars miss? What makes a person truly wise? This Bookbot level practices the ’ei’ phonogram with lesson words such as ‘ceiling’, ’neither’, ‘weird’, ’eighty’, and ‘reign’.

Monkey wakes up hungry - his bananas are GONE! Who could have taken them? He asks a giggling bee, a hissy snake, and finally spots a trail of yellow peels leading to a rabbit having a picnic. But is Rabbit really the sneaky thief, or is something else going on in the treehouse? Swing into this silly jungle mystery to find out! This decodable reader practices the ‘augh’ sound in words like ‘caught,’ ’naughty,’ ’laugh,’ and ’taught.’

The bravest explorer in the whole world has walked through dark caves and crossed rivers at night - so why is this quiet village under the full moon making their legs wobble? The jack-o-lanterns glow, the huts stand empty, and a see-through cat is watching every step. Where did all the villagers go, and what rises up when the rain comes hammering down? This decodable reader practices the ’ng’ sound in words like ’long,’ ‘sing,’ ‘strong,’ and ’twang.’

Zom steps outside one morning and freezes - his farm is covered in cake! The next day, coal. The day after that, eggs everywhere. Who keeps filling the farm with strange surprises overnight? Jack certainly finds it hilarious, but he swears it isn’t him. Even after Zom stands guard all night, the pranks keep coming. Can Skel finally catch the culprit before the whole farm falls apart? This decodable reader practices the soft c sound in words like ‘face,’ ‘slice,’ ‘races,’ ‘mercy,’ and ‘advance.’