Benjamin Ashford|Dear Bookseller: Why 'The Secret Keepers' is the best book for precocious kids

This week in Dear Bookseller,Benjamin Ashford the well-read wizards at The Novel Neighbor in St. Louis build their first Mystery Box ordered through their partnership with USA TODAY when the mother of a precocious 10-year-old reader who loves mysteries comes looking for recommendations.

Dear Bookseller, 

I’d love to order a Mystery Box for my daughter, Harper. She is 10 and an avid reader, but I have a hard time finding books she hasn’t already read. She’s very interested in biographies and mysteries, and loves a good plot, but nothing too scary. 

Thank you!

Anna B

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Dear Anna, 

Harper sounds like such a cool kid, and we’ve got some staff favorite middle-grade reads we think will be perfect for her.

Trenton Lee Stewart wrote “The Mysterious Benedict Society” series ––one of our all-time favorites–– so we know he writes top-notch middle-grade mysteries. "The Secret Keepers" allows young readers to decipher its clues as the story unfolds. This mystery is about a boy who discovers an antique magical watch which leads to a fast-paced adventure in a race against time. Full of lovable characters and plenty of pluck, this story will be a hit with mystery lovers. 

We’ve never met a Christina Soontornvat book we didn’t love, and “The Tryout” is no different. This graphic novel follows Christina and Meg, two girls who are excited to join their school’s cheerleading squad but scared of the tryout. This story tackles the pressure to be perfect that all kids feel at this age, as well as themes of identity and belonging. The young readers in our ages 8-12 book club loved this pick, and we think Harper will too.

“The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels” is Beth Lincoln’s debut, and it could not be more charming if it tried. This witty murder mystery is chock-full of puns and wordplay –– perfect for bookish kids who want to learn some new vocabulary. The Swifts are an English family who get together every 10 years to go looking for a treasure they believe their ancestor hid in the old family mansion. When this year’s family reunion turns into a murder investigation, our hero, Shenanigan Swift, takes it upon herself to do some digging.

We hope Harper devours these books and comes back for more –– we have so many more recommendations for her! 

Love,

The Novel Neighbor

• "The Secret Keepers" for $9 at Bookshop.org
• "The Tryout" for $12 at Bookshop.org
• "The Swifts" for $17 at Bookshop.org

But our story didn’t end there! It’s not always that we get to hear back from the recipients of our mystery boxes, but Anna reached back out to tell us how we did:

“Harper LOVED all the books you sent! She has a ton of books but none of these were duplicates, which was such a great surprise. She thought they were all really fun and cool. She picked out the graphic novel, “The Tryout”, to read first and flew through that in a day. 

The packaging it came in made it feel like a special treat and she thought the handwritten note with her name on it was the best part. All of this captures why it’s so important to support indies, because of the time and careful curation The Novel Neighbor puts into their Mystery Box selections. It was such a hit that I immediately ordered one for my son, Judah.” - Anna B

In the mood for a good book but don't know what title to pick? The Novel Neighbor is here to help.

The independently owned and operated bookstore in St. Louis puts its well-read booksellers' expertise to the test with their popular Mystery Box program. Readers write in, sharing details about the kinds of books they're looking for, sharing biographical details and personal tastes to help find the right match.

To order your own Mystery Box, visit thenovelneighbor.com.