Mysteries for 11-year-olds are fantastic because they’re usually solved with snacks and phone calls. “The Westing Game” by Ellen Raskin is the granddaddy of tween mysteries. It’s about 16 strangers stuck in a weird apartment building trying to solve a millionaire’s murder. The clues are everywhere—on menus, in laundry rooms, and even in the way people sneeze.
This book was published in 1978, and kids today still lose their minds over it. It’s like a puzzle box disguised as a novel. Warning: you might have to physically hide the book after chapter 11, or dinner will be cold.
11 Year Girls
