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Unregistered
10-12-2005, 07:31 PM
I used And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie last year in my mystery unit for 8th graders. I had some parent complaints about it. Instead of fighting this battle with the parent, I'm looking for a new mystery novel appropriate for middle schoolers. Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks for any help!!!
~Becky~
Lisa's Hotscakes
10-12-2005, 11:35 PM
At Barnes & Noble I saw a collection of short mysteries in the foyer. 100 Malicious Little Mysteries, edited by Isaac Asimov.
KatieBee
10-18-2005, 05:34 PM
How academic do you want to keep it?

Great mysteries I was reading at that age were Christopher Pike and RL Stein, but they are probably not as academic as you want!

You could call the Border's in Ann Arbor, MI on State Street. It is the original Border's and they (used to at least) require that you had/were obtaining a masters or higher in literature or a related field, so the staff is very, very well read. I've gone in there with the most obscure books and said, "I wnat something just like this" and they always have the BEST suggestions. Try them out!
lateacher
10-19-2005, 11:26 AM
I'm sorry that you had complaints on And Then There Were None. It's such a great book.

Some you might choose to use would be The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin or somethings by Lois Duncan or Joan Lowery Nixon.
Unregistered
10-22-2005, 10:53 PM
Have you tried Something Upstairs by Avi. It is well written, but you must watch the edition that you get because he uses, in some editions, a non-desireable word for slave.
Unregistered
10-23-2005, 01:36 AM
Try Gem Lake. It is Written BY a Manitoban and it is great. Or try Sherlock Holmes.I have a great Mystery unit and start with mind benders , observation skills, and offer individual novels. Do you have ideas for a hero unit?
Kasonlibt
04-11-2006, 06:53 AM
The novel I used was Fatality by Caroline B. Cooney. It is about a 15 year old girl who has a diary with secrets. Both boys and girls liked it. I teach 8th gade. Another good novel is The Westing Game. I did not teach it, but an ELA/Reading teacher at my school did. Kids liked it as well.
Unregistered
09-28-2006, 08:49 PM
I know this is a lat response (just found this website), but I am teaching Joan Lowery Nixon's, The Weekend was Murder. Nixon wrote this book especially for the middle grades.

Good luck!
Unregistered
10-05-2006, 12:36 AM
Margaret Peterson Haddix has lots of books that could fit the genre. The books don't contain the detective and all those elements, but are mysteries.

There is a book by Avi, called Beyond the Western Sea. I read it a while ago, not sure if it's a real mystery, but I remember detectives and clues running around...

shaina