The Secret of the Old Clock (Nancy Drew #01)
by Carolyn Keane

We kick off the list with the book that kicked off one of America’s favorite kid detectives! Nancy Drew is a sixteen-year-old high school graduate in the fictional town of River Heights with her father, attorney Carson Drew, and their housekeeper, Hannah Gruen. With her father away from the house for days or weeks at a time, Nancy spends her free time solving mysteries. In The Secret of the Old Clock, Nancy searches for the missing will of Josiah Crowley and discovers a clue hidden in an old clock.

Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Dinosaur Bones
by David A. Adler

Fifth-grader Cam Jansen is a kid detective with a fantastic power: a photographic memory. The quirky protagonist of David A. Adler’s Cam Jansen series solves mysteries with her best friend, Eric. When she spots a clue, she makes the camera sound “Click!” to make sure she remembers it. In the Mystery of the Dinosaur Bones, Cam and Eric go on a field trip to the museum when Cam discovers that bones are missing from the skeleton of the Coelophysis dinosaur. Can Cam discover who stole the dinosaurs and how they sneaked them past the museum security guards? You’ll have to read to find out!

“A Cold Day at X” (Fillmore!; Season 1, Episode 9)
written by Eddie Guzelian and Scott M. Gimple

Inspired by police dramas of the 1970s, Fillmore! was an animated series created by Scott M. Gimple for ABC and Toon Disney. The show focuses on Cornelius Fillmore, a reformed juvenile delinquent, who, after being caught trying to steal the school’s new chalk shipment, is given the choice of joining the safety patrol or spending the rest of middle school in detention. In “A Cold Day at X,” Fillmore strategizes to stop a group of students from stealing the answers to an algebra test during the school’s snow day.

Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective
by Donald J. Sobol

Created by Donald J. Sobol, Encyclopedia Brown tells the story of kid detective Leroy Brown. Thanks to his impressive intelligence, he earned the nickname “Encyclopedia.” Each book in the series is divided into 10 interlinked short stories, each with a unique mystery to be solved by the reader. Many of the mysteries involve members of his town, including his father, the local police chief; Bugs Meany, the leader of the local gang; and Sally Kimball, his partner and friend.

“The Mysterious Polo Player / The Case of the Secret Treasure” (Mira, Royal Detective; Season 1, Episode 8)
written by Kerri Grant, Geetika Lizardi, Sascha Paladino, and Becca Topol

Debuting on Disney Junior in March 2020, Mira, Royal Detective is an animated children’s television program. The show, set in the fictional kingdom of Jalpur, follows a brave and resourceful girl, Mira, who is appointed by the queen as the Royal Detective. With her two mongoose sidekicks Mikku and Chikku, she travels through the land to solve mysteries for commoners and royalty alike. Mira made history as the first Indian protagonist in a Disney Junior show.

Enola Holmes and the Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan
by Nancy Springer

You may have seen the Enola Holmes films on Netflix, but did you know the films are based on a book series? Nancy Springer’s The Enola Holmes Mysteries tells the story of the 14-year-old sister of world-famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. A successful sleuth in her own right, Enola solves mysteries that elude even her older brother. In The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan, Enola must help an old friend escape an arranged marriage to her cousin (“such things were common then, to keep property in the family”).

“Haunted House Hang-Up” (Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!; Season 2, Episode 5)
written by Larz Bourne, Tom Dagenais, and Bill Lutz

No list of kid detectives would be complete without the Mystery Gang! Created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears for Hanna-Barbera, the series focused on the teens behind Mystery Inc.: Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby-Doo. Together, they solve supernatural mysteries, set traps, and unmask the ghosts and ghouls. In “Haunted House Hang-Up,” Scoob and The Gang visit a mansion where a headless specter roams the grounds. You’ll have to watch to see if those “meddling kids” figure out who’s really behind the haunting.

The Yellow Feather Mystery (Hardy Boys #33)
by Franklin W. Dixon

Kid detectives Frank and Joe Hardy solve mysteries in their town of Bayport. Always up for a dangerous adventure, the boys “never lose their nerve… They are hardy boys, luckier and more clever than anyone around them.” Joe and Frank sometimes even paired up for adventures with Nancy Drew. In The Yellow Feather Mystery, the Hardy Boys are hired by two different people after a boarding school headmaster dies, leaving behind a hidden will.