Genre+Studies

**Mystery** Every mystery has three types of characters (suspects, detectives, and witnesses). The plot will include a problem that needs to be solved, an event that cannot be explained, a secret, something that is lost, or a crime has been committed. Most importantly there will be clues given throughout the book that the student must use to infer how the problem will be solved. ** As always --- please preview books prior to using any in your classroom. Some books contain content not suitable for all ages and/or environments! **

Cici's dream of an idyllic vacation at her grandparent's lakeside cottage is shattered when he learns that Brody, the older brother of a boy she likes, has been convicted of murdering a girl who had also lived in the community. Sure that Brody is innocent, Cici searches for the real killer and, in the process, discovers a complicated web of lies and cover-ups that places her in jeopardy, too.

Strange things are happening at the Los Coyotes big cat preserve, and 16-year-old Ben Jepson wants to find out who's behind them. When a body is discovered in a locked jaguar cage, Ben knows that someone is trying to make trouble for Los Coyotes and its manager, Dr. Peter Jepson, Ben's father. An outspoken conservationist known for his activism, Dr. Jepson has made some powerful enemies. But why are they acting now, when Ben's parents are on a tiger conservation mission in India? When Ben's favorite tiger, Dmitri, nicknamed "Lord of the Kill" for his dangerous reputation, is kidnapped, Ben is faced with a major dilemma should he wait for the authorities to handle the case or strike out on his own to save Dmitri?

Homer Aldrich Winthrop was a neurologist who died of a neurological illness. That's all Homer Jr.'s mother will say about his father, who died when he was 2, and any prodding for details results in silence, evasion, or sudden migraine headaches. So by age 12, Homer's given up asking. But on an unexpected trip to Maine, Homer finds himself in a place where his father had lived. In this one coastal village there must be millions of facts about his father. Now Homer must face his biggest fear-maybe there's a reason his father is such a secret. Maybe there are things he really "doesn't "want to know. Still, Maine gives him courage. There's something about the people he meets and the breadth of the sky that convince Homer to search for the truth-to solve the mystery of his own life.

Cameryn Mahoney works as the assistant to her father, the county coroner of Silverton, Colorado. But if that’s not hard enough, her long-lost mother has made a surprise return to Cameryn’s life. When her mother picks up a mysterious young hitchhiker, Cameryn senses that the girl is running from something. But before she can find out more, the girl is found dead with a gun in her hand. Is it suicide? Or something even more sinister?

[|Mystery Graphic Organizer] [|Mystery Graphic Organizer 2]