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National and International P.I. Day

 

July 24th is National and International Private Investigator Day, apparently in honor of François Vidocq, one of the first in the profession. If you're looking to celebrate and have a keen nose for a story with a good Private Investigator, try one of these.

Titles are organized generally from youngest interest level to oldest, but every reader is different and may find titles that appeal to them throughout the list.

Mitzi Tulane may be only three years old, but she sure knows how to follow a trail of evidence and solve tough mysteries. From the strange happenings in the kitchen to the sudden arrival of every family member she's ever met, Mitzi pieces together the clues and (finally) realizes that she's . . . in the middle of her own surprise birthday party!

When Whobert Whover, owl detective finds Perry the possum lying still on the ground, he sets out to determine who is responsible for his condition and questions the nearby wildlife.

Shark Detective! by Jessica Olien

When Shark Detective finds a flier for a missing kitty, he sets out to discover what may have happened to the missing pet.

Baby Monkey, private eye by illustrator Brian Selznick
Also available in: e-book

Baby Monkey, private eye, will investigate stolen jewels, missing pizzas, and other mysteries--if he can manage to figure out how to put his pants on.

When King's favorite blue ball goes missing, he and Kayla must put together clues to figure out where it went.

When Okapi discovers a hole in his hammock, Detective Murilla Gorilla must find out what happened.

Stairway to doom by Robert Quackenbush

Thirteen guests, including the world-famous duck sleuth, Miss Mallard, are invited to the reading of Abigail Spoonbill's will at historic Duckinbill Castle.

Ada Lace, on the case by Emily Calandrelli

Eight-year-old Ada, who has a knack for science, math, and solving mysteries, teams up with her best friend, Nina, to find a missing dog..

While staying with his grandparents in Castle-on-the-Hudson, Charlie stumbles upon a mystery but must learn American Sign Language to keep up with Frog, a deaf girl who wants to help solve it.

Chasing Vermeer by 1955- Blue Balliett
Also available in: e-book | e-audiobook

When seemingly unrelated and strange events start to happen and a precious Vermeer painting disappears, eleven-year-olds Petra and Calder combine their talents to solve an international art scandal.

Princess Hesina of Yan is thrust into power when her beloved father is murdered, and she's determined to find his killer--whatever the cost.

The lying woods by Ashley Elston
Also available in: e-book

Owen Foster is pulled from his elite New Orleans boarding school when his father's assets are seized and, back in his small town, begins to piece together his father's past despite mounting danger.

Christie Holmes is a prodigy. At ten years old, she's as familiar with the sciences and classics as any older student, and her facility with logic is reminiscent of her uncle, the eminent Sherlock Holmes himself. So, what's a brilliant young girl to do when her parents are away? Solve mysteries, of course.

Also available in: e-book | audiobook

Eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison, is more delighted than scared when a dead bird is found on the doorstep of her family's decaying mansion with a postage stamp pinned to its beak, and a short time later she comes across a man in the cucumber patch just as he is taking his dying breath.

In the beginning...there was Ezekiel "Easy" Rawlins and Raymond "Mouse" Alexander -- two young men setting out in life, hitting the road in a "borrowed" '36 Ford headed for Pariah, Texas. 

The Eyre affair : a novel by Jasper Fforde

Great Britain circa 1985: time travel is routine, cloning is a reality (dodos are the resurrected pet of choice), and literature is taken very, very seriously.