5th grade Mystery books
30 books in the mystery genre commonly assigned to 5th grade students — every title’s grade range covers 5th grade, so each is grade-appropriate by curriculum placement. Each links to its reading level, themes, and the curricula that cite it.
Reading difficulty: the typical 5th grade text-complexity band is 740–1010L (Common Core Appendix A). Of the 1 mystery titles here with a Lexile score, 1 is grade-level, 0 are more accessible, and 0 are stretch texts. Match a book to your reader’s measured Lexile rather than to the grade alone.
30 5th grade mystery books
Reading the whole 5th grade Mystery books? Kids who struggle with the print versions often finish the assigned books by listening.
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A Haunting in WilliamsburgLou Kassem
Alvin's Swap ShopClifford B. Hicks
BigfootHal George Evarts
Christina's GhostBetty Ren Wright
Closed for the SeasonMary Downing Hahn
Dead Man in Indian CreekMary Downing Hahn
Down the Rabbit HolePeter Abrahams
Framed!James Ponti
Ghosts Don't Get Goose BumpsElvira Woodruff
Hannah Sharpe, Cartoon DetectiveJanet Tashjian
Is Anybody There?Eve Bunting
It Found UsLindsay Currie
Mystery at the Club SandwichDoug Cushman
Nightmare MountainPeg Kehret
PieSarah Weeks
Scared StiffWillo Davis Roberts
Skeleton CreekPatrick Carman
Skeleton ManJoseph Bruchac- Something Big Has Been HereJack PrelutskySomething Big Has Been HereJack Prelutsky
SwindleGordon Korman- Tarot Says BewareBetsy Cromer ByarsTarot Says BewareBetsy Cromer Byars
Terror at the ZooPeg Kehret- The ApothecaryMaile MeloyThe ApothecaryMaile Meloy
- The Dollhouse MurdersBetty Ren WrightThe Dollhouse MurdersBetty Ren Wright
Show all 30 titles
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- The Maze of Bones · Rick Riordan
- The Name of the Game Was Murder · Joan Lowery Nixon
- The Stranger · Chris Van Allsburg
- The Westing Game · Ellen Raskin
- Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer · John Grisham
- Three Times Lucky · Sheila Turnage
Mystery books at other grades
Kindergarten · 1st grade · 2nd grade · 3rd grade · 4th grade · 6th grade · 7th grade · 8th grade
Other 5th grade genres
Children's · Realistic Fiction · Science Fiction & Fantasy · Middle Grade Fiction · Juvenile Fiction · Picture Book · Fantasy · Humor
← Full 5th grade reading list · All mysterybooks →
Frequently asked questions
What mystery books are good for 5th grade students?
30 mystery books have a grade range that covers 5th grade and are assigned across US-school curricula — Common Core exemplars, AP, IB, Cambridge, and state ELA standards. Each title on this page links to its full curriculum citations and reading level.
Are these mystery books grade-appropriate for 5th grade?
Every title's grade range covers 5th grade. The typical 5th grade text-complexity band is 740–1010L (Common Core Appendix A); of the 1 books here with a Lexile score, 1 is grade-level, 0 more accessible, and 0 a stretch. Match a book to your reader's measured Lexile rather than to the grade alone.
How many mystery books are on the 5th grade list?
This page lists 30 5th grade mystery titles, ordered alphabetically. The list expands as more curriculum references are verified.
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