Crack the Code! 15 Books About Puzzles and Codes for 9- to 12-Year-Olds
by Dena McMurdie
My 11-year-old daughter loves puzzles, ciphers, secret messages, and mysteries. She even took an online class through Duke University to learn more about codes and ciphers throughout history. The best part was that our entire family got sucked into the class. We spent every afternoon pouring over coded messages and using various ciphers to crack them. It was a blast.
Of course, my daughter also wants to read every book written on the subject — fiction and nonfiction alike. She devours them with an enthusiasm usually reserved for eating chocolate cake.
Filled with secret codes and tantalizing mysteries, these 15 books will keep your child glued to the page.
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Chester Keene Cracks the Code
Available from:Chester Keene thrives on organization and routine, so when his free-spirited classmate Skye asks for help with a code-cracking mission, he’s not sure they’ll get along. This unlikely duo sets out to solve puzzles, follow clues, and stop a heist from happening. It’s an excellent book for kids who enjoyed the Samantha Spinner Series.
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Mr. Lemoncello's Library Series
Available from:Puzzles, clues, and adventure await readers in this funny and imaginative series. A favorite amongst young readers, kids can't help obsessing over Mr. Lemoncello's incredible library and mind-boggling challenges.
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Kudo Kids: The Mystery of the Masked Medalist
Available from:Head to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with siblings Andy and Mika. They play a game that sends them all over the city, solving puzzles and collecting virtual medals. Soon, they realize someone is trying to stop them from winning. They must figure out who’s behind the sabotage before someone else beats them to the grand prize. You’ll also enjoy the sequel, Kudo Kids: The Mystery in Manhattan.
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The Jigsaw Jungle
Desperate to figure out why her dad left, Claudia starts collecting emails, documents, text messages, and phone transcripts into a scrapbook. When she receives an actual puzzle piece with a mysterious message, Claudia and her grandfather start hunting for clues to her father's past.
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The Explorers Series
Available from:Kids who loved Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library will enjoy this action-packed trilogy about two friends who accidentally find themselves involved with a secret society. Middle grade readers will get swept away on a code-cracking adventure filled with daring rescues, epic journeys, and laugh-out-loud humor.
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Mightier Than the Sword
Available from:Readers can write and draw themselves into this goofy fantasy story, making it as unique as they are. With puzzles to solve and a prince to save, kids will take their reading experience to the next level with this highly interactive book.
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Hide and Geek
Available from:The Goonies go modern in this treasure-hunting adventure. A famous puzzle-maker left behind one last game with a life-changing treasure for the winner. Gina, Edgar, Elena, and Kevin are determined to solve the puzzle and save their parents’ jobs. This exciting scavenger hunt will keep kids glued to the page!
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Samantha Spinner Series
Available from:When Samantha's beloved uncle disappears, he leaves her a rusty red umbrella and a cryptic message, which she soon discovers is her ticket to adventure. Kids who love collecting clues and decoding secret messages won't be able to get enough of this exhilarating series.
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All the Greys on Greene Street
Available from:Ollie loves living in SoHo with her artist parents. But her world gets shattered the night her father disappears, leaving behind a single clue. She enlists the help of her friends to follow the trail and rescue her father before it’s too late. Art and puzzle lovers will get sucked into this historical mystery novel.
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The Westing Game
Available from:Who says you can't have a little fun after you're dead? Eccentric millionaire Samuel Westing leaves behind a will that sends 16 people on a wild-goose chase for puzzle pieces to his vast fortune in this Rat Race-style story.
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Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe
Available from:A runaway parent, a set of clues, a treehouse in the woods, and a courageous kid make this an unforgettable adventure for middle grade readers. Join twelve-year-old Cricket as she searches for her missing Mama and follows the clues to a ghost town. Between surviving alone in the woods and meeting new people (and pets), Cricket pieces together the puzzle of where her Mama went.
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Sammy Keyes Series
Available from:Join Sammy Keyes as she solves mysteries involving pranksters, crooks, thieves, and poachers. With 18 books in this extra-long series, there’s no shortage of thrilling detective work to keep your young reader entertained.
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Mister Max Series
Available from:After his parents disappear, Max starts a mystery and puzzle-solving business to make ends meet. While he finds missing items and solves crimes, he receives strange, coded messages from his father. Kids who like ciphers and codes will want to binge-read this trilogy from Newbery Medalist Cynthia Voigt.
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Top Secret: A Handbook of Codes, Ciphers, and Secret Writing
Available from:If your child enjoys the other books on this list, they'll love this interactive journey through the history of codes, ciphers, and secret messages. There’s a good chance they’ll be itching to create their own — find out how with our step-by-step guide!
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Click Here to Start
Available from:Video game enthusiasts will love puzzling out the mystery in this book. When his great uncle passes away, Ted inherits a real-life escape room game, with an actual horde of treasure as the prize. As Ted and his two best friends string together clues and work out the puzzle, they learn that someone else is also after the treasure—and they’ll do anything to get it.
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Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2019 and updated in 2022.