Kari Costantino

English 112B: Young Adult Literature

Annotated Bibliography

5-2-07

Mystery Novels for Teenagers

Mystery novels are perhaps so entertaining because they are much like a puzzle; readers are given a set of clues and, along with the detective, put the clues together to solve the puzzle. Additionally, people are drawn to mystery novels because they contain �mayhem, murder, and suspense� (Donelson, 67). Mysteries contain plot twists, surprises, and unexpected endings. Readers get the sense of looking over the detective�s shoulder as he receives each clue and puts them together to solve the mystery. Mystery novels cause readers to think critically and provide a valued source of entertainment.

Teenagers, not surprisingly, are drawn to this exciting genre of literature. However, some kinds of mysteries are more popular with teens than others. Teens are more apt to identify with mystery novels that are told from a teenager�s perspective, according to characteristic #1 of Literature for Today�s Young Adults (17). Therefore, mystery novels that feature teenaged detectives are more apt to attract young adults than ones that feature older detectives. Additionally, most mystery novels end with the detective accepting credit for his actions; this fact satisfies the second characteristic of popular young adult literature (18). Furthermore, mysteries are usually fast-paced, which satisfies characteristic #3 (19).

Because most teenagers are not professional detectives, they will be less likely to identify with characters who are �professional� detectives ( such as Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys). Teens are more likely to identify with mystery novels that feature �ordinary� teens who, while going about their day-to-day lives, are suddenly thrown into the middle of a mystery, which they must solve and in turn come out the hero. In this manner, teens can actually believe that something extraordinary may happen in their ordinary lives. Additionally, teens will be better able to relate with mysteries in which the setting is similar to their own hometown. Teenagers are most likely to identify with contemporary realistic mystery novels that feature �ordinary� teenage detectives as the protagonists; therefore, the ten selections for my annotated bibliography fit this description.

Bibliography

Avi. Wolf Rider. New York: Bradbury Press, 1986.

Summary: One of Andy�s classmates is murdered. Not long afterward, Andy begins receiving a series of phone calls from someone claiming to be the murderer. Andy�s friends, family, and the police disregard Andy�s pleas because they think they are merely �crank� calls. Andy, however, believes that the phone calls are genuine, and he sets out alone to discover who is responsible. Andy shockingly finds that the murderer wants more than just Nina dead. (from the back of the book)

Bennett, Jay. Sing Me a Death Song. New York: Ballantine Books, 1990.

Summary: Jason is devastated when he sees his mother�s picture in the newspaper because he knows what it means: she has been convicted of murder and is soon to be executed. However, Jason has no doubt in his mind that his mother is truly innocent�and he is willing to do anything to free her name. He then learns a secret from a man on his deathbed that offers a new twist that sends him on an exciting, yet terrifying, journey to figure out who framed his mother. (from the back of the book)

Cooney, Caroline. The Terrorist. New York: Scholastic Inc., 1997.

Summary: Laura�s world comes crashing down around her when her eleven-year-old brother is killed by an exploding package in the London airport. Everyone, including Laura�s friends, believes that she is a suspect. Of course, Laura is not the murderer, but she is determined to find out who is. She can�t think of any reason why someone would want her brother dead. She seeks revenge on her brother�s murderer, and is determined to find out who it is before another someone else is killed. (from the back of the book)

Cooney, Caroline. Wanted! New York: Scholastic Inc., 1997.

Alice receives a phone call from her father, who sounds frantic and tells her that she must drive to him immediately even though she doesn�t have a driver�s license. Alice suspects that something is not quite right because her dad usually ignores her and certainly wouldn�t permit her driving without a license. While on her way to meet him, Alice hears a radio announcement that states that her father has been murdered, and the murderer has already confessed to the crime via email. What shocks Alice the most is that the alleged e-mail sender is her, Alice. Alice knows that she did not murder her father, but all the evidence points to her. Additionally, everyone, including her mother, believes that she is guilty. Soon she is the target of the police as well as the real murderer; she must discover the truth before her life is ruined. (from the back of the book).

Nixon, Joan Lowery. The Stalker. New York: Dell Laurel Leaf, 1985.

Jennifer, a teenager growing up in Corpus Cristi, Texas, has a best friend, Bobbie, whose mother has just been murdered. Then Bobbie is accused of the crime�and Jennifer knows that Bobbie is innocent. Jennifer sets out to find evidence to clear her friend�s name as well as convict the true killer. Eventually she makes the horrifying discovery that the murderer has been watching her every move thus far. (from the back of the book)

Peck, Robert. Are You in the House Alone? New York: Puffin Books, 1976.

Summary: Gail is leading a somewhat normal life when suddenly things change. She begins getting strange anonymous letters in her locker. Her friend suggests that they mean nothing, and that Gail should simple forget about them. However, Gail cannot forget because the notes keep coming�and then she starts getting strange phone calls. She comes to realize that someone is watching her every move; she must figure out who and why before she is attacked. (from the back of the book)

Qualey, Marsha. Close to a Killer. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1999.

Summary: Barrie is horrified when she learns that two recent murders are connected with her mother�s hair salon. The police suspect her mother and other stylists from her shop because they were all in prison together. Suddenly Barrie realizes that she is surrounded by people whom she cannot quite trust and a mother whom she may never look at the same way again. Barrie also has a sinking suspicion, which she discusses with a detective; Barrie then becomes deeply involved in a mystery. (from the back of the book)

Simmons, Michael. Finding Lubchenko. New York: Penguin Group, 2005.

Summary: Evan Macalister steals merchandise from his father�s company and sells it on the internet because, although his father is a millionaire, he shares no money with his son. One day, Mr. Macalister is accused of murdering one of his employees, and Evan might be able to clear his name because of a �cryptic email� he received while doing his illegal business. However, Evan doesn�t want to risk his father finding out about his secret means of income, so he decides to find the murderer without the police or his father knowing. The only clue he has is the email, which was sent to him by a person named Lubchenko. Evan and two of his friends embark on a dangerous journey to expose the real murderer. (from the book jacket)

Skyes, Shelley. For Mike. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 2000.

Summary: Mike, a high-school senior, mysteriously disappears, and his best friend, Jeff, is overwhelmed. The police, nor anyone else, can come up with any clues leading to his whereabouts. Jeff has three possible scenarios about what happened to Mike: he died, ran away, or was kidnapped. However, Jeff has recurring nightmares during which he hears Mike asking Jeff to rescue him. Jeff confides his dreams to his friend Barry, and, using the clues found in Jeff�s dreams, the two friends set out to unravel the mystery of their disappearing friend. (http://www.amazon.com/Mike-Shelley-Sykes/dp/0440226937/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-7264129-2623325?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177790473&sr=1-1)

Werlin, Nancy. The Black Mirror. New York: Dial Books, 2001.

Summary: Frances is not the same after her brother allegedly commits suicide; for one thing, she is unable to look herself in the mirror. She feels that she is partially responsible for her brother�s death; she feels that she was too preoccupied to noticed whatever it was that her brother was going through. Frances decided to befriend the members of the Unity Service, a group in which her deceased brother was a part. However, after a while Frances gets the feeling that something is not quite right, and it starts to look like perhaps her brother did not commit suicide after all. She becomes determined to unravel the secret that the Unity Service members are hiding. (from the back of the book)

Works Cited

Donelson, Kenneth L., and Alleen Pace Nilsen. Literature for Today�s Young Adults. Boston:

Pearson Custom Publishing, 2006.