If You Like The Bletchley Riddle…
Bestselling middle-grade novel The Bletchley Riddle (2024) is a great read. Written by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin, the book is set in England in World War II. It is told in the dual perspectives of siblings Lizzie and Jakob. Jakob, just out of school, is working at Bletchley Park as a codebreaker. Lizzie joins him there determined to solve the mystery of her mother’s disappearance. Below are other great picks, including one about codebreaking, as well as mysteries sure to capture the imagination.
Wells and Wong series by Robin Stevens (started in 2015)
This series, starting with Murder Is Bad Manners, feels like a cozy BBC mystery aged down for kids. There is murder and clues and kids sleuths who solve the crime before the pros. Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are best friends at boarding school in the 1930s. In the first book, they find the dead body of their science teacher, but it disappears before any grown ups find it. They have to solve the crime and prove that there was one in the first place.
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys (2017)
This powerful novel is written by Sepetys, one of the authors of The Bletchley Riddle. Following four people desperate to escape their circumstances in 1945, this novel focuses on the little-known, but deadly, shipwreck of the Wilhelm Gustloff. All of the characters are heading for the boat, none of them knowing that it is not the escape they hope.
Charlie Thorne series by Stuart Gibbs (started 2019)
Charlie is smart — Einstein-level smart — so it’s no wonder that the CIA asks for her help when they are worried that the Furies may be about to uncover the location of a hidden equation that Einstein left behind. Will she be able to get there first?
Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killeen (2019)
This intense book is about a Jewish teen asked to spy on the children of Nazis at a boarding school. Killeen fills the pages with such suspense that it is hard to put down. The heroine is dedicated to her cause but fears becoming one of the monsters she is fighting against.
The Killing Code by Ellie Marney (2022)
Kit is a codebreaker in Virginia during World War II when she stumbles into a murder scene. She and her fellow workers team up to solve the murder and protect their team. Kit is determined to find the truth, even as it may expose secrets she never wanted to come to light.
The Enigma Game by Elizabeth Wein (2020)
Like The Bletchley Riddle, this book involves solving the mystery of Enigma machines. Louisa, who is half-Jamaican, gets a job taking care of an elderly German woman in Scotland near a British army base. When a German pilot and an Enigma machine cross Louisa’s path, she is entwined in the mystery to understand the machine and help the British win the war.
Max in the House of Spies by Adam Gidwitz (2024)
Max is evacuated from Germany during World War II, leaving his Jewish parents behind. He settles with a wealthy English family, some of whom are spies for England and offer to train him as a spy. As he prepares to return undercover to Germany, he worries about his parents and hopes to reunite with them once he is back at home.
Bonus suggestion: If you are looking for engaging non-fiction on history aimed at kids, check out co-author Steve Sheinkin’s books. Bomb is about the creation of the nuclear bomb; Most Dangerous is about the Vietnam War; and Fallout is about the Cold War.