Best Puzzle Books for Middle Graders

This puzzle book is not for the faint of heart. Blending a fictional narrative with the real-life requirement of deciphering clues, this one-time-use tome has readers cutting, folding, and solving their way through riddles. When a group of intelligent, adventurous kids find themselves in pursuit of a lost family treasure, the reader’s help is required to finally foil the thieves! This pick is perfect for a puzzle-loving early teen or as a collaborative family project for younger Sherlocks.

Written by an accomplished mathematics educator who is also the founder of a theater company, this book combines brain-tickling puzzles and codes with a fast-paced mystery story. Instead of massive puzzles that move you drastically forward in the plot, The Codebreaker’s Club: Solve the Mystery of the Missing Puzzle Professor includes 150 puzzles interspersed between short excerpts of narrative. Featuring a fantastic variety—including codes, logic grids, sudoku, and rebus puzzles—this book may be geared toward middle schoolers, but many adults sing its praises.

Murdle Jr. is appropriately following in the footsteps of its elder, providing a thrilling narrative that requires solving logic puzzles to get to the bottom of the case. This version of the puzzle-plot blend leans more into character development, and the challenges stay firmly in the logic and deduction realm for the most part. Murdle Jr. features plots and difficulty levels that are just right for preteens, along with a cast of whiz-kid detectives to lead the reader on a wonderful chase. The best part? It’s a series—so keep ’em coming!

The New York Times Games are a palatable introduction to the puzzle world for many. While not explicitly geared toward the middle school crowd, both of my kids had seventh- and eighth-grade teachers who used Wordle, Pips, or Connections as an option for early finishers—and it was truthfully one of the most positive things they had to say about their school days. Additionally, this book is gorgeous and perfect for leaving on the coffee table to pick up between episodes of your latest streaming marathon. It is a collection that both teens and families can truly get something out of.

Looking for a title that can be read again and again? The Friendship Riddle features a series of puzzles that lead the reclusive, bookish Ruth on a journey she can’t resist. However, she needs help to decode the clues and uncover the truth. For Ruth, making friends is almost as terrifying as leaving this mystery unsolved. Will she risk the pain of rejection to form a meaningful bond, or will she choose safety…and solitude?

Janae Marks takes the stakes to the next level with her gorgeous mystery, From the Desk of Zoe Washington. When 12-year-old Zoe unexpectedly hears from her father—who is incarcerated for a crime he says he didn’t commit—the sleuthing needed to clear his name goes from playful to life-altering. Zoe is unearthing clues, learning where the justice system falls short, and preparing for a massive audition for a baking reality show, all while navigating middle school! Sleuth right along with Zoe in this thrilling narrative.