5 Reasons Why 'Whodunit' Books Are Great for Reluctant Readers

Struggling to get your child or student to foster a love of reading? It may just be that they haven't found the right book yet. According to a report published by Scholastic in 2019, between the ages of eight and nine, the number of kids who say they love reading drops from 40% to 28%. The phenomenon, known as "Decline by 9", still remains prevalent among kids ages 8-12 in 2026.

Starting with mystery novels is an excellent way to spur reluctant readers into ravenous readers. Below are 5 reasons why whodunits are great entry points for middle grade readers needing a boost.

1. Mystery Books are Engaging

While reading mystery books, students are able to escape into a new world that is more approachable than other genre fiction niches, like fantasy or sci-fi. Initially, parents and teachers might assume that reluctant readers need something more fantastical, often plots that stray too far from reality can feel unapproachable or confusing. Mystery novels, especially classic whodunit books, are grounded in the real world but allow readers to imagine life as a detective, spy, or Sherlock Holmes-esque character, which can immediately more familiar.

2. Whodunits are predictable (in a good way)

Books with high concept premises can be too dense for early and reluctant readers. Classic mystery books have predictable and recognizable plot points that help to guide kids through the story. For example, the moment where the detective interviews a suspect, or the third act twist that turns the story on its head. These moments engage kids in the plot while also giving them confidence as they guess what's going to happen next.

3. Mystery Books are Fast Paced

Save the long, winding prose for a few books in. Mystery books are known for being quick, plot-driven reads. Kids who avoid reading will drop a book as soon as it starts to sag, so give them books with lots of plot twists in a shorter format to hold their attention span. Once they finish a book or two, they'll suddenly feel empowered to expand into longer books or series.

4. An opportunity to form connection with your reluctant reader

Mystery novels give kids something to talk about, question and debate. Importantly, it also gives the adults in their lives ways to check their reading comprehension. Are they picking up on clear clues? Are they synthesizing information well? If not, gentle nudges toward things they might have missed or misunderstood can help to increase their reading comprehension while demonstrating a shared interest. Even better? Read along with them. Even Sherlock Holmes had his Watson after all!

5. There's a mystery book for every middle grade reader

Another great trait about mystery books is they're centered around familiar plot points which means there's a unique one out there for almost every reader. Is your child a football fan? What about a gamer? Do they love music? There's bound to be a mystery that ties in one of their interests and allows them to dive deeper into the topics they're passionate about while incorporating the other benefits of reading mystery novels.

Book Recommendations for Reluctant Readers in 2026

Need some book recommendations to get started? Here are some books to suggest to the reluctant reader in your life:

Rosalyn Ransaw is a children's author based in Columbus, OH. She graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in Political Science. At her day job, she is a Marketing Manager focused on all things social media and paid advertising.

When not writing, she loves to cry watching romantic comedies and eat her weight in buffalo chicken dip.

SMOKE & MIRRORS is her debut novel.