A to Z Mysteries facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
A to Z Mysteries

The front cover art for The Absent Author, the first book in the A to Z Mysteries series
A to Z Mysteries (26 titles) A to Z Mysteries Super Edition (continuing) Calendar Mysteries
Author	Ron Roy
Illustrator	John Steven Gurney
Country	United States
Genre	Children's, mystery novels
Publisher	Random House
Published	September 23, 1997-April 26, 2005 (main series) 2006–present (sequel and spinoff)
Media type	Print (paperback)

The A to Z Mysteries is a super popular series of mystery books for kids! Ron Roy wrote them, and John Steven Gurney drew the cool pictures. Random House publishes these books. Many people think they are some of the best "easy readers" for young children.

There are twenty-six books in the main series. Each book's title starts with a different letter of the alphabet, from A to Z! The first book, The Absent Author, came out in 1997. The last one, The Zombie Zone, was published in 2005.

The stories follow three awesome kid detectives. Their names are Donald David "Dink" Duncan, Josh Pinto, and Ruth Rose Hathaway. They are all nine years old. They live in a made-up town called Green Lawn in Connecticut, USA. These three friends always find themselves solving exciting mysteries!

Other fun characters appear in the books too. There's Pal, a dog who used to belong to bad guys but now lives with Josh. Wallis Wallace is a mystery writer who sometimes helps out. Mr. Linkletter works at the local hotel. You'll also meet Officer Fallon, Josh's younger twin brothers Bradley and Brian, Ruth Rose's younger brother Nate, and Mr. Pasky, who owns the Green Lawn bookstore.

Because the first series was so popular, Ron Roy created more books! There's a follow-up series called A to Z Mysteries Super Edition. It features the same characters. The first book in this series, Detective Camp, came out in 2006. Ron Roy and John Steven Gurney also made a spin-off series called Calendar Mysteries. It started with "January Joker" in 2009.

One magazine, The Horn Book Magazine, said that kids love these books because the main characters are very relatable. They are not trying to be super cool, which can be a nice break for readers.

What is the Original A to Z Mysteries Series About?

The original A to Z Mysteries series has 26 books. Each one is a new adventure for Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose. They solve mysteries that happen right in their hometown of Green Lawn.

The Absent Author: The First Mystery

The Absent Author was published in 1997. It's the very first book in the A to Z Mysteries series. In this story, we meet the three young detectives. Dink is smart and loves to read. Ruth Rose is his neighbor and a good friend. Josh is their best friend.

The mystery begins when a famous writer named Wallis Wallace doesn't show up for a book signing. Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose think he might have been kidnapped! They start investigating to find out what really happened.

The Bald Bandit: The Bank Robbery Mystery

The Bald Bandit came out in 1997. It's the second book in the series. Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose are back for another adventure! The Green Lawn Bank gets robbed. A detective asks Dink for help. The trio jumps right into the case. Their only clue is a red-haired teenager who filmed the robbery.

The Canary Caper: The Pet Theft Mystery

The Canary Caper is the third book, published in 1998. Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose investigate when several animals are stolen. But then, the pets are returned! Things seem peaceful until the pet owners' houses are robbed the very night the animals come back. The trio looks for a connection. This leads them to watch a house that might be the next target.

• This book was released on March 3, 1998, along with The Deadly Dungeon.

The Deadly Dungeon: A Spooky Castle Mystery

The Deadly Dungeon, the fourth book, was also published in 1998. The three friends go to Wallis Wallace's castle in Maine. They start hearing strange noises at night! Wallis Wallace says it's the ghost of a famous movie star. But Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose don't believe him. They want to find the truth. They find big footprints. Dink and Josh think it's Wallis's brother. But Ruth Rose knows it can't be him. The trio gets trapped, and they realize the real culprit is someone else. They eventually catch the person responsible.

• This book was released on March 3, 1998, along with The Canary Caper.

The Empty Envelope: A Secret Code Mystery

The Empty Envelope is the fifth book, published in 1998. Dink starts getting letters in his mailbox addressed to "D. Duncan." But when he opens them, they all say "Dear Doris" and aren't for him! Josh and Ruth Rose think it's a joke. Dink, however, suspects something more is going on. His suspicions are confirmed when a woman named Doris Duncan shows up. She demands the letters right away. Ruth Rose's little brother Nate had taken the letters without knowing they were important. Dink apologizes to Ms. Duncan, who leaves upset. Dink and his friends investigate the letters. They find a secret code in the words. They also discover a valuable stamp hidden under a worthless one in an envelope. Then, the real owner of the valuable stamp comes to get it back. This book sets up the story for The Falcon's Feathers.

• This book was published on April 16, 1998.

The Falcon's Feathers: The Missing Birds Mystery

The Falcon's Feathers is the sixth book, published in 1998. Josh finds a falcon's nest and checks on the baby birds every day. But when he tries to show Dink and Ruth Rose, the nest is empty! They find a baby falcon's wing that has been trimmed. They realize someone is stealing the falcons from Green Lawn. Now they must find them before it's too late!

• This book was published on October 13, 1998.

Full List of Books in the Original Series

• The Absent Author
• The Bald Bandit
• The Canary Caper
• The Deadly Dungeon
• The Empty Envelope
• The Falcon's Feathers
• The Goose's Gold
• The Haunted Hotel
• The Invisible Island
• The Jaguar's Jewel
• The Kidnapped King
• The Lucky Lottery
• The Missing Mummy
• The Ninth Nugget
• The Orange Outlaw
• The Panda Puzzle
• The Quicksand Question
• The Runaway Racehorse
• The School Skeleton
• The Talking T-Rex
• The Unwilling Umpire
• The Vampire's Vacation
• The White Wolf
• The X'ed-Out X-Ray
• The Yellow Yacht
• The Zombie Zone

You can find these books as E-books and audiobooks too! In 2018, the fast-food chain Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen even gave out smaller versions of the books with new covers in their kids' meals.

A to Z Mysteries Super Edition: New Adventures!

The A to Z Mysteries Super Edition is a sequel series. It takes place one year after the original series. In these books, Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose travel to different places instead of staying in Connecticut. These books are also about fifty pages longer than the first ones.

• A to Z Mysteries Super Edition (8 volumes as of 2015, more released later)
• Detective Camp (May 9, 2006)
• Mayflower Treasure Hunt (August 28, 2007)
• White House White-out (August 12, 2008)
• Sleepy Hollow Sleepover (July 27, 2010)
• The New Year Dragon Dilemma (November 22, 2011)
• The Castle Crime (January 28, 2014)
• Operation Orca (June 28, 2015)
• Secret Admirer (December 22, 2015)
• April Fools' Fiasco (February 28, 2017)
• Colossal Fossil (February 27, 2018)
• Grand Canyon Grab (March 5, 2019)
• Space Shuttle Scam (March 3, 2020)

Calendar Mysteries: For Younger Readers

The A to Z Mysteries also inspired a spin-off series called Calendar Mysteries. It started with January Joker. This series is for slightly younger kids, like second and third graders. It focuses on Dink's cousin Lucy, Josh's younger twin brothers Brian and Bradley, and Ruth Rose's younger brother Nate. The main characters from the A to Z Mysteries sometimes appear in these books too!

While the A to Z Mysteries used the alphabet for titles, the Calendar Mysteries connect their titles and themes to the different months of the year. The stories often happen around holidays in that month.

• January Joker (December 22, 2009)
• February Friend (December 22, 2009)
• March Mischief (January 26, 2010)
• April Adventure (February 9, 2010)
• May Magic (March 22, 2011)
• June Jam (March 22, 2011)
• July Jitters (June 26, 2012)
• August Acrobat (June 26, 2012)
• September Sneakers (August 6, 2013)
• October Ogre (August 6, 2013)
• November Night (August 26, 2014)
• December Dog (September 23, 2014)
• New Year's Eve Thieves (September 23, 2014)

Images for kids

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  The front cover art for The Absent Author, the first book in the A to Z Mysteries series