Crime Reads » Children’s Literature

<em>The Sheep Detectives</em> is the Ultimate Cozy Mystery

The Sheep Detectives is the Ultimate Cozy Mystery

The new family-friendly whodunnit is a thoughtful, sweet love letter to the genre

By Olivia Rutigliano | June 5, 2026

Of Mice-Detectives and Men: <br> In Praise of <br><em>The Great Mouse Detective</em>

Of Mice-Detectives and Men:
In Praise of
The Great Mouse Detective

Revisiting Disney's classic but oft-overlooked Sherlock Holmes pastiche, featuring mice and Vincent Price

By Olivia Rutigliano | October 7, 2021

Stopping for a Moment to Appreciate the Original 1961 film <em>One Hundred and One Dalmatians</em>

Stopping for a Moment to Appreciate the Original 1961 film One Hundred and One Dalmatians

Aside from having one of the most high-stakes plots in crime film history, the film is an aesthetic masterpiece and an innovative development in the history of animation.

By Olivia Rutigliano | June 3, 2021

On Accountability, Artistry, and The Hard Work of Becoming Better People

On Accountability, Artistry, and The Hard Work of Becoming Better People

There is no one-size-fits-all response to the morality of art and its creators. But we need to evaluate not just the art but the artist (and vice versa).

By David Yoon | May 26, 2021

6 Reasons to Hook Your Kid on Mysteries

6 Reasons to Hook Your Kid on Mysteries

Mystery novels can teach your child the tricks of amateur sleuthing, spark a new interest in storytelling, and strengthen family bonds.

By Marthe Jocelyn | December 2, 2020

<em>The Westing Game</em> may be a murder mystery—but it’s also a ghost story.

The Westing Game may be a murder mystery—but it’s also a ghost story.

On remembrance, inheritance, and legacy in one of the most beloved children's novels of all time.

By Olivia Rutigliano | October 15, 2020

Best Reviewed
Books of the Week

On the Rearranged Sherlockian World of Enola Holmes

By Olivia Rutigliano | September 30, 2020

A Brief History of the Juvenile Mysteries You Checked Out of the Library Eight at a Time

By Keith Roysdon | September 24, 2020

8 Children’s Mystery Novels That Are Enjoyable for All Ages

By Taryn Souders | August 15, 2020

Finally, A New Children's Book About Agatha Christie

Finally, A New Children's Book About Agatha Christie

An exciting find in a children's book landscape that rarely celebrates the heroines of genre fiction.

By Radha Vatsal | July 10, 2020

<em>The Great Muppet Caper</em> Is the Loveliest Crime Movie Ever

The Great Muppet Caper Is the Loveliest Crime Movie Ever

Four decades ago, a ragtag group of vaguely self-aware puppets solved the greatest jewel heist in the world, and it was wonderful.

By Olivia Rutigliano | June 26, 2020

The Dutch anti-Nazi children’s book from the 1940s that depicts Hitler as a bug

The Dutch anti-Nazi children’s book from the 1940s that depicts Hitler as a bug

Spoiler: he gets eaten.

By Olivia Rutigliano | April 22, 2020

Ludwig Bemelmans, Beloved Author of <em>Madeline</em>, Once Shot a Man.

Ludwig Bemelmans, Beloved Author of Madeline, Once Shot a Man.

He was only sixteen.

By Olivia Rutigliano | April 8, 2020