(3) 4-6 Framed! series. Covert consultants for the FBI, twelve-year-old best friends Florian and Margaret (Framed!; Vanished!), return for a third caper. Here they must save their supervisor, Marcus, from taking the fall for a deep-cover Russian spy who has been using the Library of Congress to send secrets to the Russian embassy. This enthralling mystery about spies, libraries, and codes is cleverly spun with high stakes and amusing characters.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) 4-6 Framed! series. As consulting detectives for the FBI, twelve-year-old Florian Bates (Framed!) and his best friend, Margaret, go undercover at a private school to determine who's behind a series of pranks that might involve the Chinese government, the U.S. president's daughter, and a centuries-old secret society. This compelling mystery is one layer of many in a complex detective story that also explores middle-school social dynamics.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) 4-6 Exceptionally observant twelve-year-old white boy Florian Bates, with the help of his new best friend, African American girl Margaret, uses T.O.A.S.T. ("Theory of All Small Things") to help the FBI solve an art-heist case at the National Gallery in Washington, DC. Ponti turns an improbable premise into a high-stakes, fast-paced story with appealing characters and a cleverly unfolding mystery.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) 4-6 Dead City series. Twelve-year-old Molly, a member of secret zombie-policing society the Omegas, and her team investigate undead entrepreneur Marek Blackwell's latest scheme. Meanwhile, Molly struggles with her suspicion that a teammate might be newly undead. This third volume continues the series' well-balanced mix of comic adventure, light zombie-related suspense, and science-based mystery; heartfelt interactions among characters add nuance and depth.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(3) 4-6 Dead City series. While on assignment for secret zombie-policing society the Omegas, Molly (Dead City) and her team uncover a plot to zombify New York's citizens. Molly also discovers that her deceased mother (a legendary Omega member herself) is actually undead and watching over her family. With its likable, science-minded heroine; lots of action; and light banter, this fast-paced mystery is more romp than horror story.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(3) 4-6 Seventh-grader Molly is shocked when a secret society at her science magnet school recruits her to "police and protect the undead" beneath Manhattan. She's even more surprised to learn her recently deceased mother was a famous member. A spunky scientist heroine, an unusually complex take on zombies, and an engaging mystery with a cliffhanger conclusion will leave readers impatient for the next installment.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher