Dear Teacher,
Mysteries appeal to students’ analytical minds as they bond with the protagonist-detective to solve the crime or series of crimes. A good mystery writer tries to trick readers by throwing red herrings into the plot. A red herring takes readers on a detour of misleading clues to confuse them about which suspect is the criminal. Watch out, too, for hidden evidence—details that seem unimportant when first encountered, but can become clues to the crime as the story unfolds. Then there are the alibis—suspects will have alibis that show where they were when the crime was committed, but the alibi of one suspect won’t ring true! Finally, suspense is king in mysteries as the author builds tension and uncertainty about who did it and at times leaves us hanging on to the edge of a cliff at the end of a chapter. Share mysteries you enjoy reading so kids know that this genre is a favorite of all ages!
Laura Robb
- To download a copy of the complete guide, click here: Mystery: Let’s Work Together Teaching Guide
- To view a list of Mystery titles, click here: Mystery Title List
