Recommendations based on Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detectiveby Donald J. Sobol

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. The Great Brain

    by John D. Fitzgerald
    A series of humorous adventures of a young boy's mischievous schemes and life lessons.

    The best con man in the Midwest is only ten years old. Tom, a.k.a., the Great Brain, is a silver-tongued genius with a knack for turning a profit. When the Jenkins boys get lost in Skeleton Cave, the ... (Goodreads)

  2. The Boxcar Children

    by Gertrude Chandler Warner
    Four orphaned siblings find adventure and solace in a deserted boxcar, learning the value of family and friendship.

    The Aldens begin their adventure by making a home in a boxcar. Their goal is to stay together, and in the process they find a grandfather. ... (Goodreads)

  3. Homer Price

    by Robert McCloskey
    An imaginative young boy embarks on a series of comedic adventures.

    Welcome to Centerburg! Where you can win a hundred dollars by eating all the doughnuts you want; where houses are built in a day; and where a boy named Homer Price can foil four slick bandits using ... (Goodreads)

  4. Calvin and Hobbes

    by Bill Watterson
    The adventures of a young boy and his imaginary tiger friend, exploring the world with humor and imagination.

    This is the first collection of the popular comic strip that features Calvin, a rambunctious 6-year-old boy, and his stuffed tiger, Hobbes, who comes charmingly to life. ... (Goodreads)

  5. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

    by Barbara Robinson
    A family of delinquent children put on a disastrous Christmas pageant, learning the true meaning of Christmas.

    Laughs abound in this bestselling Christmas classic by Barbara Robinson! The Best Christmas Pageant Ever follows the outrageous shenanigans of the Herdman siblings, or “the worst kids in the history ... (Goodreads)

  6. Clementine

    by Sara Pennypacker
    A young girl's journey of self-discovery, learning to be brave and stand up for herself.

    Clementine is having not so good of a week. • On Monday she's sent to the principal's office for cutting off Margaret's hair. • Tuesday, Margaret's mother is mad at her. • Wednesday, she's sent to ... (Goodreads)

  7. Pippi Longstocking

    by Astrid Lindgren
    A young girl’s wild adventures, full of imagination and mischief.

    Tommy and his sister Annika have a new neighbor, and her name is Pippi Longstocking. She has crazy red pigtails, no parents to tell her what to do, a horse that lives on her porch, and a flair for ... (Goodreads)

  8. The Essential Calvin and Hobbes: A Calvin and Hobbes Treasury

    by Bill Watterson
    A collection of beloved Calvin and Hobbes comic strips, exploring life’s adventures with childlike wonder.

    Beginning with the day Hobbes sprang into Calvin's tuna fish trap, the first two, Calvin and Hobbes, collections,, Calvin and Hobbes, and, Something Under The Bed Is Drooling, are brought together in ... (Barnes & Noble)

  9. A Study in Scarlet

    by Arthur Conan Doyle
    A masterful detective unravels a mysterious crime and its hidden motives.

    In 1881, Doctor John Watson has returned to London after serving in the Second Anglo-Afghan War . He visits the Criterion Restaurant and runs into an old friend named Stamford, who had been a dresser ... (Wikipedia)

  10. The One and Only Ivan

    by Katherine Applegate
    A gorilla named Ivan, who lives in a mall, finds hope and freedom through his art and the help of his friends.

    The story is placed at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall by the Video Arcade. Ivan, the gorilla, has lived in captivity at the Big Top Mall for 9,855 days by his own tally. , He lives in his domain, and is ... (Wikipedia)

  11. A Light in the Attic

    by Shel Silverstein
    A whimsical collection of poems, stories and drawings exploring life, love and the power of imagination.

    Last night while I lay thinking here, Some Whatifs crawled inside my ear, And pranced and partied all night long, And sang their same old Whatif song:, Whatif I flunk that test?,Whatif green hair ... (Goodreads)

  12. Tuck Everlasting

    by Natalie Babbitt
    A young girl discovers the secret of a family that has found the key to eternal life.

    12-year-old Winifred "Winnie" Foster is frustrated with her family because they keep her cooped up in the house, and considers running away from her home in rural Treegap. One day, while in a wooded ... (Wikipedia)

  13. Parts

    by Tedd Arnold
    A young boy becomes convinced that he is turning into a machine after finding a strange growth on his body.

    The young narrator has discovered a disturbing trend: There's fuzz in his belly button his toes are peeling and something just fell out of his nose. The last straw is a loose tooth, which convinces ... (Goodreads)

  14. Olivia

    by Ian Falconer
    A young girl's imaginative adventures, exploring the world around her.

    Have fun with Olivia... dressing up, singing songs, building sand castles, napping (maybe), dancing, painting on walls and - whew! - going to sleep at last. ... (Goodreads)

  15. The Mouse and the Motorcycle

    by Beverly Cleary
    An adventurous mouse embarks on a thrilling journey, making unlikely friends along the way.

    Ralph is a mouse who lives in the run-down Mountain View Inn, a battered resort hotel in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California. Ralph longs for a life of danger and speed, wishing to get ... (Wikipedia)

  16. The Velveteen Rabbit

    by Margery Williams Bianco
    A toy rabbit's journey to becoming real through the power of love.

    A stuffed rabbit sewn from velveteen is given as a Christmas present to a small boy. The boy plays with his other new presents and forgets the velveteen rabbit for a time. These presents are modern ... (Wikipedia)

  17. Surprise Island

    by Gertrude Chandler Warner
    Two orphaned siblings explore the wonders of the natural world on a remote island.

    The Aldens spend the summer on Grandfather's island! Joe, the island's friendly handyman, helps them with anything they need, but as the children continue to explore their summer home, they realize ... (Barnes & Noble)

  18. The Invention of Hugo Cabret

    by Brian Selznick
    An orphaned boy's journey to unravel the secrets of a mechanical man and find his place in the world.

    In 1930s Paris, young Hugo Cabret and his father repair an automaton at the museum where his father works. When Hugo's father dies in a fire, his uncle brings him to live and work at the train ... (Wikipedia)

  19. Mr. Popper's Penguins

    by Richard Atwater
    A house painter dreams of exploring the Antarctic and receives a penguin as a gift, leading to a hilarious and chaotic adventure.

    Mr. Popper is a house painter of modest means, living with his wife and two children (Bill and Janie) in the small town of Stillwater, Minnesota . He has a happy life, however, he is also a restless ... (Wikipedia)

  20. Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast

    by Robin McKinley
    An unconventional retelling of a classic fairytale, exploring themes of love and transformation.

    Roderick Huston, a wealthy merchant and widower, has three daughters; Grace, Hope, and Honour. When Honour was a child she asked what her name meant and afterwards said she'd rather be named Beauty, ... (Wikipedia)

  21. The Complete Sherlock Holmes

    by Arthur Conan Doyle
    Collection of mysteries solved by the brilliant detective, Sherlock Holmes.

    A study in scarlet – The sign of four -- Adventures of Sherlock Holmes : A scandal in Bohemia ; The red-headed league ; A case of identity ; The Boscombe Valley mystery ; The five orange pips ; The ... (Goodreads)

  22. The View from Saturday

    by E.L. Konigsburg
    Four sixth graders and their teacher compete in a trivia contest, revealing their unique stories and bond.

    How has Mrs. Olinski chosen her sixth-grade Academic Bowl team? She had a number of answers. But were any of them true? How had she really chosen Noah and Nadia and Ethan and Julian? And why did they ... (Goodreads)

  23. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

    by Judy Blume
    A young boy's humorous journey of growing up, navigating his way through family life.

    The book focuses on 9-year-old Peter Hatcher's frustration with the horrendous behavior demonstrated by his annoying 2½-year-old brother, Fudge, who frequently goes unpunished. Peter becomes ... (Wikipedia)

  24. Make Way for Ducklings

    by Robert McCloskey
    A family of ducks navigates the city of Boston, finding a safe home.

    This classic tale of the famous Mallard ducks of Boston is available for the first time in a full-sized paperback edition. Awarded the Caldecott Medal in 1942, Make Way for Ducklings has been ... (Goodreads)

  25. Fablehaven

    by Brandon Mull
    A tale of magical creatures, secrets, and a grand adventure to save a hidden world.

    The series begins as 13-year-old Kendra and 11-year-old Seth Sorenson are traveling to their Grandpa and Grandma Sorenson's house while their parents are away on a 17-day cruise. When they get there, ... (Wikipedia)

  26. The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

    by Tom Angleberger
    A group of sixth-grade friends use the advice of an origami Yoda to navigate their lives.

    Dwight is a sixth grader at McQuarrie Middle School who is considered quite weird. One day, Dwight folds an origami finger puppet of Yoda , a popular, Star Wars, figure. Through an imitation voice , ... (Wikipedia)

  27. Murder Must Advertise

    by Dorothy L. Sayers
    Detective story featuring Lord Peter Wimsey in a race against time to solve a mysterious murder.

    Death Bredon arrives at Pym's Publicity Ltd, an advertising agency, to take up the post of junior copywriter. He is assigned the room of his predecessor Victor Dean, who has died in a fall down the ... (Wikipedia)

  28. This Is Not My Hat

    by Jon Klassen
    A small fish steals a hat from a big fish and tries to get away with it. But can he?

    A small fish has stolen a hat from a big sleeping fish, and boasts about how easy it will be for him to get away with the theft, because the big fish will not wake up any time soon and maybe not even ... (Wikipedia)

  29. The Hobbit

    by Chuck Dixon

    First published over 50 years ago, J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Hobbit' has become one of the best-loved books of all time. Now Tolkien's fantasy classic has been adapted into a fully painted graphic novel. ... (Goodreads)

  30. Gathering Blue

    by Lois Lowry
    A young girl's story of struggle and resilience in a post-apocalyptic world.

    In her strongest work to date, Lois Lowry once again creates a mysterious but plausible future world. It is a society ruled by savagery and deceit that shuns and discards the weak. Left orphaned and ... (Goodreads)