Common elements in kids short mystery stories include a sense of curiosity. The main character or characters are curious about the strange event that has occurred. There are often false leads. In 'The Mystery of the Vanishing Book', the kids first think the librarian took the book when they see her acting suspicious, but it turns out she was just looking for a similar book. Another element is the setting. It can be a spooky old house, a schoolyard, or a forest. These settings add to the mystery. And finally, there's a discovery at the end, which satisfies the reader's curiosity.
Once upon a time, in a small town, there was a strange old house at the end of the street. All the kids were scared to go near it. One day, a curious boy named Tom decided to explore. As he entered, he heard a faint whispering. He followed the sound and found a locked door. Behind that door, he later discovered, was a collection of old toys that seemed to have a life of their own. They were left there by a magician long ago, and their magic still lingered.
Start with an interesting and simple mystery. Make the characters fun and relatable for kids. Use easy language and short chapters to keep them engaged.
How about 'The Mysterious Pet'. A child gets a new pet but strange things start happening. They have to figure out what's going on. The story has lots of twists and turns to keep kids engaged.
One great kids short mystery story is 'The Case of the Missing Cat'. In this story, a little girl wakes up one morning to find her beloved cat has vanished. She follows a series of clues around her neighborhood, like a strange paw print on the fence and some cat hair near an old shed. Another is 'The Mystery of the Haunted Treehouse'. A group of kids hear spooky noises coming from their treehouse at night. They investigate and discover that it's just a raccoon making all the noise. There's also 'The Secret of the Hidden Treasure'. A boy finds an old map in his attic and goes on an adventure to find the hidden treasure it indicates.
Another option is to look at PBS Kids' website. They sometimes have printable stories related to their shows, and among them, there could be mystery short stories. These are designed to be educational as well as entertaining for kids, with positive messages and easy - to - understand plots.
The neighborhood kids had always been curious about the big, locked shed in Mr. Thompson's yard. One day, they heard some strange noises coming from it. A group of kids, led by Sarah, decided to find out what was inside. They tried to peek through the cracks but couldn't see much. They finally asked Mr. Thompson, and he showed them that it was just his old collection of antique radios that sometimes made strange noises when the wind blew through the ventilation.
A wonderful kids' short story is 'The Three Little Pigs'. The three pigs build their houses, one of straw, one of sticks, and one of bricks. The big bad wolf tries to blow down their houses. The story shows kids about the importance of building things strong and not taking shortcuts.