King & Kayla and the Case of the Mysterious Mouse Sep 1, 2017 by Dori Hillestad Butler and Nancy Meyers Hardcover;(Peachtree Publishers) King & Kayla and the Case of the Secret Code (King and Kayla)Mar 1, 2017 by Dori Hillestad Butler and Nancy Meyers Hardcover;(Peachtree Publishers) ;#IBRChildrenBooks

Bookends begins Mystery Month 2017 with a new beginning mystery reading series for young readers about a girl and her dog. Kayla and King are both formidable investigators in their own right, but together, they are invincible.

King & Kayla and the Case of the Missing Dog Treats

(2017) serves up a simple mystery perfect for a young audience. King knows he didn’t eat the missing peanut butter dog treats and that he smells an intruder in the house, but no one can understand his defense. Kayla figures out a way to determine his innocence, and together they find the real culprit. Butler’s story is great for beginning readers, and Nancy Meyers’ illustrations are expressive: Meyers has a golden doodle of her own, and her artwork makes it obvious that she knows dogs. What a treat! (The recipe for the dog treats, as well as printable plans for a decoder, are available here.)

King & Kayla and the Case of the Secret Code (2017) finds King trying and failing to teach Kayla a new trick called the “Get King Some Cheese Trick.” Then the doorbell rings, and on the mat, Kayla finds a letter addressed to her—but when she opens it, she can’t read it because the letters make no sense! Kayla’s friend Mason arrives with a mixed-up letter, too. All King has to do is sniff the letters to know who sent it. but he can’t seem to get the children to understand.

There are two fun mysteries here: who sent the letters and what do the letters say. King’s nose solves the first puzzle, but it takes a bit of maneuvering to show the kids the answer. The solution to the second mystery involves a code for which Butler provides a clear explanation that will inspire young readers to send coded letters to all their friends. The third installment, King & Kayla and the Case of the Mysterious Mouse, doesn’t publish until September 1st, but we have it in the sights of our detective magnifying glass. We can’t wait. Meanwhile, you should keep your eyes trained on Bookends and The Booklist Reader as we reveal lots of Mystery Month fun.