Books for Boys Set in Urban Chicago

She came up with …

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett

This bewitching first novel is a puzzle, wrapped in a mystery, disguised as an adventure, and delivered as a work of art.

When a book of unexplainable occurrences brings Petra and Calder together, strange things start to happen: Seemingly unrelated events connect; an eccentric old woman seeks their company; an invaluable Vermeer painting disappears. Before they know it, the two find themselves at the center of an international art scandal, where no one is spared from suspicion. As Petra and Calder are drawn clue by clue into a mysterious labyrinth, they must draw on their powers of intuition, their problem-solving skills, and their knowledge of Vermeer. Can they decipher a crime that has stumped even the FBI?

I personally liked Chasing Vermeer myself but my oldest, at around age 9, did not which surprised me because she is arty. It’s a mystery and set more in suburban Chicagoland than inner city.

The Great Fire by Jim Murphy

“Vivid firsthand descriptions by persons who lived through the 1871 Chicago fire are woven into a gripping account… Absorbing and riveting reading.”

The Horn Book, starred review

And a Newbery Honor book!

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

Jeanette says, “Good for maybe 7-8th grade and up.”

I searched online as well. I came up with a few more — it’s tougher than we’d thought!!!

Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements

A teenage boy living in Hyde Park wakes up and discovers that he is invisible. His parents are questioned by police because someone reports that he hasn’t been seen, and a new friend helps him uncover why he’s become invisible. Recommended for ages 9 and up.

Windy City Mystery by Gertrude Warner

The “Boxcar Children” travel to Chicago for a wedding and wind up investigating a mystery.

Windy City Danger (Red Rock Mysteries #11) by Jerry B. Jenkins

Bryce and Ashley Timberline are normal 13-year-old twins, except for one thing—they discover action-packed mysteries wherever they go. Whether it’s tracking down a missing groom or uncovering a drug-dealing ring, Bryce and Ashley never lose their taste for adventure. Wanting to get to the bottom of any mystery, these twins find themselves on a nonstop search for the truth.

The Wright 3 by Blue Balliett

I found another book by Blue Balliett. Chasing Vermeer, set in Chicago, is based on Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House in Hyde Park.

Fair Weather by Richard Peck

I happen to love Richard Peck and Fair Weather is one of my favorites! It fits the bill since no one said that we couldn’t go back in time! Fair Weather is set at the turn of the century when Chicago hosted the World Fair. Honestly, this is a great read! Two of his other books are also wonderful but they are set in rural Illinois during the Great Depression.

Making Tracks (Adventures in America) by Adrienne Wolfert

The latest in the Adventures in America series brings home some of the hard truths about life during the Depression through a riding-the-rails tale. Harry James Harmony is almost an orphan: his mother is desperately ill with tuberculosis, and his father has gone to Chicago to find work as a jazz musician. Harry leaves the foster farm and stows away on the train from Bridgeport, Connecticut, to Chicago, dreaming of a reunion with his father. He is pursued by the railroad police and tormented by his fear that he’ll be sent to an orphanage or reform school if caught. Wolfert serves up a great deal of information about the Depression in this page-turner by focusing on trains and the people who were forced to ride them.

Missing from Haymarket Square by Harriette Robinet

CHICAGO, 1886. Twelve-year-old Dinah Bell is too young to be working twelve-hour days. But to the factory and mill owners, age doesn’t matter. In fact, nothing seems to matter to them except how much work gets done. But Dinah and workers like her have many concerns: Food is scarce, wages are small, and hope seems out of reach.

Dinah’s father knows there must be a better way — that’s why he and eight thousand others are planning to march for an eight-hour day. But when her father is taken prisoner for helping to plan the march, Dinah is desperate to rescue him. As the march gives way to a terrifying riot, Dinah faces constant danger and a persistent question: What will become of her family if she does not set her father free?

America Is Her Name by Luis Rodriguez

Set in the Pilsen barrio of Chicago, this children’s picture book gives a heartwarming message of hope. The heroine, América, is a primary school student who is unhappy in school until a poet visits the class and inspires the students to express themselves creatively in Spanish or English. América Is Her Name emphasizes the power of individual creativity in overcoming a difficult environment and establishing self-worth and identity through the young girl América’s desire and determination to be a writer. This story deals realistically with the problems in urban neighborhoods and has an upbeat theme: you can succeed in spite of the odds against you. Carlos Vázquez’s inspired four-color illustrations give a vivid sense of the barrio, as well as the beauty and strength of the young girl América.

The In-Between by Rebecca Ansari

Review by Ms. Yingling Reads:

“Cooper is angry that his father has left him, his sister Jess, and his overworked mother in a run-down neighborhood in Chicago and is now in California with his new wife and son. The rage spills into other areas of his life– he has trouble getting along with his friends because their families are intact, and he is especially angry with the quiet, uncommunicative girl, Elena,  in the newly renovated house next door. He managed to be kind to his sister and to help her manage her diabetes, but he is somewhat relieved when a new boy at school, Gus, befriends him. Gus is having trouble fitting in, having been sent to live with his irascible grandmother while his parents are divorcing. The two boys bond over this, and also over one very odd fact. Cooper, Jess, and Gus can see Elena’s house differently than everyone else. To them, it is decrepit and abandoned. When Jess is obsessed with an old train accident, and an unidentified boy who died, Cooper and Jess realize that Elena’s school sweater has the same crest on it and start to investigate. what her connection might be. They eventually find that Elena and her sister were killed many years ago, but never died, and seem to travel from tragedy to tragedy, living in “the in-between”. Because the three children can see Elena and the true state of her house, they worry that they are next in line for the tragedy they suspect that Elena will precipitate. Will they be able to find out what Elena’s true purpose is, and to save themselves?” [middle grade, ages 9 and up]

Wild Ride by Keith Calabrese

Review by Ms. Yingling Reads:

“Charley is a very fun character, and I loved her positive relationship with her older brother. There are a lot of children who have much older siblings, and it is difficult when they leave home to go to college. This is a great topic to address. The Chicago setting is almost like another character and gives a great background for the adventure. Pangea’s Ursula has a fun role. I’m always glad to see an upbeat adventure book with children being allowed to roam enough to get into a little bit of trouble. Quite fun.” [middle grade, ages 8 and up]

Thank you to Becky of Kid World Citizen for this great chapter book series via her Facebook page.

The Sixty-Eight Rooms (The Sixty-Eight Rooms Adventures series) by Marianne Fineberg

Fans of magic, mystery, and adventure will love the first exciting Sixty-Eight Rooms Adventure—the perfect next step for kids who loved the Magic Tree House series, and readers who love Chasing Vermeer, The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, and Wonderstruck! Almost everybody who has grown up in Chicago knows about the Thorne Rooms. Housed in the deep inside the Chicago Art Institute they are a collection of 68 exquisitely crafted miniature rooms. Each room is set in a different historical period, and every detail is perfect. Some might even say, the rooms are magic. Imagine—what if on a field trip, you discovered a key that allowed you to shrink so that you could sneak inside and explore the rooms’ secrets? What if you discovered that others had done so before you? And that someone had left something important behind?

Erica of What Do We Do All Day also writes for Storied Cities, a blog that showcases books for kids set in urban settings. She has several books on Chi-Town here:

Storied Cities: Snowy City: The Great Horse-Less Carriage Race

Storied Cities: Furry City: Beaver is Lost

She also recommends an early chapter book series called Simply Sarah set in urban Chicago.

p.s. Related posts:

Mystery Books for Kids with Diverse Characters

Children’s Books About Art Mysteries

Wonderful Diversity Mysteries for Ages 8-18

Mysteries for Kids Book Lists

Best Mysteries for Kids

Mysteries Surrounding The Lemonade War Series

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Mystery

The Mystery of Pi for Pi Day!

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Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World

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