Sneaks

A missing child and an apartment that should be empty spur two tweens to solve an increasingly tangled neighborhood mystery in this page-turning middle grade debut.

This hijinks-heavy mystery written in dual POV reads like Only Murders in the Building for tweens. Perfect for wannabe sleuths and nosy neighbors!

Valory has developed an unfortunate reputation as a thief--primarily because she steals things--though she has resolved to change her ways.

Rook is a total asparagus-eater (a.k.a. a good kid), but he likes to spy on his neighbors. Nobody's perfect, right?

The twelve-year-olds form an unlikely alliance when they encounter suspicious behavior in an "empty" apartment across the alley from Rook's house. While agoraphobia keeps home-schooled Rook trapped on his property, confident and street-smart Valory can roam the scene undetected. Their opposite personalities might, in fact, be key to their success.

But their amateur detective mission morphs into something more sinister when they realize the apartment next door could be connected to a recent kidnapping. When the sleuths realize they're also being watched, the pressure is on to unmask the villain. . . before she snatches them, too.

Author: Amy Tern
Publisher: Holiday House
Published: 07/07/2026
Pages: 240
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.83lbs
Size: 8.41h x 5.61w x 1.01d
ISBN: 9780823461622
Audience: Ages 9-12


Review Citation(s):
School Library Journal 04/01/2026 pg. 73
Kirkus Reviews 05/01/2026
Booklist 05/01/2026
Publishers Weekly 04/27/2026

About the Author
Amy Tern is a freelance editor who worked for the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars while writing short stories and nonfiction in her spare time. Sneaks is her debut novel. She lives in Virginia with her husband, two book-loving sons, and a petulant gecko.