Miss Anna, mystery lover

I am a water scavenger.  I hunt throughout my house and find the opened-but-not-finished bottles my kids got into today.  And I finish them.  They wake up in the morning with no clue what has happened to the bottle they left out yesterday...  They think the water goblins came in again and took them.  MUAHAHAHAHA!

OK, that sounds so much more interesting than it is.  I only said that because I was thirsty and my bottle was empty.  I put it in the recycling bin and found a couple half-finished bottles on the table.  And took them.  Because walking downstairs to the garage to get a brand new one was too hard.

Yes, I said recycle.  You don't?  Earth hater.  Can't talk to you anymore.  (Or something...)

Anyhoo, I was up and discovered an Encyclopedia Brown book on my counter.  Miss Anna (8) has been at it again.  She finished the first one she found in a day and has moved on.  I'm thinking she likes these mystery books and she likes scary stories, so maybe it's time we move her along to some better things.  If Encyclopedia Brown can be devoured in a day's time, maybe she's ready for bigger stuff.  Things written for older audiences.

I debated Nancy Drew a bit, but a boy always comes to save the day in the end, so I'm not so sure I like that idea creeping into my daughter's just-starting-to-notice-boys brain.  She does not need to be saved by some man.  No thanks.

Ideas, anyone?  I really enjoyed Mary Higgens Clark, Agatha Christie, Michael Crichton, Robin Cook, and John Grisham, but I'm trying to remember how old I was when I began reading them.  I'm sure she can read the words and follow the stories, for the most part...  but I may have to read along with her and be sure there are not any scenes little eyes don't need to read.  Hmm.

I'm not one who subscribes to "intended age ranges" on books, I'll put that out there.  If it catches the kid's attention and makes them find a love of reading (and in my daughter's case, writing as well!), I'm all for it.  As long as we're not talking adult material in the hands of a child, of course.  ;)

I do have my limits.