Notorious by Gordon Korman is the ultimate "hook" book—a middle-grade mystery that actually respects a kid's intelligence while delivering a plot about a dead dog, Al Capone legends, and a town divided by an international border. It’s fast, it’s funny, and it has zero of the "educational" fluff that usually makes reluctant readers run for the nearest iPad.
TL;DR: Notorious by Gordon Korman is a high-stakes whodunnit perfect for ages 9-12. It follows two kids on a fictional island shared by the US and Canada as they investigate the suspicious death of a local dog with ties to the island's gangster past. If your kid liked Restart or is looking for a mystery that feels like a real movie, this is the one.
Gordon Korman has been writing for kids since the 70s, and there’s a reason he’s still the king of the middle-grade shelf: he knows how to pace a scene. In Notorious, he takes a high-concept setting—Center Island, a place where the US-Canada border literally runs through houses and streets—and drops a city kid named Keenan into the middle of a local feud.
The inciting incident? The death of Barney, a giant, beloved dog who was supposedly the descendant of a Doberman owned by Al Capone. While the adults call it "natural causes," Sophie (the local conspiracy theorist and Korman’s best character in years) is convinced it’s murder. What follows is a genuine mystery that involves bootlegging history, local eccentricities, and the kind of low-stakes but high-tension investigation that keeps kids turning pages past bedtime.
Parents often ask why their kids will sit for three hours of YouTube but won't touch a book. Usually, it's because the "on-boarding" of the book is too slow. Korman doesn't have that problem. He writes in short, punchy chapters that alternate perspectives between Keenan and Sophie. This does two things:
- It creates natural "just one more chapter" momentum.
- It gives kids two different entry points into the story—one skeptical and grounded, one energetic and obsessed.
If you’re trying to compete with the dopamine hits of a tablet, you need a story that moves. Notorious moves. It trades the introspective "lessons" found in a lot of school-assigned reading for actual plot mechanics.
If your kid finishes Notorious and asks for more, don't just hand them whatever is on the "classics" shelf. Stay in this lane of fast-paced, smart-aleck realism.
This is Korman at his funniest. It’s about a group of "misfit" kids and a burned-out teacher who has checked out of life. It’s a redemption story that manages to be heartwarming without being cringey.
If they loved the "mysterious island/house" vibe and the historical puzzles of Notorious, this is the logical next step. It’s a bit more atmospheric and "cozy mystery," but the puzzle-solving is top-tier.
This is Korman’s foray into light sci-fi/thriller territory. It’s about a "perfect" town where the kids discover they are actually part of a massive experiment. It’s higher stakes than Notorious and works incredibly well for kids who like a "government secret" vibe.
It’s a classic for a reason. Like Notorious, it weaves together a modern-day mystery with historical legends (though in this case, it’s outlaws in the desert rather than gangsters on an island). For more like this, check out our best books for kids list.
The "dead dog" element is the only potential friction point here. To be clear: this isn't a "sad dog movie" where you watch the animal suffer. Barney dies before the book starts, and his death is treated as the "body" in a murder mystery. It’s handled with more intrigue than trauma.
The book is remarkably clean. There’s no profanity, the "violence" is limited to some light scuffling and historical gangster lore, and there’s no forced romance. It’s just a solid, smart story about two kids trying to figure out if their town is as boring as it looks (spoiler: it’s not).
If your kid gets into the Al Capone/Prohibition angle, that’s a great rabbit hole. The "Center Island" in the book is fictional, but the history of bootlegging across the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River is very real.
Conversation Starters:
- The Border Logic: Ask them what they think about the "split" houses on the island. If you sleep in the US but eat breakfast in Canada, which laws do you follow? It’s a fun way to talk about the reality of geography and rules.
- The "Barney" Mystery: Halfway through, ask them who their top three suspects are. Korman plays fair with the clues—the answer is actually findable if they’re paying attention.
- Legend vs. Fact: Talk about the Al Capone connection. Why are people so obsessed with "gangster history" even 100 years later?
Q: Is Notorious appropriate for an 8-year-old? Yes, if they are a confident reader. The vocabulary isn't overly difficult, and the content is very safe. The biggest hurdle for an 8-year-old would be keeping track of the alternating perspectives, but most 3rd or 4th graders will handle it fine.
Q: Is there any "bad" content in the book? Almost none. There is some mention of "gangsters" and historical bootlegging (smuggling alcohol), but it’s presented as local lore rather than anything graphic. It’s one of the cleanest middle-grade books on the market.
Q: My kid hates reading. Will they actually like this? Gordon Korman is basically the "gateway drug" for reluctant readers. If they like fast-paced movies or shows with a lot of snarky dialogue, this is the book that might actually change their mind about reading.
Notorious is a win. It’s a rare book that satisfies parents who want their kids to read "real books" and kids who just want to be entertained. It’s smart, it’s fast, and it’s a great alternative to another hour of mindless scrolling.
- Check out our best books for kids list for more age-appropriate picks.
- If your kid is more of a visual learner, see our best shows for kids for mysteries with a similar vibe.
- Ask our chatbot for more Gordon Korman recs
