Everyone knows that if you want a crime solved right, bring in the kids. The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Cam Jansen, Encyclopedia Brown, Scooby-Doo’s Mystery Incorporated friends—all had a special youthful blend of brainpower and knack for following the scent of trouble to track down those kooky culprits.

The Free Library’s We the Detectives invites today’s young sleuths to spy what’s inside our doors—starting with our collection of books, DVDs, comics, and more starring young gumshoes getting the job done. Children’s librarian and Children's Literature Research Collection curator Chris Brown recently highlighted his favs for every age.

Families can also dive into the GUMSHOE mobile experience, an immersive adventure guided by secret prompts via mobile phone. The GUMSHOE experience is conceived and developed by New Paradise Laboratories, an ensemble-based performance company that explores innovative means of expression to bend and reshape the art of theater.

And possibly the best way for youth and families to spot what’s afoot is to attend our 2017 Family Event at Parkway Central Library, taking place on May 21 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This annual tradition is a much-beloved opportunity for families to put their magnifying glass up to explore the Parkway Central building. This year’s Family Event will feature unique and mysterious brunch foods and snacks, Super Sleuth craft projects, an Escape-the-Room challenge for teens, a Gumshoe Scavenger Hunt for elementary-age children, and a detective storytime with our librarians.

This special event serves to raise critical funds for so many of the Free Library's beloved programs and resources. Proceeds benefit programs like Nourishing Literacy, which brings elementary school students to the Free Library for a cooking class promoting reading, math, science, and nutrition skills; LEAP (Literacy Enrichment Afterschool Program), the largest free afterschool drop-in program in the city that incorporates STEAM activities; and Read by 4th, the citywide initiative to get all school kids reading on grade level by the time they enter 4th grade.

The 2017 Family Event will surely be a fun and mysterious time for all! Tickets are available here.
 

Our We the Detectives initiative continues with Clever Criminals and Daring Detectives at the Rosenbach and Becoming the Detective: The Making of a Genre in Parkway Central Library's Rare Book Department. Check out the exhibitions now through September 1!

And experience the GUMSHOE immersive adventure by New Paradise Laboratories using your mobile phone any time, now through September 1.