Department Wide Mystery!

1 Week

Intended for all the guests of the Children's Department 

Supplies

Paper

Assorted clues to leave behind at the scene of the crime

Program

One of the books that I use to get ideas from, The Storytime Sourcebook II, has a section titles "Topical Events Calendar for Tie-in Storytime Themes."  Looking through this, I learned that the first week in October is Mystery Series Week.  So I decided to create a mystery for the whole department to solve during this week.  

On the first day, I released the back story: 

WHO STOLE THE COOKIES FROM THE COOKIE JAR:

A CLASSIC WHODUNIT

THE FACTS:

Mrs. Fusco is a wonderful baker.  Often, she bakes cookies for the librarians, the clerks and the pages in the Children’s Department.  The Children’s Department decided to have a little party to celebrate the library and all the good work we do!  Mrs. Fusco brought her tasty peanut-butter cookies in a fancy cookie jar and put them on the top shelf.  But when everyone went to enjoy the cookies, the jar was empty!!!

And the suspects:

(I took clip art images of different people from Google and created a profile for each one.)

 

Each day following, I released a one new clue and a new development: 

(I had the physical clues in the library for our mystery solvers to check out!)

CLUE 1: 

There was a pair of sunglasses left at the scene of the crime…

         

  

NEW DEVELOPMENTS:

The sunglasses were women’s sunglasses.

CLUE 2:  

There was handwritten note left at the scene of the crime…

NEW DEVELOPMENTS:

A handwriting analysis proved that it was written by someone left handed. 

CLUE 3:  

There was what looks like tire marks left around the scene of the crime…

         

NEW DEVELOPMENTS:

The tire marks were tested at the lab and was determined they were created by a toy truck. 

CLUE 4:  There was some fur found at the scene of the crime…

NEW DEVELOPMENTS:

The fur was from a cat. 

CLUE 5: 

All of the fake flowers at the celebration were replaced with real ones…

         

NEW DEVELOPMENTS:

One of the librarians brought fresh flowers to the party.   

CLUE 6: 

There was a strong smell of aftershave at the scene of the crime…

All throughout the week, and especially at the end of the week, the guests were encouraged to make their guess as to which suspect stole the cookies from the cookie jar!  Can you guess who it was?