YA Mystery Series (AP/IB Creative Writing Class)

This advanced creative writing unit transforms your classroom into a professional publishing house where students collaboratively create an original mystery series for elementary or middle school readers. Inspired by classic serialized fiction like The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, students will develop a shared story world with recurring characters, themes, and continuity while writing individual installments within the larger series. The unit emphasizes collaborative world-building, audience awareness, genre conventions, editorial rigor, and cross-grade collaboration with younger readers.

Materials & Resources:

• PPT: "YA Mystery Series.pptx"
• Series Bible Template (digital or printed)
• Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew sample books (optional)
• Role Packets: Class Contracts, Editorial Feedback, Marketing Materials Guides, Role-Specific Addendum, Weekly Check-In Forms:
• Digital Forms: Google Docs, Canva, Trello/Asana, Miro/Jamboard