Raskin's four novels for young adults are puzzle mysteries. The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I Mean Noel) concerns Mrs. Carillon's search for her husband, Leon (sometimes Noel) Carillon, to whom she was married at the age of five.

Mrs. Carillon uses the letters that Leon sent her once a year from boarding school as clues to his probable interests and likely locations—which is why she conducts the search by eating in Chinese restaurants and watching cowboy movies.

Figgs & Phantoms is Raskin's mystery about books, and it is also her most personal novel. Mona's attempt to deal with her peculiar family will strike a familiar chord in many readers, and her personal heaven—which is called Capri and comes complete with friends, palm trees, and a would-be pirate—will enchant all who enter her world.

The Tattooed Potato & Other Clues is set in...