David A Kelly Books in Order
Explore David A. Kelly books in order, including Ballpark Mysteries, MVP, and more, with short summaries, series guides, and easy starting points.
Last updated: July 11, 2026
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David A Kelly books in publication order
36 books
Babe Ruth and the Baseball Curse
by David A Kelly
2009
Kelly retells Babe Ruth's rise, his trade from Boston to New York, and the long curse that haunted the Red Sox after he left. It is a lively introduction to one of baseball's biggest stories.
The Fenway Foul-Up
by David A Kelly
2011
With all-access passes to Fenway, Mike and Kate see Red Sox slugger Big D's lucky bat get stolen during batting practice. They have to solve the theft fast, because Big D can't hit without it.
The L.A. Dodger
by David A Kelly
2011
Spring break in Los Angeles turns tense when Kate's dad, a Dodgers scout, starts getting threatened and followed. Mike and Kate suspect someone wants his reports and will do a lot to get them.
The Pinstripe Ghost
by David A Kelly
2011
At Yankee Stadium, icy blasts and strange thumps make it sound like Babe Ruth's ghost is on the loose. Mike and Kate dig into the rumors to find out what is really haunting the hallway.
Miracle Mud
by David A Kelly
2012
This picture book tells the true story of Lena Blackburne and the secret mud used to rub down major league baseballs. It turns a strange bit of baseball history into a fun, behind-the-scenes story.
The All-Star Joker
by David A Kelly
2012
The All-Star Game in Kansas City should be nothing but fun, until someone starts pulling pranks and framing an innocent catcher. Mike and Kate investigate before the jokes turn into real trouble.
The Astro Outlaw
by David A Kelly
2012
Before an Astros game, an astronaut plans to show off a rare moon rock, then gets knocked out and robbed. With only a broken green feather as a clue, Mike and Kate have to crack a space-age caper.
The San Francisco Splash
by David A Kelly
2013
While kayaking outside the Giants' ballpark, Mike and Kate rescue a former player from the water, only to learn his World Series ring is missing. The mystery pulls them from McCovey Cove into a citywide chase.
The Wrigley Riddle
by David A Kelly
2013
At Wrigley Field, ripped ivy and rumors of hidden treasure put Mike and Kate on alert. They dig into the stadium's history to learn whether the damage is part of a curse, a scam, or something else entirely.
The Missing Marlin
by David A Kelly
2014
Miami's flashy ballpark has fish tanks, rare creatures, and suddenly, a mystery. When Uncle Oliver's prized fish disappear and Kate spots an endangered sea turtle where it should not be, Mike and Kate know something fishy is going on.
The Philly Fake
by David A Kelly
2014
The Phillies are slumping, and some fans want to blame the Phillie Phanatic. During a Fourth of July trip to Philadelphia, Mike and Kate try to clear the mascot's name and track down the real troublemaker.
The Rookie Blue Jay
by David A Kelly
2015
Mike can't wait to watch rookie star Dusty Martin play in Toronto, but strange ghostly lights start crossing the field. As Dusty's game falls apart, Mike and Kate wonder whether someone is spooking the Blue Jays on purpose.
The Tiger Troubles
by David A Kelly
2015
Someone steals slugger Tony's treasured award and demands a tiger-shaped bag full of signed baseballs. Mike and Kate have to outsmart the blackmailer before the Detroit star loses more than just his trophy.
The Football Fumble
by David A Kelly
2016
The MVP kids are ready for a big football game until they meet a tougher, meaner team from Hamilton Elementary. To win, they have to face the bullies, stick together, and keep their confidence.
The Gold Medal Mess
by David A Kelly
2016
Five friends are excited for their school's Olympics-style field day, until somebody starts ruining events. The MVP club has to uncover the saboteur while still competing for the gold.
The Rangers Rustlers
by David A Kelly
2016
A trip to see the Texas Rangers turns into a hunt for a counterfeiter selling fake shirts inside the ballpark. Mike and Kate follow the clues through the stadium before more fans get tricked.
The Soccer Surprise
by David A Kelly
2016
The MVP club wants to save an old field house and turn it into a sports center. With help from a visiting soccer star, they juggle fundraising, practice, and one more big game.
The World Series Curse
by David A Kelly
2016
During a Red Sox-Cubs World Series, someone keeps wrecking equipment and stirring up talk of an old curse. Mike and Kate must separate superstition from sabotage before the championship is decided unfairly.
Christmas in Cooperstown
by David A Kelly
2017
A sleepover at the Baseball Hall of Fame sounds perfect, until Mike and Kate spot a fake card in a display case. They race to find the real one before the charity party and Christmas plans unravel.
The Basketball Blowout
by David A Kelly
2017
The MVP club needs money for a tournament, so selling popcorn seems like a simple fix. Then a hungry teammate and a new kid with bigger worries force the group to rethink what winning really means.
The Capital Catch
by David A Kelly
2017
Washington brings Mike and Kate their biggest case yet, because it touches the president's family. When the Nationals catcher's gear keeps disappearing, the cousins have to solve the mystery before the pressure builds.
Subway Series Surprise
by David A Kelly
2018
New York gives Mike and Kate two ballparks, a Subway Series, and a string of strange pranks. Clues echo from Grand Central's Whispering Gallery as they hunt the culprit across the city.
The Cardinals Caper
by David A Kelly
2018
Mike and Kate visit St. Louis during a pregame celebration with the Cardinals' famous Clydesdales. When the Dalmatian that rides with them is kidnapped for ransom, the cousins jump into a fast-moving rescue.
The Baltimore Bandit
by David A Kelly
2019
At Orioles Park, a glove once used by Babe Ruth disappears just when Mike and Kate are getting close to the action. A gold coin points to an unlikely suspect, and the cousins have to sort out the real thief.
The World Series Kids
by David A Kelly
2019
Mike and Kate travel to cheer on a Cooperstown youth team at the World Series. When someone slashes bus tires and makes gear disappear, the cousins have to stop the sabotage before the championship slips away.
The Colorado Curveball
by David A Kelly
2020
Mike and Kate arrive at a snow-covered Rockies ballpark just as someone threatens the scoreboard. Their search leads beneath the stadium, across Denver, and into a mystery with plenty of twists.
Soccer for Kids: Learn the Basics & Play the Game
by David A Kelly
2021
This beginner-friendly guide explains soccer's rules, history, drills, and key skills in plain language. Young readers also get player profiles and fun facts that make the sport feel easy to jump into.
The Triple Play Twins
by David A Kelly
2021
Mike and Kate head to Minneapolis to meet twin Twins stars Marco and Pedro. When a water balloon attack and other odd events threaten their playoff run, the cousins must figure out who is targeting the duo.
The Atlanta Alibi
by David A Kelly
2022
In Atlanta, Mike and Kate discover that Hank Aaron's historic 715th home run bat and ball have vanished. The cousins race through Braves country to recover the missing treasures before the trail goes cold.
The Black Cat Change-Up
by David A Kelly
2022
The Mets are fighting for a crucial win when a phantom black cat starts rattling their star hitter. Mike and Kate have to figure out whether the bad luck is real, staged, or something in between.
Tee Time on the Moon
by David A Kelly
2023
Alan Shepard sneaks two golf balls to the moon during Apollo 14 and turns a playful idea into a real science question. This picture book blends space history, curiosity, and a memorable stunt.
The Two-Minute Warning
by David A Kelly
2023
Mike and Kate take on football in Texas when someone targets the Cowboys' star quarterback with threats and a dangerous throw. They have to identify the culprit before the big game turns ugly.
Satchel's Stolen Strike
by David A Kelly
2024
At Rickwood Field in Birmingham, a Juneteenth game celebrating the Negro Leagues is rocked by the theft of a priceless Satchel Paige baseball. Mike, Kate, and a new friend race to recover it before game day is spoiled.
Willie's Clutch Catch
by David A Kelly
2024
Back at Rickwood Field, Mike and Kate meet Buck, a boy who looks a lot like Willie Mays and suddenly falls under suspicion. As strange, smelly mishaps pile up, the cousins work to clear his name and save the big event.
The Bobblehead Bunt
by David A Kelly
2025
Before Brewers vs. Cubs, a brand-new bobblehead of Milwaukee's star hitter disappears and a frozen custard version turns up instead. Mike and Kate dig through threats, pranks, and suspects to solve the swap.
The Sausage Race Chase
by David A Kelly
2025
A Brewers game in Milwaukee gets weirder when the Racing Sausages vanish and a secret bratwurst sauce recipe disappears too. Mike and Kate follow the clues before mascot chaos ruins the day.
Where to start with David A Kelly
If you want the classic baseball mysteries: The Fenway Foul-Up → The Pinstripe Ghost → The L.A. Dodger
If you want the longer Mike and Kate adventures: The World Series Curse → Christmas in Cooperstown → Subway Series Surprise
If you want sports stories beyond baseball: The Gold Medal Mess → The Soccer Surprise → The Football Fumble → The Basketball Blowout
If you want football first: The Two-Minute Warning
If you want true sports stories: Babe Ruth and the Baseball Curse → Miracle Mud → Tee Time on the Moon
David A Kelly sub-series and character series
Ballpark Mysteries books in order
Explore this series
The Fenway Foul-Up
by David A Kelly
2011Ballpark Mysteries, Book 1
The L.A. Dodger
by David A Kelly
2011Ballpark Mysteries, Book 3
The Pinstripe Ghost
by David A Kelly
2011Ballpark Mysteries, Book 2
The All-Star Joker
by David A Kelly
2012Ballpark Mysteries, Book 5
The Astro Outlaw
by David A Kelly
2012Ballpark Mysteries, Book 4
The San Francisco Splash
by David A Kelly
2013Ballpark Mysteries, Book 7
The Wrigley Riddle
by David A Kelly
2013Ballpark Mysteries, Book 6
The Missing Marlin
by David A Kelly
2014Ballpark Mysteries, Book 8
The Philly Fake
by David A Kelly
2014Ballpark Mysteries, Book 9
The Rookie Blue Jay
by David A Kelly
2015Ballpark Mysteries, Book 10
The Tiger Troubles
by David A Kelly
2015Ballpark Mysteries, Book 11
The Rangers Rustlers
by David A Kelly
2016Ballpark Mysteries, Book 12
The Capital Catch
by David A Kelly
2017Ballpark Mysteries, Book 13
The Cardinals Caper
by David A Kelly
2018Ballpark Mysteries, Book 14
The Baltimore Bandit
by David A Kelly
2019Ballpark Mysteries, Book 15
The Colorado Curveball
by David A Kelly
2020Ballpark Mysteries, Book 16
The Triple Play Twins
by David A Kelly
2021Ballpark Mysteries, Book 17
The Atlanta Alibi
by David A Kelly
2022Ballpark Mysteries, Book 18
The Black Cat Change-Up
by David A Kelly
2022Ballpark Mysteries, Book 19
Satchel's Stolen Strike
by David A Kelly
2024Ballpark Mysteries, Book 20
Willie's Clutch Catch
by David A Kelly
2024Ballpark Mysteries, Book 21
The Bobblehead Bunt
by David A Kelly
2025Ballpark Mysteries, Book 23
The Sausage Race Chase
by David A Kelly
2025Ballpark Mysteries, Book 22
Ballpark Mysteries books in chronological order

The Fenway Foul-Up
by David A Kelly
2011Ballpark Mysteries, Book 1
The Pinstripe Ghost
by David A Kelly
2011Ballpark Mysteries, Book 2
The L.A. Dodger
by David A Kelly
2011Ballpark Mysteries, Book 3
The Astro Outlaw
by David A Kelly
2012Ballpark Mysteries, Book 4
The All-Star Joker
by David A Kelly
2012Ballpark Mysteries, Book 5
The Wrigley Riddle
by David A Kelly
2013Ballpark Mysteries, Book 6
The San Francisco Splash
by David A Kelly
2013Ballpark Mysteries, Book 7
The Missing Marlin
by David A Kelly
2014Ballpark Mysteries, Book 8
The Philly Fake
by David A Kelly
2014Ballpark Mysteries, Book 9
The Rookie Blue Jay
by David A Kelly
2015Ballpark Mysteries, Book 10
The Tiger Troubles
by David A Kelly
2015Ballpark Mysteries, Book 11
The Rangers Rustlers
by David A Kelly
2016Ballpark Mysteries, Book 12
The Capital Catch
by David A Kelly
2017Ballpark Mysteries, Book 13
The Cardinals Caper
by David A Kelly
2018Ballpark Mysteries, Book 14
The Baltimore Bandit
by David A Kelly
2019Ballpark Mysteries, Book 15
The Colorado Curveball
by David A Kelly
2020Ballpark Mysteries, Book 16
The Triple Play Twins
by David A Kelly
2021Ballpark Mysteries, Book 17
The Atlanta Alibi
by David A Kelly
2022Ballpark Mysteries, Book 18
The Black Cat Change-Up
by David A Kelly
2022Ballpark Mysteries, Book 19
Satchel's Stolen Strike
by David A Kelly
2024Ballpark Mysteries, Book 20
Willie's Clutch Catch
by David A Kelly
2024Ballpark Mysteries, Book 21
The Sausage Race Chase
by David A Kelly
2025Ballpark Mysteries, Book 22
The Bobblehead Bunt
by David A Kelly
2025Ballpark Mysteries, Book 23
Ballpark Mysteries Super Special books in order
Explore this series
The World Series Curse
by David A Kelly
2016Ballpark Mysteries Super Special, Book 1
Christmas in Cooperstown
by David A Kelly
2017Ballpark Mysteries Super Special, Book 2
Subway Series Surprise
by David A Kelly
2018Ballpark Mysteries Super Special, Book 3
The World Series Kids
by David A Kelly
2019Ballpark Mysteries Super Special, Book 4
Ballpark Mysteries Super Special books in chronological order

The World Series Curse
by David A Kelly
2016Ballpark Mysteries Super Special, Book 1
Christmas in Cooperstown
by David A Kelly
2017Ballpark Mysteries Super Special, Book 2
Subway Series Surprise
by David A Kelly
2018Ballpark Mysteries Super Special, Book 3
The World Series Kids
by David A Kelly
2019Ballpark Mysteries Super Special, Book 4
Football Mysteries books in order
Explore this seriesMVP books in order
Explore this seriesDavid A Kelly collections, short stories, and related book types
Author bio
David A. Kelly grew up in New Hartford, New York, near Utica. His father ran a lumberyard, and Kelly spent summers working there, helping customers, cleaning up sawdust, and doing deliveries. He also tried other jobs, including delivering newspapers and working as a busboy at a cowboy-themed restaurant. Baseball was part of his life early on, but the deeper sports obsession came later, after he moved to the Boston area and found himself living close to Fenway Park.
He did not start out planning to write children's mysteries.
At Syracuse University, Kelly studied computer science, then moved to Massachusetts for work in software and technology. He later earned an MBA in marketing and a master's degree in cognitive and neural networks. Writing first became part of his professional life through technical papers, software materials, and marketing work. From there he branched into travel journalism, and after a lot of rewriting, he placed a travel article on Bermuda. More newspaper and magazine work followed, including pieces on travel and technology for outlets such as The Boston Globe and The New York Times.
The turn toward children's books happened at home. Kelly and his wife, Alice, were reading with their sons, Steven and Scott, and he kept noticing a gap on the shelf. The boys liked sports books. They liked mysteries. But there were not many books that really combined the two. That simple problem gave him a direction. If the kind of story he wanted was hard to find, maybe he could write it himself.
He kept at it for years.
His first published children's book was Babe Ruth and the Baseball Curse in 2009, a lively nonfiction chapter book that let him mix baseball history with clear, fast storytelling. Two years later he launched the series that many readers know him for, Ballpark Mysteries, starting with The Fenway Foul-Up. Those books follow cousins Mike and Kate as they solve cases at major league stadiums around the country. Kelly has said that part of his research process is visiting the cities, touring the parks, watching games, and taking a lot of notes and photos, which helps explain why the settings feel so concrete.
Baseball, clearly, stuck.
Since then, Kelly has built out a whole cluster of sports-centered books for young readers. The Ballpark Mysteries line grew into a long-running series, plus longer Super Special entries. The MVP books follow a group of elementary school friends through different sports and school-centered adventures. Football Mysteries moves Mike and Kate from baseball diamonds to NFL stadiums. He has also written nonfiction and picture books such as Miracle Mud, about Lena Blackburne's secret baseball rubbing mud, Tee Time on the Moon, about Alan Shepard's moon shot with a golf club, and Soccer for Kids, an introduction for beginners.
What readers tend to like about Kelly's books is their directness. He writes short chapters, clear clues, and plots that keep moving, but he also sneaks in real places, real history, and plenty of sports detail. Even when the stories are light and funny, they are grounded in research. You can feel that he enjoys the worlds he is writing about, whether that means a ballpark concourse, a Hall of Fame exhibit, or the Apollo program.
These days Kelly lives in Newton, Massachusetts, with his family and continues to write and visit schools and libraries. His path into children's books was not especially straight, and that seems to shape the work in a good way. He writes like someone who knows that kids do not need fancy language or big speeches. They just need a strong story, a little momentum, and a reason to turn the page.
Edited by
Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.
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