Willa Li

Willa Li writes cozy mystery chapter books for kids ages 7 to 10 who love to figure things out. Just a puzzle, a few clues, and two friends who think before they guess.

In the Maya and Leo Investigate series, careful notebook-keeper Maya and her cookie-loving partner Leo solve everyday school mysteries, from a bake-sale cash box with six extra dollars (The Extra Dollars Mystery) to The Crooked Plane Mystery. Readers get Stop and Think! breaks to work out the clues themselves, Known / Guess / Check notes that show the thinking, and a gentle dose of math and logic tucked inside the story. Short chapters make them easy for independent readers in grades 2 to 4, and fun to read aloud together.

Willa also writes confidence-building story collections for kids, including The Brave 8 Club and The 8-Year-Old Try-Again Team.