This thesis analyzes the role of space in Croatian children's crime novels. The action of children's crime novels, structured most often trough predominance of narative figure of a group inside which children characters take on the role of a detective trying to solve a crime, is most often placed in open spaces. The analysis of funcionality of space is linked to childrens group activities inside an urban or rural topos. That's why the interpretation encompasses the analysis of the role of urban or rural space in children's crime novels, the exteriors and interiors, with all microtoposes (streets, squares, parks, houses, apartments, attics, underground) that influence the development of crime fabula and the building of children's characters significantly. The competence of children's characters is manifested in the easiness of overcoming known space, managing mysterious situations, the aspiration to conquer unknown spaces as well as the desire to explore secretive places in the function to solve the crime and catch the prepetrator. The selected novels for analysis are asfollowing: Pavao Pavličić, Trojica u Trnju and Lopovska uspavanka, Ivan Kušan, Koko i duhovi and Koko u Parizu, Hrvoje Kovačević, Tajna Ribljeg Oka and Tajna Crne kutije, Zlatko Krilić, Zagonetno pismo, Tihomir Horat, Tajna Gornjeg grada and Anto Gardaš, Duh u močvari.