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Girl in Blue by Ann Rinaldi 320 pages The year is 1861. When spirited teenager Sarah Louisa learns that she is to be married off to her despicable neighbor, she runs away from home. Disguising herself as a boy, Sarah boldly joins the army--and before long is a soldier in the Civil War. Sarah navigates the joys and hardships of army life, all the while struggling to keep her true identity a secret. But Sarah's real adventure is only just beginning. A chance encounter with a detective soon draws her into a web of mystery, intrigue, and romance--and Sarah's courage will be put to the test as never before. (Scholastic Publishing)
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For Freedom Kimberly Brubaker Bradley 192 pages Teenage Suzanne David is so focused on her dreams of becoming an opera star that she barely notices the growing Nazi presence in her French hometown of Cherbourg, until an air raid in 1940 literally puts the death and devastation at her feet. Her innocent appearance, iron will, and schedule as a singer-performer attract the attention of a local Resistance leader, who recruits her to become a spy and entrusts her to transport encoded Allied messages. Based on interviews with the real Suzanne David (who married an American soldier in 1945 and moved to Tennessee), this taut, engrossing World War II novel instantly immerses readers in the horrors faced by everyday citizens during the Nazi Occupation. The real focus, however, is the skin-crawling suspense story about one of France's youngest spies. (Booklist)
Camp X Eric Walters 240 pages It's 1943, and nearly12year-old George and his older brother Jack are spending a restless wartime summer in Whitby, Ontario, where their mom is working at a munitions plant while their dad is off fighting the Germans. One afternoon, the boys stumble across Canada's top-secret spy camp-and so begins an exciting and terrifying adventure as George and Jack get caught up in the covert activities of Camp X. (Penguin Group)
The Youngest Spy Harry McDivett 176 pages Set against a backdrop of rising Canadian nationalism, The Youngest Spy follows the extraordinary exploits of a fourteen-year-old Canadian boy, caught up in the drama of the American Civil War. George Duguay's father has joined the Yankee army, leaving him in charge of the family farm. George makes a very unlikely spy but when he uncovers a plot that could result in an American invasion of Canada he, at first, relishes the adventure of his double life: meeting Confederate gentlemen, American detectives and British agents. However, as the shady side of the job reveals itself, forcing him to betray the man he considered a friend, he becomes a victim of conflicting loyalties. With strategic savvy, George is finally able to declare his own independence and save his imprisoned father. This fictionalization of historical events offers an entertaining lesson in social issues, Canadian-American history, and moral decision-making. (Thistledown Press)
The Night Spies Kathy Kaser 148 pages Based on her mother's experience as a Jewish child hiding in Czechoslovakia near the end of World War II, Kacer tells an exciting Holocaust story of kids active in resistance and rescue. A kind farmer shelters Gabi, 14, and her orphaned cousin, Max, in a barn, but the restless kids steal out at night, spy on Nazi soldiers, and act as scouts for the partisans in the forest. The story, part of the Holocaust Remembrance series for young readers, is upbeat; it is also realistic about the horror that haunts the survivors. The death camps are far way, but Gabi hears about them, and she mourns her family members killed by the Nazis. Unlike sentimental accounts of the Resistance, this shows that some of the partisans hated the Jews. In a final note, Kacer makes clear what's fiction and what's fact, and she includes a historical overview and chronology as well as photos of the place and people who helped her mother escape. (Booklist)
STORM: The Infinity Code E.L. Young 336 pages Storm is a gadget-packed, high-adrenaline adventure-a middle grade spy novel sure to leave readers white-knuckled and breathless. It's also the name of the ambitious organization formed by the story's three brainiac kids: Will, the loner, inventive genius, and creator of cutting-edge gadgets. Andrew, the software whiz-kid, millionaire, and fashion disaster. Gaia, the brilliant and mysterious teen chemist, fluent in French, Italian, Mandarin, and blowing stuff up. Will first scoffs at STORM's grand plans to combat global strife. But when the group uncovers a plot to create a deadly revolutionary weapon, the three race from England to Russia, determined not only to find and dismantle the weapon, but to confront the psychopathic scientist behind it all. (Dial Books)
Spies Paul Dowswell 139 pages What are real spies like? Some, like the beautiful Mata Hari, are every bit as glamorous as famous fictional agents like James Bond. But, as you'll see in 'True Spy Stories', spies usually live shadowy double lives, risking imprisonment, torture and execution for a chance to change history. (Usborne Books)
Steel Trapp: the Challenge Ridley Pearson 480 pages In this riveting thriller, fourteen-year-old Steven "Steel" Trapp sets off with his mom and their dog, Cairo, on a two-day Amtrak journey to compete in the National Science Competition in Washington, D.C. Steel is both blessed and cursed with a remarkable photographic memory - just one look, and whatever he sees is imprinted for keeps. Trying to be a good Samaritan on the train, he unwittingly becomes embroiled in an ingenious international plot of kidnapping that may have links to terrorists. Federal agents (first seen in Pearson's adult thriller Cut and Run) track Steel and his newfound science geek accomplice, Kaileigh Augustine, as they attempt to put together the pieces of a complex puzzle. Using Steel's science contest invention - and with the help of Cairo - Steel and Kaileigh lead listeners on an action-packed chase adventure as they attempt to prevent the unimaginable, before it's too late. (Disney Press) |
March Choice Books: Spies
Silverfin by Charlie Higson 368 pages In this thrilling prequel to the adventures of James Bond, 007, readers meet a young boy whose inquisitive mind and determination set him on a path that will someday take him across the globe, in pursuit of the most dangerous criminals of all time. When we first meet young James, he's just started boarding school at Eton in the 1930s, and from there, the action moves to the Highlands of Scotland, where Alfie Kelly, a local boy, has gone missing. James teams up with the boy's cousin, Red, to investigate the mystery, and they soon discover that Alfie's disappearance is linked to a madman and his sinister plot for global power. (Mirimax Publishing)
George Washington: Spymaster Thomas B. Allen 184 pages Follow the action as 1775 dawns, and Washington finds himself in serious trouble. At war with Britain, the world's most powerful empire, his ragtag army possesses only a few muskets, some cannons, and no money. The Americans' only hope is to wage an invisible war-a war of spies, intelligence networks, and deception. Enter the shadowy world of double agents, covert operations, codes and ciphers-a world so secret that America's spymaster himself doesn't know the identities of some of his agents. Meet members of the elusive Culper Ring, uncover a "mole" in the Sons of Liberty, and see how invisible ink and even a clothesline are used to send secret messages. You can even use Washington's own secret codebook, published here for the first time. Experience at close quarters the successes and failures of the Americans as they strive to outwit the British. (National Geograhpic Children's Books)
The Cold War Pigeon Patrols: and other Animal Spies Danielle Denega 64 pages Not all spies walk on two legs. Some of history's most successful sleuths fly, bark, and swim. That's right. Animals have become undercover heroes in the military, on the police force, and even in the CIA. These are their stories. Want to know more? Snoop Around This Book and Read About: the hidden talents of animal agents; how homing pigeons became wartime spy heroes; how to train an animal to work-and maybe spy-for you; and whether becoming an animal trainer might be right for you. (Scholastic Library Publishing)
Shakespeare Spy Gary Blackwood 288 pages Things are disappearing mysteriously from Will Shakespeare's acting company, and it looks like an inside job. Everyone's eyes are on Widge, the orphan boy turned actor, and former thief. Widge knows better than anyone that Shakespeare's plays must be protected at all costs. In order to prove his innocence and clear his name, Widge must learn a new role: spy. But can he dig through the suspects and skulduggery and catch the true culprit? (Penguin Group)
Stormbreaker Anthony Horowitz 264 pages Nothing can prepare fourteen-year-old Alex for the news that the uncle he always thought he knew was really a spy for MI6- Britain's top-secret intelligence agency. Recruited to find his uncle's killers and complete his final mission, Alex suddenly finds himself caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse. (Penguin Group)
Midnight Rider Joan Hiatt Harlow 384 pages Hannah, a 14-year-old orphan, becomes embroiled in the major events leading up to the American Revolution. Her heartless Aunt Phoebe contracts her out as an indentured servant at the home of General Thomas Gage, who is also royal governor of Massachusetts. At first her loyalties are divided, but she soon realizes that she favors freedom from England, even though she has affection for members of Gage's household. She also has a special way with horses and is devastated when her aunt sells her beloved horse, Promise, to a neighbor. She finds a way through a secret tunnel to get outside Gage's compound so that, disguised as a boy, she can ride Promise at night. This leads to her harassing British soldiers and earns her the name of the Midnight Rider, though her identity remains a secret. As Hannah becomes more and more dedicated to the rebel cause, she rides on a dangerous mission to Salem to warn the villagers that the British are coming to confiscate munitions there. (School Library Journal)
Harriet Tubman, Secret Agent Thomas B. Allen 192 pages The author combines his knowledge of military history and spying techniques to bring to life a little-known chapter in the life of Harriet Tubman, who is more famous for her work to lead slaves to freedom using the Underground Railroad. Excellent research using diaries, letters, and other primary sources, combines with compelling illustrations with the authentic feel of photography to make this a fascinating and insightful book. The twelve chapters in the book feature the work of Tubman and other runaway slaves or free Blacks in a spy network working for the Union during the Civil War. (Children's Literature)
I, Q: Independence Hall Roland Smith 302 pages Quest ("Q") Munoz, 13-year-old amateur magician, and Angela Tucker, 15-year-old Tae Kwon Do expert and amateur spy, have just become step-siblings. It's a good thing they get along, because only days after their folks tie the knot, they are pursued by Israeli (Mossad) spies. Speaking of spies, Angela's mom, who died in the line of duty four years earlier, was one of the best... or was she? Boone, the roadie/spy looking after them, tells Angela there is a 50/50 chance her mom is still alive! The plot thickens when they learn that Angela's mom had (has?) an identical twin who may (or may not) be terrorists! What's a girl to do? If it's Angela, the answer is risk her (and her stepbrother's) life to find the truth. To give away more would be criminal. This one is a humdinger! (Children's Literature)
Behind Rebel Lines Seymour Reit 144 pages In 1861, when war erupted between the States, President Lincoln made an impassioned plea for volunteers. Determined not to remain on the sidelines, Emma Edmonds cropped her hair, donned men's clothing, and enlisted in the Union Army. Posing in turn as a slave, peddler, washerwoman, and fop, Emma became a cunning master of disguise, risking discovery and death at every turn behind Confederate lines. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) |
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