The CIA and FBI

October 1, 2013
Grades 4-7 This title in the Freedom Forces series takes some of the mystery out of the clandestine activities in the FBI and the CIA. Collard walks readers through the inception of each organization, from the FBI's small number of agents hired in 1908 to investigate federal crimes, to Harry Truman's signing of the law in 1947 to create the CIA as a way to gather intelligence after WWII. The author highlights their similarities and differences, methods of gathering information, and roles in American history, and places great emphasis on the 9/11 attacks and the changes it brought to both agencies. The layout matches the book's focus with crisp full-color photos and high-tech images, while sidebars on such topics as J. Edgar Hoover, Osama bin Laden, unmanned aerial vehicles, and spy gadgets add to the already engaging information.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)