How I Became a Spy

December 15, 2018
A World War II caper features three 13-year-olds learning ciphers amid the bombs.Bertie, a white boy in 1944 London, is excited to be a new civil defense volunteer. With the help of his rescue dog, Little Roo, he carries messages for London's wardens. In the middle of an air raid, Bertie finds--and loses--a young woman, who vanishes, leaving only a ciphered notebook. Bertie enlists two friends his own age to decipher the notebook: his Jewish best friend and a white American girl who's also seeking the missing young woman. The messages introduce them to a frightening story of traitors and double crosses; it's a good thing their code-breaking skills are up to the task! With many allusions to Sherlock Holmes and in chapters headed with excerpts from the Special Operations Executive's wartime spy training, the three children put their minds to cracking the ciphers and rescuing the missing woman. Little Roo helps as well, sniffing out people who need rescuing. Though the characters' voices and actions sometimes stretch the bounds of credulity, the puzzle solving is deftly handled. Clear instructions for deciphering messages, complete with an illustrated decoder ring, teach readers to solve the mystery along with our heroes--albeit without the help of Little Roo. Hopkinson includes some historical figures, including a Nigerian immigrant who effectively diversifies a typically whitewashed setting. Lighthearted cleverness invites readers to play along. (footnotes, historical notes, Q-and-A) (Historical fiction. 9-12)

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Gr 4-6-This middle grade mystery novel starts with a bang and sends readers on a breakneck journey through World War II London. Bertie Bradshaw is a civil defense volunteer, so he is accustomed to the bombings and fires that have become commonplace in the city. His faithful companion is Little Roo, a small black spaniel that was given to Bertie when her original owner, a librarian, evacuated London for somewhere safer. Bertie's job is to bring others to safety, helping them find the closest bomb shelters and alerting the authorities about fires or other dangers. Bertie's brother, Will, was badly injured, so Will and his mother are living in Surrey until he recovers. One night out on patrol, Bertie runs into an American girl with his bike and ends up with a journal from a young woman, Violette, who has become a spy. It turns out the American girl knows her and wants the journal back. Bertie, however, starts reading the journal and finds it fascinating. The journal describes Violette's training as a spy and includes some codes, which readers have to try to decrypt. This book has some excellent historical information about World War II that focuses on the experiences of Londoners, as well as some commentary on post-traumatic stress. The mystery and code aspect will draw in readers. VERDICT A strong choice for middle grade collections, especially those in need of wartime historical fiction.-Debbie Tanner, S D Spady Montessori Elementary, FL

November 15, 2018
Grades 5-8 In London, 1944, the world is at war and 13-year-old Bertie Bradshaw is a civil-defense volunteer. One dark night, pedaling furiously to his command post, he runs into a young girl with his bicycle and the two take a spill. When she storms away, he discovers a notebook that she has dropped. Reading it, he learns that the notebook belongs to a secret agent for the SOE, the Special Operations Executive. Subsequently encountering the girl again, Bertie learns she is an American named Eleanor and the notebook belongs to her erstwhile tutor, Violette. Noting the second half of the notebook's entries are a cipher, the two?along with Bertie's best friend, David?determine to crack it. The success of the planned invasion of Europe known as D-Day hangs in the balance. Hopkinson has written a cleverly plotted, page-turning mystery that vividly evokes wartime Britain. Its special attention to ciphers is fascinating stuff and includes four samples for readers to crack. Fans of puzzles, mysteries, and historical fiction will be delighted by Hopkinson's latest.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)