The Doublecross

May 4, 2015
Pearce (Pip Bartlett’s Guide to Magical Creatures) spins a thoroughly enjoyable story about a secret spy agency, the Sub Rosa Society, where agents are trained from birth in subjects like Body Language Analysis and Emergency Undercover Ops. Hale Jordan, the chubby 12-year-old son of “The Team”—two of SRS’s most decorated agents—wants desperately to follow in his parents’ footsteps, but he can’t pass the physical exam to become a junior agent. After his parents go missing, Hale’s spy skills are tested in the real world, where villains don’t always look like villains. Pearce’s spy gadgetry and scenes of agent training are clever and fun, but it’s the always-underestimated Hale, with his systematic—and unconventional—approach to every challenge (“Mission: Get sent on Friday’s mission. Step 1: Wait for chili day”), who makes this such an entertaining and memorable story. Fans of the spy-thriller genre may anticipate some of the twists, but Hale’s pursuit of the truth is no less exciting for it. Pearce sets the stage for what could easily become a favorite series. Ages 8–12. Agent: Josh Adams, Adams Literary.

April 15, 2015
An unlikely hero becomes a double agent to save his parents and possibly the whole world. The Sub Rosa Society headquarters is both a home for international spies and their families and a school for young spies-in-training. With brains and talent to spare, 12-year-old Hale should have no problem with the junior agent test, but his plus size makes passing the physical requirements difficult. When his superspy parents are compromised while on a mission, Hale relies on all his training to rescue them from evil League headquarters-but nothing prepares him for the shock he receives once he arrives. The League HQ is filled with outdated equipment, a couple of quirky kids, and some washed-up operatives. They say they are the good guys, but then what does that make him? Hale must rely on his acrobatic and perky sister, his mortal enemy, and his new League friends if he is going to expose the SRS and save his parents. Exciting missions, cool gadgets, and plenty of intrigue make this a fun read from the get-go. The icing on the cake is Hale, whose self-deprecating manner, kind heart, and intelligence will steal hearts as well as the show. International espionage plus wacky high jinks equals plot-twisting fun. (Thriller. 8-12)

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March 1, 2015

Gr 4-6-Twelve-year-old Hale Jordan has always dreamed of being a superspy like his parents. But even though he excels at all the classes at SRS (the Sub Rosa Society, the secret agency where he lives with his family), the other students call him Hale the Whale, and he struggles to meet the physical requirements to become a junior agent. When his parents disappear during a mission and SRS seems unwilling to save them, Hale uses all of his spy skills to infiltrate the League, a notorious rival agency. Once inside the League offices, though, he finds that they are filled with old equipment and only one remaining spy. The League's director tells him that they are a government agency that has lost most of its funding and that the real evil organization is SRS. Confused, Hale taps into his own agency's files, and discovers that they have marked his parents to be eliminated on sight. With the help of two kids from the League (Ben, an inventor, and his sister Beatrix, a computer wiz), Hale takes on the dangerous role of double agent to uncover and undermine SRS's plans. Together they discover a plot to kidnap and recruit some of the most talented kids in the world. Hale is a quick-thinking and daring underdog, with an impressive arsenal of skills and spy tricks. The supporting characters are quirky and likable, such as Ben, whose inventions include a jelly bean that turns people purple, and Ben's uncle, Clatterbuck, who disguises himself as a lumber truck driver and a watermelon farmer. The book ends on a satisfying note but leaves plenty of room for future sequels. VERDICT Fast-paced, funny, and full of unexpected plot twists, this spy novel will easily appeal to middle grade adventure fans.-Ashley Larsen, Pacifica Libraries, CA

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