Confessions of a Junior Spy

Munda, Rosaria. Confessions of a Junior Spy. Book 1 of the Confessions of a Junior Spy series. 2025. 224p. ISBN 9781250363800.

Bea, a young teen raised within the clandestine walls of the Pangean Hotel, a sanctuary specifically designed for spies. Immersed in this unique environment, Bea has dedicated her life to mastering essential espionage skills like self-defense, languages, codebreaking, and field medicine. Her ultimate aspiration is to emulate her mother, one of the Pangean League's top agents, and embark on a career in the high-stakes world of espionage, using her abilities to aid those in need.

However, Bea's mother has a starkly different vision for her future, insisting she attend a conventional boarding school to experience a "normal" life—a fate Bea dreads more than anything. While Bea reluctantly navigates the complexities of school applications and devises elaborate schemes to avoid this dreaded normalcy, a new family, seemingly on the run, arrives at the hotel. Seizing the opportunity to apply her honed skills, Bea, alongside her best friend Tommy, becomes determined to help the new girl, Chantal, even as the specter of boarding school looms large.

Spy School Goes North

Gibbs, Stuart. Spy School Goes North. Book 11 of the Spy School series. 2023. 304p. ISBN 9781665934749. 

When spy school was exposed and forced to close, its most promising students are transferred to a secret training facility in Alaska. And by secret, they mean isolated and primitive. Ben, Erica, and the others continue to hone their spy craft under the watchful eye of Erica's grandfather, Cyrus. But when Cyrus is kidnapped by his Russian nemesis, Spy School must rescue him, and that means getting information from Murray, who's been imprisoned on an island with only walruses as companions.

Unfortunately Murray has planned his escape well, and he manages to fool Spy School's agents and escapes. Nevertheless, Ben and the others have enough information to track Cyrus. When they encounter Svetlana, however, Ben suddenly realizes that Erica has met an equal. The granddaughter of Cyrus's mortal enemy, Svetlana proves her dedication to the Russian State and fights Spy School to a stand still. Can the young agents of Spy School prevent a catastrophe, save their trainer, and make a new friend?

Chains

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Chains. Book 1 of the Seeds of America series. 2008. 316p. ISBN 9781416905851. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

In the midst of the American Revolutionary War, Isabel and her young sister Ruth are owned by an old woman who in her will promised to free them. Except that the old lady's nephew and her lawyer conspired and the will disappeared. Isabel and Ruth were sold to a couple of New York City tories, the Locktons. Mr. Lockton is in league with the Mayor of New York to facilitate the return of British forces, while Mrs. Lockton is violent and abusive towards her slaves. Isabel suffers many a beating at the hands of her malicious mistress, but as long as she can protect Ruth, she's willing to put with the abuses.

Isabel is introduced to Curzon, another young slave about her age, who is on the side of the American patriots. Curzon asks Isabel to spy on her owners and report any actionable intelligence. Isabel does not want to be a spy, but when Mrs. Lockton sells Ruth, Isabel finally realizes that no one but her will have her back. Will Isabel joining the patriots and help them build a case against Mr. and Mrs. Lockton help her rescue her sister Ruth?

In an era where loyalty, much like slaves, can be bought and sold, Isabel's bondage depends on an entire system preventing her escape. Through sheer force of will, Isabel demonstrates that though others stole her agency, she fought long and hard to take it back. Fans of historical novels will find this plunge into a turbulent period of American history intriguing, and will cheer Isabel as she fights for her freedom.

Killing the SS: The Hunt for the Worst War Criminals in History

O'Reilly, Bill and Martin Dugard. Killing the SS: The Hunt for the Worst War Criminals in History. Book 8 of the Killing series. 2018. 307p. ISBN 9781250165541.

When Germany capitulated in May 1945, Adolf Hitler's Third Reich came to a crashing end, leaving ruins and death in its wake. Hitler, who committed suicide at the end of April, avoided punishment for his deeds, but most of the other high ranking Nazis attempted to escape. Himmler and Goering were caught by allied forces, and the first one soon swallowed a cyanide pill, while the second was condemned to death but also avoided punishment by killing himself.

However, many of the worst Nazis escaped Germany and took refuge in South America. Dreaded SS doctors, guards, and administrators all fled justice and thought they had found sanctuary. But dedicated teams of investigators pursued them across the glove, and eventually brought most of them to justice. Individuals like Klaus Barbie, the Gestapo chief in Southern France who led thousands to their death, and Adolf Eichmann, the architect of the Final Solution, eventually stood as accused and were judged.

Fans of history will appreciate this story of spycraft and justice being delivered to those who deserve it most.

This series also include Killing England and Killing the Rising Sun.

Operation Snow: How a Soviet Mole in FDR's White House Triggered Pearl Harbor

Koster, John. Operation Snow: How a Soviet Mole in FDR's White House Triggered Pearl Harbor. 2012. 350p. ISBN 9781596983229.

When the Soviet Union was attacked by Germany in June of 1941, Stalin could not believe it. Despite warnings from his secret police and his spies across Europe, this surprise attack by Adolf Hitler and his forces came as a shock. Having gutted his own forces with paranoiac purges, Stalin needed to stall the German advance. But with rumblings of war in the Pacific, he also needed to avoid a Japanese attack on his eastern flank.

Using an extensive network of Communist agents and supporters of the Soviet Union (presented with great effectiveness in A Time of Fear: America in the Era of Red Scares), Stalin forcibly sought to promote divisions between Japan and the United States. Employing Harry Dexter White, a Soviet mole deep inside the US Government in June 1941, hostile policy towards the Japanese were implemented, leading to the eventual attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States entering the Second World War as allies of Britain and of the Soviet Union.

What has been deemed by some an intelligence failure to detect Japanese intentions, or what others considered a conspiracy by President Roosevelt to provide a rationale for entering the war, was in fact a large-scale successful covert Soviet operation bent on preventing a Japanese attack on its far-east territories while it struggled with Germany in Europe.

Fans of history will appreciate the meticulous research that went into this book and will be provided with a more rounded understanding of a day that will live in infamy.

Eyes & Spies: How You’re Tracked and Why You Should Know

Kyi, Tanya Lloyd. Eyes & Spies: How You’re Tracked and Why You Should Know. 2017. 135p. ISBN 978-1-55451-911-8. Available at 323.44 KYI on the library shelves.

Whenever you click on a like button, send out an email, walk down the street, or use a cellphone, someone is capturing this information and compiling and storing it somewhere. From governments monitoring communication channels and multiple video feeds to corporations following your online presence and accumulating information on your preferences so they can sell you more products, nothing in the digital world is truly anonymous. How much information is actually collected, however, remains a secret, but Eyes & Spies takes a critical look at several aspects of how information is collected, by whom, and how it is then used.

Six chapters each explore a specific topic, from surveillance cameras to surfing data collection, from online bullying to one’s privacy in their home. The information presented flows in an accessible language, and arguments defending both an increase in surveillance and an increase in privacy are presented after each issue. The reader is asked to reflect on what they read through prompts following specific real-life cases. Finally, controversial cases that have been in the news the last decade are explored.

Ultimately, defending one’s right to keep information private comes down to deciding how much freedom can be traded for security, and being aware of what governments, organizations, and individuals are doing.

Johnny Tremain

Forbes, Esther. Johnny Tremain. 1987. 322p. ISBN 0440442508. Available at FIC FOR on the library shelves.

With the death of his mother, Johnny Tremain moves in with the Lapham family in Boston so he can become a silversmith apprentice with old Mr. Lapham. The Laphams had lost their children, but took care of their grandchildren, and they planned to marry Cilla and Johnny together so the business could stay in the family. But in 1773, at fourteen, Johnny is not really interested in Cilla. Of the three apprentices, he is the better one and he can craft silver as fine as Mr. Lapham in his heyday.

When Mr. Hancock requests a silver dish to match one Mr. Lapham made decades ago, Johnny agrees to make it. Filled with pride in his work and in his abilities, however, Johnny has been less than charitable towards the other apprentices, so Dove, one of them, decides to get even. During the manufacturing process Johnny burns his hand badly when molten silver pours on it, and he becomes crippled.

No longer able to work as an apprentice, Johnny is lost and doesn’t know what to do. The sin of pride has cost him everything. Eventually, Johnny meets Rab, another youth who secures work for him as a rider who delivers newspapers. In 1774 Boston, the colonists are railing against British authority and taxes being levied by the King. The entire city is divided between Patriots and Loyalists to the Crown, and crippled Johnny is able to maneuver between both sides though he supports the Patriots. As Johnny gets more involved with the Sons of Liberty and running messages for them, he re-evaluates his life, including his interest in Cilla. And when British troops depart Boston in the night, Johnny knows that this is the match that will light the powder keg and ignite the Revolution. Can Johnny make a significant contribution even though he is crippled?

Palace of Spies

Zettel, Sarah. Palace of Spies. 2013. 368p. ISBN 9780544074118. Available as an eBook from Overdrive.

Margaret Fitzroy, also known as Peggy, has lived in her rich uncle’s house ever since her mother died years ago. Now sixteen, Peggy and her cousin Olivia live vicariously through newspaper articles and the gossip of high society. But when her uncle decides to marry her off to a vile man from the Bahamas, Peggy rebels and refuses to countenance this decision. As a result, she is unceremoniously kicked out of the home and dropped in the street without a penny to her name.

Recruited by a certain Mr. Tinderflint, Peggy is tasked to impersonate Lady Francesca, a lady-in-waiting in service of her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte, daughter-in-law of King George I. Francesca returned home during Christmas sick and died soon thereafter. With the Court split between King George and James Stuart, Pretender to the throne, many plots are afoot to change the course of history.

Returning as Lady Francesca, Peggy attempts to immerse herself in the Court’s life and pick up where Francesca left off, but she soon stumbles upon a plot that threatens the monarchy. With no friends to turn to, with every relationship based on power and influence extraction, and with death as a penalty for failure, Peggy must discover what is happening in Princess Charlotte’s circle or risk paying the ultimate price.

A fun read, Palace of Spies provides an interesting look inside a time period unknown to most, the Jacobite movement, and good descriptions of life at court in the early 1700s. Fans of Etiquette & Espionage will enjoy this historical sleuth novel.

Etiquette & Espionage

Carriger, Gail. Etiquette & Espionage. Book 1 of the Finishing School series. 2013. 307p. ISBN 9780316190084. Available both as an eBook on Overdrive and at FIC CAR on the library shelves.

Sophronia Temminnick loves to tinker and explore, but it is frowned upon for girls from reputable families to be involved in such frivolous activities as climbing, exercise, and education. As the youngest girl in her family, she’s a bother to her mother, who only wishes that Sophronia would settle down long enough to learn some proper etiquette, become a proper young lady, and marry a wealthy individual.

Faced with such an impossible task, Lady Temminnick desperately enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality, hoping that her daughter will return a proper lady, fit to be married off.

Everything goes wrong from the start, however, as Sophronia and her escort are attacked by armed flyway men looking for “the prototype.” The Finishing School is in fact an assassin and espionage outfit where proper young ladies get trained in the deadly arts as well as the more mundane ones with the hope that they will be both lethal and regal, young ladies of quality. Sophronia has been sponsored by someone, and now she’s hoping to learn as much as she can, as this type of education is more adapt to her skills.

The flyway men return to the school, threatening an assault if the prototype is not turned over to them. Unfortunately, Monique, the agent who failed her test when she impersonated Mademoiselle Geraldine to collect Sophronia, has hidden it somewhere. Now it’s up to Sophronia and her hodgepodge of friends to discover its location to prevent the school’s destruction.

A great steampunk tale in the style of Leviathan, The Inventor's Secret, The Mark of the Dragonfly or Worldshaker, readers will enjoy the mechanical and magical creatures that populate this Victorian England universe. Sophronia's story continues in Curtsies and Conspiracies. For more historical spying, consider Palace of Spies.