SYNOPSIS

Ben Ripley – a reluctant 13-year-old Spy School pupil – is conscripted to summer spy camp where he receives an urgent job offer / death threat by a mysterious evil gang, SPYDER.

Erica, a superspy in training (and a major Ben crush), volunteers to protect her friend but soon meets complications – SPYDER takes fellow spy camp students as hostages in exchange for Ben.

When Erica’s dad (a famous CIA operative) fails to assist her, grandpa Cyrus (the CIA’s best ever spy) comes out of retirement to help his granddaughter take on SPYDER.

It turns out that this was SPYDER’s plan all along – using Ben and Erica as bait, they trap Cyrus and extract dangerous information from him.

With luck and smarts, Ben rescues his captured classmates and Cyrus; foils SPYDER’s planned missile attack on the US President; and the best bit – seems to have impressed Erica a little bit in the process.

PERFECT AGE 10-15

We love

• The narrative is written sooooo well! Plot twists, funny moments, smart surprises, the works.
• Ben is smart but shy, humble and untrained for this special role. As such, he’s extremely relatable – if he can do it, any little boy (reader) can!
• There’s quite a bit of romantic feelings involved – in just the way you’d hope to read about them in a tween novel: goofy, embarrassing, adorable and harmless.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

• Which one of Ben’s friends do you like the best? Why? Describe her or his personality.
• Why do you think Ben agrees to go to spy camp? Couldn’t he just quit and go home?
• Does your opinion of Alexander Hale change from the beginning of the book to the end? How so?
• If you could participate in one of the many heists Erica and Ben pulled, which one would you choose? Why?