For children and adults alike, there is something thrilling about the idea of secret organizations using espionage to fight against “evil”–at least that’s how it’s presented in spy fiction. Spy fiction offers a range of feelings, from the fun of uncovering secrets to edge-of-your-seat tension and action when danger is presented. Sometimes you get to travel the world, learn about governments, political organizations, and/or kick some butt.
For kids who are already in love with the spy genre or just dipping their toes in, here are three different takes on it.
Undercover Latina (The Factory #1) by Aya de León
Read your way into a story about a family of spies!
This is the start of a great middle grade series that ages up into YA in later books. From the jump, you get action, a tight family unit, friendship, a first crush, spies, and fandom! Andréa Hernández-Baldoquín’s teenage life is thrown a major curveball: not only does she discover that her parents are part of a spy organization, but she also fits what the organization needs for a current undercover job. That’s how she becomes a spy overnight! But having to pretend not to be Latina in a new school in order to befriend the estranged son of a white nationalist is definitely not gonna be easy.
Follow up with the next two books in the series, Untraceable and Undisclosed.
Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls (Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls #1) by Beth McMull
Now on to a secret spy-training school!
You get adventure, sidekicks, sarcasm, and mystery at the start of this fun middle school series. Twelve-year-old Abigail’s mom enrolls her in a Connecticut boarding school. But it’s difficult to focus on studying when you find out the school has a secret program that trains selected students for a national organization of spies … and Abigail’s mom is a top spy. She’s also gone missing, so the school wants to use Abigail as bait. But when things go sideways, Abigail and her classmates team up to find her mom.
Follow up with the next two books in the series, Power Play and Double Cross.
Spy Grandma by Celina Frenn, Lucas Elliott (Illustrator) (August 18th)
In this story, grandma is a retired spy!
You get action, fun tech, vengeance, family with heart, and laughs in this middle grade graphic novel. Jamie and her brother Ben are not enthused about being sent to their grandma’s for the summer. Their grandma isn’t thrilled either, since she’s secretly a retired spy forced back into action when someone from her past is out for revenge. Now, Jamie must team up with her grandma and a fellow teen skilled in all things gadgets to save her younger brother, Ben.
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Want more fun middle grade mysteries? Check out these middle grade books like The Goonies.
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