Mrs. Smith's Spy School for Girls (Mrs. Smith's Spy School for Girls #1)

A sassy, new spy series with a spunky heroine, multitalented sidekicks, and tense, rapid-fire adventure .

Gr 4-8--Twelve-year-old Abigail Hunter, occasional rule breaker, is adjusting to her new boarding school and scary headmistress, Mrs. Smith, when she stumbles into a web of intrigue centered on her own missing mother. Abby discovers that her mother has been living a secret life as a spy, and now both good guys and bad are trying to track her down. Guess who's the bait to lure Abby's mother into the open? After learning some handy self-defense moves from mean girl Veronica and being outfitted with fantastical spy technology (a self-destructing smartphone that shoots rubber bullets, for example), Abby is sent to California, where she must use all of her wits to escape the clutches of henchmen working for a mysterious villain called "The Ghost." The action continues in the Big Apple after Abby enlists the help of her friends Charlotte, Toby, and Izumi. Throughout the story, Abby's faith in her abilities, even when she is underestimated, shows strength of character and purpose. Abby's funny, over-the-top personality and the book's numerous, enjoyable secondary characters combine to create a solid foundation for further installments as Abby follows in her mother's footsteps to enroll in spy training. VERDICT Middle grade readers of Stuart Gibbs's Spy School as well as fans of boarding school adventures such as Shannon Hale's Princess Academy will appreciate this comical and exhilarating escapade.--Alyssa Annico, Youngstown State University, OH

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Abby lives in New York City with her single mother, and with summer winding down, she's looking ahead to seventh grade. Then a surprise letter announcing her acceptance to the Smith School for Children turns Abby's world upside down. After arriving at the school, she learns that it has an undercover element - training girls to be spies - and its best alumna, code named Teflon, is Abby's own mother, who has gone missing. A lot of people want to find Teflon, including the head of the Smith School, who uses Abby as bait to lure her mother out. When that fails, Abby and her friends search for her mother themselves. In her first book for children, McMullen (the Sally Sin series) delivers a fast-moving, twist-filled addition to the kid spy genre, which builds to a nail-biter of a conclusion. Abby's wry observations and tenacity, combined with glimpses of her vulnerability, make for entertaining reading while establishing a real and relatable character readers will hope to see again. Ages 9 to 13. Agent: Leigh Feldman, Leigh Feldman Literary. (July) Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.