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Show intro
Welcome to another episode of Happy Reading, a podcast that spotlights and celebrates fabulous middle grade stories. I’m Sarah Threlkeld, a former 6th grade reading teacher and elementary librarian who just earned my Master’s degree in Children’s Literature from Simmons University in Boston, MA. I have been obsessed with children’s books since I was a kid and absolutely love recommending them to readers of all ages. I’m that person who eavesdrops on families in libraries and bookstores and then offers unsolicited advice on which books to take home.
For those of you joining me for the first time, each episode is formatted the same way. I summarize a handful of books that fit a theme and read a short excerpt from each one so you get a sense of the characters’ voices and storyline. While I truly believe middle grade books can be enjoyed by people of all ages, they are generally thought of as a good fit for 8- to 12-year-old readers, although some books do skew younger, while others are classified as older middle grade because of mature themes. Not every book on this podcast will be appropriate for every reader, and occasionally I may recommend chapter books or young adult books that fit the episode’s theme. Now that you know what you’ve gotten yourself into, let’s get started!
Music
(Mission Impossible theme song vocalization) Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to listen to excerpts from four middle grade novels about young spies. This podcast will not self-destruct at any point, so do not panic.
Alice Éclair, Spy Extraordinaire: A Recipe for Trouble
A Recipe for Trouble, the first book in Sarah Todd Taylor’s Alice Éclair, Spy Extraordinaire series, was published by Nosy Crow in 2022. I picked it up on a recent trip to Dublin, Ireland, so it might not be easy to track down in the states. The summary on the back reads:
You can see why I had to smuggle this baking-centric book back into Boston. I mean, how could I resist a line like “Armed with her whisk”? I’m going to read ch. 3 where Alice has just been challenged by her uncle, a spy for the British government, to help him complete a mission on the Sapphire Express, an opulent train that caters to wealthy clientele.
City Spies
Once in a while a series comes along where each book is just as captivating as the first. The characters continue to evolve authentically, the plotlines don’t feel stale or convoluted, and it’s obvious that the author has a stake in each story. Such is the case with James Ponti’s City Spies series. The first title in the series was released in 2020 by Aladdin and since then three more books in the series have been published, with each one narrated by a different young MI6 agent. Here’s the summary from City Spies, the first book in the series:
I’m going to share part of ch. 2, jumping in where Sara decides to trust Mother during her court appearance.
N.E.R.D.S.
Our next book is one I used to read aloud when I taught 6th grade and it was always a big hit with my students. N.E.R.D.S., which stands for National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society is the first book in a series by Michael Buckley. It came out in 2009 from Amulet Books, which makes me feel very old. Similar to City Spies, N.E.R.D.S. relies on the premise that kids make excellent spies because adults constantly underestimate and ignore them. Packed with quirky, endearing characters and tons of humor, N.E.R.D.S. is great for readers who enjoy their action with a large side of comedy. Here’s the flap summary:
You probably noticed the narrator speaks right to the reader, which is another fun aspect of this book. I’m going to read the intro, which sets up the story, and then read the prologue, which will definitely pique your interest and have you dying to know what happened with Greenland.
Undercover Latina
Our last book is Undercover Latina, written by Aya De León and published by Candlewick Press in 2022. This upper middle grade book was on display at one of my local libraries last year and I am so happy a librarian decided to highlight it because I might not have discovered it otherwise. I absolutely loved the narrator’s voice, the concept of a spy family, and the commentary on racism in the United States. The summary reads:
Oh my gosh, this book is so good! Since the first chapter is fairly long, I’m going to start us at a natural break where Andréa fills the reader in on how she got into the family business.
Read pp. 10-15
Show outro
Well, there you have it. Four middle grade stories about spies that will have you on the edge of your seat and digging out your secret decoder ring and binoculars so you can check on your neighbor’s suspicious behavior.
Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Happy Reading podcast. I hope you discovered some new books that you are excited to read or that you were reminded of some that have been hanging out on your TBR stack. If you know of other wonderful middle grade books that fit this episode’s theme, I’d love to hear about them. You can find me on Twitter as Wordnerd153 and on Instagram as Kidlit_Lover. You can also message me through the Happy Reading website at happyrdng.blogspot.com. If you enjoy this podcast and want to help other people discover it, please take a moment to rate and review it on Apple Podcasts. Thanks again for spending some time with me. Until next time, happy reading!
