by Stuart Gibbs
Part of Spy School, book 1
First published 2012
Ben Ripley dreams of joining the C.I.A. someday, but right now he can barely make it through middle school without tripping over his own feet. When recruiters show up at his door, Ben assumes they want him for a science magnet school because of his math abilities. He discovers the truth when he arrives at what turns out to be a secret junior C.I.A. training academy. The recruitment was a mistake, a case of confused identities, but Ben decides to stay anyway. He wants to become the smooth, confident agent he has always imagined himself being. Ben throws himself into spy training despite his complete lack of natural talent for stealth or combat. His attempts to transform into a supercool operative lead to one disaster after another. Between dodging assassination attempts and fumbling through covert operations, Ben starts to wonder if he might actually have some spy potential buried beneath all the awkwardness. He just needs to survive long enough to find out.
Genres: adventure, contemporary, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, underdog
Setting: C.I.A., Middle School
304 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers