Not As It Seems: Tales of Disguise and Deception

Spy stories grab readers with their action and suspense. Below are recommendations of good gripping tales for students of all ages. Perhaps one of these stories will be the book for a book report or for fun reading when homework is done. Enjoy!

Spy School (grades 3-5) When Ben Ripley learns he’s been recruited to the C.I.A.’s top secret Academy of Espionage, it sounds too good to be true – and it is!

The Black Paw (Spy Mice #1) (grades 4-6) At the International Spy Museum, Oz Levinson befriends mouse superspy Glory, to foil the plans of both human and rodent villians.

In Search of Watson (Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars #3) (grades 4-6) Sherlock Holmes’s trusted assistants, a band of loyal street urchins called the “Baker Street Irregulars”, must solve their most puzzling case yet — how can they succeed, if there’s a traitor in their midst?

The Mysterious Benedict Society (grades 5-9) After passing a series of mind-bending tests, four children are selected for a secret mission that requires them to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules.

NERDS: National Espionage, Rescue and Defense Society (grades 5-7) While running a spy network from their elementary school, five misfits combine their enhanced abilities and use cutting-edge gadgetry to fight evil around the world.

For Freedom (grades 6-10) A French teenager transforms from a schoolgirl to a spy in this true story of heroism during World War II.

Secrets, Lies, Gizmos and Spies: A History of Spies and Espionage (grades 6-10)  From the Trojan War to World War II, from James Bond to Austin Powers, all aspiring secret agents will learn about extraordinary and harrowing tales of famous spies and classified operations.

Magic or Madness? (grades 7-10) From the Australian home of a grandmother she believes is a witch, fifteen-year-old Reason Cansino is magically transported to New York City, where she discovers that friends and foes can be hard to distinguish.

The Girl Is Murder (grades 7-10) Iris wants to help her disabled father in his struggling private detective business – is it easier to lie than to ask permission?

True Spy Stories (grades 9-12) What are real spies like? Some are like the beautiful Mata Hari, or like James Bond. But, as you’ll see, spies usually live shadowy double lives, risking imprisonment, torture and execution for a chance to change history.