Brainstorm 322: Fictional Spy Stories

As promised this week, some fictional spy stories for your dark and stormy night reading. To help myself narrow things down, I decided to avoid any WWII spy stories (there were plenty of nonfiction ones in that era last week). Click on the titles to see my full review for each book including any content notes/trigger warnings.

The Case of the Missing Cheetah (Secret Spy Society, #1) by Veronica Mang

In a nutshell: 3 girls are trained in espionage techniques to find a missing cheetah by a group of lady spies based on real women spies from history.

More info: Rita, Peggy, and Dot need a new case. When they see a lady acting oddly out on the street they decide to follow her. They notice her using Morse code and then realize she is their teacher, Ms. Kahn. Ms. Kahn introduces the girls to her Secret Spy Society of other women spies. They need some fresh faces to go find out if the man they suspect has really kidnapped Josephine's cheetah Chiquita. Can Rita, Peggy, and Dot use their skills to help these lady spies?

Extra thoughts: A fun little spy story that teaches readers about some real historic figures in a very creative way.

Target readers: Mystery Fans, Child Spy Story Fans, Educational Fiction Fans, Lower Grade/Middle Grade Readers

City Spies (City Spies, #1) by James Ponti

In a nutshell: A tween orphan skilled in hacking is recruited to join a very top secret branch of MI6 made up of 4 other orphans from around the globe with unique skill sets who step in when adults would stand out too much. 

More info: Instead of heading off to a group home or juvie after her trial for hacking, like she expected, Sara Martinez finds herself instead whisked off to Scotland and recruited to become a spy for MI-6. A man named Mother showed up, posed as her attorney, and worked everything out before Sara even knew what was happening. Now Sara finds herself dubbed Brooklyn (the city she came from), and joining fellow child spies Paris, Rio, Kat, and Sydney on a mission to stop a terrorist attack at a youth summit in Paris.

Extra thoughts: To date this series has 5 books and both I and the students at our school love them for the exciting action, clever twists and turns in the plot, smart kids, and stories that are very hard to put down. Ponti knocks it out of the park with every book he writes.

Target readers: Globe Trotting Adventure Fans, Tween/Teen Spy Fans, Multicultural Cast Fans, Mystery Fans, Suspense Fans, Contemporary Fiction Fans, Middle Grade Readers

The Gryphon Heist (Talia Inger, #1) by James R. Hannibal

In a nutshell: An underdog CIA agent is sent to protect an undisclosed bit of technology in Eastern Europe in very peculiar circumstances.

More info: Talia Inger almost washed out during her final assessment in the CIA Academy, but her mentor saw something in her and has decided to give her a chance. So Talia and her friend Eddie the hacker find themselves working in a literal closet under a man in danger of dying of donut overdose in the Eastern Europe division of the CIA with the dubious designation of "Other." Not exactly the Moscow assignment Talia had been dreaming of. After only a short amount of time, though, her boss sends her and Eddie out on assignment to Eastern Europe to check up on a Dr. Ivanov who has developed something the CIA is afraid could be hijacked to deploy missiles. For some reason her boss has them working with a shady civilian named Mr. Tyler who Talia cannot figure out, especially his motives. And when the threat goes from theoretical to very real, Talia and Eddie have to figure out who they can trust and how to stop this missile attack from launching.

Extra thoughts: There's so much more involved in this plot that cannot be adequately summarized without some major spoilers. Suffice it to say that this quickly drew me in and provided the smart spy international hopping thriller story I've come to expect from James R. Hannibal. He deftly works in some Christian elements as characters wrestle with anger, hurt, and forgiveness. One of the characters is a former assassin who had a major crisis and found Jesus and has decided to use his skill sets for good. He does things like uses non-lethal rounds in firefights that frighten and slow down but don't permanently injure people. It's such a new concept I've never seen in a spy thriller before, but Hannibal makes it work in believable ways and cuts down on the body count significantly. I was very glad I had the sequel to this book on hand when I read it; I recommend checking out both at the same time.

Target readers: Globe Trotting Adventure Fans, Mystery Fans, Suspense Fans, Adult Spy Story Fans, Christian Fiction Fans, Contemporary Fiction Fans, Character Growth Fans, Adult Readers (though totally fine for YA)

Invasion of the Unicorns by David Biedrzycki

In a nutshell: An alien spy has landed on Earth investigating the potential of Earth for an invasion and humans for subjugation as slaves, and it looks just like a fluffy unicorn toy.

More info: The nutshell says it all.

Extra thoughts: This is an absolute delight. The artwork is amazing. The story is paced with perfect timing that balances the invasion threat with humor and moments of tenderness. And the family dog is the perfect foil for this invader. And if you haven’t figured it out by now, this ends very happily and peacefully.

Target readers: Unicorn Fans, Humor Fans, Art Lovers, Low Stress Spy Story Fans, Scifi Fans, Picture Book Readers

Nightshade (Alex Rider, #13) by Anthony Horowitz

In a nutshell: Alex is drawn out of retirement when a new terrorist organization using teen operatives appears and threatens London.

More info: Alex is looking forward to being a normal teen out of the spy game, but when a new organization called Nightshade appears on the scene in Brazil with a threat of a terrorist attack on London and the only agent MI5 can interrogate is a teen boy impervious to interrogation techniques, Mrs Jones appeals to Alex for help. They need him to go undercover in a high security prison in Gibraltar as Franky's roommate and see if he'll open up at all to a fellow teen. The clock is ticking as they know the attack is imminent but they don't know the target or anything further. And Mrs. Jones has a special reason to want Alex to find out more about Nightshade, something she's only willing to divulge to him.

Extra thoughts: A high-octane adventure that keeps the twists and turns coming. I liked that this plot allowed us to learn more of Alex’s handler Mrs. Jones’ back story.

Target readers: Teen Spy Story Fans, Missing Persons Case Fans, Globe Trotting Adventure Fans, Intense Action/Suspense Fans, Young Adult Readers

The Plot to Kill the Queen by Deborah Hopkinson

In a nutshell: In 16th century England, a young lute player/aspiring author helps uncover a plot by Mary’s supporters to depose Queen Elizabeth.

More info: Emilia's father used to be one of Queen Elizabeth's lute players until his death. The kindly Sir Frances Walsingham, his wife, and daughter have welcomed Emilia into their family. While out doing research for a play she wants to write, Emilia overhears 2 men saying they have a foolproof way of getting letters to Mary, Queen of Scots that evade her captors. Emilia knows Sir Frances needs to know right away. He is Queen Elizabeth's spy master. What Emilia overheard aligns with some other things Sir Frances has heard of late, so he recruits Emilia to be a spy placed in the castle where Mary is being held by posing as a lute player sent as a gift from Elizabeth to Mary for a month. Emilia and her dog Mousekin are on their way to see if they can find out how the letters are getting in and out without being discovered herself.

Extra info: This is an information-rich historical fiction spy thriller. The events included aren't necessarily historical, but the setting, most of the characters involved, and the premise for why spying would be going on are all historical. It was an engaging way to learn about this time period.

Target readers: Royal Court Espionage Fans, Tween Spy Story Fans, Historical Fiction Fans, Educational Fiction Fans, Suspense Fans, Mystery Fans, Tudor England Setting Fans, Middle Grade Readers

A Royal Conundrum (Misfits, #1) by Lisa Yee, ill. by Dan Santat

In a nutshell: A girl who feels like a misfit is dumped off at an odd boarding school by her workaholic parents and finds herself training to be an undercover agent with a select group of other misfits at the school who must catch a jewel thief.

More info: Olive Cobin Zang's parents are frequently on business trips. That didn't used to be a problem. She used to stay with Mimi, but her grandmother isn't around any more. The latest business trip promises to be quite extended so her parents are pulling her out of the school she's gone to forever, and enrolling her in a former prison. Ok, so it isn't a prison now. It's a "reforming arts school" in a castle on an island, but Olive had no warning this was coming. She also has no idea what she's in for, as RASCH is an academy like no other, and she's been tapped to be in a special group of kids training to be undercover agents who help fight crime! But can such a group of misfits learn to work together as a team and actually help make the world a better place by stopping a jewel thief that's been terrorizing the city?

Extra thoughts: I enjoyed how the author mixed into this memorable spy training/mystery story the kids learning to accept their own strengths and weaknesses as well as the quirks of the rest of their teammates and learning to work together. It was a good balance of exciting plot and character development with some messages that readers can chew on later. Dan Santat’s illustrations throughout definitely make the characters come to life even more vividly and make it a quicker read.

Target readers: Boarding School Story Fans, Tween Spy Story Fans, Memorable Character Fans, Self-Acceptance Story Fans, Team Building Story Fans, Mystery Fans, Middle Grade Readers

Brainstorm 321: Nonfiction Spy Stories

I started working on the spy stories Brainstorm today for your dark and stormy night reading and realized I had so many great nonfiction spy stories they should get their own Brainstorm. So I’ll share the fictional spy stories next week and give you the nonfiction recommendations today. After the spies have their days, I’ll share the promised scifi/mystery subgenre reads. Click on the titles to see my full reviews including any content notes/trigger warnings.

Chief of Station, Congo: Fighting the Cold War in a Hot Zone by Larry Devlin

In a nutshell: The CIA's man in Congo after they gained independence from Belgium shares his efforts to keep them from falling to Communist influence.

More info: Larry Devlin was the CIA's man in Congo for some of the main years of unrest right after it gained independence from Belgium. At that time the Soviet Union was looking for a country to be their foothold in Africa, so Larry spent most of his years trying to keep Congo out of the hands of the Soviets. No small task when the country is in turmoil and power keeps changing hands.

Extra thoughts: This was a fascinating read. It gave some great insights into the Cold War power struggles in Africa, an eye-opening look at what a real CIA agent's life is like and Embassy life (not what you might always imagine).

Target readers: Memoir Fans, Cold War Story Fans, Africa Setting Fans, History Fans, Crazy True Story Fans, Adult Readers (though approachable to YA)

MI5 and Me: a Coronet among the Spooks by Charlotte Bingham

In a nutshell: A cozy and humorous memoir of a young woman whose spy father recruited her to be a secretary for MI5.

More info: Charlotte Bingham was called into her father's office at 18 and told she needed to do something with her life. Oh, and her father works for MI5 and he's getting her a job as a secretary there. After recovering from that bombshell Charlotte was sure life as an MI5 secretary would be miserable and boring. Only time would tell if she was right or not.

Extra thoughts: This was a fascinating and very entertaining memoir about what real life was like in the 1950s as a secretary at MI5. Bingham relates her experiences with touches of humor that make this highly readable (I devoured it in 1 sitting).

Target readers: Memoir Fans, Humor Fans, Less Tense Spy Story Fans, Crazy True Story Fans, Adult Readers (though totally approachable to YA)

Spies: the Secret Showdown between America and Russia by Marc Favreau

In a nutshell: A history of spycraft between the USSR and the USA during the Cold War.

More info: The nutshell says it all. 

Extra thoughts: This is pretty succinct and really just touches on some of the biggest moments in spying during the Cold War. You learn some of the biggest spies on each side, and moments when things got really dicey.

Target readers: History Fans, Nonfiction Fans, Cold War Studiers, Readers Looking for Just the Highlights, YA Readers (though approachable to Middle Grade)

Spies by David Long, ill. by Terri Po

In a nutshell: An illustrated collection of brief biographies of spies from both sides of the WWII conflict.

More info: The nutshell says it all again. 

Extra thoughts: Based on the chapters on people I had read much longer books on, David Long did an amazing job of succinctly summarizing the key parts of their missions. I like that the font is larger than normal for a middle grade book and is dyslexia-friendly, making this a good pick for middle grade readers with visual acuity issues.

Target Readers: WWII Story Fans, Short Biography Collection Fans, Readers with Visual Acuity Issues (Like Dyslexia), Fans of Heavily-Illustrated Books, Nonfiction Fans, Random Fact Collectors, Middle Grade Readers (though interesting enough for YA and Adults)

The Spy and the Traitor: the Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War by Ben MacIntyre

In a nutshell: A biography of a KGB traitor who fed info to MI6 and played a pivotal role in the Cold War behind the scenes.

More info: A biography of Oleg Gordievsky, who was raised in a KGB family, recruited to the KGB at a young age and quickly rose in the ranks working in Scandinavia and then England. The book outlines how he was recruited by MI6 and the role he played behind the scenes in the Cold War and world history because of his spying.

Extra thoughts: This book reveals many behind the scenes things about the Cold War, like how close the world came to a nuclear war, and how important Gordievsky's spying was for peace talks, that made for a riveting and eye-opening historical read. It was also a good dose of reality to balance out the perception of spies in Hollywood.

Target readers: Crazy True Story Fans, Biography Fans, Cold War Studiers, History Fans, Nonfiction Fans, Adult Readers (approachable to some YA readers)

Unbreakable: the Spies Who Cracked the Nazis’ Secret Code by Rebeca E.F. Barone

In a nutshell: A history of the people who broke the Enigma code during WWII.

More info: A look at the Polish, French, and British linguists, mathematicians, spies, and soldiers who were responsible for enabling the Allies to break the Enigma encoded messages the Nazis were sending to each other.

Extra thoughts: This was a fascinating read. I learned a lot, but it was extremely readable. And though it is approachable enough for middle grade, it has enough historic details not talked about much elsewhere that even YA and adult readers interested in WWII will likely enjoy this.

Target readers: WWII Story Fans, History Fans, Code Breaker Stories, Nonfiction Fans, Middle Grade/YA/Adult Readers

Wise Gals: the Spies Who Built the CIA and Changed the Future of Espionage by Nathalia Holt

In a nutshell: A history of women in the Central Intelligence Agency of the USA.

More info: A history of women in the CIA, focusing on some of the original women who transitioned from being OSS operatives to being in the CIA or were in the very first class of trainees. Their names were Adelaide (Addy) Hawkins, Mary Hutchison, Eloise Page, Jane Burrell, and Elizabeth (Liz) Sudmeier. All but one of these women got together in the 1950s to do a study on inequalities of women in the CIA and submitted their data and stories to try and improve the situation for women. They were largely ignored, but they paved the way with their solid records and work ethic to open doors for women in the future. These are their untold stories.

Extra thoughts: This is a fairly long book, but I found it a quick read for a nonfiction book. It is well-written and explores gender equality issues as well as how the spy trade changed from WWII to chasing Nazi war criminals to Cold War tensions to anti-terrorism from the 1930s-1980s. 

Target readers: History Fans, Collective Biography Fans, Gender Equality Story Fans, CIA Evolution Studiers, Nonfiction Fans, Adult Readers (though approachable to some YA interested enough in the topics)

The Woman All Spies Fear: Code Breaker Elizebeth Smith Friedman and Her Hidden Life by Amy Butler Greenfield

In a nutshell: A biography of one of the most instrumental code breakers in the US in the 20th century.

More info: A biography of Elizebeth Smith Friedman who became an instrumental code and cipher breaker in the first half of the 20th century, bringing down mob and drug leaders, figuring out WWII secrets, and paving the way for women leaders in the field.

Extra thoughts: Amy Butler Greenfield did a phenomenal job of presenting Elizebeth's story for teens. It was expertly researched, included lots of photos, and had just the right amount of code breaking details to show Elizebeth's genius without causing readers to get lost in the technical details. I like this even better than the adult biography on Elizebeth I’ve read, The Woman Who Smashed Codes.

Target readers: Biography Fans, STEM Bio Fans, History Fans, Code Breaker Story Fans, Young Adult Readers (though of interest to Adult readers, and approachable to some Middle Grade readers)

A Woman of No Importance: the Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell

In a nutshell: A biography of Virginia Hall, an American woman who lost a leg prior to the war, but still successfully ran extensive networks of French resistance workers in Southern France during WWII.

More info: In Lyon, France at the outset of WWII, an American woman who used to work for the US State Department but felt frustrated with desk work found her niche. Virginia Hall was reluctantly sent to France by the British SEO under the cover of being a journalist. They weren't super enthusiastic or hopeful about sending a woman to start resistance groups, but she spoke French and German fluently, and she was very eager to go. She was to prove to be one of their best assets of the war, but she worked so much behind the scenes and shunned accolades, so that despite her successes and vital work for the Allies, she had all but disappeared from history until Purnell started digging. What she relates is an incredible story of a woman who despite being an amputee before the war, managed to build extensive networks of French resistance workers, designed and enabled one of the most successful prison escapes of Allied operatives, and helped free the first section of Southern France from German control with only resistance workers.

Extra thoughts: This is an eye-opening biography, one of the best WWII spy biographies I’ve ever read, and that’s mainly due to the impressive amount of research into history that was meant to be buried in many instances because of its clandestine nature.

Target readers: Biography Fans, WWII Story Fans, History Fans, Amputee Overcomer Story Fans, Nonfiction Fans, Crazy True Story Fans, Adult Readers (though approachable to some YA)

Brainstorm 320: Scifi Mystery Reads for Those Dark and Stormy Nights

With the gray, wet weather of rainy season, I always feel like curling up with either a good mystery, a spy story, or a good scifi tale. So that’s what I’m going to be bringing you with the next couple of Brainstorms. This week we’re starting off with some scifi mysteries. The next 2 Brainstorms will feature spy stories and a very specific subset of scifi mysteries, time-travel mysteries. Click on the titles to see my full reviews of each book including any content notes/trigger warnings. If you’re in a hurry, remember the new “In a nutshell” feature that summarizes each book in 1 sentence.

Attack of the ZomBees (Max Meow, #5) by John Gallager

In a nutshell: Superhero Max Meow must help handle a friend’s family misunderstandings, some robberies related to the mayoral campaign, and lots of bees.

More info: Mindy's Mom is running for Mayor, but when Mindy's brother Marty interrupts a debate with some bees some take it as a threat. Marty just wanted people to be aware that the new bridge construction was disrupting the bees' homes. He meant it as a peaceful protest. But Mindy is upset with him for hurting their mom's chances at the mayor's office. Soon, a whole bunch of bees invades another mayoral campaign stop and steal a necklace. Has Marty gone evil when no one listened to him? Or is someone else using bees for bad? It’s up to Max and Mindy to figure it out and save the day.

Extra thoughts: I like the lessons learned in this story, and the way it educates readers about bees and how they are important to ecosystems.

Target readers: Superhero Story Fans, Graphic Novel Fans, Pun Lovers, Bee Studiers, Mild Mystery Fans, Scifi Fans, Lower Grade/Middle Grade Readers

Battle for the Park (Futureland, #1) by H.D. Hunter

In a nutshell: When his family’s floating amusement park of the future seems to be falling into sinister hands and people start disappearing inside, Cam and some new friends must save the day. 

More info: Cam Walker, his mom and dad, and his uncle have a very unusual and popular home. They live in and run Futureland, a floating futuristic amusement park that travels the world. Cam's parents invented all the rides and experiences in the park and are pretty famous. Which is why he feels super awkward about going to public school for the first time when the family decides to stay hovering over their home city of Atlanta for a longer stretch of time. Cam knows everyone will know who he is and want to get close to him just to get access to the most popular amusement park in the world. Thankfully, he does make some quick friends who help protect him from the sycophants. They also prove to be great allies when things start going horribly wrong in the park. Revs (robots) start acting weird, which is bad since they work all the rides and experiences in the park. Cam can't find his uncle anywhere, and he's becoming increasingly convinced someone swapped out his parents with revs. A local businessman says his parents added him to their management team, but Cam knows his parents would never do that. And worst of all, children and teens have gone missing at the park. Can Cam and his friends find proof of sabotage and save the park from falling into evil clutches and find the missing people before it is too late?

Extra thoughts: I love the imaginative concept of Futureland, it’s tech, and the pacing of the story. I also like that Cam is basically a third culture kid; the author did a good job portraying him adjusting to living in, what on paper at least, is his “home” but feels like a foreign place to Cam.

Target readers: Mystery Fans, Suspense Fans, Futuristic Tech Fans, TCK Story Fans, Amusement Park Fans, Upper Middle Grade Readers

Drifters by Kevin Emerson

In a nutshell: Jovie’s life starts getting really strange when she’s the only one who remembers her friend Micah who went missing a few months ago, her mom develops blinding cataracts overnight, and she finds odd tech that lets her see people no one else can.

More info: Jovie's best friend, Micah, disappeared a few months ago. Well, technically she was really her former best friend. Something happened and they hadn't hung out in a while before the day Micah disappeared. At first the police were all over Micah's case, but now it seems like Jovie is the only one looking for her. And it isn't just that people have given up hope. Every time Jovie talks to someone about Micah now they don't look at her with pity, just confusion. It seems like no one remembers Micah any more. The principal at school even calls Jovie in asking her why she's posting these missing person posters for a made up person and doesn't remember Micah until Jovie strongly encourages him to look her up in the school's system. He and Jovie are shocked and disturbed. How could he have forgotten? People forgetting Micah isn't the only strange thing in Jovie's life. Her mom suddenly develops horrendous, blinding cataracts overnight. And she finds an object in her bag at the emergency room that lets her see people no one else can see. What is going on?

Extra thoughts: This is a huge doorstopper of a book, but the pacing and the gripping mysteries of just what is going on keep those pages turning fast. 

Target readers: Gripping Mystery Fans, Scifi Fans, Unique Plot Fans, Fans of Emerson’s Other Books, Doorstopper Tome Fans, Middle Grade/Young Adult Readers

The Mutant Mushroom Takeover (Maggie and Nate Mysteries, #1) by Summer Rachel Short

In a nutshell: When dangerous mushrooms start taking over the town and turning people and animals into zombies, science nerd Maggie and crypto enthusiast Nate are on their own to find a stop to the infestation.

More info: Mags is hunting for a grand science specimen that will cinch her win of the Vitaccino Junior Naturalist Merit Award. This is step 1 in her grand plan of getting her dad's job back at Vitaccino so he doesn't have to work way far away in Yellowstone. Mags loves her Gran and all, but she desperately misses her father. So she's on the hunt for something spectacular with her best friend, Nate, who is also in search of some weird phenomenon for his crytpo/supernatural/conspiracy theory Youtube channel. When they hear about weird glowing mushrooms at Old Man Bell's, they decide this is worth risking getting caught trespassing for. But they stumble into more than they bargained. These mushrooms don't just glow, they are variations of a mushroom that makes zombies out of ants in the Amazon and they are starting to take over the town's plant, animal, and even human population. But they seem to be the only ones who notice, and who's going to listen to some kids talking about dangerous mushrooms?

Extra thoughts: I loved the solid, real science basis for this slightly creepy scifi mystery. It has also been an easy sell for reluctant readers.

Target readers: Scifi Fans, Mystery Fans, Science Lovers, Zombie Story Fans, Mildly Creepy Story Fans, Friendship Story Fans, Middle Grade Readers

Pete the Cat and the Space Chase (Pete the Cat: Agent Meow Readers) by Kimberly & James Dean

In a nutshell: Agent Meow investigates strange lights and an abandoned spaceship at the playground.

More info: Agent Meow gets a call about strange lights on the playground at night. While investigating, he comes across an alien spaceship. No aliens appear to be around so Agent Meow takes it for a spin. But who left the spaceship there and why?

Extra thoughts: Don’t worry, there are only friendly aliens involved in this Pete the Cat/Agent Meow little mystery. Pete’s little jaunt through space is fun.

Target Readers: Pete the Cat Fans, Mystery Fans, Scifi Fans, Space Adventure Fans, Spy/Detective Story Fans, Leveled Reader Fans, Picture Book Readers

Prime Directive by Davis Bunn

In a nutshell: Lt. Amanda Bostick is sent to investigate a rash of sudden deaths at scientific outpost on a remote planet, and it is very clear someone (or someones) doesn’t want her investigating. 

More info: There have been 16 unexplained deaths in a very short period of time on the scientific outpost on the planet Loria, and those in residence there only brought it up because they are asking command for replacements. Commander Rickets is very concerned, but because of galactic politics at the time, others want to ignore the event. So Rickets is sending in the only person who also seems concerned about a whole slew of deaths on a distant outpost, Lieutenant Amanda Bostick. Bostick is given a promotion (so that she outranks anyone on the science base on Loria), and sent with two soldiers, Hamoud and Nasim, with combat experience (and motives to prove themselves in this mission). But they only have 10 days. Others in the Galactic Space Arm are obviously trying to sabotage their mission, Bostick has no previous mission experience, there are rumors of pirates in the area around Loria, there are decidedly weird things going on on Loria, and the locals and scientists on Loria actively resist any investigation. This investigation could very well get them all killed.

Extra thoughts: Bunn pulls off an impressive amount of world-building in under 200 pages. I thoroughly enjoyed this classic-feeling little scifi mystery adventure with clever games of wit.

Target readers: Quick Read Fans, Classic-Feeling Scifi Fans, Mystery Fans, Space Adventure Fans, Mystery on the Remote Science Outpost Fans, Adult Readers (though approachable to YA)

Recorder (Children of the Consortium, #1) by Cathy McCrumb

In a nutshell: A government recorder (carefully raised human linked to a drone) is sent to document a disaster that wiped out most of a remote science outpost, only the trouble is still there, she gets separated from her drone, made to question her position in the world and human rights, and solve a disaster/murder mystery without her normal tech.

More info: Recorder was given to the Consortium at birth to be raised for one of several public service positions. As a Recorder, it is her job to observe and archive events without interfering. To help her better fulfill her role, she has been bonded to a drone that also helps her to regulate her emotions and make sure she does not interfere, but just observe. Recorder has been sent on a mission with the crew of the Thalassa to retrieve records from the science station on the moonlet Pallas and see if there are any survivors. All that they know is a flu of some kind wiped out most of the population. They do not know if anyone made it into stasis in time to be saved, or if there is still power to maintain the stasis pods. Recorder has her own mission to retrieve the remains of Pallas' Recorder and her drone, in addition to the station data. Recorder knows that the rest of the recovery crew is anxious being around her. But she does not know each of their pasts with Recorders that has made them that way. As their recovery mission goes badly wrong, Recorder is gravely injured and her drone is destroyed. She awakes back on the Thalassa totally lost without her drone. She must learn how to read and interact with other humans without a computer interface, and they start to realize Recorders are just as human as they are. They also realize that at least 1 person was murdered before the flu hit on Pallas. Time is ticking before they arrive back to where they must report to the Consortium. All of them have much to learn about what it means to be human, question what they always took for granted in the Consortium's ways, and solve a murder mystery. The plot points in this book continue for 2 more books. The trilogy is now complete.

Extra thoughts: This whole series is excellent for the world building, character development, intense action sequences, exploration of topics to get you thinking, the way Christian characters and values are woven in, and the compelling mystery. Oh, and the cats.

Target readers: Dystopia Fans, Mystery Fans, Suspense Fans, Scifi Fans, Space Adventure Fans, Mystery on the Remote Science Outpost Fans, Human Rights Story Fans, Thought-Provoking Story Fans, Christian Fiction Fans, Adult Readers (though approachable to YA)

This Town Is Not All Right (This Town Is Not All Right, #1) by M.K. Krys

In a nutshell: Beacon finds his new home town disturbingly odd, from cars breaking down for no reason to the inhumanly well-behaved kids at school, and no one else seems disturbed except the town outcast.

More info: After the tragic death of their older brother, Beacon and Everleigh's dad has decided they all need a fresh start in a brand new town. He's moving them pretty much as far away from LA as possible to a small town in the middle of nowhere New England. Beacon is trying to be as positive as possible about the move in order to compensate for his twin's extra negativity, but he really has to work to find good things about Driftwood Harbor. Their car breaks down for no good reason as soon as they cross into town. The inn where they are staying until they can find a house looks like it's all ready to be the town Haunted House for Halloween. Beacon swears he sees a girl drowning in the ocean the first night, but no one believes him and the girl is fine the next day. And the rest of the kids at school are...odd. They are the perfect students, and don't so much as whisper even before the bell has wrung. It feels eerie. And then the school calls Beacon and Everleigh down for vitamin D shots their first day at school saying it is required because of the heavy cloud cover. Beacon hates shots so he manages to evade it that day, but Everleigh gets it and suddenly goes from the girl who loves to pretend to be sick to skip classes to work on cars to the pink skirt wearing goody goody who suddenly follows all the rules. And no one but Beacon seems concerned about his sister's radical change in behavior or all the weird things going on in town except a kid named Arthur who tells him the strange things are related to a UFO crash in town in the 1960s which he's trying to track with his homemade alien energy tracker... Who does Beacon believe? The town outcast, his gut, or the adults?

Extra thoughts: This is a hard-to-put-down lightly creepy mystery that has a solid scifi base which I can't tell you about without spoilers. Every student who has picked this up has devoured it and its sequel just as quickly as I did.

Target readers: Odd Town Mystery Fans, Scifi Fans, Lightly Creepy Story Fans, Sibling Story Fans, Upper Middle Grade Readers

Brainstorm 319: Anxiety & Worry Reads

It's been a little while, but the Brainstorm is finally back for a new school year of reading recommendations. Our school is jumping into a season of encouraging students in their mental health, so I thought it would be a great time for some more anxiety and worry help books. Last year I posted some Anxiety/Fear Reads in Brainstorm 303, so you can check that edition out for more ideas related to this topic. Click on the titles to read my full book review including any content notes/trigger warnings. 

Since it is the first Brainstorm of this school year, I'll remind you of some of the librariany terms I use and what I mean by them:

YA = Young Adult - books aimed at teens

MG = Middle Grade - books aimed at 3rd-7th/8th grade

LG = Lower Grade - books aimed at K5-3rd grade

And a quick guide to the parts under each book (including the new nutshell version):

In a nutshell = 1 sentence summaries of the book for people in a hurry

More info = A more detailed summary for those who want more

Extra thoughts = Some of my opinions about what I liked about the book or how it relates to the topic

Target Readers = Who is most likely going to enjoy the book

All’s Fair in Love and Christmas by Sarah Monzon

In a nutshell: A boss pits a high anxiety Mackenzie Graham up against the seemingly perfect Jeremy Fletcher in an office Christmas spirit competition for a promotion, but both have a lot riding on this.

More Info: Mackenzie Graham is both thrilled and terrified by the upcoming Christmas season. She loves Christmas and helping find little ways to make the holiday meaningful for others. She's also honored that the boss of her design firm has told her that she's in the running for a promotion. But she's up against Jeremy Fletcher, who is wonderful and whom she has a huge crush on. He's so much more outgoing and charismatic than she is, her anxiety practically cripples her every time she even thinks of giving a presentation to a client. She doesn't really want to beat him and even wonders if she can, but she also needs the promotion to pay her mom's bills at the memory care facility she stays in because of early onset Alzheimer's. Little does she know that Jeremy could also use the promotion to help meet the financial demands of raising his orphaned tween niece and nephew. The boss has said that Mackenzie and Jeremy must demonstrate they are best for the promotion by their Christmas spirit. It's a battle with cookies, trees, and tinsel.

Extra thoughts: I know it may be a bit early for Christmas reads for some of you, but this has such a well done mental health aspect to the story, I had to include it in this Brainstorm.  There’s a bit more depth than the typical rom-com/Hallmark Christmas story that probably popped in your head when you read that description or saw the cover. It is a cute Christmas rom-com, but it is  also about seeing two people get healthier mentally thanks to each other, God, and some very supportive friends (and in Mackenzie’s case, seeking professional help when necessary). 

Target Readers: Christmas Story Fans, Mental Health Story Fans, Christian Fiction, Clean Love Story Fans, Contemporary Fiction Fans, Adult Readers (though totally fine for YA readers)

The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Caused an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt

In a nutshell: A research-based look at how smart phones are negatively impacting mental health and what to do about it.

More info: Haidt started looking at the spike in anxiety diagnoses and realized a global trend matching with the arrival of smart phones. He then started looking at how phone use impacts children and teens, breaking things down by subgroups such as age levels and genders and specific phone usage that tends to impact mental health, and he then looks at what can be done to stop this growing epidemic of smart phone-related mental health issues.

Extra thoughts: Our school admin has been strongly encouraging reading this book, and for good reason. It’s an incredibly well-researched, sobering, important read for anyone who has kids or works with kids. (I’d also hand it to teens so they can be more self-aware in how their phone usage can impact their mental health and their peers.)

Target Readers: Parents, Educators, Youth Workers, Anyone Who Uses a Smart Phone, Nonfiction Fans, Mental Health Fans, Science/Psychology/Anthropology Fans, Adult Readers (though approachable to YA)

The God Who Stays: Life Looks Different with Him by Your Side by Matthew West with Matt Litton

In a nutshell: A Christian music artist shares what God taught him during the covid lockdown.

More info: Matthew West shares some of the important things God taught him through the covid lockdown. The lyrics of one of his songs was sung to him by a taxi driver as things were shutting down, and "The God Who Stays" resonated in different ways than ever before.

Extra thoughts: West touches on a number of topics, including the global struggle with anxiety.

Target Readers: Memoir Fans, Christian Life Nonfiction Fans, Christian Music Fans, Lockdown Reflection Fans, Mental Health Book Fans, Uplifting Read Fans, Adult Readers (though totally approachable to YA)

In the Red by Christopher Swiedler

In a nutshell: An anxious boy and a perfectionist girl must survive on Mars and get back to the settlement when their outing from the base goes badly.

More info: Michael wants to prove to himself and his family that his "condition" will not keep him from doing fun things in the field on Mars. After his first plan backfires, his best friend Lilith decides that what he needs is a little night time sneaky trip outside the dome. Michael goes along with the plan, but while they are out something goes catastrophically wrong and soon the two tweens find themselves in a struggle to survive and save others.

Extra thoughts: Move over Mark Watney, let some smart and talented tweens show you how survival on Mars is done. This is an exotic survival story that deftly touches on anxiety and perfectionism. (And for those who are wondering, there’s a solid parental response in the end.)

Target Readers: Scifi Fans, Survival Story Fans, Adventure Fans, Mental Health Story Fans, Friendship Story Fans, Middle Grade Readers

Isaiah & the Worry Pack by Ruth Goring, ill. by Pamela C. Rice

In a nutshell: A worried kid learns to use a spiritual discipline to help release his worries to Jesus.

More info: Isaiah has been having trouble sleeping so his mom asks him to talk about his worries that have been keeping him up at night, and then she leads him to practice guided imagery, a spiritual discipline, to help release those worries to Jesus.

Target Readers: Christian Fiction Fans, Mental Health Story Fans, Picture Book Readers

Ruby Finds a Worry by Tom Percival

In a nutshell: Ruby learns how to deal with a worry.

More info: Ruby is a carefree girl until she finds a little worry. She tries to ignore it, but it keeps growing and growing. How can she deal with it?

Extra thoughts: Ruby learns an easy solution to a common issue and the book has a lot of helpful resources for adults reading with children.

Target Readers: Mental Health Story Fans, Picture Book Readers

Take a Chance by Sujean Rim

In a nutshell: A bird scared of new things learns to be honest about his fears and how to tackle hard things one step at a time.

More info: Bob loves to fly around, but he's a bit wary of new things. He always makes up excuses not to do things. But when an eagle friend invites him to see what's above the clouds, Bob really, really wants to try. And he's finally honest about his worries. Can Bob find the right mindset to try something new and maybe hard?

Extra thoughts: Really great advice in this story to set small goals towards the bigger, overwhelming goal. And don't be afraid to be honest with friends about fears and worries. I love that Rim had him revisit all the bird friends he lied to, come clean, and give their invites a shot. A great message, and the artwork is pretty cute too.

Target Readers: Animal Fiction Fans, Mental Health Story Fans, Friendship Story Fans, Adventure Fiction Fans, Picture Book Readers

Brainstorm 318: WWII in Scandinavia Stories

This past week was the 79th anniversary of VE Day (Victory Europe) that celebrated the end of WWII in Europe. So for today’s Brainstorm I thought it would be fitting to feature some stories of WWII from Europe. To narrow things down I’m going to highlight WWII stories from the Scandinavian region of Europe (Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Iceland). It’s a region of Europe that isn’t featured quite as often in WWII stories. Click on the titles to see my full review for each book including any content notes/trigger warnings.

Bomb: the Race to Build – and Steal – the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon: the graphic novel by Steve Sheinkin, ill. by Nick Bertozzi

A graphic novel adaption of Sheinkin's award-winning history of the Manhattan Project and other countries' race to also build an atomic bomb during WWII. It's a very engaging way to learn the history of what went on to start the Manhattan Project, who the main people were in the project and their roles, why other countries were so intent on spying on that work, why a small group of undercover operatives in Norway were so vital to the success of the Manhattan Project (which is the reason I'm including this book in this Brainstorm), and what went into the decision to use the bomb. The book also looks at Oppenheimer and other scientists' efforts to dissuade the nuclear arms race before it started, having a vision for how awful the Cold War could get. It's a sobering look at what drove the creation of the bomb and how devastating nuclear arms can be. The original book this is adapted from is also excellent, but obviously takes a little bit longer to read.

Target Readers: History Fans, Graphic Novel Fans, Nonfiction Fans, WWII Secret Mission Story Fans, Young Adult Readers

 

The Boys who Challenged Hitler: Knud Pedersen and the Churchill Club by Phillip Hoose

During WWII when Germany "invaded" Denmark, they were welcomed in peacefully by the Danes. Some Danes were happy that their country was not devastated by fighting, others, however, felt like the Danes should have stood up to the Nazis and not just let them walk into the country. These people looked to their neighboring Norwegians who were fighting the Nazis with admiration. One group of Danes that admired the Norwegians and felt the Danes should fight to get rid of the German occupiers was a group of school boys led by brothers Knud and Jens Pedersen. The boys, most in middle school and early high school, did things like destroy the engines of Nazi cars, steal Nazi weapons, and start fires at Nazi buildings. Eventually, the boys, who called themselves the Churchill Club, were caught and sentenced to varying lengths of time in prison. The publicity the Churchill Club saw was later defined as a turning point in Danish resistance. The bravery of the teen boys roused their countrymen to take action against the Nazis.

Hoose was able to work extensively with Knud Pedersen on this book, adding extra first-hand accounts to the story.

Target Readers: Biography Fans, History Fans, Nonfiction Fans, Award Winner Readers, Resistance Worker Story Fans, Denmark Setting Fans, Young Adult Readers (though approachable to Middle Grade)

 

Harboring Hope: The True Story of How Henny Sinding Helped Denmark's Jews Escape the Nazis by Susan Hood

A biography in verse of Henny Sindig, a member of the Danish Resistance during WWII who, along with the rest of the crew of the Gerda III helped get Jews and Resistance workers to safety in Sweden as well as working on sabotaging missions.

The percentage of Danish Jews saved during WWII as compared to other places in Europe is astounding and such a legacy for the Danes who helped them. I appreciated that Susan Hood provided a guide to the different types of poetry she used in this biography in verse. It helps you better appreciate the level of artistry that went into writing this book (and also makes it useful for poetry units).

Target Readers: Biography Fans, Resistance Worker Story Fans, Novels in Verse Fans, Poetry Fans/Studiers, Nonfiction Fans, Denmark Setting Fans, Middle Grade Readers 

 

Shadow on the Mountain by Margi Preus

The story of a teenager in Norway who starts working for the Norwegian Resistance in small ways and then takes on more serious jobs as the occupation goes on more years.

This is biographical fiction in that a lot of it is based on the life of a real person, Erling Storrusten, and his experiences as a teenager in WWII Norway. Preus just reimagined some of the dialogue and people and places names. There are several pages of notes in the back of the book about what is true and what is fictional, which I highly recommend diving into because they are fascinating.

Target Readers: Biographical Fiction Fans, Historical Fiction Fans, Suspense Fiction Fans, Resistance Worker Story Fans, Norway Setting Fans, Skiing Story Fans, Middle Grade/Young Adult Readers

 

The Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin

Dr. Else Jensen is a Danish American physicist trying to make her mark in the field, but even though she found a spot at Niels Bohr's department, she's still struggling to find her place and earn her colleague's respect as a woman in the field. It's very hard when her supervisor has her making copies in the basement instead of troubleshooting physics problems in the lab. One of her fellow boarders hears her complaining to her best friend, Jewess mathematician Laila, and challenges Else to stand up to her supervisor. While she gathers her courage to stand up for herself without being rude, Else also realizes that her skills running the machine that makes copies could be of use to the Danish Resistance. The Nazis have started to take over from the Danish government and enact the harsher regulations they put in place other places in Europe, and Else can't just stand by, especially when her best friend is in serious danger.

That fellow boarder may put across a persona as a slow and dimwitted dockworker, but he's actually the legendary Havmand of the Danish resistance who rows documents to Sweden and back on a regular basis. The Danish resistance wants him to do more, and Henrik has to carefully balance all his undercover roles so no one will realize he's actually the Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt. Henrik never expected to survive the war. He's been doing his work out of a sense of obligation and penance for a wasted life and not living up to his father's exacting standards. What he didn't expect was to fall in love with his kind, compassionate fellow boarder Else. But could she love the real him, or does she just love dockworker Hemming? And does he dare put her in serious danger with the Gestapo and tell her his true identity?

This fictional story weaves in many parts of real history, like some of Henny Sendig’s Resistance group’s work (told about in Harboring Hope) as well as Niels Bohr’s life during the war (he was eventually involved in the Manhattan Project and also appears in the first book listed here, Bomb).

Target Readers: Historical Fiction Fans, Resistance Worker Story Fans, Suspense Fiction Fans, Love Story Fans, Christian Fiction Fans, Adult Readers (though approachable to YA)

The Woman Who Split the Atom: The Life of Lise Meitner by Marissa Moss

A biography of physicist Lise Meitner outlining the challenges she faced as a woman and Jew in the physics field in Austria and Germany during the first half of the 20th century. The book also shares how she escaped the Nazis (a path which involved Sweden), her major discoveries and contributions to the field of nuclear physics, and how she reacted when one of her discoveries led to the making of the atom bomb.

This was a fascinating biography of a woman who really was an unsung genius of physics during her time. The text is written in a very engaging style, and I liked the mini graphic novel sections at the beginning of each chapter that help you picture the people involved (since photos are limited in the book). 

Target Readers: Biography Fans, Scientist Story Fans, STEM Book Fans, History Fans, Nonfiction Fans, Middle Grade Readers