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Summary
Summary
Everyone in twelve-year-old Hale's family is a spy, going way back. They've all worked for the Sub Rosa Society, an elite organization that's so top secret that new agents aren't recruited; they're born. His parents may be the ultimate spy team at SRS, but Hale isn't your typical stealthy spy-he is, as his mother puts it, "big-boned," and as some of his classmates put it, "fat." Still, he's convinced he will someday be a great field agent. After all, it's his legacy.
But when both his mother and father go missing on a secret mission-likely captured by the SRS's number one enemy-it's Hale's time to step up and (with a little help from his acrobat-cheerleader little sister) save the day.
With a hilarious and charismatic cast of characters, popular teen author Jackson Pearce makes a very non-stealthy mission into the middle-grade arena.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-Twelve-year-old Hale Jordan has always dreamed of being a superspy like his parents. But even though he excels at all the classes at SRS (the Sub Rosa Society, the secret agency where he lives with his family), the other students call him Hale the Whale, and he struggles to meet the physical requirements to become a junior agent. When his parents disappear during a mission and SRS seems unwilling to save them, Hale uses all of his spy skills to infiltrate the League, a notorious rival agency. Once inside the League offices, though, he finds that they are filled with old equipment and only one remaining spy. The League's director tells him that they are a government agency that has lost most of its funding and that the real evil organization is SRS. Confused, Hale taps into his own agency's files, and discovers that they have marked his parents to be eliminated on sight. With the help of two kids from the League (Ben, an inventor, and his sister Beatrix, a computer wiz), Hale takes on the dangerous role of double agent to uncover and undermine SRS's plans. Together they discover a plot to kidnap and recruit some of the most talented kids in the world. Hale is a quick-thinking and daring underdog, with an impressive arsenal of skills and spy tricks. The supporting characters are quirky and likable, such as Ben, whose inventions include a jelly bean that turns people purple, and Ben's uncle, Clatterbuck, who disguises himself as a lumber truck driver and a watermelon farmer. The book ends on a satisfying note but leaves plenty of room for future sequels. VERDICT Fast-paced, funny, and full of unexpected plot twists, this spy novel will easily appeal to middle grade adventure fans.-Ashley Larsen, Pacifica Libraries, CA (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Pearce (Pip Bartlett's Guide to Magical Creatures) spins a thoroughly enjoyable story about a secret spy agency, the Sub Rosa Society, where agents are trained from birth in subjects like Body Language Analysis and Emergency Undercover Ops. Hale Jordan, the chubby 12-year-old son of "The Team"-two of SRS's most decorated agents-wants desperately to follow in his parents' footsteps, but he can't pass the physical exam to become a junior agent. After his parents go missing, Hale's spy skills are tested in the real world, where villains don't always look like villains. Pearce's spy gadgetry and scenes of agent training are clever and fun, but it's the always-underestimated Hale, with his systematic-and unconventional-approach to every challenge ("Mission: Get sent on Friday's mission. Step 1: Wait for chili day"), who makes this such an entertaining and memorable story. Fans of the spy-thriller genre may anticipate some of the twists, but Hale's pursuit of the truth is no less exciting for it. Pearce sets the stage for what could easily become a favorite series. Ages 8-12. Agent: Josh Adams, Adams Literary. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
I am slow and fat, and graceful as a potato." Twelve-year-old Hale has the brains, talent, and credentials (super-spy parents) to become a junior agent...but not the physique. When his parents disappear during a mission, he musters his real skills--and help from his exuberant little sister and a friend--to save the day. A thriller full of plot twists, humor, and heart. (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
An unlikely hero becomes a double agent to save his parents and possibly the whole world. The Sub Rosa Society headquarters is both a home for international spies and their families and a school for young spies-in-training. With brains and talent to spare, 12-year-old Hale should have no problem with the junior agent test, but his plus size makes passing the physical requirements difficult. When his superspy parents are compromised while on a mission, Hale relies on all his training to rescue them from evil League headquartersbut nothing prepares him for the shock he receives once he arrives. The League HQ is filled with outdated equipment, a couple of quirky kids, and some washed-up operatives. They say they are the good guys, but then what does that make him? Hale must rely on his acrobatic and perky sister, his mortal enemy, and his new League friends if he is going to expose the SRS and save his parents. Exciting missions, cool gadgets, and plenty of intrigue make this a fun read from the get-go. The icing on the cake is Hale, whose self-deprecating manner, kind heart, and intelligence will steal hearts as well as the show. International espionage plus wacky high jinks equals plot-twisting fun. (Thriller. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Welcome to SRS (Sub Rosa Society) headquarters a secret, government-funded spy organization. Despite having parents of superspy status (they are known simply as The Team), 12-year-old Hale Jordan is primarily known for being the fat kid, or Hale the Whale. Having lost his only friend to the muscle-giving god of puberty, Hale chugs along at his own pace, dodging classmates' taunts and remaining determined to become a junior agent. His opportunity to do real spy work comes sooner than expected, after his parents disappear while working on a top-secret assignment. Clearly SRS' dastardly enemy, The League, is to blame. When Hale breaks into League headquarters to rescue them, he is in for a shock that will rock his world. Pearce's first solo novel for middle-graders (she coauthored Pip Bartlett's Guide to Magical Creatures, 2015, with Maggie Stiefvater) proves a zany, fun adventure, with Hale a kind and clever protagonist. Oddball characters with plenty of heart and nifty gadgets (I made it from pipe cleaners and lasers) will draw in readers who appreciate humorous underdog stories.--Smith, Julia Copyright 2015 Booklist