In a book about kid spies, there has to be some mischief, right?  Well, our narrator, who is about 10 years old, has a way of finding himself in some pretty silly situations.  He has quit a sense of humor, too.  Parents should know that he does temporarily borrow some things (yes, theft) but he fully intends to give them back, and it’s with his end goal in mind that he does it.  At school, Mac is teased.  Yet here, as a spy, knowing he’s been hired to do a big job, his confidence begins to grow and he discovers he has more to offer than some might think.  He even loves his mom and cares what she thinks.  How sweet is that! 

The author, Mac Barnett, (not to be confused with our kid spy: Mac B.) has done a great job including little pieces of history, explaining big new words, and even throwing in a geography lesson here and there.  Young readers might not even know they are getting a little bit of an education as they read.  Have a reader who’s struggling to take their reading to the next level: chapter books?  This might just be the brilliant solution you’ve been waiting for.  With corny dialog, short chapters, and lots of doodle pictures, your reader might just be flipping through these pages before they realize they’re reading a chapter book.  The author’s use of language and vocabulary (even though young Mac B won’t be getting any grammar awards) is fun and entertaining for younger readers.  Mac Barnett has written ten books and has also won a few impressive awards for his kid’s books.

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  None 

Violence/Gore:  Mention of a historical king chopping off people’s heads, no details; mention of another historical king being executed, includes a drawing of a detached head but not gory.

Sex/Nudity:  Mention of two young people kissing, very brief, no details.

Mature Subject Matter:

Theft, cross-dressing, beheadings in history, executions in history, Russia & the KGB, spies, traveling without Mom’s permission.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

None