A girl discovers her boarding school is actually an elite spy-training program, and she must learn the skills of the trade in order to find her mother in this action-packed middle grade debut. After a botched escape plan from her boarding school, Abigail is stunned to discover the school is actually a cover for an elite spy ring called The Center, along with being training grounds for future spies. Even more shocking? Abigail’s mother is a top agent for The Center and she has gone MIA, with valuable information that many people would like to have—at any cost. Along with a former nemesis and charming boy from her grade, Abigail goes through a crash course in Spy Training 101, often with hilarious—and sometimes painful—results. But Abigail realizes she might be a better spy-in-training than she thought—and the answers to her mother’s whereabouts are a lot closer than she thinks… Gr 4–8—Twelve-year-old Abigail Hunter, occasional rule breaker, is adjusting to her new boarding school and scary headmistress, Mrs. Smith, when she stumbles into a web of intrigue centered on her own missing mother. Abby discovers that her mother has been living a secret life as a spy, and now both good guys and bad are trying to track her down. Guess who's the bait to lure Abby's mother into the open? After learning some handy self-defense moves from mean girl Veronica and being outfitted with fantastical spy technology (a self-destructing smartphone that shoots rubber bullets, for example), Abby is sent to California, where she must use all of her wits to escape the clutches of henchmen working for a mysterious villain called "The Ghost." The action continues in the Big Apple after Abby enlists the help of her friends Charlotte, Toby, and Izumi. Throughout the story, Abby's faith in her abilities, even when she is underestimated, shows strength of character and purpose. Abby's funny, over-the-top personality and the book's numerous, enjoyable secondary characters combine to create a solid foundation for further installments as Abby follows in her mother's footsteps to enroll in spy training. VERDICT Middle grade readers of Stuart Gibbs's Spy School as well as fans of boarding school adventures such as Shannon Hale's Princess Academy will appreciate this comical and exhilarating escapade.—Alyssa Annico, Youngstown State University, OH Beth McMullen is the author of the Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls series; the Lola Benko, Treasure Hunter series; the Secret of the Storm series; and several adult mysteries. Her books have heroes and bad guys, action and messy situations. An avid reader, she once missed her subway stop and rode the train all the way to Brooklyn because the book she was reading was that good. She lives in northern California with her family and two cats. Visit her at BethMcMullenBooks.com. Chapter 1: New York City. Eight Months Ago. Where Things Take a Turn for the Weird. Chapter 1 NEW YORK CITY. EIGHT MONTHS AGO. WHERE THINGS TAKE A TURN FOR THE WEIRD. Dear Abigail Hunter, It is with great pleasure that we welcome you to the Smith School for Children’s class of 2019. We are confident you will contribute many amazing things to our school and community. Here at Smith we take our motto very seriously: Non tamen ad reddet. Not to take, but to give back. We strive each day to make the world a better place for our fellow human beings because this is what matters most. Attached please find details regarding the start of the school year. Our travel office will be contacting you shortly to arrange transportation for you and your belongings to our beautiful Connecticut campus. We look forward to an exciting and rewarding year! Sincerely, Lola Smith Headmaster, The Smith School for Children The Smith School for Children? What? There has to be a mistake, because I go to Sweetbriar Montessori with Rowan and Ainsley and Blake and Alec, and we have plans. Next year, in eighth grade, there’s the epic three-day field trip to Washington, DC. And Blake and I trade lunch every day because he likes the kale chips and other inedible green things my mother packs for me. Speaking of my mother, “Mom! Get in here right now!” I yell. My mother, the smart yet apparently forgetful Jennifer Hunter, appears in my bedroom doorway. She has a towel wrapped around her hair and one covering her torso. Her mouth is full of toothpaste. “What?” she mumbles through the foam. “Are you on fire?” I hold up the letter high so she is sure to get a good look at the Smith School crest and coat of arms, bright red and blue. (Also, why does a school for kids have a coat of arms?) Mom squints. She’s vain, so she avoids wearing her reading glasses unless the situation calls for splinter removal. I clear my throat. “Does the Smith School for Children ring a bell?” I shout. Mom freezes, a look of shock clouding her face. Toothpaste rolls down her chin. My stomach sinks. This letter is no mistake. “Hold on,” my mother says. “I gotta spit.”