The Undercover Book List

From the award-winning author of Harvey Comes Home, a middle-school story about a girl in need of a friend, a boy in need of a chance, and the secret book club that brings them together

"An anonymous correspondence between two seventh graders becomes an unlikely friendship after they start leaving notes in a school library book. Bookish Jane MacDonald is seeking a new friend after her best friend Sienna moves away; reputed troublemaker Tyson Flamand stumbles upon the first note while waiting for a detention. Both end up in a race to improve Tyson's grades--and their teachers' understanding of him--so that he can help complete the school team for Jane's cherished Kid Lit Quiz competition and win a trip to the championship in Sienna's new city."--

Wes Britton's Spy Television (2004) was an overview of espionage on the small screen from 1951 to 2002. His Beyond Bond: Spies in Fiction and Film (2004) wove spy literature, movies, radio, comics, and other popular media together with what the public knew about actual espionage to show the interrelationships between genres and approaches in the past century. Onscreen and Undercover, the last book in Britton's Spy Trilogy, provides a history of spies on the large screen, with an emphasis on the stories these films present. Since the days of the silent documentary short, spying has been a staple of the movie business. It has been the subject of thrillers, melodramas, political films, romances, and endless parodies as well. But despite the developing mistrust of the spy as a figure of hope and good works, the variable relationship between real spying and screen spying over the past 100 years sheds light on how we live, what we fear, who we admire, and what we want our culture—and our world—to become. Onscreen and Undercover describes now forgotten trends, traces surprising themes, and spotlights the major contributions of directors, actors, and other American and English artists. The focus is on movies, on and off camera. In a 1989 National Public Radio interview, famed author John Le Carre said a spy must be entertaining. Spies have to interest potential sources, and be able to draw people in to succeed in recruiting informants. In that spirit, Wes Britton now offers Onscreen and Undercover.

A clever and surprising approach to categorization and the art of disguise Readers will look for the odd one out on each spread of this stylish, 64-page picture book, packed with familiar objects, stunningly depicted in duotone. This play on the analogy of shapes makes the objects look deceitfully similar and the task surprisingly tricky! With a range of humorous visual jokes through association (an egg among birds) as well as clever shape comparisons (a plane among insects), this wordless book offers much to be discussed, and the joy of visual deciphering and categorization is sure to continue beyond its pages.

A dog’s world is a world of scents, of adventure. When a runaway West Highland Terrier named Harvey wanders out of his old life guided only by his nose and his heart, lives begin to converge. Austin, a young volunteer at Brayside retirement home, quickly finds that the audacious Harvey inspires Mr. Pickering, a bitter resident coping with memory loss, to tell stories of his childhood. Moved by the elderly man’s Dust Bowl recollections of grinding poverty and the perseverance of his friends and family, Austin begins to trade his preconceived notions for empathy. But is it enough to give him the resolve to track down Harvey’s original owner? Supported by striking illustrations from acclaimed artist Tara Anderson, Colleen Nelson immerses readers in a rich and unflinchingly human tale of struggle and hope—all inspired by one curious dog.

One of OprahMag.com’s Best Romances of 2020 Braden Mack thinks reading romance novels makes him an expert in love, but he’ll soon discover that real life is better than fiction. Liv Papandreas has a dream job as a sous chef at Nashville’s hottest restaurant. Too bad the celebrity chef owner is less than charming behind kitchen doors. After she catches him harassing a young hostess, she confronts him and gets fired. Liv vows revenge, but she’ll need assistance to take on the powerful chef. Unfortunately, that means turning to Braden Mack. When Liv’s blackballed from the restaurant scene, the charismatic nightclub entrepreneur offers to help expose her ex-boss, but she is suspicious of his motives. He’ll need to call in reinforcements: the Bromance Book Club. Inspired by the romantic suspense novel they’re reading, the book club assists Liv in setting up a sting operation to take down the chef. But they’re just as eager to help Mack figure out the way to Liv’s heart. . .even though she’s determined to squelch the sparks between them before she gets burned.

Beginning readers are introduced to the detective mystery genre in these chapter books. Perfect for the Common Core, kids can problem-solve with Nate, using logical thinking to solve mysteries! Somebody has been raiding Oliver's garbage can each night. How can Nate narrow the long list of suspects down to one? Nate the Great might just have to go under cover . . . under cover of the garbage can lid, that is! Check out the Fun Activities section in the back of the book! Visit Nate the Great and Sludge! NatetheGreatBooks.com *“Marc Simont’s charcoal and pastel illustrations provide the perfect backdrop for this clever case.” —School Library Journal, Starred “First graders’ favorite private eye solves the case of Oliver’s scattered garbage in those short, easy sentences that Sharmat transforms into crisp, tough-guy humor.” —Kirkus Reviews (A Kirkus Reviews Editor’s Choice)