Jacob Two-Two-'s First Spy Case

"A cross between Sid Fleischman and Roald Dahl, the story combines zippy dialogue, clever magic tricks, and even a chapter in mirror writing, with opprobrious names and grossness galore...It will undoubtedly be greeted with shrieks of joy and loud guffaws."-The Horn Book

School Library Journal

Gr 3-5The star of this spy story has been featured in Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang (1994) and Jacob Two-Two and the Dinosaur (1995, both Random). Here, the eight year old deals with an unpleasant situation at his exclusive private school. When headmaster Mr. Goodbody retires and is replaced by Mr. I. M. Greedyguts, things look bad. When Mrs. Bountiful, the school cook, is replaced by Perfectly Loathsome Leo Louse's catering service, things become decidedly worse. Jacob takes action. With the help of a wonderfully wacky new neighbor and master spy, his supportive family, some spy tricks, and many unusual disguises, the boy defeats the villains and emerges triumphant. Richler's story brings to mind Roald Dahl and Daniel Pinkwater, as characters are drawn with bold and silly strokes, word play abounds, and kids are the heroes. Jacob Two-Two's fans will enjoy spending more time in the boy's world. Humorous black-and-white cartoons help to capture the intrigue. With its simple but satisfying plot and tongue-in-cheek humor, this pleasant read-alone or read-aloud will attract youngsters not quite ready for Dahl but past David Adler's "Cam Jansen" books (Viking).Jody McCoy, Lakehill Preparatory School, Dallas, TX

Mordecai Richler was born in Montreal, Quebec, in 1931. Raised there in the working-class Jewish neighbourhood around St. Urbain Street, he attended Sir George Williams College (now a part of Concordia University). In 1951 he left Canada for Europe, settling in London, England, in 1954. Eighteen years later, he moved back to Montreal.

Novelist and journalist, screenwriter and editor, Richler, one of the most acclaimed contemporary writers, has spent much of his career chronicling, celebrating, and criticizing the Montreal and the Canada of his upbringing. Whether the settings of his fiction are St. Urbain Street or European capitals, his major characters never forsake the Montreal world that shaped them. His most frequent voice is that of the satirist, rendering an honest account of his times with care and humour.

Richler’s many honours include two Governor General’s Awards and innumerable other awards for fiction, journalism, and screenwriting.

Mordecai Richler died in Montreal, Quebec, in 2001.