Synopsis
LISTEN UP PEOPLE, because we've got a problem here. It's time to get really worried, and by that I mean majorly concerned, about Kyle Parker. he used to be a cool guy. Okay, not the smartest kid at school or the best looking, but he could always hold his own. Until recently. Until he failed to notice that Lucinda (who, btw, is really hot) has been following him around for weeks. Or that a volleyball was coming straight for his face during gym. But can you blame him at a time like this?
In case you haven't heard, Kyle's mom kicked his dad out of the house. Why? Because of a book. Kyle's dad's book. The one he's been writing and can't get published. Which means he can't make any money. Which means he can't support his family. So it's the big D. Divorce. Unless Kyle can pull a fast one and fake out the most famous editor in New York City.
How?
By going undercover. Secret. Top secret. That's right. Kyle Parker is about to become his dad's secret agent. So pay attention because he's going to need all the help he can get.
Claire Rosser - KLIATT
Secret Agent is an amusing, offbeat story of an ingenious boy, Kyle, who figures out a way to keep his parents from getting a divorce. His mother is furious that his father has been working on a novel for years, without it being published—she can't take it any more and kicks him out. So Kyle and his small group of friends conspire to get the novel published by a major publishing house in NYC where they live—and in this way, save his parents' marriage. Instead of secret agent meaning a spy, in this case it means a secret literary agent. Kyle gets his first lead when he inadvertently discovers that the male owner of the dog he walks each afternoon is actually a most successful author writing romances under a female name. In a succession of bold, innovative actions, Kyle and his friends deceive, fool, and pretend their way to successfully getting Kyle's father's brilliant novel accepted for publication. This is a cooperative effort by two authors. The sentences are frequently short and the dialog catchy and quick. The book is being marketed to ages 10—12, even though the teenagers in the story are in high school. It's a good combination of easy to read but demanding some sophistication on the part of the reader (just to get many of the cultural references). It's light and funny too, with appeal to the middle school group. KLIATT Codes: J—Recommended for junior high school students. 2005, Simon & Schuster, Atheneum, 231p., Ages 12 to 15.