Spy Basics

Children's Literature - Katie DeWald

Is that pizza delivery man really delivering a pizza, or is he a spy? Young readers may never look at the world in the same light after reading this primer on the fundamentals of spy life. O'Shei begins by laying out the duties of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and the National Security Agency (NSA) and tells about spy work in the office and in the field. Training requirements to be a spy as well as the schools run by the CIA and FBI are described in detail. The fourth and final chapter chronicles the fascinating declassified stories of three spies: Moe Berg, a baseball player spy; Robert Rayle, whose cover was blown when he accompanied Stalin's daughter to America, and Robert Hanssen, a spy who sold American secrets to the Russians. Quirky modern borders and graphics draw attention to the text and add interest to the book. Vocabulary words are highlighted with red file folder tabs at the bottom of a page of text and are also included in the glossary. Additional information under the headings Spy Files and Spy Facts appears in text boxes throughout the book and clarifies the topic at hand or tells a related spy story. Real pictures of spies from history serve to capture the attention of the reader. O'Shei satisfies readers' curiosity about the spy world while providing his audience with a simple and manageable text. Young readers will enjoy reading about the elusive spy world in this book of the "Spies" series. Reviewer: Katie DeWald