Top 5 spy books for kids, chosen by Cecily Sawyer author Iona Rangeley

Author of Einstein the Penguin and Cecily Sawyer: How To Be A Spy, Iona Rangeley is a former winner of the Spark! Book Award for fiction ages 7-plus, voted for by readers – so she knows what young espionage enthusiasts are looking for.

Here she gives us her tips for spy books for children whose imaginations are fired up by stories of undercover intrigue

Ruby Redfort by Lauren Child 

Ruby is the ultimate fantasy for wannabe spies. She’s smart, sarcastic, loaded with cool gadgets and even has a spy butler – not to mention a toaster that receives secret messages. I loved the Clarice Bean books as a child and Ruby was Clarice’s hero: she would probably be Cecily Sawyer’s, too.

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart 

I came across this via the Disney show (wrong way round, I know). It’s a fun, funny series about a ragtag quartet of kids with extraordinary talents who must infiltrate an evil boarding school to put a stop to its headmaster’s plans. 

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Gallagher Girls by Ally Carter 

Another spy boarding school, but not an evil one this time. My friends and I loved these books when we were 14 and even used Cammie and her gang’s “agent nicknames” for each other.

The Usborne Official Spy’s Handbook illustrated by Colin King

Perfect for serious, non-fiction loving spies who want to get straight to the point. This was recommended to me by a child at a school talk and is full of spy tips and tricks – definitely the kind of book that Cecily Sawyer would read.

The Spy who Loved School Dinners by Pamela Butchart 

A hilarious story about the new girl at school who is almost definitely a spy, because what else would explain her fondness for school dinners? This is a heartwarming book with a great cast of characters.

Cecily Sawyer: How to be a Spy by Iona Rangeley is out now (HarperCollins, £7.99).

These titles are available to buy from the Big Issue shop on Bookshop.org, which helps to support the Big Issue and independent bookshops.

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