In Spy School (the first in a lengthy series), Ben is recruited by the CIA and shipped off to spy school in order to learn how to be an agent. Which may have been the worst decision of his life. Fun and often funny, this is essentially a mystery, and the stakes are higher than your average kid ever has to face. Al Capone Shines My Shoes is the second book set among the families of the guards who live and work on Alcatraz, Moose needs to “get square” with Al Capone. A slice-of-life, small-town kind of story about a tight-knit community where everyone knows everyone else’s business. Loved seeing Natalie again (Moose’s sister, who would have been properly diagnosed if autism had been understood back then). She’s a brave girl and someone who shouldn’t be underestimated. The Maze of Bones is a series starter that will pass round-robin style through a bunch of different authors. When a wealthy aunt dies, relatives gather from all over the world in order to hear the reading of her will. Some take their money and run, but some accept her posthumous challenge.
C. J. Milbrandt 