Beatrice Bly's Rules for Spies 1: The Missing Hamster

by Sue Fliess, Beth Mills (Illustrator)

Overview

A young spy in training has to put her sneaky skills to the test when the class pet goes missing in this picture book series starter perfect for readers who love the excitement and intrigue of Tara Lazar's 7 Ate 9 and Josh Funk's Mission Defrostable.

Beatrice Bly isn't just a spy.

She's a super spy.

She knows all the rules.

She sneaks. She observes.

She follows the clues to find the culprit.

But when the class hamster, Edgar, goes missing, will Beatrice's spy training be enough to find out what happened?

Clever and determined, Beatrice Bly will win over young sleuths, teaching them problem solving and deduction skills as they scramble to figure out the case alongside her.

Named to the Delaware Diamonds Book List

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781645950288
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	04/13/2021
Series:	Beatrice Bly's Rules for Spies
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,141,489
Product dimensions:	9.27(w) x 11.23(h) x 0.33(d)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Sue Fliess is the author of over 35 children's books, including The Princess and the Petri Dish, Flash and Gleam, How to Find a Unicorn, Ninja Camp, numerous Little Golden Books, and more. As a kid, she occasionally spied on her parents, but was never as talented as Beatrice. Today she is sometimes known to sneak downstairs at night to eat the last piece of cake. Sue lives in Northern Virginia with her family and two dogs, and loves to travel, write, and read. Visit her website at www.suefliess.com.

Beth Mills is an illustrator who also occasionally writes things. She is from Texas and says "y'all" and "howdy" unironically. She enjoys all kinds of art, reads voraciously, and spends as much time as possible creating or illustrating stories. Beth's favorite things to draw are quirky characters, animals in clothes, and monsters. Beth's favorite thing to write is funny fiction. Her least favorite thing to write is her bio. You can learn more about Beth at www.beth-mills.com

Editorial Reviews

02/22/2021

Beatrice has successfully recovered precious items ranging from a child’s wizard cape to the remote control, but her biggest case so far concerns missing class hamster Edgar, who’s left behind a room of mournful kids. Following a hunch that he’ll go in search of food, the white-skinned protagonist tracks him into the absolutely off-limits teacher’s lounge, where she finds an impressive luncheon spread and Edgar in the middle of it all, munching strawberries. But what about Beatrice—will she take the rap for going where no kid should ever go? Nope—the teacher who catches her is partly culpable for Edgar’s food obsession. It’s a plot straight out of the school comedy files, and Beatrice is really more private eye than spy. Yes, she wears dark glasses and slinks around—one of Fliess’s (Sadie Sprocket Builds a Rocket) “Super Spy Rules” is “Be Quiet. (No Flip-Flops!)”—but like any classic detective, she also observes, deduces, follows leads, and evaluates suspects. Mills’s (Ella McKeen, Kickball Queen) animation-styled illustrations, however, should pull in readers with their comic drama and jaunty spoofiness. And what school kid hasn’t suspected that the teachers are having too much fun behind closed doors? Ages 4–7. Author’s agent: Jennifer Unter, the Unter Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Claire Easton, Painted Words. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

2021-03-02
Beatrice Bly, super spy, uses her practiced skills to solve the mysterious disappearance of her classroom’s pet hamster.

Bea is a seasoned sleuth with specific rules about how she conducts her important work. She never reveals her spy identity (except to best friend Nora), observes and records everything, and works quietly. On the morning when Miss Leland announces that Edgar is missing from his cage, Bea begins to explore a hunch or two, discussing with Nora where Edgar might be found on school grounds. Taking note of the teachers’ special luncheon that day and recalling that Edgar loves to eat fruits and veggies, Bea undertakes a secret mission during recess, searching the halls, where she finds a specific clue that leads to a happy conclusion. Expressive cartoon artwork depicts a contemporary school setting with a diverse population—Miss Leland has brown skin, and Nora presents Asian. Beatrice is White and behaves quite boldly, with dark glasses, a listening device, and stealth poses (often depicted in multiple iterations in a spread). The linear narrative moves the intrigue along through conversations between Nora and Bea while her detective dexterity brings her closer to resolution. Piecing together the evidence will be obvious to some, but the fun will be in watching Bea perform in her chosen vocation. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 50% of actual size.)

Readers will be eager to see more of this spunky, confident, daring character. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews

"It’s a plot straight out of the school comedy files . . .  Mills’s (Ella McKeen, Kickball Queen) animation-styled illustrations, however, should pull in readers with their comic drama and jaunty spoofiness."—Publishers Weekly

"Expressive cartoon artwork depicts a contemporary school setting with a diverse population . . . Readers will be eager to see more of this spunky, confident, daring character."—Kirkus Reviews

 

From the Publisher