The Big Book of Spy Stuff

by Bart King

Overview

Through King's entertaining text, kids will uncover what lies beyond the sunglasses and disguises of some famous and not-so-famous sneaks. Kids will learn all about the history of spying, what goes into a secret agent tool kit, and how to decode a secret message. The Big Book of Spy Stuff even covers what spies should do when they run into an ethical dilemma. From fighting off tricycle-riding assassins to learning how squirrels can deliver their top-secret messages, there's never a dull moment when it comes to taking on a secret identify!
Discover essential spy skills like:

• Eavesdropping
• Sending messages in secret code
• Writing in invisible ink
• Choosing the coolest code name ever
• Spotting a liar using their body language
• What to do when you get caught!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781423618751
Publisher:	Smith, Gibbs Publisher
Publication date:	03/01/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
File size:	5 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Bart King has written more than twenty-eight books, including The Big Book of Boy Stuff, The Big Book of Spy Stuff, and The Pocket Guide to Mischief. His books for Gibbs Smith have sold more than 830,000 copies combined. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

Read an Excerpt

Why Spy?

But cool sunglasses alone don't explain spying. The fact is that every nation wants to protect its borders and its citizens. Here are three ways nations can do this:

1. Make treaties with other countries.

2. Have a military.

3. Spy!

While I don't know for certain that cave people used spies, ancient civilizations did. For example, Greek mythology had the story of the demigod named Prometheus (pro-MEETH-ee-us). He stole secret technology (namely, fire) from the head god, Zeus (zoos). Then Prometheus gave this classified information to the humans. Finally, after getting caught, Prometheus was sentenced to having his liver eaten by an eagle. Just like spies today.

Table of Contents

Danger Is My Nickname 6

"Ethical Issues"? What Are Those? 12

High-Tech Espionage! 21

Secret Agent Tool Kits & Self-Defense! 33

Espionage & Communication 50

Dishonesty-It's the Best Spy Policy 63

Eavesdropping! 72

Surveillance 80

Disguises, Alibis & Covers 93

Animal Spies 109

Sneaking, Following & Escaping! 123

Operation Mincemeat: Based on a False Story 135

Misinformation 138

Sabotage & Assassination? 144

Secret Messages & Code-Breaking 165

Spymasters 178

Keeping Secrets Secret! 185

The Best (and Worst!) Secret Names Ever 192

Spy-Catching and Lie-Detecting 201

The Best-Dressed Agents 226

Famous (& Infamous) Spies 234

The 12 Types of Spy Screw-Ups 248

Weird Assignments 263

Becoming a Pro 278

Agencies! 287

Terminology! 298

Selected Bibliography 300

Editorial Reviews

This lightly illustrated, tongue-in-cheek guide to espionage (part of the Big Book series) explores a broad swathe of spy-related topics—everything from eavesdropping and code breaking to cyber-warfare and spreading misinformation—while referring to historical (and recent) spies and spy operations. King includes topics like assassination, but keeps the tone light ("Some villains are so mean, their assassination seems only fair"). Amusing anecdotes, such as when Madeleine Albright wore a bright bug pin for a meeting with the Russians (to inform them that she knew of the bugs they'd placed in State Department offices), should entertain while giving readers a sense of how espionage works in the real world. Ages 8–up. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Gr 4–8—This primer is long, but the margins are wide and the type is large. Chapters cover everything from serious topics like high-tech espionage and surveillance to sillier subjects such as the best (and worst) secret names ever, the best-dressed agents, and everything in between. There is even a chapter on animal spies. Ancient and current (to 2010) techniques are explained. A humorous, chatty tone is maintained throughout; it's slightly more Get Smart than James Bond. Black-and-white cartoons add even more humor. A terminology list is included, as is an extensive bibliography. Unfortunately, there is no index. While the jokey tone can wear thin, this is a helpful introduction for future secret agents, especially those who will appreciate the author's sense of humor.—Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WI

School Library Journal