Books About Espionage · 99 titles considered

The Best Espionage Books for Kids

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Explore our editor-reviewed guide to Spy Books, featuring 13 favorites and recommendations by age.

Looking for excellent children's books about espionage? This collection brings together Bookroo's highest-rated and most useful picks in one place.

Start with our editorial favorites, then browse recommendations organized by reading stage to find the right book for your reader.

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The Shortlist

Our 10 Favorite Books About Espionage

Sale price

$1899

Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2020

City Spies

By James Ponti · Book #1 in the City Spies series

A young hacker joins a secret spy team to stop a villain and save the world.

378 pages· 64,521 words· Est. 9 hour read

6.0/7 Bookroo·4.3/5 Goodreads · 19,175 ratings

$19.99Save 5%

Hardcover

Summary: Sara Martinez, a skilled hacker, faces juvenile detention until a British spy offers her a new life with a secret MI6 team. Now, part of the City Spies, Sara must navigate espionage, teamwork, and danger. As she heads to Paris, she must prevent a rival from winning a fortune and stop a looming threat. Can Sara and her diverse team of young spies outsmart the villains and save the day?

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$1248

Chapter Book · Ages 7–10 · 2018

Mac Undercover

By Mac Barnett, Mike Lowery (Illustrator) · Book #1 in the Mac B., Kid Spy series

A young boy receives a call from the Queen of England, asking for his help in retrieving a stolen spoon.

160 pages· 10,469 words· Est. 1.5 hour read

4.2 Goodreads · 2,473 ratings

$12.99Save 4%

Hardcover

Summary: Meet Mac B., a kid turned secret agent for the Queen of England. When the Crown Jewels vanish, Mac embarks on a global quest filled with secret identities and karate antics. Can he retrieve the treasure before it's too late? Dive into a world of humor, history, and adventure as Mac navigates the thrilling life of a young spy. Will his cleverness and courage be enough to solve the mystery? Join the chase and find out!

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$1697

Chapter Book · Ages 9–13 · 2017

Mrs. Smith's Spy School for Girls

By Beth McMullen · Book #1 in the Mrs. Smith's Spy School for Girls series

A girl must master spy skills to find her missing mother.

304 pages· 56,460 words· Est. 6.5 hour read

4.0 Goodreads · 2,562 ratings

$17.99Save 6%

Hardcover

Summary: Abigail's world flips when her boarding school reveals itself as a spy training ground. Her mother, a top agent, has vanished with critical secrets. Teaming up with a former rival and a charming classmate, Abigail dives into Spy Training 101. As she navigates this new world, she discovers hidden talents and uncovers clues that bring her closer to her mother's mysterious disappearance. Can Abigail outsmart those who seek her mother’s secrets and find her before it's too late?

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$759

Chapter Book · Ages 7–11 · 1976

Toliver's Secret

By Esther Wood Brady

A young girl must navigate a treacherous journey to deliver a secret message to a tavern owner in a small town.

176 pages· 27,887 words· Est. 4 hour read

4.0 Goodreads · 3,703 ratings

$7.99Save 5%

Paperback

Summary: Ellen Toliver, just ten years old, faces an unexpected challenge when her grandfather is injured. Tasked with a secret mission, she disguises herself as a boy to deliver a crucial message to General George Washington. Can Ellen navigate the dangers of her journey and succeed in her daring quest? The stakes are high, and the outcome could change the course of history.

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You

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$1248

Chapter Book · Ages 12–18 · 2006

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You

By Ally Carter · Book #1 in the Gallagher Girls series

A young spy faces her toughest mission yet: navigating love while keeping her true identity hidden.

304 pages· 68,097 words· Est. 6.5 hour read

3.8 Goodreads · 194,804 ratings

$12.99Save 4%

Paperback

Summary: Cammie Morgan, a spy-in-training at the secretive Gallagher Academy, excels in espionage but is baffled by romance. Fluent in fourteen languages and skilled in covert operations, she meets a boy who believes she's just an ordinary girl. As she juggles her double life, Cammie must decide if she can maintain a relationship without revealing her true identity. With her heart on the line, Cammie embarks on her most perilous mission yet—falling in love. Can she balance the demands of her secret world with the complexities of teenage romance?

Sale price

$858

Chapter Book · Ages 9–12 · 2019

Spy School British Invasion

By Stuart Gibbs · Book #7 in the Spy School series

Young spies must outwit a global threat with a mysterious key.

352 pages· 64,970 words· Est. 7 hour read

7.0/7 Bookroo·4.5/5 Goodreads · 8,663 ratings

$8.99Save 5%

Paperback

Summary: Thirteen-year-old Ben Ripley and his spy school friends are stranded in Mexico, racing against time to dismantle the sinister SPYDER organization. With only a cryptic key as their guide, they must defy the CIA, ally with MI6, and navigate treacherous betrayals. Can they outsmart rival factions and decode the mystery before it's too late? Their mission is fraught with danger, but failure is not an option. Join Ben on this thrilling adventure to uncover secrets and bring down SPYDER once and for all.

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$674

Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2020

Escape

By Andy Marino · The Plot to Kill Hitler series

Two kids flee across Europe after a failed plot to kill Hitler.

176 pages· 33,694 words· Est. 4.5 hour read

4.2 Goodreads · 242 ratings

$6.99Save 4%

Paperback

Summary: In July 1945, Max and Gerta Hoffmann are thrust into a perilous escape across war-torn Europe after a failed assassination attempt on Hitler. With their father captured by the Gestapo, the siblings, their mother, and Kat Vogel must navigate a treacherous path from Berlin to Spain. As the Nazis enforce blood guilt laws, anyone linked to the plot faces death or imprisonment. Allies offer aid, but the Hoffmanns' family remains fractured. Will Max and Gerta reunite with their father, or will the Gestapo's reach prove too far? Their journey is fraught with danger and hope.

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$2469

Chapter Book · Ages 14–+ · 2026

Release Me

By Tahereh Mafi · Book #2 in the Shatter Me: The New Republic series

A vengeful assassin and a wary ally face a crumbling dystopia's dark secrets.

384 pages· 85,654 words· Est. 8 hour read

4.2 Goodreads · 34,426 ratings

$25.99Save 5%

Hardcover

Summary: Rosabelle Wolff seeks revenge to save her sister, but her icy resolve falters in the surveillance state of Ark Island. James Anderson, desperate for allies against The Reestablishment, finds himself drawn to Rosabelle, an instinctive killer. As tensions rise, Aaron Warner Anderson senses a looming threat, unable to trust Rosabelle's unreadable nature. Can they unite against a crumbling dystopia, or will their fractured trust doom them all? Welcome back to The New Republic, where danger and desire collide.

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$1348

Chapter Book · Ages 12–+ · 2022

I Must Betray You

By Ruta Sepetys

A young writer must choose between betrayal and rebellion in a crumbling communist regime.

336 pages· 56,311 words· Est. 6.5 hour read

4.4 Goodreads · 108,185 ratings

$13.99Save 4%

Paperback

Summary: In 1989 Romania, Cristian dreams of writing but is coerced into spying by the secret police. Faced with a harrowing choice, he must either betray his loved ones or subvert a tyrannical regime. As the revolution looms, Cristian risks everything to reveal the truth and fight for freedom. Will his courage ignite change, or will the cost be too great?

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$1797

Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2025

War Games

By Alan Gratz

An Olympic gymnast uncovers a dark secret in 1936 Berlin, risking everything to thwart a sinister plot.

368 pages· 68,845 words· Est. 9.5 hour read

4.1 Goodreads · 2,819 ratings

$18.99Save 5%

Hardcover

Summary: In 1936 Berlin, young gymnast Evie Harris is thrilled to compete in the Olympics. But beneath the spectacle, she uncovers a chilling secret: the Nazis' grip on the city is tightening. As war looms, Evie is drawn into a daring plot to steal Nazi gold. Navigating treacherous alliances and hidden dangers, she must decide between her Olympic dreams and confronting evil. With her family's future at stake, can Evie outmaneuver the shadows before time runs out?

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Espionage Picture Books

Illustrated read-alouds about espionage for preschool and elementary-age readers.

Mandie and the Foreign Spies

1990

A thirteen-year-old girl traveling in Europe becomes entangled in a web of secret messages, mysterious strangers, and a kidnapping that forces her to uncover the truth behind a spy ring.