By Lisa Yee, Illustrated by Dan Santat
4RBooks: 5/6, grades 4 - 7
Amazon rating: 4.6/5, grade level 3-7
Good Reads: 3.82/5
Common Sense Media: 4/5, ages 10+
281 pages
Synopsis:
The day started when Olive (12) discovered her social media accounts were gone. At school, all her personal items had been removed from her locker and her library fines had been erased. She was then called out of class to find her mother in the principal’s office to check her out of school. On the ride home Olive learned that she had just been admitted to the Rasch School in Foggy Island in San Francisco Bay. A former prison then personal home, the school was for students with special abilities. Olive wasn’t sure how that applied to her.
Upon arriving at the school, and passing a variety of tests, Olive was assigned to a unique pod of students in the school with James (a brilliant scholar), Philomena (a computer and gadget whiz), Iggy (martial arts and weapons expert), and Theo (master of disguise and languages). They learned that they had been selected to be the youngest group of operatives for a crime fighting and peace keeping group called NOCK (No One Can Know).
After weeks of training and practice assignments, the Misfits, as they now call themselves, are given their first assignment. Learn the secrets of the Bling King Ring and recover the diamonds and jewels they had stolen from the Rasch fundraiser. If they can’t, the school might close forever.
Evidence, clues, intuition, and technology lead them to the Kitty Kon, a convention for cat lovers, where they are sure the jewels are hidden. They must find the leader and recover the jewels before the thieves and their cats escape the city forever.
Parental Guidance: low
The Misfits are put in dangerous situations while working their case.
Olive’s parents are rarely home and Olive feels neglected.
Some use of elementary students’ words for bodily functions.
The Misfits are occasionally bullied, verbally, by other students.
Olive is in danger of drowning one night.
Recommendation:
Spy Kids meets James Bond, Batman and Robin, and Harry Potter in this adventurous thriller. This is the first book in a new series that I think will be very popular and I can already envision the movie or TV series based on the idea and the characters (live action or animated). There was good flow from the introduction, through the training and practices, and ending with the conclusion. Adults would have to suspend belief to accept everything that happens (children as super spies and crime fighters), but children should enjoy the ride.
The children are a diverse representation of personalities, abilities, and culture. The message of uniqueness and teamwork and successfully working together as a team is highlighted throughout the story. It should be a book that advanced readers will enjoy for the fun story, and struggling readers should find it accessible and interesting (short chapters, excellent illustrations).
I can see this book as an independent read, group read, or class read. There was virtually nothing that would make it a challenge to read in school. While Olive is 12 and in middle school, I believe this is geared more towards the elementary student.
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