From School Library Journal
Gr 5-8–Since the Revolutionary War, espionage has created fascinating scenarios involving some quite unlikely participants. From Benedict Arnold and Mata Hari to the lesser-known Elizabeth Van Lew and Juan Pujol, Janeczko delves into their stories with delicious detail, drawing readers into a world of intrigue and danger. Did you ever wonder why invisible ink works? How a code breaker deciphers a message? Or whether dentistry could affect a secret agent's success? The answers to these questions and more can be found here. Each chapter covers a historical era and chronicles the maturation of spying, while primary-source photographs are interspersed throughout, lending an authentic feel to each section. A complete bibliography and source notes appear at the end. Janeczko manages to stay true to history while still keeping a lively tone.Kelly McGorray, Glenbard South High School, Glen Ellyn, IL
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Best known for his award-winning poetry titles, Janeczko has a long-held fascination with the shadowy world of espionage, which he explored in Top Secret: A Handbook of Codes, Ciphers, and Secret Writing (2004). Here he revisits cryptology basics and other intelligence-gathering techniques, but his main focus is on the spies themselves, and in a fascinating series of profiles, he presents notorious spooks, from the Revolutionary War to the cold war, closing with Soviet moles Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen. A final passage briefly covers twenty-first-century developments, such as cyber espionage, but, as Janeczko says, the post-9/11 intelligence world is “a subject for another book.” A few portraits and reproductions of code charts illustrate, but this title relies mostly on Janeczko’s graceful, exciting storytelling to draw kids’ interest. With well-chosen subjects (including many women and African Americans who used their marginalized positions to gather information) and contagious enthusiasm for the spy world’s “tantalizing mysteries,” this makes a strong choice for both avid and reluctant readers alike, and appended source notes and a bibliography bolster the curricular appeal. Grades 6-10. --Gillian Engberg
Review
Janeczko manages to stay true to history while still keeping a lively tone.
—School Library Journal
A wealth of information in an engaging package that should find an enthusiastic audience, particularly among middle schoolers.
—Kirkus Reviews
With well-chosen subjects (including many women and African Americans who used their marginalized positions to gather information) and contagious enthusiasm for the spy world’s ‘tantalizing mysteries,’ this makes a strong choice for both avid and reluctant readers alike.
—Booklist
Provides solid details along with fascinating snippets in an easy-to-follow text in which he tells stories about his subjects and the way they were trained…provides background details and places the role of spying more particularly within the context of American history and politics.
—VOYA
Will appeal to anyone who is interested in spies and espionage throughout the history of our country
—Library Media Connection
Janeczko's lively writing portrays history with all of the drama and flair of a top-notch spy novel.
—SLJ Teen
About the Author
Paul B. Janeczko is a multitalented writer of poetry and nonfiction as well as a noted anthologist. His award-winning poetry anthologies include A Poke in the I, A Kick in the Head, A Foot in the Mouth, Firefly July, and The Death of the Hat. He is the author of Worlds Afire; Requiem: Poems of the Terezin Ghetto; Top Secret: A Handbook of Codes, Ciphers, and Secret Writing; Double Cross: Deception Techniques in War; and Secret Soldiers: How the U.S. Twenty-Third Special Troops Fooled the Nazis. Paul B. Janeczko lives in Maine.
