Cyberspies

October 1, 2022
Tween whiz kids get recruited into spy games. Caleb Quinn is a supergenius when it comes to AI, capable of programming some very fancy gizmos and gadgets. His best friend, Zenobia Rafiq, is an engineering wunderkind. Together they attend the ARC Institute in London, an accelerated school for the best and brightest. When intruders enter Caleb's home and abduct his widowed mother, Caleb turns to Zen for help. It turns out that family members of high-tech talents, Zen's included, are being kidnapped. One thing leads to another, and soon Caleb and Zen are recruited to investigate the peculiar M�bius Program. Given the code names Swift and Hawk, the 12-year-old sleuthing geniuses embark on a dangerous mission that brings them to the docklands of Amsterdam, through the tunnels beneath the British Museum, and aboard the mysterious container ship Nightfall, with a villainous island lair on the horizon. Action, adventure, gadgetry, suspense: Everything a young spy thriller enthusiast craves can be found here. Swift and Hawk make for engaging protagonists, and their absurdly heightened world is one readers will be eager to return to. The exposition is smartly paced, the action is well structured, and there's just enough humor to keep things rolling. Caleb is White, with an American mother and English father; Zen is Syrian, and there's plenty of diversity among the supporting players. An excellent kickoff for a new spy series. (Thriller. 9-13)

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October 10, 2022
Twelve-year-old best friends Caleb Quinn and Zenobia Rafiq team up to save their kidnapped families in this lively series opener by Macx. After his CIA mother is taken by mercenaries working for mysterious computer scientist Xavier Torrent, hacker and programmer Caleb, successfully eluding capture, meets up with his robotics expert best friend Zenobia for help. He soon learns, however, that Zenobia’s parents were kidnapped by the same crew. When the two approach Prof. Tilda Clay—a teacher at the London-based technology school they both attend—for guidance, she tells them the disappearances are part of a larger scheme, and inducts the tweens into the Möbius Program, a secret intelligence society, as agents Swift and Hawk, instructing them to employ their special skills to help crack the case. Using a unique AI that Caleb inherited from his deceased father, the intrepid duo decode a message that jump-starts an action-packed adventure across Europe. While the technological worldbuilding is intriguing, it’s Caleb and Zenobia’s easy, established camaraderie and shared worry for their loved ones that carry this breakneck techno-thriller. Caleb is white; Zenobia is of Syrian descent; Professor Clay is Black. Ages 9–12.

January 1, 2023

Gr 4-6-Readers are introduced to Caleb and his world that is immersed in technology. Not only is he the son of a technology developer, he develops his own cutting edge AI and robotics tech alongside his brilliant classmates from around the globe who are doing the same. The adventure begins with Caleb barely escaping as his mom is kidnapped. Caleb seeks his best friend, Zen, whose family is also taken. Zen and Caleb, along with a few other classmates, attempt to discover not only why they are targeted, but what the ultimate evil master plan is. The duo adopts the spy names Swift and Hawk as they look into the enigmatic M�bius Programme as a possible lead. The plot is action-packed as Caleb and Zen face new obstacles while working together to solve the mysteries. The novel would be a good fit for those fascinated by the potential of technology and are willing to suspend reality for the sake of adventure. Those not as familiar with technology and the terminology might find elements of the plot difficult to navigate. VERDICT This novel is for the espionage/action-adventure lover who is willing to go on boundless, seemingly implausible exploits.-Jennifer Seebauer

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