Bridget Wilder: Spy-in-Training

by Jonathan Bernstein

Overview

Middle school meets Mission Impossible in this hilarious spy series for fans of Chris Rylander, Stuart Gibbs, and Ally Carter about a girl whose life is turned upside down when she discovers her father is a superspy.

Up until Bridget’s birthday the most exciting moment in her life was when Dale Tookey maybe, sort of, smiled at her one time. But that was before—before she found a mysterious present at her doorstep, before she was transported to a covert CIA agency called Section 23, and before she became Bridget Wilder: Spy-in-Training. Now Bridget’s busting boys out of detention, being chauffeured by a talking car, and infiltrating the popular girls’ clique to steal secret codes, all while undercover as a semi-awkward middle school girl. But will she be able to keep up with her new action-packed life?

It is no secret—Bridget Wilder: Spy-in-Training is the start of an explosive new series packed with gadgets, humor, and best of all: girl power.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062382672
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	05/31/2016
Series:	Bridget Wilder Series , #1
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.60(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Jonathan Bernstein was never a spy—but then that's what someone who actually was a spy would want you to believe. Here's what we do know: He writes books, magazine articles, and movies. He was born in Scotland and lives in Los Angeles. This is his first middle grade novel. Everything else is classified.

Editorial Reviews

An ideal spy romp for tweens on the verge of teens, with a covert invitation to self-reflection tucked into a fast-paced plot.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Readers will surely enjoy this fast-paced escapist story and eagerly await her next adventure.

Booklist

Bridget Wilder is a seemingly average middle sibling, and a middle grade student, invisible, with one friend, who is not so nice. Her thirteenth birthday has arrived and no one in her family seems to remember. Her brother Ryan is a mess and her sister Natalie is treated like a little angel. Bridget was ten years old when she was told of her adoption and often wondered what her real parents were like. She did not expect any big surprises for her birthday; but at home after school, she finds a posh shopping bag that contained a phone, a card from Image Unlimited, lip balm, green yucky tic tacs, a thick pair of black framed glasses, a flash drive, and a set of keys. No one at home owns up to the mysterious bag. Bridget’s adventure begins when she finds the shop and meets Xan, who gives her a black and gold tracksuit that provides her with special abilities. She is called by Brian Spool, who informs her that he works with her father at Section 23 as Agent Strike. Her real mother, on the other hand, is untraceable. Spool gives her insight regarding the bags contents. Later she gets her first pre-mission to find a piece of incriminating information about a possible traitor—a test for her to become a top secret agent like her father. Bernstein has created an exciting mystery novel with girl power. Young readers will love the main character and enjoy reading along as she learns more about herself. This book presents a typical self-discovery story, but with lots of humor and general fun. Teachers can use this as a great read aloud for discussion on home life and adoption. This good clean read is the first in the “Bridget Wilder” series. Reviewer: Kristi Bernard; Ages 8 to 12.

Children's Literature - Kristi Bernard

06/01/2015
Gr 4–6—Bridget feels invisible most of the time. Her family forgets her 13th birthday, her one friend always dominates their conversations, and her classmates only acknowledge her when she is the butt of their jokes. This depressingly unremarkable life takes an unexpected turn, however, when Bridget discovers a bag of strange objects waiting on her doorstep. Can it possibly be true that Bridget's biological father, whom she's never met, is a spy, and that he wants his daughter to follow in his footsteps? This fast-paced novel packs a lot into its pages, including realistic school drama, family tensions, cool spy gadgets, and a serious plot twist. Some characterization and plot development are lacking, but the story is entertaining overall. The dearth of strong female protagonists in middle grade spy stories gives this book an added leg up. VERDICT A solid choice for libraries where action and adventure novels fly off the shelves.—Amy Koester, Learning Experiences Department, Skokie Public Library, IL

School Library Journal

2015-05-18
Accustomed to being ignored, a middle child finds herself in the center of an espionage operation. Bridget's family and friends may have forgotten her 13th birthday, but someone leaves her a bag of spy gadgets at her front door. The gifts lead her to the truth about her birth father, and she's recruited as a spy-in-training for a supersecret National Security Agency section. Used to feeling invisible around her troublemaker older brother and her perfectly behaved younger sister, Bridget jumps at the opportunity to save the world in her new role. She manages to fumble through her missions with the help of her performance-enhancing tracksuit and her sarcasm. She hopes her successes will allow her to meet her birth father. Bridget's single-minded focus causes her to alienate everyone who cares about her—just as she realizes that her handler has lied to her. She attempts to pull off her most dangerous mission yet and make amends before it's too late. The slow start and dated or sometimes puzzlingly adult-skewing pop-culture references may resonate better with adults than young readers. The latter pages are action-packed but also bogged down by twists included mostly for their combat potential. The book's casual approach to virtual bullying and an apparent lack of consequences are also disappointments. An action-packed series opener with plenty of room for improvement. (Adventure. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews