Max in the House of Spies: A Tale of World War II

by Adam Gidwitz Narrated by Euan Morton

Overview

“Max in the House of Spies is everything you could hope for in a book,” -R. J. Palacio, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wonder, White Bird, and Pony

“Espionage! Secrets! Suspense! If you've ever dreamed of being a spy, this book is for you.” -Alan Gratz, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Refugee and Projekt 1065

Max Bretzfeld doesn't want to move to London.

Leaving home is hard and Max is alone for the first time in his life. But not for long. Max is surprised to discover that he's been joined by two unexpected traveling companions, one on each shoulder, a kobold and a dybbuk named Berg and Stein.

Germany is becoming more and more dangerous for Jewish families, but Max is determined to find a way back home, and back to his parents. He has a plan to return to Berlin. It merely involves accomplishing the impossible: becoming a British spy.

The first book in a duology, Max in the House of Spies is a thought-provoking World War II story as only acclaimed storyteller Adam Gidwitz can tell it-fast-paced and hilarious, with a dash of magic and a lot of heart.


* This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF that contains photos and an annotated bibliography from the book.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

★ 11/27/2023

After Kristallnacht, things continue getting worse for German Jews, prompting the parents of highly intelligent 11-year-old Max Bretzfeld to send him to England via the Kindertransport. Though Max doesn’t want to go—especially because he often feels as if he’s the only one looking out for his meek parents—they insist. Max ends up living with the Montagus, an aristocratic family of British Jews, and he did not arrive alone. He’s joined by two invisible companions: a dybbuk, or Jewish evil spirit, on one shoulder and a kobold, or German folk spirit, on the other. When Max realizes that one of the Montagus is a British spy, he endeavors to become one as well, believing it to be the quickest way to return to Berlin to search for his parents. Gidwitz (the Unicorn Rescue Society series) imbues Max’s first-person voice with plentiful charm and intellect, making him an irresistible and irrepressible protagonist even his otherworldly tormentors can’t help but grow fond of. The compelling plot, which occasionally stretches credulity, boasts an exciting mixture of triumphs and perils, leading up to a cliffhanger ending that will have readers clamoring for the sequel. Ages 8–12. Agent: Sarah Burnes, Gernert Company. (Feb.)

From the Publisher

The rise of Nazism is not usually a source of humor, but Adam Gidwitz manages to bring a droll sensibility to the topic without in any way minimizing what happened to Europe’s Jews in Max in the House of Spies, a cracking adventure story…. Readers will seethe with Max at the teasing, pine with him as he longs for home, and cheer as he trounces his adversaries to the point of being taken on by British espionage.″ —Wall Street Journal

“Absolutely everything a reader could want in a World War II spy novel.″ —School Library Journal, starred review

“Clever Max plays the long game with determination, and his agency is refreshing…. This heartfelt historical novel explores big questions of autonomy and allegiance with an admirable protagonist readers will respect and adore.” —Booklist, starred review

“Max’s training as a spy is described in riveting detail, with readers rooting for the determined boy even as we know the dangers awaiting him if he passes the test.” —The Horn Book, starred review

“Gidwitz imbues Max’s first-person voice with plentiful charm and intellect, making him an irresistible and irrepressible protagonist…. An exciting mixture of triumphs and perils, leading up to a cliffhanger ending that will have readers clamoring for the sequel.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Newbery Honor winner Adam Gidwitz uses historical events to build this inspiring and exciting tale of one boy′s determination in the face of extreme prejudice and violence.... The novel is never heavy or sorrowful; instead, Max in the House of Spies is filled with humor, hope, and tenacity.″ —Shelf Awareness, starred review

"Funny, fraught, magical… A thrilling tale, irresistible characters, and many hilarious moments sit atop a lot of dark history and ethical issues in Adam Gidwitz′s WWII tale of a radio-whiz Kindertransport kid in spy school.” –Common Sense Media, five stars

“A duology opener with a truly likable hero and clever puzzling. Max in the House of Spies—packed with sideways thinking, sociopolitical insights, and a Marmite-eating kangaroo named Kathy—delights.″ —Kirkus

School Library Journal

★ 03/01/2024

Gr 3–7—Gidwitz's latest is absolutely everything a reader could want in a World War II spy novel. Max is sent away from Berlin by his Jewish parents at the brink of WWII. Alone and scared, Max finds himself accompanied by two immortal and incorporeal creatures, a dybbuk and a kobold. Named Stein and Berg, these two offer comedic insights and observations in classic Gidwitz style, with sarcasm and wit in equal measure. Max must engage his full mental capacities to survive anti-Semitic bullies. He then must work his way into training to become the youngest spy for Britain, all in hopes of getting sent back to Berlin to be reunited with his parents. Brilliant, funny, and full of twists and turns that engage both the heart and the mind, this novel will have readers clamoring for the follow-up in the duology. Newbery Honoree Gidwitz is at the top of his form using humor, fantastical creatures, and in-depth research to bring this story zestfully to life. VERDICT Highly recommended for all collections serving middle grade and older readers who enjoy smartly written historical novels.—John Scott

Kirkus Reviews

2023-11-04
A determined refugee will do whatever it takes to get back to his parents—even becoming a British spy in Nazi Germany.

When 11-year-old Max Bretzfeld, a Jewish boy from Berlin, is sent to England on the Kindertransport in 1939, he’s accompanied by two tiny men on his shoulders whom only he can see. The German kobold and Jewish dybbuk rarely interact with Max, but they comically comment on his circumstances. And such circumstances! After a working-class upbringing, he’s fostered in England by Jewish baron Lord Montagu. Most of the white non-Jewish people Max encounters are shudderingly classist, racist, and antisemitic, but after a childhood in Nazi Germany, this is hardly new. Nonetheless, he’ll do anything to get back to his parents, and thus, Max sets out to become a spy. While it may be hard to convince British intelligence to send him back to Germany, Max will do whatever it takes. Despite the compelling premise and likable characters, readers will have to wait for the sequel for a payoff. After a strong start, the kobold and dybbuk are relegated to the roles of Greek chorus, and the story’s fascination with the real-life people who inspired the secondary characters is such that various questions concerning them are intriguing but remain unresolved in this volume. Nonetheless, this book—packed with sideways thinking, sociopolitical insights, and a Marmite-eating kangaroo named Kathy—delights.

A duology opener with a truly likable hero and clever puzzling. (historical note, annotated bibliography) (Historical fiction. 8-11)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940159524829
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	02/27/2024
Series:	Operation Kinderspion , #1
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

Read an Excerpt

Once there was a boy who had two immortal creatures living on his shoulders.
 
This was the fourth most interesting thing about him.
 
The first most interesting thing about Max—that was his name—was that he was a genius. He could make a working radio from the junk at the bottom of a trash can, and he could usually predict what someone was going to say ten minutes be­fore they said it.
 
The second most interesting thing about Max was that, when he was eleven years old, his parents sent him away from Germany, where he was born and grew up, to England. All by himself. Even though he’d never been there, didn’t know any­one there, and barely spoke any English.
 
The third most interesting thing about Max was that, when he got to England, he fell in with spies. Real, honest-to-goodness spies. A lot of them.
 
And the fourth most interesting thing about him was that he had two immortal creatures living on his shoulders.
 
But that’s probably what you have the most questions about, so let’s start there.
 
The two immortal creatures appeared the day his parents sent him to England.
 
His family had been arguing about it for weeks. Their small Berlin apartment shook as Max had stomped from the living room to his bedroom to the kitchen and back again, shouting things like:
 
“You can’t make me go!”
 
“Everything is fine! Who cares about the stupid Nazis?! They don’t matter!”
 
“What if you need me?!”
 
And, more quietly, alone in his room, “What if I need you?”
 
But no matter what Max said, his parents had refused to change their minds. His mother had held him at the train sta­tion against her soft stomach, while his small, thin father had stroked Max’s hair. They’d waved as the train pulled out, tak­ing Max and the 198 other Jewish children to Holland and the ferry. Max hadn’t waved back. He’d just stared at them and thought, How could you do this?

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