The Case of the Curious Scouts

by Veronica Mang

Overview

Gifted Girls.
Daring Dames.
Marvelous Mysteries.

The Secret Spy Society is back with a new case to solve!

After officially naming themselves the Petite Private Eyes, Peggy, Rita, and Dot are ready to take on a new assignment from the Lady Spies. The Fashion Twins, two local designers, have been robbed! When the girls go undercover to investigate, they find themselves joining a curious scout troop run by a mysterious scout leader. With the help of the Lady Spies and a feisty pet cheetah, will the girls crack the case and make some new friends?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593204382
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	03/01/2022
Series:	Secret Spy Society , #2
Pages:	96
Sales rank:	1,037,351
Product dimensions:	5.63(w) x 7.69(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	5 - 9 Years

About the Author

Veronica Mang graduated from Parsons School of Design and works as a book designer. The Secret Spy Society series is her debut. She lives in Jersey City, NJ.

Editorial Reviews

"This book is a delight. Fun. Funny. And full of adventure. Falling in with a secret society of lady spies would have been my 9-year-old self’s dream come true. Please discover time travel and send it to third grade me!" —Andrea Beaty, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Rosie Revere, Engineer and the Questioneers chapter book series

"Clues, codes, quirky characters, and plenty of hot chocolate — the Secret Spy Society series has everything you’d want in a mystery and more. I’m ready for seconds, with extra marshmallows!" —Kara LaReau, Geisel Honor-award winning author of The Infamous Ratsos series

From the Publisher

03/01/2022

Gr 2–5—Mang's second foray into the world of the Secret Spy Society is a bustling caper with delightfully neon illustrations. Like many young literary detectives, the spunky junior members of the Secret Spy Society have lots on their plates—spy chores, club meetings, the care of an energetic pet cheetah. As the story begins, a new case has sauntered up to their doorstep. The best designs of the fabulous Fashion Twins have been purloined, and the evidence leads our heroines to a veritable workhouse full of uniformed, unhappy Scouts. But why have these kids stolen the styles? Though the solution is no great shock, the delight of the story lies in the process of unraveling the mystery, filled with silly jokes and grandiose prose. Unfortunately, the backstory of the Society is largely absent from this second entry, and the identity of their Lady Spy mentors is awkwardly integrated into the plot, requiring a tone-breaking footnote at the end of the book. Being mentored by female spies from history is an excellent premise, and it feels like a missed opportunity to not bring it fully into the story's spotlight. Private Eyes Peggy and Dot are illustrated as white, Rita is illustrated as Black, and the Lady Spies and other characters come from a diversity of racial and national backgrounds. VERDICT A light mystery with a fun and funny tone, bright illustrations, and a somewhat fuzzy backstory, this series sequel is a sweet snack for young mystery lovers.—Emilia Packard

School Library Journal