Calling All Junior Secret Agents: Resources for Budding Spies and Detectives

When I wrote the Double Vision trilogy, I wanted to write thrillers for middle graders that resembled the books I love as an adult. Turns out that it’s not that easy to bring that kind of danger to a kid level…

But the challenge was fun. I researched codes and ciphers, spies in history, and stretched my imagination to create kid spy Linc Baker. And I discovered some cool resources for kids—budding spies and detectives who want to learn more about what it takes to be an agent.

Here are some stops to make:

The CIA homepage for kids. 

Who would know more about spy stuff than the CIA? This portion of the website tells you all about what it’s really like to be a spy, and it even has some games you can play—so check it out!

The International Spy Museum. 

Who says museums are boring? The International Spy Museum is a great place to visit and learn more about spy gadgets, the history of spies and their tricks, and you can even sign up for their cool Spy-In-Training program. In case you can’t make it to Washington, D.C., check out their website for spy games, and brush up on your spy lingo.

The FBI Kids Page.

The place to go if you want to know more about what an FBI agent does, how they investigate, and how the FBI came about (this history stuff is really cool). And there are games too—so go over there and get your spy disguise ready…

Code Cracking Games Online
Think you have what it takes to crack a code? Check out these great games for code breakers:

NSA Kid page 

CIA Games for Kids 

If you’re a master code cracker, try your hand at the CIA’s Kryptos sculpture. No one has broken the code yet…

Your spy training is now complete. Pass the invisible ink, everyone!

 

About F.T. Bradley

F.T. (Fleur) Bradley is the author of the Double Vision trilogy (Harper Children’s), a series of fun spy mysteries for middle-grade readers that School Library Journal calls "a must-read for mystery fans, including reluctant readers." She lives in Colorado Springs with her husband, two daughters and entirely too many cats.

For more information on F.T. and her books, visit www.ftbradley.com

 

To celebrate the Oct. 14th release of Double Vision: The Alias Men, the third book in the trilogy featuring Linc Baker, follow along with the blog tour (there are lots of giveaways...!).

 

 

 

COVER REVEAL: Double Vision: The Alias Men by F.T. Bradley

It's always tough when a trilogy comes to an end... Especially when you get the write a cool, wise-cracking middle-grade character like Linc Baker. I had a blast writing the Double Vision books, and was determined to have the trilogy go out with a bang.

And apparently, the amazing people at Harper Children's read my mind. Look at the cool cover the came up with for Double Vision: The Alias Men...:

Doesn't it look dynamite??

For some back story, this is Linc, about to land on a table of appetizers at a fancy Hollywood director's party. I can't wait until you all get the read the book, out October 14th, 2014.

Here's the story:

With the annual Baker family reunion only days away, Linc prepares for a weekend full of cousins, cars, and his mom’s terrible macaroni salad. But then secret government agency Pandora contacts him—again! They need Linc’s help to secure the dangerous double of Charlie Chaplin’s famous bowler hat before mysterious master thief Ethan Melais uses its invisibility powers for world domination. Always up for an adventure, Linc agrees to join the mission. Easy peasy, right?

But if there’s one thing Linc should know by now, it’s that nothing is ever easy when it comes to being a junior secret agent—especially when you accidentally land yourself a role in a Hollywood blockbuster. With bogus leads, baffling dead ends, and constant one-upping from his look-alike nemesis, Ben Green, Linc’s juggling a lot more than he bargained for! Throw in a cute Hollywood starlet, Savannah Stone, who’s along for the ride, and suddenly Linc not only has to secure the dangerous double and save the world, but look good doing it, too!


Sounds cool, right?

Thanks, as always, to the great people at Harper Children's for making me look good, and to my awesome pals and the readers here at Sleuths, Spies and Alibis. 

Y'all are awesome :-)