Secret spies, unusual characters and unpublished books are all part of a story that will hold you to the very end. “Secret Agent” , by Robyn Freedman Spizman and Mark Johnston, begins with a crisis when Kyle discovers that his parents have decided to get a divorce. His dad, Walter, has been working on writing a book for most of their marriage and Kyle's mom has had it trying to support the family with no financial help from her husband. He's positive that his story, which he keeps under lock and key and doesn't let anyone read, will be a huge success. There's only one problem with this theory: he's not had it published yet. He also doesn't have anyone even interested in it yet.

So when Kyle finds that his dad has left home, he begins to devise a plan to help get his parents back together. He forms a secret agent group with three of his friends to devise a plan to get his dad's book published. He figures that if he can help his dad publish the book, his parents will get back together. But, he must first get his hands on Walter's book in order to read it and that will be very difficult. Kyle has little time to retrieve the manuscript before his dad comes back home to pack up the rest of his belongings. In fact, he must locate and copy the book all in one night. With the help of Lucinda, he's able to locate, unlock, read and copy the manuscript before the night's over. What he discovers when he reads the book is astounding and amazing! His father's book is so well written, so vivid in descriptions of love and emotional content that Kyle can't wait for a publisher to read it with passages such as the following “…where they met eighty-six-year-old Charlotte Patton and climbed aboard her wheelchair and took that ride. Down the ramp of the old-folks home. Along the cracked Bronx sidewalks and boarded-up storefronts. Through the glass door of the arboretum…where she met Ben Rivers. Who was not a prince. But a retired gardener who could no longer see but only smell the roses he'd cared for all his life. Every day from August through October, Ben explained why the petals of the Chrysler Imperial were more delicate and fragrant than the American Beauty.” But then another problem presents itself. How will he get a publisher to read it right away?

There's another interesting mystery that Kyle is about to discover. Kyle has a job and he wonders what his employer does for a living? Kyle walks his dog but has only seen his boss once, when he was hired. The rest of the time, he just reads instructions from notes left at the bottom of the stairs which he is never allowed to go up and where his boss works and lives. What does this man do all day and why is he so secretive? There are many more dilemmas and intriguing situations throughout the rest of the book that will hold the reader to the very end.

There's even a teenage love interest with Kyle and Lucinda where one likes the other, but neither knows it. “Kyle knew there was nothing wrong with freckles, and anyone who thought different was stupid or prejudiced or both. So he just pretended that freckles had nothing to do with it and convinced himself that Lucinda was just too young (a whole six and a half months younger than he was) and lumped her into the kid category. Which, as you might imagine, thrilled Lucinda no end. In other words, it made her so furious there were times she hated the very mention of the name Kyle Parker. Which, of course was another way of saying she had a mad crush on him.” The way the story is written is unique as it makes you feel as if you are listening to a story told by a good friend. The style will appeal to ages 11 through 15 and is especially well suited for reluctant readers. But, it's the humor throughout the book that will appeal and be enjoyed by all ages and it would be an especially fun read aloud!

Do you ever wonder what wheels do all day? April Jones Prince has written the perfect picture book, “What Do Wheels Do All Day?” . The ingenious rhyming scheme follows the colorful collage, by Giles Laroche, and captivates the complete capacious conveyance of cylinders. “Wheels zoom, wheels putter. Sometime wheels spit and sputter.” The bright and carefully placed shapes of skate boards, golf carts and vehicles make the people look three dimensional. The stroller, wheelchairs, helicopters and bicycles are just a few of the examples of these circular modes of transportation. The giant Ferris wheel fills both pages and the brightly colored cars that are attached amongst the yellow spokes seem to twirl before your eyes. Here is a picture book that uses simplicity to demonstrate one of the greatest inventions of all time! This book is perfect for ages 3 through 6.