Common Sense Media Review
By Tracy Moore
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Smart teen spy sequel ups the action and explosions.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 2 parent reviews
Based on 12 kid reviews
Kids say this book is an exciting and action-packed sequel filled with suspense, adventure, and some violence that may not be suitable for younger readers. Many praises its engaging story that follows Ben as he tackles challenges at a spy summer camp while dealing with threats from a dangerous organization.
- adventure
- violence
- age suitability
- suspense
- series connection
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In this high-octane sequel to Spy School, Ben Ripley is off to summer camp to endure hands-on wilderness survival training from the best the CIA has to offer -- or so he thinks. Soon, international evil organization SPYDER is hot on his trail again, this time, ready to make good on the threats they never quite pulled off in the previous installment. Does Ben harbor secret talents he's never managed to tap into, or is he still just classic spy-bait?
Is It Any Good?
As a sequel, Spy Camp ups the ante in terms of action sequences and thrilling moments. It's written near-cinematically in terms of pacing and visual thrills, so it's no surprise that author Stuart Gibbs has also written for film and television.
Kids who loved Spy School will find Ben more confident as he travels deeper into the labyrinth of the covert operations underworld here, but the familiar nods to history, nerdy endeavors, and dorky humor will still entertain. Parents can appreciate that this sequel continues to set a high bar for marrying the guilty pleasure of blockbuster spy movies with an affection for big words, history, and an admiration for experience and wisdom, and also gets gender parity right.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about depictions of spies in television or films vs. how they're portrayed in Spy Camp. How are they similar? How are they different?
Critical thinking comes in handy in escaping many dangerous situations in Spy Camp. When has critical thinking helped in your life? What was the outcome?
Ben Ripley wonders if he has secret skills he doesn't know about. Have you ever discovered a secret talent you didn't know you had? What was it? How did you discover it?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Mystery
- Topics : Adventures
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Simon & Schuster
- Publication date : April 8, 2014
- Number of pages : 336
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : December 4, 2025
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