Owen Foote, Super Spy

October 15, 2001
The irrepressible Owen is back in Stephanie Greene's Owen Foote, Super Spy, illus. by Martha Weston. In this sequel to Owen Foote, Soccer Star, Owen's investigative pursuits are pushed to the limit when he sets his sights on Principal Mahoney.

October 1, 2001
Gr 2-4-Owen Foote has an active imagination. He loves playing spy, not to mention being head of a team consisting of his main sidekick Joseph; Anthony, a show-off who has a professional camouflage suit complete with boots, canteen, and binoculars; and Ben. Armed with Ben's brothers' walkie-talkies and with Morse code signals, including one for "I have to go to the bathroom," that are delivered via blinks of the eye, they spy on the school principal at his house. As a result, of course, life lessons are learned. Youngsters will love this book for the sheer fun and intrigue. Boys, especially, will appreciate the stuff they consider important and unimportant, like an annoying older sister. Chapters are fluid and just the right length, with well-developed characters, hushed moments, and cliff-hanger endings. The black-and-white illustrations are few, but always in the right spot. The detail is exceptional and the facial expressions, priceless. Enjoyable independently, this title is also an amusing read-aloud.-Wanda Meyers-Hines, Ridgecrest Elementary, Huntsville, AL

Copyright 2001 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2002
Gr. 2-4. Back for a fifth adventure, Owen and his friends take up undercover work. Outfitted with camouflage headgear (made from Dad's boxer shorts) and walkie-talkies, the boys embark on a daring exploit, spying on their elementary-school principal. After a tumble down the hill blows Owen's cover, he and his faithful friend, Joseph, are left to suffer the consequences. Greene is at her best describing Owen and his hilarious preoccupations, and she has a keen ear for middle-grade dialogue. Although Owen comes to realize that spying is wrong, the message is delivered lightly and with plenty of comic touches. Just as important is Owen's growing understanding of real friendship. A solid addition to the easy-chapter-book genre, this will be popular with Owen's fans and newcomers to the series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)