What's New for 2016, Part 3 #fb #kidlit #mglit #humor

Darren Dirkowitz thought his life was over when his tippity-top-secret alter ego, Dirk Daring, Secret Agent, was outed to the entire Preston Middle School student body. If only he’d been so lucky. Now the Wolf Lords—a gang of teen thugs bent on wringing every last penny out of Preston students—are breathing down his neck. There’s only one solution: Dirk Daring must embark on his most daring mission yet. A mission so audacious, so cunning, so doggone crazy, that if it succeeds, the Wolf Lords will wind up begging for mercy. But first, Darren must bring his own disobedient “associates” to heel.

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie is the sequel to the runaway bestseller Dirk Daring, Secret Agent. Like the first book, this one is full of codes, puzzles, cartoons, terrible puns -  and heart. I hope you like it!

What's New for 2016 Part Two #fb #kidlit #nfkids

Do you have what it takes to be a super spy? Are you smart, sneaky, stealthy? Are you a master of disguise? Can you break a code in seconds flat? Take these quizzes and find out if you’re cut out for a life of intrigue and adventure.

I wrote Top Secret: Uncover Your Inner Spy as the Girl Power companion to my earlier The Quiz Book for Spies. Even though that book is not gender specific,it is indeed aimed at ALL kids, it somehow kept getting shuffled off to the "boy" book shelves. 

So my fabulous editor at Scholastic Canada, Tamara Sztainbok, and I put our heads together and came up with Top Secret, a very feminist version of that gender-neutral book. It's got all the humor and verve that we put into Spies. So what's different? Top Secret has 100% female spy references and trivia. For example, you'll learn about real life historic spies who were women, and why most espionage agencies think gals make the best spies in the world. Goodbye, James Bond. Hello, Kim Possible.

My goal with this book is to take back the power of pink - as it is with the other girl-oriented titles in my popular quiz book series. They all celebrate what girls really are - smart, capable, funny -  without suggesting for one red second that our interests or abilities fit into a corner (and that corner is filled only with makeup and cookery aids). 

 

Like many of my colleagues and friends, I deplore the pink-and-blue aisle thinking of our contemporary marketplace. We're all working to change it. But in the meantime, we can also use it - to deliver to girls the kind of material that makes them proud to be girls. To celebrate the accomplishments of incredible women like Barbara Lauer, Nancy Wake and Virginia Hall (If you don't know who they were, you'll have to read the book!). To give girls opportunities to use their smarts to solve logic puzzles and break codes. And to develop girls' belief in themselves, and their ability to become whoever they want, even if what they want to be is (shhhh!) totally top secret.

Silly, but not inane - that's me!

I am loving this review for Let Sleeping Dogs Lie from Kirkus!

"The author perfectly captures a middle school crush that is getting just deep enough to matter but not so much so that it's troublesome to either participant. The narrative is also peppered with the same spy jargon that made the first Dirk Daring adventure such a blast. This is a very silly book, but it never crosses the line into inanity."

My entire life purpose has now been fulfilled. 

Kirkus also says, 

"With a smart balance of humor and heart, this is a winning sequel."

If doesn't get better than that, does it? 

And the first review for Let Sleeping Dogs Lie Is IN!!! #fb #kidlit #mglit #humor #spy

It's always great when the first review for a new book comes in with three stars attached! CM Magazine really likes Let Sleeping Dogs Lie, the sequel to Dirk Daring, Secret Agent! Here is an excerpt.:

" Darren Dirkowitz is back, and this time he has a full spy team, including his older stepbrother (Code name: Waldo), Opal (Code name: Agent Jewel) and even his ex-best friend, Travis (Code name: T-Bone). This time the Wolf Lords, a group of older kids who go to Northern, are wreaking havoc on the group. Because of Dirk Daring’s success in shutting down the Detention Gang at Preston, the Wolf Lords aren’t raking in the cash any longer, and they put it on Dirk and his team to pay up each week. Meanwhile, rumors of a school merger between Preston and Northern circulate the school, giving the team the added pressure of formulating a plan to stop it.

     Let Sleeping Dogs Lie, Dirk Daring is well-written, like Dirk Daring, Secret Agent, the first book, and is thick with sarcasm, humour and wit. Unlike Dirk Daring, Secret Agent, which focussed on Darren feeling ostracized among his peers and bullied by Waldo for his interest in spying, this book focuses more on the friendships Darren has built within his group. It is also nice to see him work with his stepbrother, rather than against him....a great recommendation for reluctant readers as the pages are filled with diary entries, code logs and interview excerpts, making it a fun read.

Recommended."

You can see the full review here. And you can buy the books at your favorite indie bookstores everywhere!

A Bang-Up Review from Kirkus!

It's not out until October, but Orca Books gave a sneak peek of Dirk Daring, Secret Agent to Kirkus. And they liked it :) 
Here's what they said, in part:

"Friendships are strongly tested throughout the novel, which is peppered with imaginative turns of phrase and bursts of energy. The book is an enjoyable and quirky read. The author doesn’t go overboard and turn her characters into swirling cartoons: These are real kids behaving with all the creativity and energy one would expect of them. But beneath all the play and humor is a genuine emotional core, exploring the trials and tribulations all friendships endure when moving from elementary school on to junior high. A stunning last-minute twist pushes the book above and beyond. A clever romp that’s enhanced, not lessened, by its message."You can read the whole review here.

Q and A with Dirk Daring and Me, Agent Helaine Becker

Dirk Daring, Secret Agent, will be published across North America this fall. To get a sneak peek inside the book, and into the scary workings of my own brain, check out this Interview done at a secret location, by an anonymous interviewer.

Dirk Is Daring. Really.

I recently received my ARC for Dirk Daring Secret Agent. It's published by Orca Books, and will be released across North America this Fall. It looks sooooo good!!!! Can't wait to share it with more than just my family!

Zoobots Has Arrived!

They're here....the Zoobots. These very creepy, very awesome animal-inspired robots are the subject of my latest nonfiction book from Kids Can Press.

The book has been selected by the Junior Library Guild, and is now available from your fave bookseller! If the incredible pics by Alex Ries don't give you nightmares...the fact that all of these critters are under development right now should!

You'll find that Zoobots is a great pick for:
> reluctant readers
> Common Core applications
>life science
>physical science
>technology
>recreational reading - it has the WOW! factor kids love
>critical thinking and problem solving

Two New Quiz Books - Sneak Preview!

I just got the covers for the two latest titles in my Quiz Book series from Scholastic Canada. They are so cute! Tell me what you think!