If You Like The Misfits…
A Royal Conundrum by Lisa Yee and Dan Santat, the first book in The Misfits series, has been on the New York Times Bestseller list for more than a dozen weeks. The entertaining read centers on Olive, who is sent to a boarding school where she becomes part of a group of kid secret agents. If you liked this book and are looking for some readalikes, I’ve got lots of suggestions for you.
First, check out my post on City Spies, which has lots of options for those seeking more secret agent-themed books. Next, try the list below for more spy fun as well as wacky boarding school tales.
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh (1964)
The power of the pen! Harriet uses her spy notebooks to create a world for herself as she collects information on her school mates. The fact that they also stir up trouble never made me think spying on my friends would be a bad idea.
The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Barry (2014)
This middle-grade mystery is set at a boarding school that is just scraping by. When the guardians suddenly die, the students cover up the crime and set out to solve it themselves. A bit silly but the last quarter of the book makes for a satisfying read.
Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire (2016)
McGuire’s science fiction novella is set at a boarding school for children who have gone through magical portals and returned. These kids have, by and large, been kicked out of their fantastical worlds and many are desperate to return, if they can only find another entrance. I loved how this turned the portal trope upside down and dealt with the aftermath of such experiences — traumatized kids who still feel like they don’t fit in.
Truly Devious series by Maureen Johnson (started 2018)
Stevie wins a place at the exclusive Ellingham Academy by being obsessed with an unsolved crime that happened their years ago. When she starts her studies there, she sets out to solve the cold case. But when another murder occurs, danger creeps ever closer.
Charlie Thorne series by Stuart Gibbs (started 2019)
Charlie is smart — Einstein-level smart — so it’s no wonder that the CIA asks for her help when they are worried that the Furies may be about to uncover the location of a hidden equation that Einstein left behind. Will she be able to get there first?
Max in the House of Spies by Adam Gidwitz (2024)
Max is evacuated from Germany during World War II, leaving his Jewish parents behind. He settles with a wealthy English family, some of whom are spies for England and offer to train him as a spy. As he prepares to return undercover to Germany, he worries about his parents and hopes to reunite with them once he is back at home.