Tom Cruise returns as IMF (Impossible Mission Force) operative Ethan Hunt in the fourth installment of this high-octane film series, which is based on the TV show that first aired in the 1960s. Produced by Cruise and J. J. Abrams, and directed by Brad Bird (Ratatouille and The Incredibles), Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (PG-13) was released by Paramount Pictures in late December, garnering both positive reviews and audience enthusiasm. This time round, the team is forced to go rogue when they're blamed for a terrorist bombing of the Kremlin and the President activates "Ghost Protocol," a contingency plan that disavows the entire IMF agency. Cut loose and left without any support or backup, Ethan and his compatriots embark on a mission to clear their agency's name and prevent further violence—and the fact that Ethan is unsure about the motives of his fellow fugitives only amplifies the danger. The cast also includes Simon Pegg, Paula Patton, and Jeremy Renner. Teens can visit the official website to gather intel on the movie's plot, cast and crew, and slick-looking stunts and action sequences. In addition to previews and film clips, videos include featurettes that pair commentary from the actors and moviemakers with exciting images (check out Cruise filming a sequence in which he gamely runs along the side of the tallest building in the world, Dubai's Burj Khalifa).
Go Behind the Scenes
Featuring stunning images taken by photographer David James, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol: Shooting Diary (Insight Editions, 2011; Gr 6 Up) goes on location to Los Angeles, Prague, Dubai, and Vancouver to document six months of intensive filming. Beautifully composed stills of movie moments are intermingled with behind-the-scenes production shots and candid portraits of the actors and filmmakers. Each large-size image is labeled with the date and time taken and introduced by the author, who provides background and comments on the challenges of getting the shot. The pages capture the excitement of the movie while also offering an intriguing glimpse at the filmmaking process. For example, James explains the logistics of taking a photo of Cruise perched atop the half-mile-high Burj Khalifa (the actor took several elevators up to floor 250 and then climbed for almost two hours up rungs inside the gray tube that crowns the building, and the photographer hung from a helicopter to get the shot). Another photo shows Cruise standing on a building ledge in Prague (James took the picture from a classroom across the street, while the students managed to continue with their school work-an appreciative Cruise posed for snapshots later on). And a third photo depicts a convoy of trucks with giant wind machines stirring up effects for a dust storm. Filled with captivating images and insights, this volume makes a great browser for movie fans or teens interested in filmmaking and photography.
Great Spy Reads: Fiction
Take advantage of the movie hype and display or booktalk a selection of espionage-themed titles for young adults. Your collection may already include popular offerings such as Anthony Horowitz's "Alex Rider" series (Philomel), Jack Higgins's thrillers about the Chance twins (Putnam), or Ally Carter's "Gallagher Girls" books (Disney/Hyperion). Consider supplementing these standards with other novels that star teen characters and percolate with high-stakes intrigue, cool gadgets, and electrifying suspense. Or scroll on down for some stellar nonfiction titles guaranteed to captivate curious readers.
In Herbie Brennan's sci-fi/fantasy thriller, The Shadow Project (2010; Gr 7 Up), street-smart thief Danny Lipman mistakenly breaks into the project's London-area headquarters. Though it's shrouded in secrecy, he soon learns that the operation is a joint venture between M16 and the CIA that trains teenage spies to gather intelligence through remote viewing-they use astral projection to travel the world while their bodies remain safe at headquarters. However things have gone wrong and Opal, one of the operatives and the director's daughter, has somehow been detained while on a mission to infiltrate the Sword of Wrath, an international terrorist organization. Recruited for his innate psychic abilities (and given the choice of joining up or going to jail), Danny goes on a mission to save Opal, and the teen agents soon find themselves embroiled in an ancient supernatural conflict that involves terrifying demon-controlling enemies and plays out on the astral plane. A grabber cover and an imaginative concept draw readers in and the fast-paced action, interesting out-of-body intrigue, and well-drawn characters keep the pages turning quickly. The adventures continue in The Doomsday Box (2011, both Balzer&Bray/HarperCollins).
Set in a futuristic world in a city controlled by ChaoSonic, Jack Heath's thrill-packed novel stars 16-year-old Agent Six of Hearts, the most effective operative in the Deck, a clandestine organization that fights against the injustices perpetuated by the corrupt corporation. However, Six harbors a secret-as part of an illegal experiment by The Lab (2008; Gr 6 Up), a division of ChaoSonic, he was genetically engineered out of a mishmash of human DNA and animal genes, resulting in his amazing strength, stamina, and superhuman abilities. He escaped when he was a baby and has kept a low profile ever since. When he's sent to investigate the Lab, the mission not only places him in danger of being captured, but also of having his origins revealed... and things become even more complicated when he meets a boy who's just like him. Numerous action scenes are propelled by high-tech weapons and gadgetry, exhilarating chases and narrow escapes, and succinct and suspense-filled descriptions, all enhanced by a bit of character development as Six struggles to accept his own humanity. Agent Six's spine-tingling video-game-style escapades resume in Remote Control (2010, both Scholastic).
Go Back in Time
Take a step back from high-tech, supercharged tales and suggest one of these more regally paced espionage-themed novels set in 19th-century England. Jennifer Bradbury's Wrapped (Atheneum, 2011; Gr 9 Up) introduces 18-year-old Agnes Wilkins, an intelligent and independent-minded London debutante who longs for more than a life of husband-hunting, high society, and pretty gowns. When she attends a mummy unwrapping party (gatherings in which guests cut into the bandages of Egyptian mummies to root out treasures are all the rage), she uncovers a tiny jackal's head and impulsively tucks it into the bodice of her dress. In so doing, she unwittingly sequesters away a secret communiqué and steps right into the middle of a spy ring that's connected to none other than Napoleon himself. Agnes's ensuing adventures involve solving mysteries both ancient and contemporary, avoiding the constant threat of danger, and contemplating the possibility of falling head over heels with the charismatic Caedmon, the British Museum clerk who has become her partner in her endeavors—all while cleverly circumnavigating the limits that society has placed on young women. A likable heroine, a strongly delineated setting, and a plot that unfolds with satisfying twists and turns make this novel a winner.
It's spy tale meets steampunk in Arthur Slade's gripping The Hunchback Assignments (2009; Gr 6-10). Rescued as a baby from a traveling freak show by a mysterious gentleman named Mr. Socrates, Modo, a hunchback, has been raised in isolation, studying hard to hone his intellect, sharpen his fighting abilities, and gain control over his innate ability to shape-shift his deformed features and take on any visage he desires. Now 14, Modo, is put to work as a secret agent for the Permanent Association, an organization dedicated to protecting Britannia. Teaming up with another teen agent, the street-savvy and lovely Octavia Milkweed, Modo is sent on a mission to investigate and foil an ambitious plot set in motion by the nefarious Clockwork Guild-a scheme that involves terrifying villains, strange and powerful science, and the possible overthrow of the government. Whether plumbing the depths of the London sewers or touching upon social morays, Slade makes the most of his Victorian venue, a setting darkly shadowed by mysterious underworld happenings, despicable rogues, and spine-chilling inventions. Modo, who struggles with issues of self-acceptance and identity, is a compellingly conflicted hero, and the absorbing plot serves up a hearty helping of espionage and intrigue with many inventive touches. Modo and Octavia carry on with "The Hunchback Assignments" in The Dark Deeps (2010) and Empire of Ruins (2011, all Random).
True Tales
Handsome visuals and a great deal of factual content make Top Secret: Shady Tales of Spies and Spying (DK, 2011; Gr 6 Up) a fine choice for both browsing and research. Eight chapters treat broad subjects: the reasons for spying; how spy networks operate; basic skills needed for optimal secret agent success; codes and ciphers; gadgets and gizmos; spies through the ages; wartime espionage; and the challenges inherent to modern-day covert endeavors. Throughout the volume, examples and events ranging from ancient times to the 21st century are incorporated into the text. Information is presented in cleverly designed layouts that mix photos with illustrations and deftly capture the eye and interest of readers. For example, a "Spot the Spy" spread combines a look-and-find-style illustration with details about the various roles played by different intelligence professionals (field agents, assassins, couriers, etc.) and famous spy groups (from the American Revolution-era Culper Gang to 20th-century Walker Ring) are presented on visually attractive playing cards that showcase fast facts, descriptions, and images. The chapters also include double-page comic-strips that introduce important individuals and occurrences, providing eye-catching glimpses at topics such as two World War II double agents, a man who disguised himself as a woman to spy for King Louis XV in the 1700s, and the cracking of a 200-year-old presidential code. Jam-packed with enticing tidbits about spy-related people, events, technology, and methodology, the book offers a thorough and inviting overview.
Paul B. Janeczko's The Dark Game: True Spy Stories (Candlewick, 2010; Gr 5-9) presents profiles of secret agents and their mysterious doings throughout American history. Beginning with George Washington and Benedict Arnold, sections are divided into time periods covering the Civil War, WWI, WWII, the Cold War, and the late-20th century. By focusing on one or two individuals representative of each era, the author presents a sense of the each time period's politics and history, while also relating it to the evolution of spying as a whole. Readers learn about the daring efforts of two female Civil War amateur agents (one Union and one Confederate), an early 20th-century act of sabotage on U.S. soil, the digging of a tunnel beneath Berlin to tap Soviet phone lines during the height of the Cold War, the downing of the groundbreaking U-2 spy plane behind enemy lines, and much more. The well-researched text reveals an array of interesting facts and tools of the trade, touching upon the mysteries of invisible ink, how to age fake I.D. papers to achieve a realistic effect, the workings of signal systems and dead drops, and the mechanics of basic code breaking. Black-and-white photos and reproductions scattered throughout provide glimpses into the past. Janeczko's lively writing portrays history with all of the drama and flair of a top-notch spy novel.
Publication Information
JAMES, David. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol: Shooting Diary. photos. by auth. Insight Editions. 2011. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-1-60887-098-1.
BRENNAN, Herbie. The Shadow Project. Balzer&Bray/HarperCollins. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-175642-9; pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-06-175645-0; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-199204-9.
_____. The Doomsday Box: A Shadow Project Adventure. Balzer&Bray/HarperCollins. 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-175647-4; pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-06-175650-4; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-06-203964-4.
HEATH, Jack. The Lab. Scholastic. 2008. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-06860-4; pap. $7.99. ISBN 978-0-545-07595-4.
_____. Remote Control. Scholastic. 2010. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-07591-6.
BRADBURY, Jennifer. Wrapped. Atheneum. 2011. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-9007-9; pap. $8.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-9008-6; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-1-439159026.
SLADE, Arthur. The Hunchback Assignments. Wendy Lamb/Random. 2009. PLB $18.99. ISBN 978-0-385-90694-4; Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-385-73784-5; ebook $8.99. ISBN 978-0-375-89389-6.
_____. The Dark Deeps: The Hunchback Assignments 2. Wendy Lamb/Random. 2010. PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-385-90695-1; Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-385-73785-2; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-375-89740-5.
_____. Empire of Ruins:The Hunchback Assignments 3. Wendy Lamb/Random. 2011. PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-385-90696-8; Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-385-73786-9; ebook $10.99. ISBN 978-0-375-98359-7.
BULLER, Laura, Joe Fullman, Ben Gilliland, & Jim Pipe. Top Secret: Shady Tales of Spies and Spying. DK. 2011. Tr $19.99. ISBN 978-0-7566-8607-0.
JANECZKO, Paul B. The Dark Game: True Spy Stories. Candlewick. 2010. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-2915-1.
This article originally appeared in School Library Journal's enewsletter SLJTeen. Subscribe here.
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