Description ▶ A Comic Spy Tale from True Storyteller Mac Barnett! The Kid Spy Series Kid spy Mac's adventures have now reached their third installment. By now, readers are starting to believe that bestselling author Mac Barnett really did work as the Queen's secret spy when he was a kid — and thanks to those believing readers, his stories keep feeling more and more real. In this mission, Mac sets off to find the ravens that have been stolen from the Tower of London. This adventure seems to have played a major role in Mac's decision to quit spying and become a writer instead. Was it really that hard and dangerous? Of course it was. But since he goes on to take a fourth mission, that clearly isn't the whole reason! The search for the ravens quickly becomes a search for the 'story' itself. Let's find out together whether the story Mac uncovers turns out to be worth more than the crown jewels. ▶ Truth and Fiction Depend on Where You Stand An old legend has long been told at the Tower of London: if the ravens ever leave the Tower, both the royal family and the nation will fall. The British people have believed this legend for centuries, and ravens have been kept at the Tower ever since. So it's only natural that the Queen was deeply alarmed when the ravens were kidnapped. But what about Mac, who was born and raised in America? To him, it's just a story. As this shows, how we see a given situation depends entirely on our perspective. In Kid Spy 3: The Truth Game, one fierce, uncompromising battle over the truth follows another. The KGB agent from Book 1 returns, insisting to Mac — who sees him as the villain — that he's actually the one being wronged. From the Soviet Union's (today's Russia's) point of view, he's the 'good guy' devoted to his country, and Mac is the 'bad guy' getting in his way. We each build the story that makes us look 'right,' backed by whatever cause we believe in. To avoid getting swept up in this war of competing stories, we need to step back and examine things from multiple angles — like turning a clever blueprint this way and that to see how the picture changes depending on the direction you look. Do that, and you might just uncover a truth that doesn't change. And you'll also discover that, in the end, every story is completed by how the reader chooses to feel about it. Perhaps that's why Mac Barnett keeps asking himself: was his childhood as a spy real, or was it all made up? ▶ A Satisfying Twist: Turning the Enemy's Own Tricks Against Him Having faced off once again with his greatest rival, the KGB agent, Mac vows to stop his enemy's scheme no matter what. He's been beaten badly in a karate match before, but a real fight is won with skill, not strength! Does that mean he's in for another beating? Of course it does. The KGB agent tries to use the Tower's legendary story to crush the spirits of the British people. But Mac turns his enemy's cunning, careful scheme against him — by transforming the very place where the truth is revealed into the stage of a wrestling show. If the story being exposed is real, then here's a trick: make the stage where it's revealed feel fake! The louder the KGB agent insists it's all true, the more entertained the onlookers become. Watch Mac's desperate struggle — stripping down and all — as he tries to turn the real into the fake, in a wild wrestling showdown between him and the KGB agent. A spy's quick wit, fast reflexes, and slightly questionable acting skills combine for big laughs and a satisfying twist. ▶ Mike Lowery's Illustrations: Like Flipping Through a Spy Field Guide This adventure takes readers from the U.S. and the U.K. all the way to the unfamiliar landscapes of Iceland and the Arctic. Illustrator Mike Lowery keeps readers right alongside Mac on this extreme journey, packing the pages with Arctic scenery, bits of world history, facts about various national flags, puffins, and Icelandic horses on the move. Even amid all the humor, the artwork brings a vividness beyond that of a detailed field guide, driving the adventure forward. The unusual sights and experiences Mac encounters feel thrilling rather than strange, thanks to illustrations that bring it all to life. ▶ The Perfect Comic Chemistry Between Kid Spy and the Queen This adventure also highlights the increasingly relaxed relationship between Mac and the Queen. Now Mac looks forward to the Queen's calls, and the once strictly business-only Queen freely asks about — and looks out for — Mac's personal life. She now recognizes Mac as a true spy, entrusting him with a critical mission on which the fate of the nation depends!