Description · "The most delightful children's story I've ever read" - Reader Review ▶ An addictive spy adventure from master storyteller Mac Barnett! The Kid Spy series The extraordinary exploits of a Queen who issues missions by phone and the Kid Spy who carries them out The British Queen in this book is drawn with curly hair, a jovial, warm, and round figure—reminiscent of the beloved Queen Elizabeth II (1926–2022). She's so fond of her "son" that she even lets him win at chess. And she always calls Mack on the phone, delivering missions amid light banter. Giving Mack a small gift after completing each mission is her own special touch! Spy operations delivered over the phone with no code names—national secret missions discussed in everyday language. Kid Spy Mack carries out his duties with remarkable ease and skill. Mack's sixth mission takes him to the top of the tallest building in Berlin, Germany—the Berlin TV Tower—to track down the Robotron 2000. This East German-made computer is equipped with powerful Soviet encryption software. His enormous task: retrieve the encryption program saved on a floppy disk! Can Mack, who doesn't speak a word of German, possibly pull off this mission? He sets off on his adventure alongside the Queen's dog, Freddy. ▶ A humor-filled story capturing a major event in 1980s world history Mac Barnett and Mike Lowery unfold their thrilling spy operations scene by scene, with humor and warmth, never losing the sense of suspense. Inspired by the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the story weaves together 1980s history and pop culture into an engaging spy tale. Set against the historical backdrop of a divided Germany—East and West Berlin—during the Cold War, Mack crosses the Iron Curtain, gets caught up in a chase with KGB officers, and struggles (in overalls, no less!) to secure the all-important floppy disk. Mack's story feels so vivid it's easy to forget whether it's set in the '80s or '90s. And the bits of untranslated German scattered throughout add to the fun of feeling transported to another time and place! ▶ The charm of Kid Spy: always having the persistence and problem-solving skills to get out of any tight spot! With every secret mission he carries out for the Queen, Mack grows more skilled. After completing his sixth mission and returning home to California, USA, Mack has grown just a little more. Whether facing unfamiliar places or dead-end situations, Mack never panics—he always finds a way to solve the problem. What a spy needs most is sheer determination to accomplish the goal. Whether at the very top of the Berlin TV Tower, dangling from a concrete wall with a floppy disk clenched in his teeth, or standing on the Wall searching for an escape route, Mack always finds "a way." Behind the fun of the story, readers will come to appreciate the importance of a problem-solving attitude and process.