Description "A spy caper that keeps you turning pages, with plenty of laughs along the way!" —School Library Journal "Mac's spy skills keep getting sharper." —Kirkus Reviews "Sure to win over even reluctant readers!" —Publishers Weekly "Mac Barnett's well-balanced blend of humor, wit, and story makes this a real treat." —Horn Book "Hilarious." —Jon Scieszka (author of The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales and The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs) "I laughed so hard I forgot to eat." —Reader review "If Mac Barnett ever does a signing in Korea, I want to ask him if this story is actually true." —Reader review ▣ About the Book ▶ A Comic Spy Adventure You Can Always Trust—From Mac Barnett! The Kid Spy Series In Kid Spy Mac's fourth adventure, he faces his toughest challenge yet: a brainy battle to crack a code hidden by his enemies. Does that mean this story unfolds entirely at a desk? In California, where Mac lives? Or in London, where the Queen resides? Not at all! To crack the code, Mac dashes off to France, then Japan, moving at a breathless pace. The Queen of England simply cannot understand why Mac insists on traveling all over the place just to solve a code! As Mac risks losing the Queen's trust, can he prove himself once again on this mission? Join Kid Spy Mac as he pieces together clues to crack the code. True to form, this latest mission from the ever-reliable Mac Barnett is packed with fun. ▶ The Value of Failure—Worth More Than Any "Cheat Code" Mac dives into his mission with his usual boldness and confidence, but soon hits a wall. He must decipher the code "LALAOOPDAEBI DALAOOPLEEBIBI"—and he has absolutely no idea what it means. If only he had a "cheat code" right about now! In gaming terms, a cheat code is a trick that turns a difficult or unsolvable situation into an easy win—basically a guaranteed victory. But instead of a cheat code, Mac finds himself losing over and over again, in a breathless stretch of failure after failure after failure! Meanwhile, his archenemy, a KGB agent, gets hold of the very cheat code Mac doesn't have. As if this already-formidable rival wasn't dangerous enough, now they've got a surefire way to win! You can imagine just how badly the odds are stacked against Mac. But as with any contest, you have to watch until the very end to know who wins. All those failures Mac endured while trying to crack the code are quietly building into a powerful secret weapon. After all, there's always something to learn from failure. If you're curious what trick Mac has up his sleeve, stick with him to the end! ▶ A Stronger Bond Between Kid Spy and the Queen Over the course of three previous missions, Mac and the Queen have grown closer. But this time, their relationship hits a rocky patch. The Queen orders Mac to sit tight and crack the code where he is—but Mac runs off to do things his own way. A spy who won't follow orders? The Queen is furious and says she's disappointed. But beneath her words, it's clear she's more worried than angry. The submarine explosion from Mac's previous mission seems to have shaken her deeply, leaving her afraid that Mac might get hurt—or worse, that she could lose him. Mac, meanwhile, keeps growing as a spy with every mission: his courage in facing any danger, his drive, and his instincts have all sharpened noticeably. The only trouble is that, in his focus on getting the job done, he's begun acting on his own judgment instead of following orders. Why is that a problem? Because a spy is supposed to follow the orders they're given! In the end, the Queen realizes she doesn't need to worry about Mac quite so much—if anything, this mission has only deepened her trust in him. Sensing the Queen's concern, Mac in turn promises to listen to her more closely next time. Like ground that hardens after the rain, their bond grows even stronger through this experience! We can't wait to see what fantastic teamwork Kid Spy Mac and the Queen bring to their next mission.