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Codename Zero

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

From Chris Rylander, author of the breakout hit Fourth Stall saga, comes an incredibly funny and clever mash-up of middle grade school story and spy adventure.

There are places in the world where heroes are born. There are places where brave men and women fight a never-ending battle against evil in order to keep our country and all other countries safe. There are places where the fate of our planet is being decided, even at this very moment, the consequences of which will echo through history.

None of these places is in North Dakota.

Carson Fender, seventh grader and notorious prankster, knows this. He's lived in North Dakota for his entire life, going to the same boring school every day, the same boring movie theater every week, the same boring state fair every year. Nothing ever changes, and nothing ever happens. That is, until today. Because today a desperate man hands him a package with a dire set of instructions. And that package is going to lead Carson to discover that there's a secret government agency operating in his small, quiet North Dakota hometown. And that this agency needs his help.

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  • Reviews

    • Kirkus

      December 15, 2013
      Desperate to spice up life in his small, North Dakota town, seventh-grader Carson Fender has secured his position as Erik Hill Middle School's number-one prankster. But shortly after Carson orchestrates the release of a herd of fainting goats on school grounds, life in Minot gets a whole lot more interesting...and it doesn't have anything to do with the goats. When a strange man unloads a mysterious package on Carson and informs him that "the fate of the world depends" on him delivering it to a Mr. Jensen, it becomes clear that there's more going on in this small town than he ever imagined, and Carson is now at the heart of it all. With its high-stakes secret missions, gadgets and underground government agencies, readers in search of a solid middle-grade spy novel will find plenty to enjoy here. Carson is a funny and engaging protagonist, and readers will relate to both his longing for a more interesting life and his angst once he finds it. Though Carson has an intriguing cast of close friends, including a deliciously unapologetic, conspiracy-theorist best friend, one of the novel's greatest shortcomings is that they don't play a larger role in the story. Still, this is an exciting, zippy read that will leave readers wondering if there's more to their own hometowns than meets the eye. (Thriller. 9-12)

      COPYRIGHT(2013) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • School Library Journal

      April 1, 2014

      Gr 6-8-Carson is a perpetually bored seventh grader who satisfies his craving for action by orchestrating increasingly elaborate pranks at school. One day, he is handed a mysterious package and told he must deliver it-but not open it under any circumstances!-and suddenly life becomes anything but boring. The package is connected to a top-secret government agency, which recruits Carson to protect one of his classmates and foil the plans of a terrorist organization. Excitement builds as Carson-codename Zero-and his quirky friends put together the puzzle as only a team of plucky, imaginative kids can. Carson and his friends are funny and likable, and the pacing of the story is just right. The action steadily builds to a climax that satisfies, yet also whets the appetite for a sequel. Good for reluctant readers, and for any kid who likes tales of action, mischief, and friendship.-Emma Burkhart, Springside School, Philadelphia, PA

      Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • The Horn Book

      July 1, 2014
      Bored by his mundane North Dakotan existence, seventh grader Carson gets his kicks pulling elaborate pranks. But then one day a mysterious man hands him a package ready to self-destruct, plunging Carson into an underground world of secret government agencies and international crime. The story is told with humor, suspense, and a bit of heart, and the last page seems to promise another installment.

      (Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Formats

  • Kindle Book
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  • EPUB ebook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:5.4
  • Lexile® Measure:780
  • Interest Level:4-8(MG)
  • Text Difficulty:3-4

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