Codename Zero by Chris Rylander

Carson is a 7th grader in Minnow, North Dakota (AKA Minot, ND). He is bored with the day to day happenings in his life and so his hobby seems to be planning and executing pranks at school. One day during one of his pranks involving fainting goats and glue, a man runs up to him and gives him a package and asks him to give it to Mr. Jensen.  The package says to not open. Of course, he does and a timer goes off. He has figure out who he needs to hand this package off to before he has more problems.

He finally figures out who gets the package and from there is recruited to help a secret spy agency which is located in his home town.  He gets a mission and lots of cool gadgets to carry out this mission.  His suspicious best friend and twin sister are also characters that interact with this adventure.

This book is very funny and also a thrilling adventure.  There is a bloody violent fight and torture scene at the end of the book that is not for the faint of heart.  I am pretty sure most boys would love it! I would be sure to mention this when if I was book-talking this to a student.  They would be all over it.  The author wrote the Fourth Stall series and seems to have another hit on his hands.

I would give this book a 4 out 4.  I think it would best in the Division 2 list.  The book level is 5.4

• Age Range: 8 - 12 years
• Grade Level: 3 - 7
• Lexile Measure: 780
• Series: Codename Conspiracy (Book 1)
• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Walden Pond Press; Reprint edition (January 6, 2015)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062120093
• ISBN-13: 978-0062120090