Jesse Sharpe has been brought up behind the closed doors of C2, a top secret spy organisation. So when she is asked to take on an assignment on the outside protecting a girl who is about to be kidnapped, she is grateful for the chance for some freedom. She will go to school for the first time, see new sights and maybe even make some friends. She may even get a chance to find out who she really is.

Secrets is the first title in a new series called Spy Girl. Jesse, the heroine, has lived within the confines of C2 for as long as she can remember. She is a child genius and an orphan, and C2 use her for their experiments and their research. Jesse is kept a virtual prisoner by the organisation and longs to find freedom and to learn more about who she really is and where she came from. She is smart enough to know that C2 will not allow either of these things and so uses the opportunities available to her on special assignments to try to learn more.

Secrets is a fast-paced introduction to the series, which is likely to attract a following among 11 to 14 year old readers. Jesse is a feisty, strong central character.

Secrets (Spy Girl #1), by Christine Harris
Scholastic, 2004

More Great Reads for Twelve Year Olds

Alex Jackson Dropping In, by Pat Flynn
Riding With Thunderbolt, by Allan Baillie
A Horse Called Elvis, by John Heffernen