I'm starting to see a pattern in children's spy books. An unpopular kid is tapped to be a secret agent for reasons that don't make sense. There's usually sarcastic humor, which by the way, is a big selling point with kids today. And lastly, there's a lot of twists and turns and great attempts to elude the reader. Bingo. Bridget Wilder fits the pattern.

Bridget is adopted. She's the middle child. She's easily forgettable. The book opens with everyone forgetting her 13th birthday. She does, however, receive a mysterious package containing odd things like a phone that doesn't work, Tictacs, and a tube of lip balm. Turns out the phone works and the other items are spy gadgets. Her spy contact informs her that the package is from her famous spy dad and he wants her to join their spy network. After she passes the test mission, she's given a real mission to steal some files from a classmate's stepdad. To do so, she'll have to infiltrate the cool girl group and deal with all the backstabbing she's been missing out on by being unpopular.

Kids who like humor, mystery, and criminal activity will easily like this book. ( )