Neither my voracious 8-year-old nor I particularly liked this book. I think the concept is a bit much, a bit meta, a bit too sophisticated for the middle-grade audience, though I hesitate to say that, as I think that the sophistication of that audience is often underestimated.

It's this: the title character believes that his father and his older brother are spies. His entire imaginative life, and many of his actions, are predicated on a large and elaborate framework of delusion, foste More...

Andrew "Danger" North is sure he comes from a family of spies (his Dad isn't nearly convincing enough to *really* be an insurance salesman, and why else would his 13-year-old brother be such a jerk unless he has been "called up to the pros" and can't share secrets with his little brother anymore?). Andrew accidently programs a secret spy communicator (his brother's graphing calculater) which his teacher takes away and sends to the mysterious, always-locked Storage Room B. U More...

Andrew believes his brother and father are secret spies. He misses his 13-year-old brother's attention and bears his father's dorkiness by believing they are saving the world. Even his dreary school life is made purposeful by believing all is a test to see if he can join the spy network. At one point reality almost blows up his fantasy world but he manages to hang on to it.

3rd grade hero. Spies.