Our Man Weston

by Gordon Korman

Tom tries to stop his twin brother, a bumbling amateur detective, from tracking down a possible spy at a Canadian resort hotel where the brothers are employed for the summer.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens, Canada, Humor, Middle Grade, Mystery

Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Gordon Korman is a Canadian author of children's and young adult fiction books. Korman's books have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide over a career spanning four decades and have appeared at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list.

Reviews

[Jules Arntz-Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A 5 star rating from my elementary school self. I dreamed of breaking up a spy ring. I just couldn't find one in London, Ontario in the early 1980's!

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still amusing, but not my favourite stand-alone Korman. (That would be Don't Care High.)

I used to be like Sidney Weston, always looking for mysteries to solve. (But like most children outside of movies, books, and television, I never found any.)

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love reading Gordon Korman books, either by myself or with one or more of my children. This story was originally published in 1982 by Scholastic Canada. I am certain I read it back then, or it was read in class because much of the story was familiar. I also found out it briefly published as ‘Not This Time’ It has since been through a few reprinting’s. But is currently one of a few Korman books listed as out-of-print. And this one has never had an eBook edition.

I have stated in reviews of several of Korman’s books over the last few months: mid last year, in the summer of 2022, Korman published his 100th book. Yes you read that correctly, his hundredth book. My introduction to Korman’s works, that I have track of was the 39 Clues back in 2009. Since then I have read almost 30 of his books. With each one I read I am entertained and often challenged. My son often reads these books to me or with me. I picked up this to read next because someone commented on a review because it was the oldest stand-alone story I had not read yet. And it was Korman’s second only stand-alone story. After reading it I outlined it to my son and it is now on the top of his to be read pile. At my current pace of about a book a week. In a year and a half I should be caught up.

There are a few different descriptions of this book that I have seen, two from the back cover of different editions, and one from Korman’s own site. They are:

First Edition:
“This time Sidney has really gone too far, Tom fumes. How could his twin brother suspect meek Mr. Kitzel of plotting against the air base next door to the Pine Grove Resort Hotel? Then again, he recalls it was Sidney who tied the gas man up with a clothesline and told the police he’d captured Public Enemy Number One.

Tom determines to stop his brother’s exploits before they both lose their jobs, but the intrepid Sidney Weston isn’t about to be foiled so easily!”

Reprint Edition:

“A hotel guest who thinks she's a spy, canine criminals disguised' as pets, wastebaskets filled with suspicious trash....

It all adds up to trouble when the Weston twins are around!

Sidney and his twin brother Tom are bellboys for the summer at the Pine Grove Resort Hotel. It's not a bad job - except that Sidney seems to think the old place is the headquarters for an international spy ring. He's convinced that meek, soup-eating Mr. Kitzel is the ringleader, and he's doing everything he can to bust the whole operation open. Never mind that it might cost both twins their jobs!

Tom won't put up with his brother's spymania .... until some very strange things start going on. Suddenly, everyone at Pine Grove looks very suspicious. The only problem is - which one's the spy?”

Korman’s Site:

“Sydney Weston and his twin brother Tom are bellboys at the swanky Pine Grove Resort Hotel. It’s not a bad job – except that Sidney seems to think the whole place is the headquarters of an international spy ring.

Tom can’t stand his brother’s spy-mania … until some very strange things start happening. Suddenly, everyone at Pine Grove looks very suspicious. But who’s the spy?”

In some ways this reads like a variation on a theme. Like the MacDonald Hall Books or the Bugs Potter books it is a buddy story. One wild and reckless and one trying to temper the other. But in this one they are twin brothers. And the extreme between the wild and tamer one is greater in this story. I believe this volume came out the same year as the fourth MacDonal Hall book, at the time published as The War With Mr. Wizzle, and between the two Bugs Potter stories which were published in 1980, and 83. So there is definitely a similarity in style and feel, but this story is even more over the top than the others!

The interactions between the two brothers are masterfully written. The interactions between the guests are hilarious. The book is literally laugh out loud funny. Once I started reading this one I could hardly put it down. I especially loved the letters Sidney received from:

RCMP
OPP
NORAD
Office of the Prime Minister
Department of National Defence
The office of the President of the United States

Some directly and some that got passed on and a reply given. What a tale. This is another excellent story from Korman. It is out of print and harder to track down, at least at a reasonable price, but I guarantee it is well worth it. Or track it down through interlibrary loan. It will entertain the whole family. Another excellent read from Gordon Korman.

[Kevin Hogg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant story with a large cast of characters. None of them are particularly developed, but they don't need to be. Each chapter brings a new series of misunderstandings and crises that make the reader wonder how it will all play out. By the time it gets to the climax, there are at least a dozen unresolved issues, so it's obvious that something is going to go wrong--but will it be for the spies or the good guys? And what will become of the innocent bystanders who are caught up in all of the craziness?

While I've seen some reviews wishing for a sequel, I think things are resolved sufficiently (although I would obviously welcome another Tom and Sidney Weston adventure). This book really shows Gordon Korman's ability to make the reader interested in every character while having many plotlines running together (and colliding frequently). I read it with my kids, and they particularly enjoyed Vishnik, Mr. Kitzel, and, of course, the letters. This is one of my favourite stand-alone Gordon Korman books (although I must admit that I have a few favourites).

[William Leight · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of Korman's lesser efforts, alas. The joke is that the titular Weston, a high-school age kid, sees a spy under every bed at the hotel where he has a summer job, but in fact there really is a spy on the premises. (Not a spoiler, for the worried: we meet the spy in the first chapter.) But of course nobody believes Sydney, not just because he's a teenager but also because he keeps fingering the wrong person as the spy. Especially reluctant to believe him is his twin brother Tom, who has plenty of experience of Sydney's mistakes in this department: luckily, nothing can possibly dampen Sydney's determination. It's amusing at times, but also kind of one-note, and Korman isn't good enough at writing spy novels to spoof them successfully. Purely for the hard-core Kormanites, I would say.

[M.L.D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ending doesn't quite stick the landing--I have to wonder if Korman had intended to write a sequel, because of the all the loose threads. However, enough funny bits to nudge it up to 4 stars.

[Stacy Goodworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it as a kid and loved it. It's filled with humor and adventure. The plot may be somewhat impossible, but I still think it's funny. In fact, I looked online to get my own copy a few years ago, even though it has been out of print for years.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute, funny children's book about Sidney Weston, who considered himself a master sleuth, and his twin brother, Tom, who spent his life trying to keep him out of trouble. I laughed all the way through it.

[Katrina Van Grouw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever and funny, one of my favorite Gordon Korman books for sure! He never fails to amuse, and the way these characters interact in this crazy plot is so funny. Appropriate for children yet still funny enough to read as an adult; the best type of literature.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

makes me laugh out loud every time...

[Azz Lunatic]

Our Man Weston by Gordon Korman (1988)

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just a MacDonald Hall book with differently named and less interesting characters.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nostalgic childhood re-read

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining kids' spy novel. It requires some suspension of disbelief, but it made me laugh out loud, and not many books do that.

[Rami · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book.I think gordon is,amazing!!

[Jed · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEST BOOK EVER!!!!
Cobber, Knight and Miss fuller are awesome

[Sarah Thornton]

Spies and script writers and tax evasion.