Dawn Undercover

I have borrowed this book many times from the library and after the fifth or sixth time I finally convinced myself to buy it. What I like about this book are the characters, Dawn, Red, Trudy, Felix(even though he was a bit tiresome)and Clop. I loved the realtionship between Clop and Dawn and I would read thier "conversations" again and again. I was shocked and sadden when Clop scarificed himself and totally felt Dawn's loss. I have read other books from Anna Dale and I liked them but this one has to be my favorite. I was hoping that Ms. Dale would write more about Dawn's adventures and was disspionted that she didn't.

Dawn Undercover features Dawn Buckle, an 11-year-old London girl who is so ordinary that people never notice her. Her own family seems scarcely aware of her existence. Her teacher doesn't even know her name. It's a big day when another kid notices her enough to ask to borrow her pencil sharpener. Dawn takes self-effacing to a whole new level. She's like the anti-cool girl. It turns out, however, that being unobtrusive is exactly the right qualification for being a spy. Also, because no one else ever notices her, Dawn has plenty of time to notice details of the world around her. This is another excellent spy trait. A clandestine government agency called S.H.H. (Strictly Hush Hush) swoops in one day and hires Dawn for a special undercover project. Dawn's family (a bit Roald Dahl-esque, if you ask me) is completely unperturbed by having their 11-year-old go off to learn to be a spy, and sees her off cheerfully. Dawn goes to work for a division of S.H.H. called P.S.S.T (Pursuit of Scheming Spies and Traitors), where she is trained in spying, gets some cool gizmos, gets a new name and identification documents, and goes undercover on a case. I personally thought that that the acronyms for the S.H.H. divisions were a bit too cute (there's also A.H.E.M., P.U.F.F., etc.). But kids might think that they're funny. Many of the spies also attended Clandestine College. The whole naming aspect reminds me a little bit of the Harry Potter books, but with far less subtlety. Dawn Undercover has a distinctly British flavor, though not so much that it will be confusing to kids. There are references to lorries and nits and crisps, but they meaning should be clear from the context for most U.S. kids. Anna Dale lives in Southampton, England, and I like it that the publishers didn't edit all of the British terms from the American edition. There were a couple of other things that I liked about the book. Dawn's relationship (and yes, you have to call it that) with her woolen donkey Clop is priceless. She infers advice from his positions and "expressions", and treats him as a trusted friend. I also loved the appendices to the book, with a key to the acronyms, a glossary, a key to Morse Code, and other useful spy info. Overall, I thought that Dawn Undercover was a fun read. I didn't find it edge-of-my-seat riveting, but I didn't predict all of the twists at the end, either. And I do I like the idea of an 11-year-old girl being trained as a spy and saving the day. The book is likely to appeal to kids who feel ignored or unappreciated, but know deep down inside that they have some unique attribute that could make a difference. This book review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on June 16th, 2006.

Wouldn't you love to be a spy? Doesn't it sound so adventurous, so important, and most of all, like a whole lot of fun? That's exactly why 11-year-old Dawn Buckle is so thrilled to be selected as a child spy for the British spying organization, S.H.H. (Strictly Hush-Hush), in the P.S.S.T. division (Pursuit of Scheming Spies and Traitors). Dawn possesses the perfect qualities for a spy --- on most days people don't even notice her, and when they do, they forget about her almost instantly. Even her own classroom teacher couldn't remember her name. Why? Maybe it's because she's described as "timid, bland and nondescript" and wore "crumpled, baggy clothes and was never without a pair of mushroom-colored knee socks and battered gym shoes." But when Dawn is chosen to go on a top-secret mission, she starts to get noticed for the first time in her life. Upon arriving at the P.S.S.T. headquarters, she is introduced to a quirky cast of spy-types who work hard to train her in the ins and outs of spying. She has to read books like KEEPING TO THE SHADOWS, and also must learn both spying terms and the Cumberbatch Alphabet --- a secret alphabet that spies use. Then, Dawn has to pass a spy exam. She passes, to both her and P.S.S.T.'s surprise, with flying colors. It seems that she has been made for spying and now will be put to the test on her first mission. The mission aims to track down a missing spy along with an evil criminal, Murdo Meek. Dawn is to travel to the small town of Cherry Bentley with an adult escort, Trudy, the spying headquarter's uptight secretary. P.S.S.T. gives Dawn a whole new wardrobe plus a new name and identity for her spying mission. She's no longer drab Dawn in mushroom-colored knee socks. She's now Kitty Wilson, secret spy girl. Can Dawn put together the clues she finds in Cherry Bentley to outsmart Murdo Meek and save the missing spy along the way? DAWN UNDERCOVER is a fun read filled with mystery and adventure --- all good things a spy novel should possess. The character of Dawn Buckle is highly likeable and the reader will feel good to see this once-drab girl start to shine. Though the book feels a bit long at points, the ending is highly satisfying. Young readers will also enjoy the glossary at the back of the book, which includes a list of acronyms, spying terms and the funny Cumberbatch Alphabet. --- Reviewed by Kristi Olson