Tom's First Spy Adventure

by Clare Durand

Ten-year-old Tom Smith's obsession with spies turns a dull summer day at the mall into an adventure he'll never forget.

124 pages, Paperback

First published July 4, 2012

About the author

Clare Durand has been making up spy stories since she was a child. Repeated encouragement from friends and family to write them down has finally been successful. Authors she read growing up who have influenced her include Clifford B. Hicks, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and Alistair MacLean. When she is not dreaming up new Tom Adventures, Clare works as a high school math teacher and competes in the sport of orienteering.

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was written by a friend of mine, and I expected to like it for that reason. I was a bit surprised to discover that I would have liked it even if I hadn't known the author. Tom is a young teenager who has an obsession with spies. His friends Jim and Lynda humor him, but when very strange things begin to happen, Tom's spy-obsession becomes a real asset in solving the mystery.

This would be a great book for a young teen or a reluctant reader -- the language is straightforward and easily accessible, but there's a real sense of adventure that draws the reader in. That makes sense, because Durand was very young herself when she started making up her Tom adventures.

There's a hint at the end that, in Tom's further adventures, he may be drawn more intentionally into some spying.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I consider myself to be something of a hard sell when it comes to a book, and an author's writing style. Having read some of the best and the worst, I have little time to devote to mediocre work. Thankfully, this first book by an author required no effort at all - except for the will power to put it down. I enjoy Y/A novels every bit as much as I do The sci-fi, mystery, and fantasy novels. I certainly enjoyed this one, and highly recommend it. The author successfully pulled me into the story almost immediately. The best indicator of my approval: I can't wait to purchase her second book.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good story about a kid and the adventure he has. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading future stories about Tom and his adventures.