What do you think?
Rate this book
Jada Sly, Artist & Spy
Jada Sly, a hilarious and spunky artist and spy, is on a mission to find her mom in this illustrated novel.
Ten-year-old Jada Sly is an artist and a spy-in-training. When she isn't studying the art from her idols like Jackie Ormes, the first-known African American cartoonist, she's chronicling her spy training and other observations in her art journal.
Back home in New York City, after living in France for five years, Jada is ready to embark on her first and greatest spy adventure yet. She plans to scour New York City in search of her missing mother, even though everyone thinks her mom died in a plane crash. Except Jada, who is certain her mom was a spy too.
Ten-year-old Jada Sly is an artist and a spy-in-training. When she isn't studying the art from her idols like Jackie Ormes, the first-known African American cartoonist, she's chronicling her spy training and other observations in her art journal.
Back home in New York City, after living in France for five years, Jada is ready to embark on her first and greatest spy adventure yet. She plans to scour New York City in search of her missing mother, even though everyone thinks her mom died in a plane crash. Except Jada, who is certain her mom was a spy too.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published May 14, 2019
27 people are currently reading
3351 people want to read
About the author
Sherri Winston
19 books191 followersPrepare for your greatest mission yet. Jada Sly, Artist & Spy, is ready to take you on a journey across Manhattan and behind the scenes at her family’s museum. Fast-paced and quick-witted, Jada leads us into her conspiratorial world with great panache and determination. Perfect for cool middle grade spies.
Sherri Winston has eight published works of fiction, and lives in Orlando, FL.
Sherri Winston has eight published works of fiction, and lives in Orlando, FL.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
October 8, 2024
Jada Sky looks like word girl.
June 14, 2021
2021 bk 141. Up front I will say that I enjoyed Winston's book The Sweetest Sound more than I did this. I cringed at the story of a young girl who could not accept her mother's death, starting the book in May but putting it down because of the cringing on my part, but had to pick it up as I was writing quiz questions for it. I began to feel more comfortable with the story about half way through. Winston is an excellent author and does an excellent job of drawing word pictures with her detailed descriptions of setting and place. Her writing of the characters emotions has even improved from the earlier book that I had read. The target audience is upper elementary/beginning middle grade students and I believe that for the most part it hits that target. The vocabulary, emotions are right on for the age group.
April 16, 2020
Everyone believes that Jada's mother died in a plane crash 6 months ago. Everyone except Jada. Her mom was constantly playing spy games with her all her life, and Jada thinks the crash was just a cover. When she moves from France back to New York City, a string of events further cements her belief that something is going on. There's the attempted robbery at the airport, her continual sighting of a guy who is following her, her father's coworker at the museum is acting fishy, and she is positive she's seen her mom following her too. Her dad doesn't believe her, but Jada stumbles across some new friends at school who have a secret spy club under the cover of being a pie club. Jada enlists their help to figure out what is going on. Is she just hallucinating because of grief, or is her mom really still alive and on a secret mission?
I have to admit, I did not think this was going to go the way it did. But the direction it goes is the more fun of the two. Jada is a fun little spy/artist to follow around, and her group of new friends are quite colorful. Jada is so focused on the mission she isn't really dealing with typical third culture kid issues after a big move. (She has lived in France most of her life and attended an international school there.) I wish there were more details on her TCK side for our TCKs, but it's ok. It probably would've been too much for the book to add in those issues too. Jada is in 5th grade but she feels older, so even middle schoolers should enjoy this. Kids who like realistic-feeling spy adventures featuring protagonists their age should eat this up.
Notes on contents: No language issues. No sexual content. There are some stand-offs between good guys and bad guys, but the worst injuries are just bumps and bruises.
I have to admit, I did not think this was going to go the way it did. But the direction it goes is the more fun of the two. Jada is a fun little spy/artist to follow around, and her group of new friends are quite colorful. Jada is so focused on the mission she isn't really dealing with typical third culture kid issues after a big move. (She has lived in France most of her life and attended an international school there.) I wish there were more details on her TCK side for our TCKs, but it's ok. It probably would've been too much for the book to add in those issues too. Jada is in 5th grade but she feels older, so even middle schoolers should enjoy this. Kids who like realistic-feeling spy adventures featuring protagonists their age should eat this up.
Notes on contents: No language issues. No sexual content. There are some stand-offs between good guys and bad guys, but the worst injuries are just bumps and bruises.
July 27, 2021
I got this as a chapter book to read to my 6-year-old, but it ended up being a little too complex for him to follow and I finished the last third on my own. The mystery was compelling and the plot twist was good, but there were definitely elements that bothered me.
As far as representation goes, I don't see much middle grade that includes Black children from wealthy families, so having that perspective was valuable (even if I rolled my eyes at times, like Jada making a huge deal about how unfashionable her school uniform was), and she's also not the only Black girl in her group of five friends. I appreciated Winston's vision for this book and the way the mystery was developed, even if I had some issues with how it all played out.
As far as representation goes, I don't see much middle grade that includes Black children from wealthy families, so having that perspective was valuable (even if I rolled my eyes at times, like Jada making a huge deal about how unfashionable her school uniform was), and she's also not the only Black girl in her group of five friends. I appreciated Winston's vision for this book and the way the mystery was developed, even if I had some issues with how it all played out.
November 2, 2021
Although you need a healthy suspension of disbelief for this one, it’s very entertaining. Jada doesn’t believe her diplomat mother died in a plane crash. They used to play spy games—maybe she really is a spy and is now in hiding. Jada and her dad have moved from France to NYC to run the family museum, but Jada’s sketchbook is stolen at JFK, and she keeps seeing the same people…following her? Or is she just in denial, as her Papa suspects? Another wrinkle in the panic attacks shes been having?
She makes some new friends at school, who also have spy aspirations, hidden as a pie club! Her new buddies support her every step of the way, with both sympathy and spying, hacking and fighting skills, as Jada unravels the truth.
The kids are surprisingly adept at martial arts. (Her teacher did say that what she lacked in technique, she “more than made up for in spirit”, but hence the suspension of disbelief.) And the solution to the mystery leaves unanswered questions.
Jada is a confident, stylish girl who uses her sketchbooks to organize her thoughts. The book includes illustrations of varying success, with red accents, even sprinkled though the text.
Mystery aspect a tad weak, but this is more about attitude than anything else. I sense a definite sequel.
She makes some new friends at school, who also have spy aspirations, hidden as a pie club! Her new buddies support her every step of the way, with both sympathy and spying, hacking and fighting skills, as Jada unravels the truth.
The kids are surprisingly adept at martial arts. (Her teacher did say that what she lacked in technique, she “more than made up for in spirit”, but hence the suspension of disbelief.) And the solution to the mystery leaves unanswered questions.
Jada is a confident, stylish girl who uses her sketchbooks to organize her thoughts. The book includes illustrations of varying success, with red accents, even sprinkled though the text.
Mystery aspect a tad weak, but this is more about attitude than anything else. I sense a definite sequel.
April 5, 2022
264 pgs. This is an interesting adventure/mystery book that girls will enjoy. This book features Jada Sly who has recently moved to New York from France and is getting acclimated to America. She doesn't accept that her mom died in a mysterious plane crash and continues to try and find out more about the situation. Her father insists that if she doesn't accept reality she is going to need some professional help. In the meantime, Jada finds a new group at school that holds secret spy meetings, and that gives her new energy to pursue what she believes in her heart...the truth about her mom's disappearance. This book is well-written with a great, fast-moving plot. The author takes great care to develop her characters and make them believable, as well as intriguing. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope there is a sequel on the way. Bravo! Highly recommended for Grades 5-6.
December 22, 2024
I think the biggest factor in whether or not you enjoy this book is how you interpret the storyline of Jada believing her mother is still alive.
If you, like me, thought this book was about how grief can affect you in ways you'd never thought possible then you'll surely be disappointed by the revelation that Jada's mother actually is a spy. If you are suspicious the entire time and buy into the mystery then you'll be golden.
Being an adult worked against me in an unexpected way this time. I am able to reason out the trajectory of most middle grade because most middle grade is only average and therefore, predictable. But, this one threw me for a loop because as an adult I, of course, presumed that Jada's grief was causing a mental health crisis or that this book was going to reveal that Jada had a mental health disorder not yet diagnosed. I never for one second thought that her mother would truly be a spy.
Thus, the revelation only served to annoy me. From my perspective, this was a bizarre, out of left field choice that undermined the themes established from the beginning. On the other hand Winston did weave in a lot of foreshadowing, I simply ignored it because I presumed it was all red herrings that would be explained once Jada recognized she was wrong. I can't blame Winston for my misunderstanding, though I was disappointed nevertheless.
I will say independent of my preferences, there are other issues with the story overall.
The story is well written from a competency point of view, but it doesn't have the emotional gravitas and character development that I would expect for the intended audience.
Jada's friends are very underdeveloped and while spying did bond the group together I found that very surface level. I feel like one or two of them needed a personal issue or struggle to parallel Jada's to introduce some dynamism to the character relationships. A little after Jada meets her best friend Brooklyn, Brooklyn talks about how it's been hard being one of the only Black kids at the school. It's part of why she connects with Jada immediately upon meeting her.
This could have been used to make Brooklyn feel like a more well rounded character if she was struggling under the pressure of doing well at school because of the fear of how it would look and then Jada becomes more obsessed with spying seemingly uncaring of what Brooklyn is going through. The conflict between these two could have been used to create a stronger friendship from the ashes. Instead, Brooklyn mentions it once then never talks about it again.
It doesn't even have to be that. It could have been anything. None of the characters felt real because they were only there to say Jada had a group of friends. I didn't feel any kind of platonic chemistry.
Jada mentions at the beginning of the book how her mother was missing from her and her fathers' lives a lot right before she died. Jada had actually been mad at her for it and felt guilty now that she was gone. That kind of interesting moral complexity is thrown out the window when Jada's mother reveals she's actually alive.
Jada doesn't care at all that her mother has been lying to her father (does he even know she was a spy? he didn't know she faked her death) and that she abandoned the family for her job even before she 'died'. I don't expect Jada to hate her mother or anything. It makes sense that she would still cling hard to her mother regardless of how those actions hurt her.
I just think that the story could have been a lot stronger if Winston had, at the very least, floated the idea that Jada's mother wasn't being the best mother at this point in time. I'm not sure that a child reading this would understand intuitively that her mother's behavior was selfish when the emphasis shifted gears so sharply to highlight how important her work was to the free world. That's a very common internalization from many kids whose parents are in high level, time consuming positions - that they need to suck it up because their parents are doing something 'important' whereas they're just a bad kid who isn't being understanding enough.
This book kind of supports that notion by removing Jada's father from the equation. Jada is so against her father for a lot of this book yet it's her mother who created this situation in the first place. It was sad that they couldn't have a conversation in which he addresses how her mother can be right and wrong at the same time because Jada is not allowed to tell him about the spying and Jada's mother would rather burden her daughter instead of inform him about the situation.
Anyway, a decent book that I only somewhat regret reading. It's left on a somewhat open note that could spell sequels in the future. If so, regardless of my misgivings I would still tune in.
If you, like me, thought this book was about how grief can affect you in ways you'd never thought possible then you'll surely be disappointed by the revelation that Jada's mother actually is a spy. If you are suspicious the entire time and buy into the mystery then you'll be golden.
Being an adult worked against me in an unexpected way this time. I am able to reason out the trajectory of most middle grade because most middle grade is only average and therefore, predictable. But, this one threw me for a loop because as an adult I, of course, presumed that Jada's grief was causing a mental health crisis or that this book was going to reveal that Jada had a mental health disorder not yet diagnosed. I never for one second thought that her mother would truly be a spy.
Thus, the revelation only served to annoy me. From my perspective, this was a bizarre, out of left field choice that undermined the themes established from the beginning. On the other hand Winston did weave in a lot of foreshadowing, I simply ignored it because I presumed it was all red herrings that would be explained once Jada recognized she was wrong. I can't blame Winston for my misunderstanding, though I was disappointed nevertheless.
I will say independent of my preferences, there are other issues with the story overall.
The story is well written from a competency point of view, but it doesn't have the emotional gravitas and character development that I would expect for the intended audience.
Jada's friends are very underdeveloped and while spying did bond the group together I found that very surface level. I feel like one or two of them needed a personal issue or struggle to parallel Jada's to introduce some dynamism to the character relationships. A little after Jada meets her best friend Brooklyn, Brooklyn talks about how it's been hard being one of the only Black kids at the school. It's part of why she connects with Jada immediately upon meeting her.
This could have been used to make Brooklyn feel like a more well rounded character if she was struggling under the pressure of doing well at school because of the fear of how it would look and then Jada becomes more obsessed with spying seemingly uncaring of what Brooklyn is going through. The conflict between these two could have been used to create a stronger friendship from the ashes. Instead, Brooklyn mentions it once then never talks about it again.
It doesn't even have to be that. It could have been anything. None of the characters felt real because they were only there to say Jada had a group of friends. I didn't feel any kind of platonic chemistry.
Jada mentions at the beginning of the book how her mother was missing from her and her fathers' lives a lot right before she died. Jada had actually been mad at her for it and felt guilty now that she was gone. That kind of interesting moral complexity is thrown out the window when Jada's mother reveals she's actually alive.
Jada doesn't care at all that her mother has been lying to her father (does he even know she was a spy? he didn't know she faked her death) and that she abandoned the family for her job even before she 'died'. I don't expect Jada to hate her mother or anything. It makes sense that she would still cling hard to her mother regardless of how those actions hurt her.
I just think that the story could have been a lot stronger if Winston had, at the very least, floated the idea that Jada's mother wasn't being the best mother at this point in time. I'm not sure that a child reading this would understand intuitively that her mother's behavior was selfish when the emphasis shifted gears so sharply to highlight how important her work was to the free world. That's a very common internalization from many kids whose parents are in high level, time consuming positions - that they need to suck it up because their parents are doing something 'important' whereas they're just a bad kid who isn't being understanding enough.
This book kind of supports that notion by removing Jada's father from the equation. Jada is so against her father for a lot of this book yet it's her mother who created this situation in the first place. It was sad that they couldn't have a conversation in which he addresses how her mother can be right and wrong at the same time because Jada is not allowed to tell him about the spying and Jada's mother would rather burden her daughter instead of inform him about the situation.
Anyway, a decent book that I only somewhat regret reading. It's left on a somewhat open note that could spell sequels in the future. If so, regardless of my misgivings I would still tune in.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2019
In this thrilling sleuthing adventure, ten-year-old multiracial JADA SLY, ARTIST AND SPY is not your traditional spy novel. With the stakes high and danger lurking around every corner, Jada will use one spy technique after another to unlock the mystery of her mother’s disappearance–some with hilarious results. After all, she’s still learning.
This #middlegrade book by Sherri Winston (who wrote the wildly popular PRESIDENT OF THE WHOLE FIFTH GRADE + series) begins after the death of Jada’s mother in a plane crash. Jada and her parents have living in France for five years as diplomats, but decide to return to New York City where her dad can run the family museum. Jada’s plan; to keep training for her future as an international spy. Everyone is suspicious until proven otherwise, even the enemy agents on the plane home.
Upon her return to the US, the first thing Jada does is make a plan to scour every inch New York City in search of her missing mother. Even though she was told her mom died in a plane crash, Jada believes is certain her mom was a spy and the entire thing is a cover up.
Like her dad, Jada is also an artist. I fell in love in the first few chapters with her colorful, confident and sassy personality as she uses sketching as her cover for uncovering the cover up. There is a theme of grief in the book, but it is not all consuming just like in real life. Jada is still finding her joy despite the circumstances. The depth and comedy in this incredible book will have kids asking not to be interrupted while they devour the story.
I love that Jada is illustrated with a pixie cut. So many African-American book characters are in puffs and braided hairstyles, and this gives readers an opportunity to broaden their view of who “looks Black”.
Another background note; with her African-American/Egyptian mother who is a foreign service officer and diplomat, and her African-American father who belongs to one of the elite black families of the early 20th Century, making money in real estate and law, this is a critical book to fight the stereotype of who travels the world in “first class”. Any Black person can tell you horror stories of the treatment they receive by passengers who think they are “in the wrong line.”
If there is one book I could choose for your readers this summer, its JADA SLY, ARTIST AND SPY should be it. It is a great book for any reader, but if you have experienced the ups and downs of expatriation, I promise you this book is going to feel like coming home.
Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book by the publisher to facilitate this review. All opinions, as always, are my own.
This #middlegrade book by Sherri Winston (who wrote the wildly popular PRESIDENT OF THE WHOLE FIFTH GRADE + series) begins after the death of Jada’s mother in a plane crash. Jada and her parents have living in France for five years as diplomats, but decide to return to New York City where her dad can run the family museum. Jada’s plan; to keep training for her future as an international spy. Everyone is suspicious until proven otherwise, even the enemy agents on the plane home.
Upon her return to the US, the first thing Jada does is make a plan to scour every inch New York City in search of her missing mother. Even though she was told her mom died in a plane crash, Jada believes is certain her mom was a spy and the entire thing is a cover up.
Like her dad, Jada is also an artist. I fell in love in the first few chapters with her colorful, confident and sassy personality as she uses sketching as her cover for uncovering the cover up. There is a theme of grief in the book, but it is not all consuming just like in real life. Jada is still finding her joy despite the circumstances. The depth and comedy in this incredible book will have kids asking not to be interrupted while they devour the story.
I love that Jada is illustrated with a pixie cut. So many African-American book characters are in puffs and braided hairstyles, and this gives readers an opportunity to broaden their view of who “looks Black”.
Another background note; with her African-American/Egyptian mother who is a foreign service officer and diplomat, and her African-American father who belongs to one of the elite black families of the early 20th Century, making money in real estate and law, this is a critical book to fight the stereotype of who travels the world in “first class”. Any Black person can tell you horror stories of the treatment they receive by passengers who think they are “in the wrong line.”
If there is one book I could choose for your readers this summer, its JADA SLY, ARTIST AND SPY should be it. It is a great book for any reader, but if you have experienced the ups and downs of expatriation, I promise you this book is going to feel like coming home.
Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book by the publisher to facilitate this review. All opinions, as always, are my own.
March 28, 2024
Ten year old Jada has spent the last several years in France with her parents, but after the loss of her mother in a private plane accident, she and her father are returning to NYC. That's where Jada's grandmother is, and the Sly Museum her father runs. Jada has many skills besides perfect French. She dances ballet, has studied some martial arts, and is a phenomenal artist with an affinity for the geometry of faces. That's why she's sure she is being followed, and that it has something to do with her mother, whom she's sure is not really dead. After all, her mother and she used to play at being spies all the time, and her mother taught Jada how to notice things. Jada's father is frustrated and sad about her inability to let her mother go, but at her new school, Jada finds some like-minded friends in the "Pie Society"--which is really a spy society. They agree to help her figure out what happened to her mother, what's up with the creepy dude working at the museum who's always poking into things, and what's up with the baseball-cap guy who's stalking Jada. So...who's right? Jada? Or her father?
This was a fun adventure with an improbably talented ten-year-old spy. I loved that she broke a lot of literary stereotypes by being Black, wealthy, well-traveled, and ersatz French, as well as starring in a spy adventure. The world-building was well-done, and while I did lose track of her new friends, it was nice that she's already got a Scooby gang to help her through what will no doubt be a lengthy series (it's hinted this may be the first of possibly 21 books?). I thought her relationship with her father seemed really realistic for the circumstances, and her emotional reactions about her mother were also so believable. This is too young for our library, but I could see a lot of upper elementary kids liking it and eagerly awaiting the next one. Thanks to Libro.FM for a free educator copy of the audio.
This was a fun adventure with an improbably talented ten-year-old spy. I loved that she broke a lot of literary stereotypes by being Black, wealthy, well-traveled, and ersatz French, as well as starring in a spy adventure. The world-building was well-done, and while I did lose track of her new friends, it was nice that she's already got a Scooby gang to help her through what will no doubt be a lengthy series (it's hinted this may be the first of possibly 21 books?). I thought her relationship with her father seemed really realistic for the circumstances, and her emotional reactions about her mother were also so believable. This is too young for our library, but I could see a lot of upper elementary kids liking it and eagerly awaiting the next one. Thanks to Libro.FM for a free educator copy of the audio.
September 6, 2019
After five years in France, Ten-year-old Jada Sly has just moved to New York, along with her father and her father’s assistant, Cecile. Her father runs the Sly Museum which has just been refurbished. Jada’s mom was killed over a year ago in a plane crash.
Or was she?
Jada is certain her mother is still alive. And that there are men following Jada. And that her mother is a spy. But proving all that is harder than she thinks. Her father keeps sending her to therapists to get over her imaginings. But her new friends, all members of the International PIE club (which is really a spy club), help believe her and help her out. Jada keeps all her clues and drawings in a sketchbook, but someone keeps stealing them. It’s up to Jada and her friends to figure everything out.
This is a fun story full of action, adventure, and a bit of angst. I love that the characters are diverse and that Jada isn’t your typical white, small town kid. We’re in the middle of New York with a well-to-do black girl from France. How fun is that? The mystery is a good one that is solved in the end but with just enough loose threads to let us know that more stories with Jada and her friends are coming.
What I liked: the diversity and believability of the characters; the writing was well done and moved at a good pace; although this is the first in a series, the story did end well.
What I didn’t like: honestly? Not much of anything. I really enjoyed this book.
Recommendation: I highly recommend this book to all kids who like a good mystery along with action and adventure.
I received this ARC for free in exchange for an honest review.
Or was she?
Jada is certain her mother is still alive. And that there are men following Jada. And that her mother is a spy. But proving all that is harder than she thinks. Her father keeps sending her to therapists to get over her imaginings. But her new friends, all members of the International PIE club (which is really a spy club), help believe her and help her out. Jada keeps all her clues and drawings in a sketchbook, but someone keeps stealing them. It’s up to Jada and her friends to figure everything out.
This is a fun story full of action, adventure, and a bit of angst. I love that the characters are diverse and that Jada isn’t your typical white, small town kid. We’re in the middle of New York with a well-to-do black girl from France. How fun is that? The mystery is a good one that is solved in the end but with just enough loose threads to let us know that more stories with Jada and her friends are coming.
What I liked: the diversity and believability of the characters; the writing was well done and moved at a good pace; although this is the first in a series, the story did end well.
What I didn’t like: honestly? Not much of anything. I really enjoyed this book.
Recommendation: I highly recommend this book to all kids who like a good mystery along with action and adventure.
I received this ARC for free in exchange for an honest review.
December 1, 2020
Jada Sly dreams of being a spy. She is sure her mother was a spy, but she died in a plane accident six months ago. Jada and her mother enjoyed playing spy games. For the last five years, the family lived in France but now they are returning to New York so Jada’s Dad can be the new director of the family’s museum. Jada travels to New York with Cecile, her father’s museum colleague as her father left a few weeks earlier.
Jada likes to sketch and is a keen observer of people and their faces. An excellent skill if you want to be a spy. Immediately on their arrival in New York, Jada’s sketch pad is stolen by a hooded assailant.
Jada is convinced her mother is still alive and hopes to find clues to her disappearance in New York from those she once worked with, but her father is concerned that she isn’t dealing with the grief of losing her mother. Jada is a likeable ten-year-old with a vivid imagination. She often has trouble knowing when things are real and when her imagination has taken over.
Sherri Winston has created a great character in Jada and one children will relate to. Jada learns valuable lessons about friendship. She is prepared to act on her instincts and take risks. Winston writes a good, fast-paced adventure but some scenes lacked details and were hard to imagine, particularly when the drama came to a climax.
Overall it was an enjoyable read. However, some aspects of the story may be troubling to a 10-year-old as Jada is expected to keep secrets that are beyond her maturity level.
Thanks to Christian School Supplier for providing a free book for review.
Jada likes to sketch and is a keen observer of people and their faces. An excellent skill if you want to be a spy. Immediately on their arrival in New York, Jada’s sketch pad is stolen by a hooded assailant.
Jada is convinced her mother is still alive and hopes to find clues to her disappearance in New York from those she once worked with, but her father is concerned that she isn’t dealing with the grief of losing her mother. Jada is a likeable ten-year-old with a vivid imagination. She often has trouble knowing when things are real and when her imagination has taken over.
Sherri Winston has created a great character in Jada and one children will relate to. Jada learns valuable lessons about friendship. She is prepared to act on her instincts and take risks. Winston writes a good, fast-paced adventure but some scenes lacked details and were hard to imagine, particularly when the drama came to a climax.
Overall it was an enjoyable read. However, some aspects of the story may be troubling to a 10-year-old as Jada is expected to keep secrets that are beyond her maturity level.
Thanks to Christian School Supplier for providing a free book for review.
December 19, 2022
This is the last of the books I have to read this year to prepare for my Grade 4/5 student’s Reading Link Challenge. I read this on a day I was sick and it’s also the end of the year before December break so it could be that I’m just tired of all the things but this did not grab me. Jada is convinced that her mom is alive which is also problematic for kids whose parents have actually died (I’m grateful that this isn’t a situation that I have to manage with my own students but I dread it for those who are in that case).
Jada “sees” her mom everywhere. And this is supposedly a humorous book but I found it sad. The fact that in the end Jada is correct doesn’t change that there’s a lot of the book where you (and everyone else in the book) believes that she’s under severe grief and seeing her dead mother all over the city.
Eventually Jada does learn that her mother is alive. Yay! Except that things are still dangerous and she must remain hidden. Boo!
The story wasn’t overly exciting or funny. It did pick up near the end. But throughout I felt disconnected from the characters. The ending is very open ended so I can only assume that the author has a plan for a series though I don’t seem to see any announcement of a follow-up.
Jada “sees” her mom everywhere. And this is supposedly a humorous book but I found it sad. The fact that in the end Jada is correct doesn’t change that there’s a lot of the book where you (and everyone else in the book) believes that she’s under severe grief and seeing her dead mother all over the city.
Eventually Jada does learn that her mother is alive. Yay! Except that things are still dangerous and she must remain hidden. Boo!
The story wasn’t overly exciting or funny. It did pick up near the end. But throughout I felt disconnected from the characters. The ending is very open ended so I can only assume that the author has a plan for a series though I don’t seem to see any announcement of a follow-up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 14, 2023
Ten year old Jada Sly knows her mother is alive. Even though everyone else is convinced that she died in a plane crash. When Jada's father and her move back to New York from France Jada is on a mission to find her mother and prove she is alive. Luckily she is not in this mission alone. At her new school, she discovers SPY - the Society for Provocateur Youths a club for young spy's - known to the grown ups as a simple pie baking club. With the help of her new friends Jada gets closer than ever to finding her mother - but the closer she gets - the higher the stakes are raised.
This junior fiction mystery was so much fun. Jada is smart, talented, spunky and speaks like a real 10 year old who isn't afraid of making some adults uncomfortable. This novel is fast paced and action packed. Dealing with issues of a missing parent, grief, therapy, mixed families, and moving to new places with understanding.
This junior fiction mystery was so much fun. Jada is smart, talented, spunky and speaks like a real 10 year old who isn't afraid of making some adults uncomfortable. This novel is fast paced and action packed. Dealing with issues of a missing parent, grief, therapy, mixed families, and moving to new places with understanding.
January 14, 2020
If you, or someone you know, likes kid spy books, then you will enjoy Jada Sly, Artist & Spy. When Jada finds out her mom has died on in a plane crash, she doesn't believe it can be true. Her mother has spent her whole life teaching her about being a spy and Jada is sure that she must just be on a secret mission. When she comes to live with her father in New York and immediately notices she's being followed, she is sure she is right. Unfortunately her father just thinks she's having trouble coping with her mother's death and won't believe her. But right away Jada meets a group of kids in her new school that have a secret spy club and they are more than willing to go on Jada's adventure. A cute story full of twists and turns. You do need to suspend your disbelief a bit about the spy club, but who knows, maybe all schools have secret spy clubs. After all, it is a secret.
December 19, 2019
Bravo! I love how these new authors incorporate African-American history in their stories. We have a rich history that a lot of the younger kids aren't being taught these days.
Concerning the story, I thought it had a very slow start until that plot-twist. That was worth the price admission right there haha. Overall, this will definitely be a fun book for kids, and they might learn something new.
I'm game for another book in this series. :D
Concerning the story, I thought it had a very slow start until that plot-twist. That was worth the price admission right there haha. Overall, this will definitely be a fun book for kids, and they might learn something new.
I'm game for another book in this series. :D
April 4, 2019
Jada Sly...such a colorful, confident and sassy(in a good way) character. I won an ARC from a Goodreads giveaway and entered the contest because I want to pass along the joy of reading to my nieces. Jada’s search for her mother, her thought process made it easy to get sucked in to her adventure. Not having colorful illustrations only makes the imagination mold the way each reader absorbs the information. This is going to be a great series and Jada is going to be a favorite LBYR heroine!
May 25, 2019
I really loved the middle grade mystery book with an African American protagonist. It was probably closer to a 2.75 for me because I read the advanced readers copy that had a bunch of pictures missing and there were many edits needed. Some paragraphs would jump ahead a lot of time right in the middle. Hoping Sherri’s editor did a good job after the proofs were passed out... lovely diverse story to add in classroom mystery sections though.
September 4, 2019
Loved this book! Jada and her dad move back to the US after the death of her mom. But Jada thinks her mom is still alive. Jada uses her drawing ability and spy skills to determine if this is true. With the help of her new friends, Jada learns how to make some pies and rely on sleuthing to discover the truth! Students that love a good mystery will love this book!!
August 30, 2022
After living in France for five years, ten year old Jada is back in New York. She’s an artist and a spy in training, and her self-appointed mission is to find her missing mom. Everyone else thinks her mom died in a plane crash, but Jada is convinced she’s out there and that she is a spy too.
Tough topic. Holds kids interest. Good read.
Tough topic. Holds kids interest. Good read.
October 13, 2024
Really great young adult fiction! Jada defies expectations, not fitting into any stereotypes about New Yorkers, young Black girls, or spies. She is delightfully complex and surprising. Loved this book and really love teaching it. The weaving in of famous art was a really fun touch. Will be reading more Sherri Winston!
September 4, 2019
Jada is portrayed well by Sherri Winston! Wouldn't you love to meet this curious, energetic young lady? I highly recommend this mystery novel for middle grade readers. You will be surprised at the end of the book when the clues are answered.
March 11, 2020
I had read Sherri Winston's "President of the Whole Sixth Grade" and I loved it. So, I went looking for more of her books and I came across this one a couple of days ago. This book is funny, intriguing, and a real mystery in itself. Plus, the title is quite catchy!
September 14, 2020
I thought this was going to be a version of Harriet the Spy, but with an artist and POC main character... but it actually has a real mystery afoot!
Overall, I enjoyed how things unfolded and the friendships Jada builds as she follows in her mother's footsteps and becomes a spy-in-training.
Overall, I enjoyed how things unfolded and the friendships Jada builds as she follows in her mother's footsteps and becomes a spy-in-training.
October 4, 2020
That was great. As an adult I was actually surprised by the tight plotting! My only quibble is the sheer amount of precociousness needed to make the story believable, but if I was a kid this would have been amazing. Well done.
March 31, 2021
Oh, I really liked this story of a young spy. The twists were well-hidden while being nicely foreshadowed, in the way the beat adult spy novels are written. Had Sly is a wonderful new character and her adventure stays realistic while being fully exciting.
September 1, 2022
"Grief was a lot like being alone on an island.
If people squint, they can see you - but they can't really see you.
Oh, for goodness' sake! I was a spy who had information to gather and minds to change! No time for poetry."
If people squint, they can see you - but they can't really see you.
Oh, for goodness' sake! I was a spy who had information to gather and minds to change! No time for poetry."
July 12, 2023
This is a sweet indulgent read! I found it on a book list titled "spy books for tweens". Jada Sly and her friends have to save the day.
Jada also seems to have PTSD and anxiety. It's nice to see that represented.
Jada also seems to have PTSD and anxiety. It's nice to see that represented.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2025
Great read aloud for older elementary, but be sensitive and be aware if anyone in the audience has lost a parent. Excellent depiction of older children who are grappling with pain and seeking a direction in life. Compelling characters and plot.
June 14, 2019
I will warn you: the young adult 2019 list is long and it takes quite a tedious amount of time just to reach the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2019
Love, love! Cant wait for the obvious-to-come- sequel!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews