The Spybrarian

I wish I could be a Spybrarian too, as this book sells the job as something amazing!
When Kian Reader accidentally intercepts a bottle of super reader serum, he becomes something he has never been before....a reader! The serum has allowed him to read and absorb knowledge within seconds. It turns out there is the SLS, the secret librarian service and they fight bad guys trying to get rid of books and reading forever!
This fantastic book will have all librarians taking up their arms to battle against those who avoid reading and hate books.
A highly trained team of librarians will stop at nothing with Kian and his friends to stop the bad guy, rescue his mother’s boyfriend and save the world’s libraries!
At times hilarious and others heart pounding adventure, this will entertain and enthral readers from 7+.

As a librarian who spent years working in a Schools Library Service (SLS) with a mobile library, this book is brilliant. It has one of my favourite lines in a book “Without librarians the world is doomed”, but I am a little biased. This is a mad adventure where Kian finds himself the focus of a plot to destroy all libraries worldwide by the evil Dr Badd. Kian is needed to help after being covered with Reader Serum giving him superpowers to read and comprehend any book within seconds and retain that information for 24 hours.
It all started after being forced by Kian’s Mum and boyfriend who was dressed as a Gruffalo to take part in a demo against a local library closure. Getting caught up with the secret library service (SLS) and Paige Turner, the local librarian, Kian joined by his friends jet off in a flying mobile library to SLS HQ and then onto FART – Fellowship Against Reading Texts - the evil secret organisation to stop people reading and learning.
With the help of the Ninja Librarians of Oxford and killer hamsters the party sets off to save libraries and learning.
There are indications that a sequel will follow which will be great for fans of mad adventures with just a hint of fantasy – as it is perfectly possible for all this to happen for real!
The appendices of the book include the SLS secret code, also known as the Dewey Decimal Classification as well as perfectly true facts about libraries.
This book will garner MG fans who love a bonkers read.

Reluctantly drawn into a demonstration against library closures, Kian Reader certainly does not live up to his name – he HATES reading! Moreover, he is alarmed to see his new teacher, the cause of his recent school humiliation, standing behind the Mayor, and embarrassed by his stepdad Anthony’s Gruffalo onesie. Escape is afforded by the rush to the local library to pick up the copy of Improve Your Memory Skills he has to produce at school on Monday. Imagine his shock when a clearly hypnotised children’s author enters the library determined to shoot Paige Turner, the elderly librarian, and she begins to demonstrate formidable martial arts ability! Accidentally caught up in the struggles, the one and only phial Reader Serum spills all over Kian and enables him to instantly read and understand all the non-fiction he looks at.
Full of puns, crazy characters and cartoon style baddies, this is a madcap romp of an adventure as Kian is pursued by the Special Library Service operatives and their enemies, and his two best friends in an attempt to rescue Anthony from the villainous Doctor Badd. Vivid description and plenty of slapstick action evoked comic book style images in my mind as I read what would make a great animation. Written in a style that is accessible to less confident readers and full of the type of verbal and visual humour that will appeal to the target readership, this novel nonetheless celebrates the warmth of friendship and families and the diversity of our modern world. I am sure this will go down very well amongst the boys in year 6!