One Agent Too Many

(Spy Kids Adventure #1)
by
Elizabeth Lenhard

Miramax Books, February 2003, 140 pp.
ISBN: 0-7868-1715-1

Genre: Early Chapter
Subgenre: Movie Tie-In / Spy
Reviewed: 6/30/2003

Reviewed by: Conan Tigard

Book Cover

Excerpt

Underwater in the Drill Sub...

Juni peered out the porthole at the crowd of sharks.

"Um...Dad?" he said in a quavering voice.

"What is it, Juni," Dad said absently. He was still working the control panel like mad.

"I think I just realized why the sharks have those big nostrils!" Juni said. "Look!"

The crew gazed out at the sharks again. The fishes' nostrils had flared to the size of beach balls. And they were fluttering wildly.

The sharks were sniffing with all their might.

And their noses were so powerful, the drill sub was immobilized.

Scratch that. The drill sub was moving--but it was moving backwards! The Big-Nose Sharks were sucking the sub toward the underwater cave.

"Uh, Dad," Carmen said, typing on the drill sub's computer. "I hate to be the bearer of more bad news, but the cave? I've just located it on our underwater mapping system. It's a black hole-in-the-ground."

"You don't mean..." Juni gasped.

"Yup," Carmen said, nodding grimly. "A black hole-in-the-ground is a vicious vortex. Whatever gets sucked in gets smashed flat. And never emerges."

"Ay, this is not good," Dad said. "But don't you worry, children. Your mother and I will get you out of this. Ingrid, how will we get out of this?"

"All we need is a thermonuclear velocitizer," Mom said, nodding confidently.

"That would be perfect," Carmen agreed. "But, uh, we don't have one."

Synopsis

While on a mission to stop Neiman Toad and his sturgleworms, Carmen and Juni Cortez, a.k.a. Spy Kids, are surprised when they get a little help from a British spy kid named Maya Sinclair. Maya and Carmen hit it off instantly, but something about her rubs Juni the wrong way.

When Maya comes over to the Cortez house for a sleepover, Juni lets his feelings be known that he suspects her of being a liar and is frowned upon by his parents, Ingrid and Gregorio. Later that night, a yellow alert comes from the OSS about a madman who is going to try and wipe out all of the satellites orbiting the Earth. In the morning, the five of them, did I say five? Oh, yes, Maya snuck on board the drill sub.

Anyway, the five of them head toward a mysterious island, Mortille,  where trees, have been electrified, the ground has patches of Quick Goo, robotic parrots about, and the palm trees throw coconuts. They are looking for the Ol-Factory, the headquarters for Dr. Snortle, who goes by the name Sinus. He plans to rule the world, and it is up the the Spy Kids to put an end to his evil dreams.

One Agent Too Many by Elizabeth Lenhard is the first book in the Spy Kids Adventures series. This series of books is based upon the Spy Kids movies starring Carmen and Juni Cortez and their parents Gregorio and Ingrid. These Early Chapter books are intended for young readers in the third through fifth grades who are almost ready to graduate to Young Adult books.

Review

When I first saw the Spy kids movie in the theatre with my daughter, I though it was a great movie for people of all ages.

One Agent Too Many by Elizabeth Lenhard moves the characters created by Robert Rodriguez from the large screen to paperback. The story is fast and fun and can be enjoyed by a wide range of ages, but it probably intended for third to sixth graders. There are plenty of new gadgets in this book peak the readers' interest.

Elizabeth Lenhard does a good job of writing all of the Cortez family, but I did feel that some of the things that happened in the story were just a little too far-fetched.

One Agent Too Many is a fun story and anyone who loved the movies should pick up this book for a cool ride. Man, I want a pair of rocket shoes!

I rated this book a 7½ out of 10.