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From School Library Journal

January 1, 2022

Gr 4-7-In this graphic novel adaptation of the popular prose books, Ben Ripley is recruited into the CIA's Academy of Espionage due to his enthusiastic gaming abilities and his exceptional math skills. As Ben tries to adapt to life at his new top-secret school, he unwittingly becomes the target of a deadly assassin. Someone is mistakenly after Ben because of false data placed in his file, but how were they able to access classified information on the school mainframe? Several members of the school administration and Ben's new classmates offer him protection, but it's difficult to trust a group of spies who are mastering the art of deception. Gibbs's first book in the series seamlessly translates into a comic format, which allows the action to take center stage. Readers will be enthralled by the rapid sequencing as Sarkar stylishly presents the narrative, deftly balancing text and visuals. Although this new version is full of visual energy, it's not without the twists and turns of the original text. Gibbs's unique brand of humor comes through, as there are ample laughs throughout the book. Ben is white; several of his classmates are people of color. VERDICT With a fast-paced plot and striking illustrations, the graphic novel version of this story will be a definite hit among established fans as well as newcomers to the series.-Claire Moore

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Kirkus

July 15, 2016
Eleven months and several life-threatening adventures into his spy training, 13-year-old Benjamin Ripley is being activated as a primary agent on his first official mission. Ben, his not-so-secret crush, Erica Hale, and a host of their fellow classmates from the CIA's Academy of Espionage are being sent to Vail, Colorado, over winter break to gather intel on Leo Shang, a Chinese billionaire businessman and potential nefarious mastermind with his sights set on the United States. To do this, Ben must befriend Shang's daughter, Jessica, at ski school, which seems easy enough until his handsome best friend from home turns up unexpectedly and inadvertently threatens to ruin the entire plan and blow Ben's cover. Fans of the series will enjoy spending time with Ben, Erica, and a host of secondary characters that are finally given a chance to shine, most notably Ben's friend Mike. With the exception of Jessica Shang and presumably Ben's classmate Jawaharlal O'Shea, it appears to be a mostly white bunch, but they certainly do add to the fun. As this funny and familiar entry opts to focus on the burgeoning love triangles, the series' signature fast-paced action is saved predominately for the last quarter of the novel. The balance between romance and action misses the mark slightly, but ultimately, readers will be glad they strapped on their boots and went along for the ride. (Adventure. 8-12)

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

From School Library Journal

March 1, 2015

Gr 5-7-After getting expelled from spy school (for accidentally shooting a live mortar into his principal's office), 13-year-old Ben Ripley is recruited by SPYDER, an organization dedicated to educating the next generation of bad guys. Acting as a double agent under deep cover, Ben tries to infiltrate the evil school and uncover their nefarious plans. With tongue-in-cheek humor and a gripping pace, readers who've enjoyed Gibbs's previous novels will not be disappointed. Though this works as a stand-alone, familiarity with the other books in the "Spy School" series will make for a more satisfying read.

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Kirkus

February 1, 2015
Super-spy-in-training Ben Ripley is headed for enemy territory. When a training exercise at the CIA's Academy of Espionage takes a wrong turn and 13-year-old Ben accidentally blows up the principal's office, he's thrown out of school faster than readers can say, "undercover." But before Ben even has the chance to settle back into civilian life, his nemesis at SPYDER, a top-secret organization of evildoers, offers him a chance to get back in the game-but this time, he'll be playing for the bad guys. Is this all part of a secret CIA plan to infiltrate SPYDER? Or is Ben running a one-man undercover operation? Gibbs (Spy Camp, 2013, etc.) leaves readers (and Ben!) wondering a bit too long, but fans of the series will still enjoy the ride. Ben is as witty and entertaining a protagonist as ever, and readers will get a kick out of his new "friends" at evil-spy school. Ashley Sparks, a bitter ex-gymnast robbed of her chance for Olympic gold but carrying a torch for Ben, is a particularly welcome addition. Ashley provides a nice foil to Erica Hale, Ben's secret CIA crush, though Gibbs passes up the opportunity to really capitalize on the potential for a full-fledged, superspy love triangle. It's not a nail-biter, but it certainly is an entertaining battle between good and evil. (Adventure. 8-12)

COPYRIGHT(2015) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

From Horn Book

July 1, 2012
Twelve-year-old Ben Ripley thought living at a top-secret spy school would be super cool, but the classes are boring, the food is atrocious, and, worst of all, he's being used as bait. He's got to find a mole in the organization while keeping his cool in front of the girls. Funny and suspenseful, this book is perfectly pitched for middle-grader and tween boys.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From Booklist

March 15, 2012
Grades 4-7 Ben Ripley has always wanted to escape the ordinariness of his middle-school life and be a spy. But then Alexander Hale appears at his home looking like James Bond, wanting Ben to enroll immediately in the CIA's top-secret Academy of Espionage, and immediately things begin to happen. There's a beautiful girl, Erica, and multiple assaults on Ben's lifeincluding ninjas, assassins in the night, and bombsand suddenly Ben isn't so sure that being a spy is all that glamorous. Gibbs takes the familiar boarding-school setting and revamps it in this slightly cheeky, action-packed novel for middle-school readers. While most of the characters are somewhat flat, Ben is well-defined; he is a math nerd, a geek who has never gotten the girl, but he comes into his own when he is under attack. Similar in many ways to the Alex Rider books for an older audience, this romp is a great choice for reluctant readers of either gender.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

From School Library Journal

February 1, 2012

Gr 5-8-Ben Ripley, a 12-year-old math genius, receives a mysterious summons to join the Academy of Espionage, a secret recruitment arm of the CIA. Since his life's ambition is to become a spy, he is thrilled by the offer, but his first day is hardly what he expected. It involves ninjas, flying bullets, and Erica, the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. A fellow student asks him to hack into the computer mainframe for him because the rumor mill says that Ben has great cryptography skills. Later that night another agent breaks into his room to kidnap him. It turns out someone keeps leaking sensitive information, and Ben's recruitment was set up strictly as a ploy to find the mole; he is a perfect target for the organization of rogue double agents that has infiltrated the school. Most of the adults are so inept and clueless that Ben and Erica, with the help of their fellow students, save the school from being destroyed by a giant bomb hidden in a secret passageway. Twists and turns in the plot keep readers guessing until the very end. The story, over-the-top funny, combines Alex Rider's espionage skills with a huge dose of the sarcasm of Artemis Fowl. Subtle digs at the stuffiness of a federal agency and the romance of spying abound. The book ends with a letter, fully redacted of all sensitive information, to the Director of Internal Investigations recommending Ben's continued attendance at the school, leaving room for a sequel or two.-Diana Pierce, Leander High School, TX

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Publisher's Weekly

January 9, 2012
In Gibbs's (Belly Up) addition to the "child spy" genre, the CIA is (yet again) secretly recruiting kids, and Ben Ripley is the awkward 12-year-old brought into the academy, in this case under the pretense of attending a science-oriented boarding school in Virginia. The clichés (and plot holes) come as expected, from the ease with which Ben's parents accept his leaving immediately for a school they've never visited, to Ben's early struggles at the school and the presence of a traitor in the program. Depending on the dictates of the plot, the spies shift from hypercompetent (the CIA knows everything about Ben, including the extent of his hidden crush, and secretly inserts questions into standardized tests to assess children nationwide) to ineffectual (they are unable to identify a teenage mole or detect intruders). The supporting cast is occasionally interesting (school bully Chip makes a good early antagonist), but Gibbs doesn't offer much in the way of originality to readers who have seen this plot before. Ages 8â€"12. Agent: Jennifer Joel, ICM.