Jada Sly, Artist & Spy by Sherri Winston (review)

After spending five years abroad in France, ten-year-old Jada Sly, artist and spy, returns to New York City. Since a plane crash a few months ago supposedly claimed her mother's life, Jada has refused to accept the loss, instead believing that her mother is also a spy and has gone underground. With the help of new friend Brooklyn and the Proper Country Day School of Art's secret society of spies, she seeks answers about why a guy in a baseball cap keeps following her and why she has been mugged for her sketchbook twice, and she's determined to prove that she really has been spotting her mom around the city and it's not just her way of processing grief. In this easygoing, fast-reading narrative, Jada is a determined young spy-in-training who would give an adolescent James Bond a run for his money, and additional details about the life of the illustrious African-American Sly family (they even have their own museum) add interest. Readers will undoubtedly applaud Jada's resolute dedication to espionage and appreciation for culture and the arts, and they'll be pleased at the suggestion that there are more Jada adventures to come. Final illustrations not seen. QB