Undercover Book List

When Jane and Tyson find an anonymous note in a library book, they start a secret club and find new book-loving friends, challenging their identities and overcoming obstacles.

Format: Hardback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 14 September 2021
Publisher: Pajama Press

Between her father's posting overseas and her best friend Sienna's move to the other side of the country, seventh grade is looking lonely for Jane MacDonald. But Sienna has left her with one last trick: a hidden message in a library book—the perfect plot to start a secret club and find Jane a new book-loving friend.

Tyson Flamand has problems of his own. Since the fourth grade, he's had a reputation as a bad kid, and there's no point fighting it when teachers always think the worst. So when he finds an anonymous note in the library looking for a nerdy new friend, he knows he's the last person in the world it could be meant for. But something makes him answer it anyway, and Tyson finds himself pulled into a secret book club where being hidden may be the first step to being truly seen.

With the insight of a veteran middle-school teacher, Colleen Nelson, author of the award-winning Harvey Comes Home and Sadia, weaves together two stories of identity, expectation, and the courage to challenge both. As their paths move ever closer, Jane and Tyson both discover their own self-reliance and their ability to overcome obstacles that seemed insurmountable.

Jane and Tyson are two unlikely friends who find themselves drawn together by a shared love of books and a desire for something more. They both come from different backgrounds, with Jane being the class troublemaker and Tyson being the bookworm. However, when they start receiving anonymous notes in the library, they realize that their identities are not as fixed as they thought.

The notes lead them to a secret book club, where they meet other students who share their love of reading and their struggles with fitting in. Jane and Tyson quickly become close friends, and they begin to explore the world of books together. They discover new authors, genres, and stories that they never would have encountered on their own.

As they spend more time together, Jane and Tyson begin to challenge the expectations that others have of them. Jane realizes that she doesn't have to be the troublemaker to be noticed and appreciated, and Tyson learns that being a bookworm doesn't mean he's a loser. They both learn to embrace their unique qualities and to use them to their advantage.

However, their secret book club is not without its challenges. They face opposition from some of their classmates who don't understand the value of reading and who see the club as a waste of time. Jane and Tyson must work hard to keep the club secret and to convince their classmates that reading is not only fun but also important.

In the end, Jane and Tyson's secret book club becomes a source of strength and support for them. They learn to rely on each other and to trust in their own abilities. They also discover that their identities are not as fixed as they once thought, and that they can create their own stories and define themselves on their terms.

Through their journey in the secret book club, Jane and Tyson learn valuable lessons about identity, friendship, and the power of reading. They also discover that they are stronger together than they ever could be on their own.

Weight: 372g
Dimension: 165 x 324 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781772781878