Casey, Zeke and Cookie - aka the Green Peas - are pranking in order to catch the attention of the adults in order to pay attention to serious environmental problems. Secrets of an Undercover Activist by Sydney-based Nat Amoore is a midgrade adventurous novel, which abunds in unexpected twists.
What I really found unique to this book, in addition to the group dynamic betwen the three members of the secret society is the way in which the eco-warriors topic is used as a background for a children novel. Although it is considered generally a very ´heavy´ topic and not necessarily attractive for this age rank. However, Amoore seized the right narrative and turned an everyday life reality into a pretext for a book hard to put down, no matter the age of the reader.
Another topic which is wisely approached and solved in the book is dealing with the loss of a parent: Casey´s mother, Trixie, died, but her memory is kept alive through her insightful cards with daily thoughts but also her passion for protecting the environment.
Last but not least, the whole cast of characters is unique and unforgettable and so are the new words the reader - native English or not - is learning on the go, while trying to figure out the next prank of the ´Peas´. The sentences are short, reduced to an essential vocabulary, yet well paced.
Secret of an Undercover Activist is a book of stringent actualy, translated into a midgrade language and a story which will raise for sure a lot of questions among the very young readers. Maybe some will be inspired to try some pranks too, but this is just a completely different story. Children activism - undercover or not - is part of the narrative of the new mindset and this book is an adequate illustration of the mentality in the making.
Rating: 4 stars
Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour, but the opinions are, as usual, my own.
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