ALFIE HAZARD AND THE SPY CATS is Kekla’s new middle grade series!
The first book in the series, A SPY IN THE EMBASSY, releases February 2, 2027. Pre-order copies are available now from your favorite online retailer.
Author-signed copies are available if you pre-order through Phoenix Books in Burlington, Vermont. Copies pre-ordered by January 30 can be personalized, and each copy will come with a bookmark, a sticker, and a limited-edition note from Kekla’s cats.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
A clever ten-year-old boy and his two savvy cats set out to catch a spy that’s causing trouble at the embassy they call home in the first
installment of a fun new illustrated series for kids ages 8–10 from award-winning author Kekla Magoon. Features bright neon-green color effects on the cover!
Alfie Hazard is thrilled when his big sister, Mika, comes home from college to live with their family at the embassy in Washington, DC. Usually her visits mean endless games, lots of laughter, and spontaneous late-night dance parties, but this time there’s something strange about the way Mika is acting. Bonnie and Baxter, Alfie’s talented cats, detect a suspicious smell on her shoes, and she’s spending an unusual amount of time locked in her bedroom closet.
Mika definitely has a secret, and Alfie and the cats are determined to get to the bottom if it. When Alfie’s mom, the ambassador, tells the family that some classified documents have been stolen, it’s up to Alfie, Bonnie, and Baxter to investigate! Surely Mika couldn’t be the spy . . . or could she?
Featuring engaging black-and-white illustrations and two fabulous cat characters, this series is perfect for younger fans of spy stories, serving as the ideal bridge between chapter books and longer series like City Spies and Spy School.
Join us on Thursday, September 24, for a day of conversation and celebration!
Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party’s Promise to the People was named a Walter Award Honor Book in the Teen category for 2022. Congrats to the Teen category winner, The Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley, and fellow honoree Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo. In the Children’s category, the award went to Red, White and Whole by Rajani LaRocca, with two honor books: Root Magic by Eden Royce and Borders, written by Thomas King and illustrated by Natasha Donovan. So exciting!
It was a pleasure to serve as a judge for the 2017 National Book Awards, along with Suzanna Hermans, Brendan Kiely, Meg Medina, and Alex Sanchez. We read hundreds of books to arrive at our long list and finalists.
When twelve-year-old Robyn Loxley set out to save her parents, she never could’ve predicted that she would become Robyn Hoodlum, leader of the rebellion against the harsh government led by Ignomus Crown. But Robyn’s attempt to free her parents has failed, and on top of that, her friends have been captured. And now Crown has given her 72 hours to turn herself in–or else.