James Burks

TALENTED CREATOR WITH MASSIVE APPEAL: Kids of all ages flock to James Burks's books. His long-running Bird & Squirrel series has sold nearly 400k copies and the Haggis and Tank chapter books he illustrated have sold over 300k. Not only is he a star in the children's lit world, but James also got his start in animation, working on iconic projects like The Iron Giant and the recent reboot of The Powerpuff Girls-so he has such a great grasp of what entertains children.

ACTION-PACKED & BRIMMING WITH HUMOR: Reminiscent of a Cartoon Network show, Agent 9 has pitch-perfect humor that will keep kids laughing from one page to the next. It also has plenty of nonstop action to keep them on the edge of their seats. Give this to kids who love zany adventures like Dog Man and Hilo, as well as readers who enjoy slightly more serious fare like Mighty Jack and Zita the Spacegirl.

FRIENDSHIP IS FUN: Agent 9 is used to working alone. By being partnered with Traps, readers will not only get to see Nine learn teamwork, but also how to make a friend! Traps's enthusiasm and (literally) cheesy jokes will immediately win kids over, just like they eventually win over Nine.

LEVELED-UP BADDIES: This book has an even more awesome array of villains than the first. There's quirky mad scientist octopus IQ, ruthless rogue agent the Wolf, and the mysterious figure pulling all the strings as the head of DiViSiON. Kids will love to see Agent 9 go up against this menacing menagerie!

GADGETS GALORE: A spy story wouldn't be complete without cool gadgets, and Agent 9 doesn't disappoint, with everything from a flying droid named FiN to tricked-out rides to a fun arsenal of gum pods and freezing cubes. And the villains in this story are working on the coolest and most worrisome tech of all: a mind-control device!