Mary Bowser and the Civil War Spy Ring

Gr 4–7—Mary Bowser, born into slavery and later freed, is recruited to work undercover as a maid in Confederate Jefferson Davis's Richmond home in this reimagining of real-life events, the first title in a new series. Having infiltrated the Davis household, Mary deflects the suspicions of a white maid by pretending to be "simple." Meanwhile, she uses her photographic memory to scan documents while cleaning Davis's office, then relays her findings to the Union by way of a spy network. As pressure mounts to break the Confederate code, Mary senses suspicion narrowing on the household as she gets closer to learning the enemy's plans. The author not only crafts a highly suspenseful and visually engaging narrative surrounding real-life spy Bowser but also illustrates the final days of the Confederacy from an insider's perspective. The cogent use of codes and ciphers is sure to appeal to future sleuths and creates an elaborate mystery within the artwork for readers to solve. The spy tools found within an envelope inside the book offer a fun, interactive element that takes the experience to another level.