The Secret Life of Kitty Granger

Gr 5-8–Kitty Granger is not an ordinary 16-year-old—she can find a secret door in a heartbeat and can solve any puzzle in an instant. Despite this, she’s managed to create a run-of-the-mill life for herself. When a spy waltzes into her father’s store, job offer in hand, Kitty knows her life will never be ordinary again. As she sets off on a mission to save all of Britain from tyranny, she realizes there is much more to spying than sneaking around. Will Kitty be able to complete her mission, or will she let her mind—her greatest asset, as well as her greatest liability—take over? It is intriguing to follow Kitty, a teen on the autism spectrum, as she navigates post-war Britain. Her obliviousness and resentment of her disorder provide eye-opening insight into how a person on the autism spectrum may have viewed themselves before autism became a more understood disability. Kitty is a nuanced character—she is brash and headstrong, but brave and genuine. Other characters are also incredibly charming, and the dynamic between the heterogeneous set of characters is light and comedic. Kitty is cued as white.