ALICE ÉCLAIR, SPY EXTRAORDINAIRE

Young French pâtissière and spy Alice Éclair returns to help foil a plot at the 1937 Paris World Fair.

Alice hasn’t heard from her traitorous Uncle Robert since the events aboard the Sapphire Express in the series opener, but she’s joined a spy network—and with the upcoming World Fair crawling with threats, she’ll have her work cut out for her. Once again, Alice must split her time between her pastry chef and spy duties. Her mother’s shop, Vive Comme L’Éclair, has a stall in the fair’s Tastes of the World pavilion, and when she’s not there, she’s working with fellow spy Claude. At the fashion pavilion, Alice befriends Eva Castle, a French and English model, and at the aviation pavilion, she meets precocious engineer Sophie Alain, a French girl who’s slightly older than she is. Both connections turn out to be critical to her mission. Although the stakes are high, Alice and her friends never seem to truly be in real danger—at least not for long—making this ideal for those seeking gentler thrills. Alice trusts her gut, and Claude has faith in her, too. Casper, a neighborhood cat, stows away, joining Alice at the fair and accompanying her as she gets into scrapes. Fans of the series opener will enjoy this new outing, but this entry can stand alone as well.

A light historical adventure with bright young heroes.