%20(1).png)
Middle Grade Sidekick Super Review: Max in the House of Spies: A Tale of World War II (2024) by Adam Gidwitz
- 7 days ago
- 7 min read
The Basics
Page Length: 336
Audiobook Length: ~8 hours
Grade Level: 3-8
Goodreads Score: 4.13 out of 5
Buy it HERE
Setting: London, 1939
Genre: Middle Grade Historical Fiction
Topics: Spying/Espionage, WWII, Family, Bullies, Radios, Propaganda
Plot: Max is a twelve-year-old Jewish boy from Berlin. His parents have just sent him on the Kindertransport train to London to live with a foster family and escape the Nazi regime in Germany. But he's not totally alone—he has two immortal creatures living on his shoulders! Not a devil and an angel, but Stein and Berg—mischievous, hilarious, and wise little guides who help Max navigate this new world and make important decisions as events of the war unfold.
In London, Max is sent to live with the Montagu family, a wealthy Jewish household. He finds a home there, especially with Uncle Ivor and Uncle Ewen, though he misses his parents deeply. School and teachers prove more difficult—he discovers that anti-Semitism still exists outside Berlin. Max faces bullies among both peers and tutors. But he is no coward. A kind of genius, Max is a whiz with radios—he even rewires his London radio to receive banned German broadcasts. Using his intelligence, he plays clever pranks on adversaries and impresses those around him.
One of his tricks catches the attention of an English Admiral, who recruits him into a top-secret spy network. Max is taken to a secret training location and tested. If he passes, he becomes a real spy, with a real-life mission that will take him back into Berlin during the war. Will he make the cut? Will he reunite with his parents? And will he be brave enough to face the dangers of being a real spy?
Themes: Displacement and Identity, Found Family, Antisemitism and Prejudice, Grief and Loss, Moral Complexity, Deception in the pursuit of truth, Courage to act
You might like this book if you like:
books like Code Name Verity, The Boys Who Challenged Hitler, Spy School, or The War That Changed My Life
TV shows like Alex Rider, World on Fire, Anne with an E, or Hetty Feather
Movies like The Book Thief, Stormbreaker, Spy Kids, or War Horse
Radio and model building
Cryptography or code breaking
Other books written by this author: The Inquisitor's Tale, A Tale Dark and Grimm series, The Creature of the Pines (The Unicorn Rescue Series #1), The Empire Strikes Back-So You Want to be a Jedi?
Teaching Max in the House of Spies As a Full-Class Unit
Content
Language: very small amount of mild language, as well as some antisemitic language
Sex/romance: none at all
Violence/Scariness: events of WWII are described through the narrator's eyes--Kindertransport, Kristallnacht, the Blitz bombing, people going missing/being taken to concentration camps. The main character is bullied/hit by teachers and kids at his school. Later, he is trained as a spy, so he is taught how to fight
Drinking/Smoking/Drugs: some adults drink alcohol at dinner, a few others smoke cigars
Class Novel-ability: I would love to teach Max in the House of Spies as a full-class novel. It’s such a fun, engaging, and meaningful story! There are so many rich themes to explore and talk about, and the characters feel so real and layered. It’s set during such an important moment in history, told through the eyes of a kid who has to grow up far too soon — something students really connect with. The narrator has so much to teach about courage, empathy, and doing what’s right, even when it’s hard. The spying aspect adds so much excitement and would absolutely hook kids this age. There are pranks, danger, bullies, and moments of true bravery. It’s a beautiful book that blends humor, heart, and history — with lessons that stay with you long after you finish reading.
The Star Qualities
The characters in this book are inspired by real people who lived during WWII. The Montagu family, Lord Rothschild, Admiral Godfrey, and many other family members or members of the spy network were actual people living in London at that time. While the story itself is obviously fictional, the people and events feel authentic, and the characters closely reflect the real individuals who inspired them.
I love how the book addresses bullies. Max has seen cruelty firsthand—his father’s shop destroyed, people dragged through the streets, even being hit by teachers. And yet, even in London, the bullies are still there. Max is made fun of, left out, and humiliated because he is Jewish. But he doesn’t just accept it—he stands up when the Montagu family is threatened, quietly and cleverly plots pranks against the adults who put him down, and eventually is given the chance to confront the biggest bully of all: Hitler and the Nazi regime. Kids can relate to this, and there’s so much to learn from Max’s courage, cleverness, and resilience.
This book also includes a wealth of teaching resources at the end, making it perfect as a class-wide novel. The section called “How Much of This Story is Actually Real?” provides photos and details about the real-life characters and events that inspired the story. There’s also a detailed annotated bibliography with additional resources, which could be used as companion texts to create a dynamic, engaging reading unit.
A sequel has just been published, so your students can continue following Max’s adventures. The first book ends on a real cliffhanger—students will be shocked and desperate to read the next installment! It’s already on my TBR list!
Book Talk Read Aloud Section
If you have the physical book, read chapter 1 (pages 1-6).
"Reading Like a Writer" Mentor Texts
This passage is so playful and exciting—one I think students would really enjoy reading! It also looks different structurally, which makes it stand out. There are lots of short paragraphs, italics, and ellipses, making the craft easy to spot. I think students would love experimenting with these techniques and imitating writing that looks a little different from the “typical” style they’re used to.
It would be so fun to use this as a mentor text for writing with short, tension-building sentences and repetitive structure, encouraging students to create their own fast-paced scenes. I also love how this passage reveals the narrator’s inner monologue—something middle schoolers really need to practice and can have fun with. The pacing and tone here are fantastic, and there’s so much for students to learn from this short but powerful moment!
I love this passage because there’s so much to notice! It uses repetition, short sentences, questions, inner monologue, and descriptive imagery—all packed into a few lines. Notice, too, the paragraph breaks, italics, and the variety of sentence lengths. All of these craft moves work together to create a passage with wonderful rhythm, a vulnerable tone, and a mood of uncertainty.
I really like how this passage uses a list structure. There are so many ways—and so many different genres of writing—your students could experiment with this move. The structure adds a touch of humor while also emphasizing the narrator’s determination. It’s definitely a fun and creative technique for students to imitate!
Sentences for Combining and Imitation
Sentence sets for combining:
"He was enormously tall, so thin he seemed to bend in the breeze, and he had a ridiculous waxed mustache extending past the sides of his face." (Max in the House of Spies, p.177)
He was tall.
He was enormously tall.
He was so thin, he seemed to bend in the breeze.
He had a mustache.
The mustache was ridiculous and waxed.
It extended past the sides of his face.
"Uncle Ewen’s long face was bright red, like a battleship that had been hit with a torpedo and was erupting with flames up and down the deck." (p.112)
Uncle Ewen's face was long.
It was bright red.
It was like a battleship that had been hit with a torpedo.
A battleship that was erupting with flames up and down the deck.
Invisible waves traveled from a tower in Germany, through the air, through clouds, through trees, through brick walls, through Max himself–and when they collided with a small crystal inside the little box Max had nailed together, they were transformed into the world’s most beautiful music." (p. 107)
Invisible waves traveled from a tower in Germany.
They traveled through the air.
They traveled through clouds.
They traveled through trees.
They traveled through brick walls.
They traveled through Max himself.
They transformed into the world's most beautiful music when they collided with a crystal.
It was the crystal inside the little box Max had nailed together.
Sentences for Imitation:
I like all of these sentences because of their structure. The entire book is written this way, giving it a fun, playful tone. The structure is also simple and easy to imitate. Italics, ellipses, and colons—these are all techniques your middle schoolers can experiment with in their own writing to give it an extra boost.
"Unlike in his games with Chumley, he wanted to be found. What he didn’t want was to be surprised. Because being found was not the same thing as being caught."(249)
"But his eyes . . . instead of the knowing look that was meant only for Max . . . Ewen’s eyes were hurt." (p. 112)
"Jean shrugged and her dimple said it all: All part of training." (p. 205)
Used this book in your classroom? Tell us how in the comments!
Want to be updated when our next book review comes out? Subscribe here for weekly posts featuring fresh book reviews with brand-new sentences and passages. Your inbox’s new favorite destination for new YA reading and writing inspiration!
Comments