(The Factory #1)

Andréa Hernández-Baldoquín, 14, is on her first lead mission as a full agent of the Factory, a government-unaffiliated “international intelligence organization that serves people of color,” for which she, her Mexican father, Puerto Rican mother, and brother are all spies. Undercover in Carson, Ariz., Andréa, passing as white “ANN-drea” with only her mother as backup, must befriend Kyle Summer, the estranged son of a white supremacist threatening a “localized Armageddon.” Getting close to Kyle means not only withstanding inclusion in a clique of classmates who call themselves “First Class,” but also learning the ins and outs of Kyle’s favorite fantasy card game and spending time with his cute Latino best friend, Ramón Santiago. As reinforcements arrive in the form of a second teenage agent, Andréa struggles to juggle the case, her budding feelings for Ramón, and maintaining her cover as white. Portraying Andréa as a spy skilled in espionage, quick problem-solving, and making visual connections, De León (A Spy in the Struggle, for adults) adeptly interrogates themes of ageism, colorism, institutional racism, and sexism, layering them with a thrilling tale of a teenage girl. Ages 10–14. Agent: Jenni Ferrari-Adler, Union Literary. (Oct.)