Nanny X

Ten-year-old Ali Pringle, her eight-year-old brother, Jake, and their baby sister, Eliza, have a new nanny, one who shows up in a motorcycle jacket and gardening hat, is obsessed with canned fish, and knows an awful lot about them. Ali and Jake soon discover that Nanny X is a special agent for Nanny Action Patrol (NAP) and she needs their help. The mayor is threatening to build a factory in a local park, and after he’s hit on the head with what appears to be a rock during a protest, Ali and Jake try to prove the innocence of Ali’s classmate Stinky. Armed with Nanny X’s devices—such as a self-destructing phone hidden in a diaper—they investigate a scheme that involves everything from coconuts to stolen diamonds. Rosenberg (Canary in the Coal Mine) offers a quick, fun romp dotted with advanced vocabulary to intrigue and challenge growing readers. Eliza and Jake’s alternating narratives and Nanny X’s off-kilter leadership entertain in a feel-good story about getting the chance to be a hero. Ages 7–10. Agent: Susan Cohen, Writers House. (Sept.)