An Evening of Spycraft with Stuart Gibbs & a Real(!) Spy

Join us for an evening of spycraft at the bookstore as we host middle grade legend Stuart Gibbs for the launch of his new “Secret Files” series, a nonfiction companion to the bestselling Spy School books. In TOTALLY TRUE TALES FROM WORLD WAR II (ages 8-13), the young protagonist from SPY SCHOOL shares true stories of World War II operations, some never disclosed before, alongside maps, diagrams, and mission briefings!

Stuart will be in conversation with Matt Bockner, a former CIA Operations Officer. The two will chat about what’s in the book and Stuart’s process of researching/writing it, as well as how these stories from the past can shed light on modern espionage in today’s world. The event is aimed at young readers, though parents and educators are certainly encouraged to attend as well. (Please note that anyone staying for the event must purchase a ticket; parents of children under 12 must remain on the premises but are welcome to browse on the adult side if they do not wish to attend.)

All tickets will include a pre-signed copy of the book. Following the 60 minute conversation and Q&A with audience, attendees can join a signing line for Stuart to personalize the book or sign copies of his other titles (please limit to two books from home; no limit on new books). Additional copies of the new book plus backlist titles will be available for purchase.

About the book
Benjamin Ripley, young spy-in-training at the Central Intelligence Agency, has always been impressed by super-cool, incredibly capable spies from movies. But there have been plenty of real spies throughout history that no one has heard of because they operated in secrecy on classified missions. But now, some of those amazing stories are declassified…
Join Ben as he shares the true stories behind World War II’s courageous spies, their inventive commanders, and the incredible things they did, like commando raids, code-breaking, double-crosses, disinformation, and inventing shark repellant and exploding pancake batter (really). There are amazing stories about famous spies like Julia Child, John Ford, and Sterling Hayden, plus countless others who risked their lives and took great risks to keep the world safe from evil.

About Stuart Gibbs
Stuart Gibbs is the author of five New York Times bestselling series: Spy School, FunJungle, Moon Base Alpha, Charlie Thorne, and Once Upon a Tim—as well as the new nonfiction series Spy School Secret Files. He has written screenplays, worked on a whole bunch of animated films, developed TV shows, been a newspaper columnist, and researched capybaras. Stuart lives with his family in Los Angeles. You can learn more about what he’s up to at StuartGibbs.com.

About Matt Bockner
Matt is a former CIA Operations Officer and current CEO of Redpoint Advisors, a global intelligence and geopolitical risk firm based in Washington DC. His kids, now older teens, were once obsessed with Stuart Gibbs’ books!