ADAM SHARP

Full Name:	Adam Sharp
Nationality:	American
Organization:	IM-8
Occupation	Agent

Creator:	George Edward Stanley, Guy Francis
Time Span:	2002 - 2004

ABOUT THE SERIES

Adam Sharp is an agent with IM-8.

Before you get to thinking that the above designation is a typo and should be MI-8 or something like that, think again! This is an American spy organization and the name is correct as you see it.

The organization houses its operations at the Friendly Elementary School in Friendly, Maryland. Walking into the building's janitor's closet, closing the door, and then pressing a red button on the wall opens another door providing access to "a big room full of big computers" which is the headquarters for IM-8. It is normally there you would find 'T', the head of the organization. As far as the outside world is concerned, 'T' is known as the head of the Gifted and Talented (G&T) program. He is the man who chose Sharp to be an agent.

When we first meet Sharp, he is sleepy and inattentive from staying up too late the night before practicing judo. This makes his current assignment difficult to pull off - namely staying awake in spelling class. Sharp, you see, is still in elementary school which is normal for someone his age, namely eight years old. While I have no proof of it, I believe the '8' in IM-8 becomes more understandable.

To help Sharp pull off being a secret agent while still in school, he is part of that G&T program and as such is often pulled out of class to head off to special functions and seminars and such, all giving him the excuse to be gone while on assignment. Even Sharp's parents, unaware that he is a secret agent, are thrilled with his being a G&T student as it would certainly help get him into college later on.

Oh, before I forget, if you want to know how to spot young Sharp in a group of other eight-year-olds, this handsome young boy with the brown hair parted in the middle and the constantly displaced curl in the forehead is the one who is always dressed in the tuxedo.

As an IM-8 operative, Sharp routinely jets off to places all over the world where he often joins up with other youngsters similarly working for their country's version of IM-8, such as the very impressive Dutch agent, Tulip Belle.

Separately or as a team, Sharp has one main nemesis, the scary and dangerous General Menace!

Good Lines:
- "IM-8 agents were assigned the secret missions that other agents were too scared to go on."

YOUNG ADULT BOOKS

Number of Books:	6
First Appearance:	2002
Last Appearance:	2004


1			The Spy Who Barked Written by George Edward Stanley, Guy Francis Copyright: 2002 "Eight-year-old spy Adam Sharp pursues the very short Ambassador of Barkastan, who has stolen a top secret computer program, DOGBARK, that will let him understand the language of dogs."

2			London Calling Written by George Edward Stanley, Guy Francis Copyright: 2002 "Big Ben has been stolen! Only IM—8’s top agent Adam Sharp can crack this case. But when Adam gets to London he finds cowgirls square-dancing in Buckingham Palace and cowboys having a hoedown at the Houses of Parliament. Has England gone hog-wild?"

3			Swimming with Sharks Written by George Edward Stanley, Guy Francis Copyright: 2003 "Something is sinking the world’s ships! Eight-year-old super spy Adam Sharp dives right in to figure out what’s going on. But he never expected to see huge robot sharks biting holes in the bottom of the ships. And he certainly never expected to see the words “MADE IN BERMUDA” on the sharks’ metal bellies!"

4			Operation Spy School Written by George Edward Stanley, Guy Francis Copyright: 2003 "It’s reading, writing, and reconnaissance for Adam Sharp and the other IM-8 agents when they go back to spy school. But even the hallowed halls of learning aren’t safe from evil. Someone is leaking IM-8 secrets! Could there be a spy at spy school? Only Adam Sharp can find out!"

5			Moose Master Written by George Edward Stanley, Guy Francis Copyright: 2004 "Timber! It’s off with the tuxedo and on with a red jacket when Adam Sharp goes undercover as a Mountie in Canada’s north woods. Ecanem, a mysterious logging company, is hogging Canada’s lumber business, so the Mounties call on superspy Adam Sharp to get to the bottom of things. Will this wanabee Mountie get his man—or, in this case, will he only get a moose?"

6			Code Word Kangaroo Written by George Edward Stanley, Guy Francis Copyright: 2004 "Fifty-seven channels, and there’s nothing on—literally! When the world’s television satellites are blocked by just one station, the Happy Channel, superspy Adam Sharp, travels to the Australian Outback to investigate. But will the help of IM-8 agent Alice Springs, TV snake-wrangler Wayne Wallaby, and two kangaroos be enough to combat the evil mind-washing of the Happy Channel’s puppy dogs, candy, and birthday cake?"

MY COMMENTS

This cute, and obviously totally implausible, series is intended for young readers aged 6-9. Each book is just over 40 very short pages and contains some really good illustrations by master children's book artist Guy Francis. Throw in the fact that the author was the extremely impressive George E. Stanley who penned a whole lot of exciting kid's adventures and you see why these are books I would have readily handed my children back in the day had they been available way, way back then.

Kids that age want adventures way outside of logic but also ones that make sense (well, at least as far as I can remember this many decades later) and the author gives those on six different occasions, each taking Adam Sharp (and the reader) to a different land or lands and new people and environments. All with them having to fight (albeit bloodlessly) bad people - but not too bad.

GRADE

My Grade: B

YOUR OPINIONS

Be the first to leave your own comments about this series.

Tell us what you think of the series. Give your grade and comments.

Your Grade:
Your Comments:

To give your opinion, you must be logged in.