Max in the House of Spies Audiobook By Adam Gidwitz cover art

Max in the House of Spies

A Tale of World War II

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Max in the House of Spies

By: Adam Gidwitz
Narrated by: Euan Morton
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“Max in the House of Spies is everything you could hope for in a book,”—R. J. Palacio, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wonder, White Bird, and Pony

“Espionage! Secrets! Suspense! If you’ve ever dreamed of being a spy, this book is for you.”—Alan Gratz, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Refugee and Projekt 1065

Max Bretzfeld doesn’t want to move to London.

Leaving home is hard and Max is alone for the first time in his life. But not for long. Max is surprised to discover that he’s been joined by two unexpected traveling companions, one on each shoulder, a kobold and a dybbuk named Berg and Stein.

Germany is becoming more and more dangerous for Jewish families, but Max is determined to find a way back home, and back to his parents. He has a plan to return to Berlin. It merely involves accomplishing the impossible: becoming a British spy.

The first book in a duology, Max in the House of Spies is a thought-provoking World War II story as only acclaimed storyteller Adam Gidwitz can tell it—fast-paced and hilarious, with a dash of magic and a lot of heart.

* This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF that contains photos and an annotated bibliography from the book.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2024 Adam Gidwitz (P)2024 Listening Library Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths Historical Fiction Literature & Fiction Funny Witty Heartfelt

Critic reviews

“The rise of Nazism is not usually a source of humor, but Adam Gidwitz manages to bring a droll sensibility to the topic without in any way minimizing what happened to Europe’s Jews in Max in the House of Spies, a cracking adventure story…. Readers will seethe with Max at the teasing, pine with him as he longs for home, and cheer as he trounces his adversaries to the point of being taken on by British espionage.″—Wall Street Journal

“Absolutely everything a reader could want in a World War II spy novel.″—School Library Journal, starred review

“Clever Max plays the long game with determination, and his agency is refreshing…. This heartfelt historical novel explores big questions of autonomy and allegiance with an admirable protagonist readers will respect and adore.”—Booklist, starred review
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Impeccable performance by the reader with all characters and their accents of a story that is fictional but throughly researched and based on historical facts.

Spellbinding!

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A pre-teen Jewish boy, Max, who escapes from Germany while the borders are being locked down. Max ends up being interrogated by British intelligence and then returned to Germany as a spy. Low cost, quick read, and the good guys win.

Take a chance on the book

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The two fantastical creatures can get a little tiresome, and sometimes I wished they had more relevance to the story. But overall I would definitely recommend it as good diversion for exercise. (Because it’s easy to follow and not many complicated details to keep track of. )

Fast paced adventure

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