Codes, puzzles, secrets and spies for children
Children’s, young adult and teen books about codes, puzzles, secrets and spies. This list contains 50+ titles for children who love puzzles, mysteries, espionage, daring spycraft, cyphers, codes or the exciting lives of secret agents, There’s a range of fiction, nonfiction, true stories, picture books, visual comprehension and genius-level mental challenges suitable for school libraries, independent reading and classrooms in primary and secondary schools. This list features books by Martin Handford, Soledad Romero, Ben Sanders, Clotilde Perrin, Gareth Moore, Maz Evans, Paul Westmoreland, Paige Towler, Christopher Edge, Sam Fern and more.
Codes, puzzles, secrets and spies for children – our recommendations
Codes, puzzles and spies books for primary-aged children
Over 50 Secret Codes by Emily Bone. 
Mad for Math by Linda Bertola. 
Find The Spy by Zoë Armstrong and Shelly Lasle. Where’s Groot? by Marvel
Where’s Groot? is an engaging search-and-find book that invites fans aged 7+ of the Marvel Universe to embark on a cosmic adventure in search of Baby Groot. Featuring intricately detailed, full-colour illustrations, readers can hunt for the Guardian of the Galaxy across various fantastical alien landscapes. Packed with Marvel heroes and villains hidden throughout, this book offers hours of fun. It’s part of a series that includes other characters such as Mickey, Minnie, Spidey, Olaf, and Grogu.
The Spy Who Loved School Dinners by Pamela Butchart. 
Puzzle Castle by Susannah Leigh. 
Where’s Wally: The Great Picture Hunt by Martin Handford. Where’s Stitch? by Disney
This activity book for 7+ year-olds is packed with lively, detailed scenes featuring Stitch and his friends from the Lilo & Stitch series. Perfect for Disney fans, it offers hours of interactive fun. The whole family can hunt for Stitch in a variety of colourful and busy environments. It’s ideal for long journeys.
Secret Code Games for Clever Kids by Gareth Moore. 
National Geographic Kids Puzzle Book – What in the World? by National Geographic Kids. 
Number Quest by Buster Books. Agent Harrier: This Book Will Self-Destruct by Ben Sanders
Super cool canine spy Agent Harrier is on a mission to defuse a bomb in this fast-paced and funny graphic novel Packed with playful puns and eye-catching stylish illustrations, it’s ideal for early readers who want to move beyond picture books but aren’t ready yet for chapter books. This quirky twist on the classic spy adventure is highly recommended for lower KS2.
How to be a Spy by Daniel Nesquens and Oyemathias. 
Welcome to the Mysteryverse by Clive Gifford. 
Spy Mazes by Sam Smith. GOTCHA! by Clotilde Perrin
Fleeing a ‘nasty hairball monster, a child hides in a series of fairytale houses. The intrepid reader can try to find them in the most unlikely places by lifting flaps, opening doors and peering carefully into each intricately illustrated cutaway. This oversized hardback is exquisitely presented in full colour with heavy stock card pages. With infectious language – ‘feculent’, ‘pestilential’, ‘collywobblers’ and a clever ending, GOTCHA! is an astonishingly good book. Children aged 5-8 will love it.
Spies by David Long, illustrated by Terri Po. 
Operation Spy: The Ultimate Handbook. 
Top Secret by Soledad Romero. Inside The Suitcase by Clotilde Perrin
This magical illustrated quest follows a young boy packing his suitcase and travelling through an other-worldly land of forests, mountains, oceans and underwater. At every stage, the reader can lift the flap to delve deeper into the story and lift another to see more and more detail and surprises. Part mystery, part enchantment and part fantasy, the story twists and turns and challenges the reader to work out how the boy will find his way home. A modern masterpiece, this is a beautiful book to give to younger children for Christmas.
Code Cracking for Kids by Jean Daigneau. 
Solve It Like Sherlock Holmes by Gareth Moore. 
Sleuth & Solve: 20+ Mind-Twisting Mysteries by Victor Escandell. Vi Spy – Licence to Chill by Maz Evans
While Valentine’s former top spy mum and one-time supervillain dad divorce, a growing evil lurks in the form of an Evil Overlord who wants to take over the world. Will Valentine be able to save us all from certain doom? The addictive fast-paced and funny plot will keep 9-11 years olds mesmerised and pupils in 5&6 may well read Vi Spy in one sitting. It’s a new hit middle-grade series in the making. Here’s a sample chapter.
Escape the Museum by Gareth Moore and Beatriz Castro. 
The Top Secret Spy Puzzle Book by Gareth Moore. 
Cluedle – the Case of the Dumpleton Diamond by Hartigan Browne. Time Travellers Secrets and Spies by Sufiya Ahmed
When Suhana, Mia, and Ayaan travel to Edinburgh, they find themselves unexpectedly transported through time to 1790s India. There, they meet Imran, who works in Mysore and learn of a plot to betray the powerful Sultan. Together, they investigate and try to prevent the crime from taking place. This gripping and accessible time-travel adventure series is perfect for 8+ year-olds and combines fast-paced plotting with significant figures from history and life lessons.
The Missing Astronaut by Kia Marie Hunt. 
Official Spy’s Handbook by Colin King. 
Pierre The Maze Detective: The Mystery of the Empire Maze Tower by Hiro Kamigaki. Secret FACTopia! by Paige Towler
Secret FACTopia! by Paige Towler presents 400 interconnected facts about diverse topics such as spy gadgets, deadly poisons, secret recipes, and escape artists. It will appeal to curious 8+ year-olds, offering bright and engaging illustrations, little-known details, and exciting anecdotes children will love to share with friends. Verified by Encyclopaedia Britannica, the book includes interactive elements and search-and-find activities. The latest in the FACT series, Secret FACTopia! is the perfect gift for less confident readers who enjoy immersive nonfiction.
The Ultimate Code-Breaker’s Puzzle Book by Dr Gareth Moore. 
Cluedunnit by The Puzzle House by E.Z. Case. 
Secrets and Spies by Anita Ganeri and Luke Brookes. Hide and Seek by Rhian Tracey
Ned thinks his future as a funeral parlour worker is set in stone. But when war breaks out, he follows his mother to Wales on a top-secret mission to protect the nation’s priceless artwork. This compelling story blends wartime adventure with suspicious local characters, impending danger and themes of loyalty. Well-researched, 9-11-year-olds will learn about key historical events and relate to the highly convincing characters. Teachers will find Hide and Seek an ideal class text to read as part of a World War 2 cross-curricular teaching unit or to use for hotseating and discussing character empathy. Highly recommended.
Rosie Raja: Undercover Codebreaker by Sufiya Ahmed. 
Escape Room by Christopher Edge. 
I, Spy by Rhian Tracey. The Curse of the Tomb Robbers by Andy Seed
Presented as a series of informative stories based on historical facts, KS2 children will learn how to read hieroglyphs, solve code puzzles, and find paths through complex mazes. Nub and Iteti guide readers through Ancient Egyptian life in 1422 BC, with the narrative and activities all leading up to stopping a crime and preventing a dangerous curse from being unleashed! An inventive and exciting journey into the world of Ancient Egyptian society, town life and tomb raiding, this stunningly illustrated large format paperback with punchy bursts of story and detail is an ideal resource for Ancient Egypt topics. It’s also perfect as an extension to coding topics and as an interactive book to read and share in pairs or groups during class reading time. Highly recommended.
Bletchley Park Puzzles and Brainteasers: Could You Be a Top Secret Codebreaker? by Sinclair McKay. 
Puzzles for Spies by GCHQ. 
City of Spies by Iszi Lawrence. Codes, puzzles and spies books for secondary-aged children
Death on the Tracks by Paul Westmoreland. 
Agent 21 by Chris Ryan. 
Kenken A Puzzle A Day! 365 Puzzles and Solutions to Make You Smarter by Tetsuya Miyamoto and Robert Fuhrer. Escape Castle Dracula by Sam Fern, illustrated by Adam Allori
Sam Fern invites readers into a spectacular interactive adventure set within Count Dracula’s castle. Readers are challenged to help characters like Victor Frankenstein and Dr Jekyll in 14 classic horror narratives, all the while solving tricky puzzles and mazes in this highly illustrated hardback. Cleverly combining storytelling with problem-solving, this book is a great way to explore classic literature. Illustrated by Adam Allori, the detailed artwork is mesmerising, and Escape Castle Dracula promises hours of entertainment. This book is absolutely fantastic, and children will read and reread it for years to come.
The Secrets Act by Alison Weatherby
This mesmerizing novel follows Pearl and Ellen, two teenagers who are working at the super-secret Bletchley Park during WW2. Ellen cracks codes and Pearl delivers messages, but both find themselves drawn together and thrust headlong into a world of intrigue, treachery and spies – a dangerous puzzle that they might not be able to solve in time. A fascinating and original historical novel for young adults, The Secrets Act is highly recommended for year 9 pupils.
The GCHQ Puzzle Book by GCHQ. 
Cain’s Jawbone by Ernest Powys Mathers. 
Think Twice: Solve the Simple Puzzles (Almost) Everyone Gets Wrong by Alex Bellos. The Bad Ones by Melissa Albert
A chilling narrative unfolds when four people mysteriously disappear one winter’s night, revealing a dark world of occult power and toxic friendships. 12+ year olds will relate to Nora, who unravels the dark magic and coded messages left by her friend, Becca. Blending supernatural elements and gritty real life, this is a spooky, unforgettable and thought-provoking read.
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Codes, puzzles, secrets and spies resources for teachers
- The UK government’s GCHQ education & outreach website includes details of science fairs, hackathons, STEM seminars, language sessions and competitions.
- BBC Teach has a range of videos and KS2 activities exploring people in history, including KS1/KS2 People in history including WW2 radio operator and secret agent Noor Inayat Khan.
- The Science Museum has a great page explaining for cypher wheels are used to create and dechypher codes. These free, downloadable and practical activities are ideal for USK2 and KS3.
- The Imperial War Museum has put together an interactive ‘secrets and spies mission’ challenge with videos, resources and online puzzles. It’s perfect for home learning, the whole family, or extracurricular clubs at school.
- “Teach the story of Colossus, the General Post Office, Tommy Flowers and Second World War code-breaking in your classroom.” This is a cracking downloadable code-breaking and digital security resource for KS2 from the Postal Museum.
- Royal Academy of Engineering offers a range of online codebreaking resources, activities and challenges suitable for KS2 and KS3.
- Here’s a free printable Escape Room activity for upper primary children from the Scottish Mathematical Council.
- Learn about spies in disguise in this engaging video resource from the Imperial War Museum for KS2/3.
- Mr Barton Maths has a trove of free maths and logic puzzles which will appeal to UKS2 and KS3 students.
- Find out more about the ‘Cambridge Spies‘ in this short film from the BBC which will appeal to KS3 classes.
- Challenge your students to enter a codebreaking competition. The School Codebreaking Competition is open to KS2, KS3, KS4 and KS5.
- Have a look at our review of Epic Escapes At-Home Kits. These kits are ideal for families at home or for use at schools with groups or extracurricular activities.
BISAC JNF016000, JNF021040 Puzzles and quizzes, General knowledge and interesting facts | Thema YNVP, YNG
