Spyglass: Coldfinger by David Solomons, illustrated by Miguel Diaz Rivas – at a glance
The School Reading Lists’ five word review: heatwave, friendship, repairs, Christmas.
Children’s book title: Spyglass: Coldfinger.
Children’s author: David Solomons.
Children’s illustrator: Miguel Diaz Rivas.
Genre: Children’s fiction.
Published by: Nosy Crow.
ISBN: 9781805132370.
Recommended for children aged: 9-12.
First published: October 2026.
This children’s book is ideal for: anyone who enjoyed the first book in this series or novels about spies, gadgets, and not immediately succeeding with plans and ideas.
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Our review:
It is blazing hot at GoldenCliff Holiday Park, which would be great if it were midsummer, but unfortunately, it’s nearly Christmas, and none of the planned activities works well in a heatwave! Along with his friends, Tyler and Zada, Adam Stickland is trying to make sure everything is running as problem-free as possible, which isn’t easy when things keep melting, blowing fuses or giving up altogether!
Summoned to Spyglass Manor, they discover the strange weather conditions have nothing to do with the season or global warming and everything to do with Professor Goodspeed’s previous employment at MI6! Coldfinger, a highly dangerous, secret and long-buried device to assist with climate control, has malfunctioned in its underground bunker and needs shutting down.
Unfortunately, it’s located beneath Santa’s grotto at GoldenCliff and is responsible for their tropical winter!
When the owner of a hilltop spa begins behaving strangely and her assistant seems to be snooping around wherever Adam and his friends are, they realise someone else is looking for the Coldfinger device! With the weather getting even stranger, the danger moving even closer, and Adam’s mum needing his mending skills even more than usual, he knows they need to get the malfunctioning gadget back to Professor Goodspeed as quickly as possible – as long as they can save him first, of course!
Our verdict:
The second book in David Solomons’ spy series introduces a new villain, a henchman with a penchant for sequinned, sparkly Lycra, and action right from page one that never lets up. Although based around unusual weather patterns, this isn’t a book about climate change; instead, it focuses on the dangers of unreliable technology and how an original idea doesn’t necessarily stand the test of time.
As previously, the running of the family caravan park is both part of the main storyline and light relief from the chaotic Coldfinger investigation. Between the weather, a foray into the world of Strictly Come Dancing, and malfunctioning or melting technology, Adam is run off his feet, and the author shows the worth of his friends, his dog and the brilliantly named Malone the Drone, all of them helping and hindering Adam as he battles his way to an exciting and satisfying result.
Teaching points and book club discussion ideas:
- Weather is the main focus of this story, something Brits are supposedly overly focused on! If you had the chance to have a sunny and warm winter, would you take it?
- In a cross-curricular activity with art, design a poster to promote the different activities taking place at GoldenCliff Holiday Park. What would you have as your main attraction?
- With a drone, a dog and two friends to help and hinder him, how important do you think Adam’s leadership skills are to the success of their missions?
- Adam is a whizz at mending things. Do you think he could be as good at inventing things to help his team in the future?
- What new gadgets would you like to have to help you every day?
Many thanks to Nosy Crow for the review copy.
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