Alex Rider is fourteen, freshly orphaned, and about to discover his uncle wasn't a banker — he was MI6's top assassin. Now British Intelligence wants Alex to finish the job: infiltrate the compound of tech billionaire Darrius Sayle, whose free supercomputers are about to be distributed to every school in England. Something's wrong with Stormbreaker, and Alex has to find out what before launch day. Anthony Horowitz kicks off his bestselling spy series with genuine stakes, clever gadgets, and a teenage protagonist who earns his place in the field through quick thinking, not superpowers. It's James Bond for the middle-grade set, but sharper and less campy — Alex gets hurt, makes mistakes, and genuinely questions whether he should be doing this at all. Perfect for readers aged 10-14 who've outgrown Percy Jackson but aren't quite ready for adult thrillers.
