“A spy, like a writer, lives outside the mainstream population. He steals his experience through bribes and reconstructs it.� -John le Carre
Table of Contents Introduction…………………………………………………...Page 3 What I Knew…………………………………………………..Page 3 What I Wanted To Know………………………………….Page 4
What I Learned……………………………………………….Page 4 Meaning of Success………………………………………….Page 5 Bias Article……………………………………………………...Page 6 Bias Article Reflection……………………………………...Page 7
March 16, 2015
Maham Block :D
The Secret Agent and Other Spy Kids
A book that shows the struggles of brave spy kids as they risk their lives for the sake of their country. The Secret Agent and Other Spy Kids written by Allan Zullo, is about many spy kids who went into dangerous situations. Some spy for their homeland while others spy for the rebels. Each one going to the ends of the Earth to find information and report back in one piece. From poor country boys to rich southern belles, each spy is different yet the same. They all have one thing in common: to get information and report back. With only the intention to help their country, they go to army bases and hide in the smallest of places to save their country and help in their own way. In this book there are a collection of stories with tales of different spies in America, France, Germany, and Korea. Each helping out in ways they couldn’t even imagine. Some even changing the outcome of wars.
What I Knew Before I Started Before reading this book I really didn’t know much of anything besides the fact that these spies were kids. I guess I knew that some kids spied as rebels while others spied as loyalists. But that isn’t exactly a crazy fact that no one knew. The only other thing that came to mind was that Spy Kids movie, though the book was nothing like that. So it’s safe to say I was pretty clueless.
What I Wanted To Know How did kid spies help out? Did parents let kids spy? Did kids get caught spying? How did kids avoid getting caught?
Why did kids spy? Who were some different spies?
What I Learned
A few parents knew of their kids spying, while others didn't. Those kids snuck out and left without word, hoping their parents wouldn't notice.
Many kid spies changed the outcome of battles
Many spies got caught while spying and some were hung because that was the penalty of spying.
Kids spied for many different reasons, some spied to support what they believed in, while others did it just for the thrill.
George Washington made a ring for spying to convey information to others and get information for himself. Many people followed after him and created more spy rings.
Some spies believed in the rebellion while others were loyal to the confederacy.
Spies sometimes trusted the people and told them information and are later betrayed.
Sam Houston was the general for the war between Texas and Mexico.
There was a girl spy who was very bold and often made mistakes, some spies were like her, while others were quiet and secretive.
The Meaning of Success In this book success means to spy your best, get out safe, and to never reveal any information to any enemies no matter what. It means to stay brave, loyal and committed to your cause. It’s to get all the information you can and change the outcome of wars with just the tiniest bit of information. All these spies were successful because they were brave, daring, and passionate while they spied, even when there was the chance of getting caught and killed. To me success means to try your hardest in everything you do even if in the end you don’t actually ‘succeed’, at least you tried your hardest. In the end you’d have that little bit of happiness and pride knowing you tried your absolute hardest with the thought of success in your mind. And if you do succeed whilst trying your hardest, that’s probably one of the greatest feelings in the world. You tried your hardest getting there and when you made it, it all paid off. All that work and exertion paid off. And to me the things you do to get to your goal, is what you should really be proud of, to me that’s what makes you successful. I once faced a hard test in math and didn’t totally understand the lesson. I asked others for help, reviewed and studied the best I could until I had to take it. When that day came it was as if all of the information from my brain just disappeared and it was like I hadn’t studied at all. Just going through the test I knew I wasn’t going to get the grade I was hoping for. At the end of the week when I looked at the grade I got, it was a C+, my first time getting a C. It was tough and I felt bad, but there was little bit of happiness at the back of my head. I got over it soon enough telling myself that I passed, and that was all that mattered. I’d tried my hardest and the test wasn’t how I expected it to be like. I may have gotten a pretty bad grade, but I still have that perseverance to get an A to be proud of. A kid spy from the civil war 5
Vocabulary Location of where one of the spies spied for America during the MexicanAmerican war.
hardscrabble – involving hard work and struggle pg.19 donned– to put on an item of clothing pg.21 palmettos- any of several usually lowgrowing fan-leaved palms pg. 23 regiment- a unit of ground forces in the military, consisting of two or more battalions or battle groups, a headquarters unit, and certain supporting units. pg.27 valises- a small piece of luggage that can be carried by hand, used to hold clothing, toilet articles, etc.; suitcase; traveling bag. pg.28
Bias Article “Her career in espionage began shortly thereafter: when a Union soldier invaded their home and assaulted her mother, Belle fatally shot him. She found that her actions garnered her favor, rather than punishment. Acquitted of the crime, she decided to serve the South. At 17, she became a messenger for Confederate Generals Pierre Beauregard and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, carrying information, delivering medical supplies and confiscating weapons. She became more daring with each act, as Union soldiers did not suspect a girl to be an effective intelligence agent. Even when her messages were intercepted before making their way South, federal officers took no action beyond reprimanding what they assumed was an innocent teenager. “Boyd was not particularly pro-slavery, nor even much of an ideologue for the Confederate cause. She married two Union men; four of her pallbearers were Union veterans; and her postwar lectures urged unity between the North and South. Instead, she was an adventurer who enjoyed her three years of Civil War notoriety. Belle Boyd was daring in a highly visible way that scorned the era’s standards for ladies, and she took great advantage of the common assumption that a woman could not be dangerous: arrested six times, imprisoned three times, and exiled twice, she sent a record for any spy. If a male spy had behaved similarly, he probably would have been executed.” https://www.nwhm.org/education-resources/biography/ biographies/belle-boyd/
Reflection On Article
Vocabulary
rabble- a disorderly crowd; mob pg.34 Tejanos- a style of Mexican-American popular music that features the accordion and blends the polka with various forms of traditional Mexican music, now often including synthesizers and rock music. pg.26 rout- a game or contest in which the winner easily defeats the loser by a large amount pg.37 grizzled- having gray or partly gray hair pg.41 couriers- a person whose job is to carry messages, packages, etc., from one person or place to another pg.43
This article is bias towards Belle Boyd by portraying her as a hero. The author mentions how Belle was a brave and daring girl who was unique and a rare find at the time repeatedly. They depict Belle as an idol to women, that they should be as valiant as her and not be afraid to stand up for what they believe in. The author constantly praises her audacity and fearlessness, but doesn't put any negative thoughts towards Belle’s arrests, imprisonment, and exile. Instead they use these as an example for how dauntless she was. In this article there was never a cynical or critical remark towards Bell Boyd. She was praised all throughout this article and was seen as an icon. Belle Boyd, confederate spy
Images: http://s484.photobucket.com/user/hsuhomies/media/1984/HitlerYouth.jpg.html http://ifproperlyled.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Johnny-Shiloh.jpg http://www.ezilon.com/maps/images/usa/texas_simple.gif
http://www.civilwar.org/education/assets/images/boyd_web.jpg http://rivista-cdn.hourdetroit.com/Hour-Detroit/December-2011/Rhythm-SectionCivil-War-Sesquicentennial/DrummerBoy2_cx.jpg?ver=1403876549