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Quick answer: If you loved Zac Power, try Alex Rider: Stormbreaker, Spy School, CHERUB: The Recruit, The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones, Agent Moose and Young Bond: SilverFin. Each one is a short, action-packed series about kid spies, gadgets and fast missions.
H.I. Larry's Zac Power series follows Zac, a twelve-year-old spy for the secret agency GIB, the Government Investigation Bureau. In each short book he gets a mission, a set of gadgets and about 24 hours to stop a villain, often from the rival agency BIG. The books are quick, funny and full of chases, which makes them popular with reluctant readers. These books share its spies, its gadgets and its fast pace.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Age | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Rider: Stormbreaker | Anthony Horowitz | 10-14 | readers ready for a bigger spy series |
| Spy School | Stuart Gibbs | 9-13 | readers who like spy humor |
| CHERUB: The Recruit | Robert Muchamore | 12+ | older readers |
| The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones | Rick Riordan | 8-12 | readers who like treasure hunts |
| Agent Moose | Mo O'Hara | 6-9 | younger readers |
| Young Bond: SilverFin | Charlie Higson | 11+ | readers who like spy origin stories |
| Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life | James Patterson | 8-12 | readers who like funny school stories |
| Artemis Fowl | Eoin Colfer | 9-13 | readers who like criminal masterminds |
| Captain Underpants | Dav Pilkey | 7-10 | readers who want silly action |
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid | Jeff Kinney | 8-12 | readers who like quick reads |
| The Bad Guys | Aaron Blabey | 6-10 | younger readers |
| Ninja Kid | Anh Do | 6-10 | readers who like action and laughs |
| Secret Agent Jack Stalwart | Elizabeth Singer Hunt | 6-9 | younger readers |
| Hank Zipzer | Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver | 8-12 | readers who like funny underdogs |
| The Wizards of Once | Cressida Cowell | 8-12 | readers ready for fantasy action |
1. Alex Rider: Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
A fourteen-year-old is recruited by MI6.
Best for: readers ready for a bigger spy series.
2. Spy School by Stuart Gibbs
A boy is recruited to a secret CIA academy.
Best for: readers who like spy humor.
3. CHERUB: The Recruit by Robert Muchamore
Teenagers are trained as secret agents.
Best for: older readers.
4. The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan
Siblings race to find clues hidden around the world.
Best for: readers who like treasure hunts.
5. Agent Moose by Mo O'Hara
A moose secret agent solves animal mysteries.
Best for: younger readers.
6. Young Bond: SilverFin by Charlie Higson
A teenage James Bond faces his first adventure.
Best for: readers who like spy origin stories.
7. Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson
A boy tries to break every school rule.
Best for: readers who like funny school stories.
8. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
A boy genius kidnaps a fairy for ransom.
Best for: readers who like criminal masterminds.
9. Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey
Two boys turn their principal into a superhero.
Best for: readers who want silly action.
10. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
A boy survives middle school.
Best for: readers who like quick reads.
11. The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey
Animal bad guys try to be heroes.
Best for: younger readers.
12. Ninja Kid by Anh Do
A clumsy boy discovers he is a ninja.
Best for: readers who like action and laughs.
13. Secret Agent Jack Stalwart by Elizabeth Singer Hunt
A boy agent travels the world on missions.
Best for: younger readers.
14. Hank Zipzer by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver
A boy with dyslexia gets into scrapes.
Best for: readers who like funny underdogs.
15. The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell
A wizard boy and a warrior girl team up.
Best for: readers ready for fantasy action.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Zac Power: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Zac Power. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most. If a pick is part of a longer series, read the first book before you commit, and check the age or content notes in the table before passing a book to a younger reader.
How to Choose
Readers who are ready for something longer should move to Alex Rider or Spy School. For younger kids, Secret Agent Jack Stalwart and Agent Moose keep the quick missions. If it was the humor that hooked them, The Bad Guys and Captain Underpants are perfect. Older readers can try CHERUB or Young Bond.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Zac Power about?
A twelve-year-old spy completes fast missions with gadgets for a secret agency.
What age is Zac Power for?
It is usually enjoyed by readers aged about 7 to 11.
Who wrote Zac Power?
H.I. Larry, the pen name of Australian author Hilary Badger.
Are Zac Power books short?
Yes. Most are under 100 pages, which makes them good for reluctant readers.
What is GIB?
The Government Investigation Bureau, Zac's spy agency.
How many Zac Power books are there?
There are dozens of books, including spin-off series.
What should my child read after Zac Power?
Alex Rider or Spy School are good next steps.