Stefanie M. Ethan and Mia join The Cookie Codebreakers, Grandma’s super-secret spy club, when she reveals her past as a spy known as The Masked Knitter. Throughout the day, Grandma gives them missions and clues, teaching them fun spy skills along the way. The kids search for secret messages, learn “spy moves” like the pigeon pose, and even practice using invisible ink! With each clue, they get closer to earning their official club badges. After finding their badges in a tiny treasure chest in the garden, they end the day with a lively spy parade. With Grandma leading the way, Ethan and Mia can’t wait for their next adventure!
Word Count: 1,050 words
Estimated Reading Time: 7–8 minutes
Why This Story is Perfect for Beginning Readers
This story is ideal for beginning readers because it combines a simple structure with engaging, playful content. Key elements that make it accessible include:
- Simple Vocabulary and Short Sentences: The language is straightforward, with shorter sentences that are easy to follow. This style helps emerging readers build confidence as they read independently.
- Repetitive Structure: Each “mission” follows a clear, predictable pattern, helping readers anticipate what will happen next and understand the story flow.
- Relatable, Lighthearted Theme: The story’s emphasis on family, humor, and imagination provides a comforting, positive experience that encourages reading for pleasure.
- Visual Clues and Actions: Descriptive scenes, such as finding clues in the garden or practicing spy moves, make it easy for readers to visualize the story. The fun physical actions also add an interactive element to the reading.
Grandma’s Super Secret Spy Club
Ethan and Mia had a big secret. They were part of a super-secret spy club! It all started one rainy Saturday when they visited Grandma. She was knitting in her favorite chair with a big smile on her face.
“Did you know,” Grandma whispered, “that I used to be a spy?”
“A real spy?” Ethan asked, eyes wide.
“Yes! I was known as The Masked Knitter,” Grandma said with a wink. “And I need some new spies to help me with a mission. Would you like to join my club?”
Ethan and Mia grinned and nodded. This sounded exciting!
“Welcome to The Cookie Codebreakers!” Grandma said with a big smile.
She handed them each a cookie. “For your first mission, you must find the secret message in this cookie,” she said.
Ethan and Mia looked at the cookies carefully. “How can we read a cookie?” Mia asked, puzzled.
“Try eating it!” Grandma laughed.
They each took a bite. Inside the cookie, they found tiny rolled-up papers.
Ethan unrolled his paper and read, “Meet me in the garden. Bring your thinking caps!”
Ethan and Mia dashed to grab hats from Grandma’s hall closet. “Thinking caps are on!” they said.
When they got to the garden, Grandma had a plate of tiny mini-sandwiches waiting for them. “Every spy needs fuel!” she said with a wink.
After their snack, Grandma showed them one of her spy gadgets: a giant pair of glasses with secret messages hidden inside. She handed them to Mia.
“Look inside the glasses,” Grandma said.
Mia gasped when she looked through them. “I see another message!” she said.
It read, “Say the code word to begin your mission.”
“What’s the code word, Grandma?” Ethan asked.
“Pickles and Peanuts!” Grandma replied.
Ethan and Mia giggled and shouted, “Pickles and Peanuts!”
“Now, I’ll teach you a special spy move,” Grandma said. “It’s called the ‘pigeon pose’—very useful when you want to blend in.”
Grandma showed them how to squat down and act like a statue, just like a pigeon. She looked so serious and still that Ethan and Mia burst out laughing.
“Shhh! Spies don’t laugh too loud,” Grandma whispered with a chuckle.
They all practiced their pigeon poses, trying hard not to giggle. Whenever Grandma moved, they followed in their spy pose, sneaking from one bush to another.
Grandma led them back inside the house. “Your next clue is hidden in a secret spot. Look under the old photo frame in the living room.”
Ethan and Mia dashed to the living room and lifted the frame carefully. They found another tiny rolled-up paper.
This one read, “To read this clue, you’ll need invisible ink!”
“What’s invisible ink?” Mia asked.
“It’s a magic kind of ink,” Grandma said. “We can make it with lemon juice.”
In the kitchen, Grandma squeezed some lemon juice into a cup and dipped a cotton swab in it. She wrote a secret message on a blank piece of paper.
When she held the paper over a candle’s gentle heat, words slowly appeared! They read it together: “Check the garden for the next clue.”
In the garden, Grandma pointed toward a small fountain. “There’s a clue near the fountain, but I think we’ll need a little help from my secret spy friend,” she whispered.
“Who’s that?” Ethan asked.
“Miss Rose, my best friend from knitting club,” Grandma said. “She used to help me with secret missions. Let’s see if she left anything behind for us.”
Under a flowerpot by the fountain, they found a note tied with yarn. The note read: “I’ve hidden a secret riddle for you to solve. Look near the biggest tree in the yard.”
“Miss Rose is sneaky!” Mia laughed.
“Yes, she is,” Grandma chuckled. “Now, let’s solve this riddle!”
They hurried over to the big tree in the yard. Taped to the tree trunk was another note. Ethan carefully peeled it off and read aloud:
“I’m something that grows in a row and can be picked when ripe, but I’m not fruit, I’m not grain. What am I?”
Mia thought hard. “Something that grows in a row… Maybe it’s flowers?”
Grandma shook her head with a smile. “Close, but not quite.”
Ethan snapped his fingers. “Vegetables! We have rows of vegetables in the garden!”
“That’s right!” Grandma clapped her hands. “Let’s go to the vegetable patch.”
In the vegetable patch, they found a tiny treasure chest buried lightly in the dirt. Ethan and Mia dug it up and opened it. Inside was a shiny medal that said, “Official Member of Grandma’s Spy Club.”
“Now, you’re both official members!” Grandma said, pinning the medals on their shirts.
“Thank you, Grandma!” they cheered.
“Of course, but there’s one more thing,” Grandma said with a grin. “A spy parade!”
Ethan, Mia, and Grandma grabbed their “spy gear”—funny hats, Grandma’s colorful wig, and the giant glasses. Even Rufus, their big, fluffy dog, joined in with a mini hat of his own.
They marched around the garden, chanting their spy code word: “Pickles and Peanuts! Pickles and Peanuts!”
Rufus barked happily, and everyone laughed as they paraded around the yard.
After the parade, Grandma handed them a final note. It read, “The Spy Game Never Ends!”
“What does that mean, Grandma?” asked Mia.
“It means there’s always another mystery waiting to be solved,” Grandma replied with a wink.
Just then, Rufus trotted over and dropped a small bone at their feet.
“Do you think Rufus is giving us another clue?” Ethan laughed.
“Well, every spy club needs a trusty dog,” Grandma said, patting Rufus on the head. “Who knows? Maybe his bone is just the beginning of a new mission.”
From that day on, whenever Ethan, Mia, and Grandma saw each other, they’d say, “Pickles and Peanuts!” That was their code word to start a new adventure with The Cookie Codebreakers.
And they all knew, with Grandma as their leader, the fun would never end.
