A Girl’s Guide To Spying
By Holly Webb
Published by Oneworld Publications

It was always going to grab my attention! Acclaimed children’s author Holly Webb combines her talent to write and engage with the history of Girl guiding.
What’s not to love!

Did you know that the Girl Guides worked undercover for MI5 during the First World War? We learn about the trauma and loss of the many men who lost their lives. But behind the scenes, many women risked everything when they took up the roles of spying. A great story full of all the qualities that Girl guiding offers: friendship, honesty, loyalty, adventure and fun! To name only a few!
 
Phyl is dragged along to the Girl Guides by her younger sister, Annie. She is spotted as being observant but not nosey, curious and loyal. So when her Guide captain offers her a job as a messenger for MI5, Phyl is desperate to prove her worth and play her part. Surrounded by men and put down by the Boy Scouts, she is thrilled to be proving girls can work with spies too.
 
But things don’t go quite as planned and Phyl can’t do anything right in the eyes of the grumpy Major Warren. Trying to right some wrongs and find her place, Phyl discovers too many things. The two sisters along with their troop must work together to unpick the inconsistencies and piece this mystery together.
A missing Major!
A foul stench blamed on the plumbing!
A stolen document!
An innocent victim blamed!

With persuasion and proof will their friends from the Rose Patrol believe them and solve the mystery?
Would you be ready to help your fellow Girl guides?

I loved the plot! I loved the history and factual content! And the whole ethos of righting a wrong as part of a group. Nice work Holly and thank you for putting Girl guiding back in the limelight!

Joanne Bardgett - teacher of littlies, lover of Children’s literature.
#Netgallery

Girl guide turns into being a spy and this is the kind of content I was looking for!

This was my first by Webb and not my last!

As a big fan of the best-selling author Holly Webb, I knew that I was going to love her latest book A Girl’s Guide to Spying - even without the pull of a great title and gorgeous blue cover.
In a departure from @hollywebbauthor usual books about animals and/or magic, A Girl’s Guide to Spying is set in London at the time of the First World War. The heroine, Phyl’s expectations are low when she is made to join Girl Guides. Little does Phil realise that joining the guides will lead to her working for MI5. Life immediately becomes a lot more exciting and dangerous for Phyl and her friends as they are further caught up in espionage and murder!
Holly Webb is an accomplished writer and A Girls Guide to Spying rattles along at pace. The writing sparkles, the characters come alive and the pages turn themselves in this exciting, twisty read. Listed as Book 1- A Rose Patrol Mystery, I can’t wait for book 2 and hopefully more.

I don’t think I could have enjoyed this book more than I did! I absolutely loved it.

We follow our plucky little Girl Scouts as they not only navigate through the war but their missions to get badges, do war work oh, and solve a murder and a mystery or two along the way.

You could tell how much research and love has gone into this book and it made for such enjoyable reading. I genuinely loved all the characters, the writing itself was great and the plot was super compelling (both for young readers and *cough* older readers like me). The author really got the tone of the times right too and it was all just balanced so well.

I hope there will be more to come because it’s set itself up to be a great series and one I’ll definitely be on the lookout for in the future.

A Girl’s Guide to Spying is a completing captivating First World War mystery for readers age 9+ that shares and celebrates the history of Girlguiding. The resilience, strength, courage and intelligence of young girls takes centre stage in a time of uncertainty and fear. I see the legacy of these types of girls every week at my Brownie and Guide meetings where young girls are empowered to be true to themselves and show just how much they can do. This story proves Girlguiding is so much more than camping and badges – it’s an organisation that gives girls and young women the tools and confidence to believe they can do anything.

The first in a new series, A Girl’s Guide to Spying introduces readers to 13-year-old Phyllis and her younger sister, Annie. Looking for adventure and fun, they’re thrilled to be asked to join the 1st Holburn Guide Company. Their parents worry the Guides are unladylike but they soon see how much their daughters gain from being a part of the group. From traditional games like Kim’s Game that tests memory to observation and tracking to knots, morse code, first aid and making clothing, the girls learn so many skills that allow them to contribute to the war effort and their community. Recognised for their abilities, some of the girls are recruited to work at Watergate House – headquarters of MI5. Surrounded by spies and war secrets, this is serious work.

Phyl is thrilled to be offered the job of a messenger at Watergate House. With her older brother fighting at the front, she really wants to do something to help. Thoughtful and intelligent, she’s a fast learner and a quick thinker. When a man goes missing along with an important document, she must use everything she’s learned at Guides to find clues, unscramble ciphers and reveal who’s to blame. Could there be a spy at Watergate House?

Holly Webb has created a rich text absolutely overflowing with details about life in 1915 London. Readers are invited to explore the treatment of German families accused of being spies, the impact of the Suffragettes, gender stereotypes faced by women, the fear of zeppelin attacks, the reality of fighting and returning home from the front, and what it meant to live under the Official Secrets Act.

The values and traditions of Girlguiding are cleverly woven into the story. Each chapter begins with a quote from a historic text: newspapers, letters, government warnings, documents from MI5, The Handbook for Girl Guides and others. These reveal opinions of the time and some are shockingly outdated in their portrayal of women. Girlguiding has changed with the times as girls have proven again and again just how capable and independent they can be.

These girls are fun and full of personality. They get along (or don’t) just like any other group of children but always come together for the common purpose of serving their community and doing something good. Their relationship with their Guide leaders is lovely, showing the importance of these role models who encourage and inspire. Similarly, the Guide meeting is a safe space for the girls, a place where they can be themselves and feel like they belong. The Guide Law runs through every part of this story, particularly the clause “A Guide is a good friend and a sister to all Guides.” This sisterhood was essential in working together to not only solve the mystery but to get through the war together.

This story of spies, ciphers and adventure reveals the heart of Girlguiding. With its wonderfully engaging mystery full of secret codes and double agents, it will have independent readers from Year 4 onwards completely engrossed – although I can imagine my Year 2 and Year 3 Brownies listening in wide-eyed delight as it’s read aloud. I’m certain this will be my personal book of 2025/2026 as it so beautifully honours the uniqueness of Girlguiding within an outstanding historical mystery.

Thank you so much for the advanced copy which I shared with my book thirsty 8 year old. She is a huge Holly Webb fan and we've seen Holly speak twice
Here is her review in her own words...

"My favourite character was Annie because she was more determined than her older sister Phyl. I like the book because it shows that girls have the power. It was interesting because it was based in a real time in history but was fiction. I think it is even better than the animal ones (which I love!)" DJ aged 8

My daughter who can’t wait to be a girl guide (currently a brownie) loves this book. One of her quickest reads this year. What an adventure. You couldn’t help but be swept along for the ride

Had so much fun reading this!!! I read Holly Webb books when I was little so it was sooo beautiful to read one of her books now.

A wonderful piece of historical fiction set during World War 1. A Girl’s Guide to Spying provides a fascinating insight into the role of the Girl Guides from the point of view of thirteen-year-old Phyl. Descriptions of the activities undertaken in the Guides’ weekly meetings stirred a sense of anticipation about the tremendous social change afoot, while highlighting the contradictory nature of the role that girls were expected to fulfil. For example, some weeks the Guides might perfect their ironing and starching skills in pursuit of the Laundry badge and in preparation for a life in the home. Other weeks, they worked towards their Ambulance badge or learnt Morse code, semaphore and how to tie knots.

Phyl’s involvement with the Guides gives her the unique opportunity to undertake confidential, paid work delivering messages for MO5. This role is both exciting and bracing for young Phyl, especially when set against the backdrop of ‘spy fever’ in World War 1 Britain. She takes her responsibilities seriously while learning how to deal with the patriarchal, sexist attitude of a colleague who strongly believes that women should not be undertaking ‘men’s work’.

One of this book’s strengths lies in how it acknowledges broader aspects of the War to the extent that they impinge upon Phyl’s life. For example, we see how the sinking of the Lusitania fuelled anti-German sentiment in Phyl’s neighbourhood and we learn about Edith Cavell’s nursing of Allied troops which was undertaken at great personal risk. This context grounded the novel in the time period, while maintaining the focus on Phyl’s journey.

Each chapter of the novel starts with an extract from a primary source, such as the ‘Girl Guides’ Gazette’ or Agnes Baden-Powell’s ‘The Handbook for Girl Guides’. I felt that this hugely enhanced the power of the narrative and increased my overall engagement with the story. The quotes selected reflected attitudes of the time which were influential in shaping girls’ formative experiences, for better or worse.

Above all, this novel showed how the Girl Guides movement helped to bridge the social divide and how it provided an alternative worldview through the involvement of Guide captains and lieutenants who were involved in the suffragette movement. It was a profound reminder that girls have always been just as capable as boys, are deserving of the same opportunities as boys and should be treated with respect and dignity in society and in the workplace.

Thank you so much to Rock the Boat and NetGalley for sharing an eARC with me in exchange for an honest review.

This really was a thrilling book. I really enjoyed the plot and the snippets of old handbooks, and other material linked to girl guiding was interesting and added something different to the book. The characters were well written and likeable. I particularly liked Annie and her free spirit. Phyl was a wonder example of the strength and cleverness of girls who may not be overly loud and outgoing. I liked the representation of different girls and how they can all be wonderful. Perfect for fans of Murder Most Unladylike. I really do hope that there are more to come as this would be a wonderful series.

4.75

This was a great way to end my reading for the year with! I loved getting to join Guides with Phyl and Annie and then solving a murder! I truly felt like I was in 1915 with them. This felt really nostalgic too. I felt like I was transported back to my 9 year old self reading things like The Magic Faraway Tree etc. just something about it gave me that feeling and it was so lovely to feel like a kid again, lost in a book!

This was everything I hoped it would be - what a joy to get to know Rose Patrol as they help out with the war effort. A timely reminder of how even the smallest among us can make a difference. I loved them all although Hector the dog also captured my heart!

Holly Webb encapsulates all that is and has always been brilliant about Girlguiding - that it is for all girls and that persistence and skills of all sorts can bring about change. I hope this continues through the movement going forwards.

Well written historical spy mystery with likeable characters. Learned some things about the guiding movement too! Will have appeal for fans of Robin Stevens MMU and MUA series.