Operation High School is a novel about a shy high school student, Emma, who gets into a dangerous situation in her new hometown. One day during school, she finds a mysterious note in her textbook that leads her to a secret school society and some great friends. The society members have a desire to become spies, and they find out about a group of terrorists in their city. When they try to learn more, they end up getting captured by the terrorists.

At approximately 200 pages, this book is unique in the way it introduces new vocabulary (300 words) to the reader. This is accomplished in three ways: target words are bolded and used in context, they are defined at the bottom of the page on which they appear, and a word review is included at the end of each chapter. The word review lists all the vocabulary words in that chapter. An index with a list of all the vocabulary words, pronunciations, parts of speech, and definitions is found at the back of the book. The pronunciation system used is more contemporary than the traditional one used in many dictionaries.

The main character, Emma, goes to a Baptist church and mentions Bible stories in the descriptions of her adventures. Since her parents are away for the weekend during which most of the story takes place, the book avoids interactions and possible conflicts with them. Although she sneaks out one night, Emma is mostly well behaved and has good motives.

A short introduction explains the concept. You read the book and hopefully are motivated to check the definitions (located at the bottom of the page) of any unfamiliar words. The definitions are concise so that you get the info you need and can quickly jump back to the story. Pronunciations are also included. It is recommended that the reader use the word review immediately after each chapter to reinforce the new words learned. Vocabulary flashcards are available for purchase from the publisher.

My 15-year-old son read the book and found the story line riveting. He says, "If I could change anything about this book, I think Emma should have pushed to let her parents know about the secret society since it would be the right thing to do and since other 'parent' figures also know about their activities. Overall, the book was amazing, and I would love it to be made into a series."

Written for all readers who want to increase their vocabularies, the book is also designed to help students who are preparing for the SAT or similar exams. Even though this book's main character is a girl, her friends in the society include boys as well, so male readers will also identify with the story and enjoy it.

We have found that lots of exposure to good literature over the years has naturally led to an excellent vocabulary, and Operation High School is a fun tool to use as a supplement.