Reading Group Guide

Spy School Goes Wild

By Stuart Gibbs

About the Book

In the twelfth book of Stuart Gibbs’s New York Times bestselling Spy School series, superspy middle schooler Ben Ripley gets lost on a perilous mission with one of his greatest enemies.
Ben Ripley is recruited for a top secret mission to bring down his nemesis, Murray Hill, once and for all. But when things go horribly wrong, Ben ends up lost in an extremely dangerous wilderness with Murray—and confronting a new, devious enemy—with none of his friends to help him. Now Ben must figure out how to survive and deduce what evil plan his new enemy is plotting in time to thwart it.

Discussion Questions

1. With their school still in shambles and the team still living at the top secret facility in a remote corner of Kenai Fjords, Ben and most of his friends feel overwhelmed by their rigorous training. With little hope of returning to a more traditional school setting soon, the team must continue learning to adapt to their new status quo. Based on what you’ve discovered from your reading, what are some of the ways they do so?

2. At the start of Spy School Goes Wild, readers learn that Ben and his team remain in Alaska, but as Ben is selected to do a mission to capture Murray Hill, he’s accompanied by his former principal, who turns up with the assignment. What makes this independent mission unique for Ben? Predict how this will present new challenges for him. Are there ways in which working alone could be beneficial as opposed to working with a partner?

3. In a memo about the ongoing search for Murray Hill, agent Tina Cuevo tells Ben, “I suppose it’s possible that he survived, but you and I both know that Murray has the survival skills of a tuna sandwich, so I wouldn’t bet on it.” (Prologue) What do you think about her assessment of Murray Hill? Considering Ben’s previous missions and adventures, what examples can you offer that show Tina might be underselling Murray’s uncanny ability to find his way out of a life-threatening situation?

4. Given all that Erica has accomplished in her time at spy school and on missions, why does it appear that she is so intentionally competitive with Svetlana, the new Russian recruit? What makes Svetlana a formidable opponent to Erica? In what ways is it good for Erica to meet someone so similar to herself?

5. While articulating his misery about the intensity of their training efforts, Mike states, “‘I’m not sure who’s worse, our enemies or Cyrus.’” (Chapter one) How do you feel about Mike’s assessment of Cyrus Hale, Erica’s grandfather and a highly respected spy? Why do you believe Cyrus would be motivated to personally oversee the preparation of a select group of students in this isolated location?

6. The spy school principal tells Murray Hill, “‘Oh, I’m not collecting the money from you. You see, Murray, you’re even more responsible for my downfall than Ben.’” (Chapter five) Based on your knowledge of their previous interactions, how has Murray been more problematic for the principal than Ben?

7. Why does Murray Hill seem so offended to learn that he’s been double-crossed by their former principal from spy school? How is his reaction ironic? In what ways does it seem like a fitting outcome?

8. When Ben is delivered to Rufus Shang, Shang tells him, “‘I have been waiting so long for this! The day to avenge my family . . .’” (Chapter six) Consider his desire to seek revenge against Ben. Do you find Shang’s actions to be extreme? Why or why not?

9. After Ben and Murray escape from Rufus Shang, they find themselves hiding in the African wilderness without food, supplies, and, most importantly, water. As they contemplate how to proceed, Murray tells Ben, “‘Okay. All we have to do is find some water. That shouldn’t be too hard. We just need to find a tree and squeeze it real hard.’” (Chapter eight) How is Ben’s frustration with Murray’s lack of preparation or knowledge of survivalism warranted? What can be inferred about Murray from his justification of planning to have a desk job?

10. After Ben calls Murray “lucky” for being rescued so quickly after crashing the helicopter he stole, Murray retorts, “‘Figuring out how to outwit all of you superspies and steal your helicopter wasn’t luck. It was brilliance. But no one can know everything. I know plenty about being deceitful and clever and sneaky.’” (Chapter eight) What are your thoughts about Murray’s self-assessment?

11. While describing the challenges of this mission, Ben states, “I didn’t know much about how to survive in Africa either. I wished that Erica was there with us. Erica would have known what to do in our situation. She knew everything there was to know about wilderness survival. She would have known how to find water and how to figure out the fastest way back to civilization. She probably would have even been able to build a car out of sticks and rocks and drive us back to safety.” (Chapter eight) What does Ben’s assessment indicate about his deep understanding of Erica’s skills? Despite some obvious hardships, in what ways is this seemingly solo mission beneficial to Ben?

12. Soon after watching him drink water from elephant dung, Ben discovers a water bottle likely tossed from a vehicle, causing Murray to shriek, “‘If you had spotted this five minutes ago, then it would have been a stroke of luck! But seeing it after I drank elephant-poop juice? That’s not luck at all! That’s a cruel twist of fate!’” (Chapter eight) Do you believe Murray to be right or is Ben’s assessment that maybe the universe is upset with Murray feel more accurate? Explain your answer.

13. Ben spends most of his time in Africa regretting how he behaved the last time he saw Erica. He states that he fears that “Erica’s last memory of me would be of me being a jerk to her.” (Chapter eight) Why do you believe he acted the way he did? What lesson does he learn from this reflection?

14. List the ways in which Rufus Shang is a formidable foe. What resources does he have that make him such a threat to Ben and his team, as well as to the world at large?

15. In Spy School Goes Wild, what are the ways in which Erica’s parents and the rest of the spy school team prove that they will do anything they can to protect and save one of their team members?

16. Why is the spy school team’s plan to thwart Rufus Shang’s attack so dangerous? Discuss the pros and cons of their putting themselves at such great risk.

17. As he’s escorted into prison in Botswana, Murray Hill tells them, “‘You haven’t seen the last of me,’” and Ben thinks, “I had the wonderful feeling that Murray Hill was wrong—and I had finally defeated my nemesis once and for all.” (Chapter twenty-four) Who do you think will be proven right and why?

18. Thinking about the events of Spy School Goes Wild and the Spy School series in general, what’s been your favorite mission the Spy School team have undertaken so far? Why?

Extension Activities

1. Besides being the wilderness where Ben and Murray flee Rufus Shang and his men, Chobe National Park is home to some incredible wildlife. Using https://www.chobe.com/information-chobe.php and other resources, and working in small groups, research to learn some Chobe National Park basics, including:

o Where is the park located?

o How large is it?

o What is it best known for?

o In what ways does Botswana show its commitment to Chobe?

o What are the greatest challenges faced by those that work in service to the park?

o What are five unusual facts about the park that you uncovered from your research?

After completing this research, share the three most interesting things you learned with your peers.

2. To execute his evil plan, Rufus Chang utilizes prisoners in chain gangs to dig ditches, spread concrete, and do a variety of other difficult forced labor tasks. Using library and internet resources, research the history of chain gangs. Begin with reading the PBS feature “Slavery by Another Name” at: https://www.pbs.org/tpt/slavery-by-another-name/themes/chain-gangs/#:~:text=Chain%20gangs%20were%20groups%20of,as%20railroad%20cars%20or%20trucks

Be sure to learn more about where the term originated, what it means, and where it has been used historically both in the United States and across the globe. Share your findings with others.

3. In Spy School Goes Wild, Ben tells readers that “In Chobe, large animals were everywhere,” and in addition to animals such as wildebeest, zebra, hyenas, ostriches, and Cape buffalo, Chobe is home to animals he didn’t know existed. (Chapter thirteen) Using those listed in chapter thirteen, select one animal that you know little or nothing about and research to learn more about this creature. After finishing, share what you’ve discovered with others.

5. In this story, readers are introduced to diamond mining. Diamond discoveries have a huge impact on countries and mine owners. First, read the following article about a recent important diamond discovery in Botswana here: https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/22/style/diamond-botswana-scli-intl/index.html. After reading, research to learn more about who owns the largest diamond mines across the continent of Africa, keeping the following questions in mind while you research.

o Who are the major stakeholders in the mining business there?

o What are some of the ways in which foreign companies mining there are problematic? Are there any benefits to the hosting country?

o When did this discovery occur and what challenges has this discovery created?

o What additional information did you find interesting and why?

After completing your research, share your new knowledge with others.

5. In Spy School Goes Wild, readers learn that while the gross-out factor may be high, as a means of survival elephant dung can be used as a source of water. Get some truth about poop (specifically elephant poo) here: https://africageographic.com/stories/8-unexpected-uses-for-elephant-dung/. Besides its use as a water source for survival, what other unexpected use for elephant dung surprised you most?

As an extension, use library and internet resources to explore additional survival tips and tricks, being sure to answer the following:

o What survival tip did you research?

o Why did you select this particular technique to learn more about?

o What were some of the specific ways this technique would be useful and in what circumstances?

After everyone has an opportunity to complete their investigation, share what you learned with others.

This guide was created by Dr. Rose Brock, an associate professor in the Library Science Department in the College of Education at Sam Houston State University. Dr. Brock holds a Ph.D. in Library Science, specializing in children’s and young adult literature.

This guide has been provided by Simon & Schuster for classroom, library, and reading group use. It may be reproduced in its entirety or excerpted for these purposes. For more Simon & Schuster guides and classroom materials, please visit simonandschuster.net or https://www.simonandschuster.net/m/prek12-teachers-librarians/the-book-pantry