Popular music was in a creative upheaval in the late 1970s. As the singer-songwriter and producer Chris Stamey remembers, “the old guard had become bloated, cartoonish, and widely co-opted by a search for maximum corporate profits, and we wanted none of it.” In A Spy in the House of Loud, he takes us back to the auteur explosion happening in New York clubs such as the Bowery’s CBGB as Television, Talking Heads, R.E.M., and other innovative bands were rewriting the rules. Just twenty-two years old and newly arrived from North Carolina, Stamey immersed himself in the action, playing a year with Alex Chilton before forming the dB’s and recording the albums Stands for deciBels and Repercussion, which still have an enthusiastic following. A Spy in the House of Loud vividly captures the energy that drove the music scene as arena rock gave way to punk and other new streams of electric music. Stamey tells engrossing backstories about creating in the recording studio, describing both the inspiration and the harmonic decisions behind many of his compositions, as well as providing insights into other people’s music and the process of songwriting. Photos, mixer-channel and track assignment notes, and other inside-the-studio materials illustrate the stories. Revealing another side of the CBGB era, which has been stereotyped as punk rock, safety pins, and provocation, A Spy in the House of Loud portrays a southern artist’s coming-of-age in New York’s frontier abandon as he searches for new ways to break the rules and make some noise.

Lincoln Loud enjoys living the double life--mild mannered middle school student by day, and would-be fledgling super-secret agent by night, following in the footsteps of his comicbook idol, Secret Agent David Steele. Missing homework? Wicked shadow company M.A.L.I.C.E. must be behind it! A change in the lunch menu? This is a job for a super spy! But when Lincoln and his best friend Clyde McBride aren’t spying on M.A.L.I.C.E. at school, they are trying to hone their spy craft at The Loud House. So, study your acronyms, grab your bowtie, and put on your best black suit and join Lincoln, Clyde, and Lincoln’s ten sisters Lori, Leni, Luna, Luan, Lynn, Lucy, Lana, Lola, Lisa, and Lily for some spy games, top notch gadgetry (thanks, Lisa!) and lots of chaos to uncover. Featuring all-new stories by the talent behind the Emmy-nominated series THE LOUD HOUSE and THE CASAGRANDES.

The musician & producer reflects on New York City’s early punk rock scene, as well as the creation of some of his most famous albums in this memoir. Popular music was in a creative upheaval in the late 1970s. As the singer-songwriter and producer Chris Stamey remembers, “the old guard had become bloated, cartoonish, and widely co-opted by a search for maximum corporate profits, and we wanted none of it.” In A Spy in the House of Loud, he takes us back to the auteur explosion happening in New York clubs such as the Bowery’s CBGB as Television, Talking Heads, R.E.M., and other innovative bands were rewriting the rules. Just twenty-two years old and newly arrived from North Carolina, Stamey immersed himself in the action, playing a year with Alex Chilton before forming the dB’s and recording the albums Stands for deciBels and Repercussion, which still have an enthusiastic following. A Spy in the House of Loud vividly captures the energy that drove the music scene as arena rock gave way to punk and other new streams of electric music. Stamey tells engrossing backstories about creating in the recording studio, describing both the inspiration and the harmonic decisions behind many of his compositions, as well as providing insights into other people’s music and the process of songwriting. Photos, mixer-channel and track assignment notes, and other inside-the-studio materials illustrate the stories. Revealing another side of the CBGB era, which has been stereotyped as punk rock, safety pins, and provocation, A Spy in the House of Loud portrays a southern artist’s coming-of-age in New York’s frontier abandon as he searches for new ways to break the rules and make some noise. “An endlessly fascinating odyssey through the worlds of Southern pop, New York City art punk, and American indie rock. Stamey’s stories capture you with same finely etched detail and emotional depth that have always marked his best songs. Both an engrossing personal memoir and an eye-opening peek into the creative process, this is a truly essential work of music lit.” —Bob Mehr, New York Times–bestselling author of Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements “Informed, eloquent, and daring, this book stands as a model of excellence for both music writing and memoir. Stamey moves effortlessly between analysis and reminiscence, history and personal revelation, shedding light on his own creative journey as well as the city—‘planet New York’—that provided a good deal of the inspiration for it. I simultaneously learned so much and was deeply moved.” —Anthony DeCurtis, author of Lou Reed: A Life “Where most musician autobiographies are fueled by backstage drama, this book focuses almost entirely on the creative process, a choice that not only proves to be compelling but helps turn Stamey’s personal journey into a necessary document of peak-era college rock, illustrating how it was a vibrant scene filled with unexpected cross pollination.” —Pitchfork

Now that the Napoleonic wars have ended, daring secret agent Lady Sophia Smythe must return to her tedious husband, Lord Adrian Smythe, who she may find has a few secrets of his own.

The instant New York Times bestseller from the author of the Newbery Medal winner When You Reach Me: a story about spies, games, and friendship. The first day Georges (the S is silent) moves into a new Brooklyn apartment, he sees a sign taped to a door in the basement: SPY CLUB MEETING—TODAY! That’s how he meets his twelve-year-old neigh­bor Safer. He and Georges quickly become allies—and fellow spies. Their assignment? Tracking the mysterious Mr. X, who lives in the apartment upstairs. But as Safer’s requests become more and more demanding, Georges starts to wonder: how far is too far to go for your only friend? “Will touch the hearts of kids and adults alike.” —NPR Winner of the Guardian Prize for Children’s Fiction Named a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and more!

All’s fair at the fair! With so much to do and so much to eat, it is up to the man with the plan, Lincoln Loud, to come up with a strategy to cover the full event for his family. Lisa has a new hypothesis to win at carnival games, Lynn wants to test her mettle, and Luan is looking for anyone to be her next audience for her stand up set. But what happens when Dad gets some new fried food recipes to try out at home and on his menu? One thing’s for sure, the local fair is about to get a whole lot Loud-er. Featuring all-new stories by the talent behind the Emmy-nominated series THE LOUD HOUSE and THE CASAGRANDES

Meet Didi Dodo. She's a dodo and a spy. Or she will be, once she's hired! Meet Koko Dodo. He's a dodo and a baker. He gives Didi Dodo her first case! Someone has stolen Koko Dodo's Super Secret Fudge Sauce for the Royal Cookie Contest! But don't worry. Didi Dodo has a daring plan to catch the culprit.