Puffin, a children’s publisher and imprint of Penguin Random House, is taking urgent action to inform UK schools and local authorities about a potential safety issue involving its books. A web address included in the “Spy Dog,” “Spy Pups,” and “Spy Cat” series by author Andrew Cope has been compromised and redirected to a pornography site. As a result, Puffin has advised schools to remove these books from their libraries.
The impacted titles are intended for readers aged seven to twelve. Puffin has paused sales of these books and is actively working to get them off library shelves. Schools across England have received emails alerting them to the problem, which highlights that the compromised link leads to “inappropriate material featuring children’s characters.” Some schools have sent letters to parents addressing the safeguarding concerns related to this issue.
The statement issued on behalf of Puffin and Andrew Cope explained that the compromised link pertains to a former website related to the book series, which has recently been taken over by an unrelated third party. The new owner is using the domain to display adult content, which is not affiliated with Puffin or the author. The publisher is urging the public to avoid the site and ensure that children do not access it.
While the publisher is actively addressing the situation and pursuing legal action to remove the offending website, the process is expected to be complex and time-consuming. The first book in the series, “Spy Dog,” was published in 2005, leading to a series of additional stories and spin-offs. Educational resources like Hampshire’s school library service are advising families to take appropriate actions if they possess the affected books.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/oct/08/publisher-libraries-website-childrens-book-porn