A terrorist doesn't let strangers into her flat because they might be undercover police or intelligence agents, but her children bring their mates home and they run all over the place. The terrorist doesn't know that one of these kids has bugged every room in her house, made copies of all her computer files and stolen her address book. The kid works for CHERUB.
James is a 12-year-old boy from the wrong side of the tracks, sent to a children's home when his mother dies and his stepfather disowns him. But CHERUB is recruiting, and James is pinpointed as having potential. Taken under cover of darkness, he finds himself in a secret location - at the training centre for all CHERUB agents. He faces extreme hardship while preparing for his first mission - to foil a suspected anthrax attack ...