Art Attack by James Ponti

Today's read comes from a well-known and enjoyed author in the middle grade spy/mystery realm. This is the third book in his latest series....I think it's his latest, but you never know when a new one will begin with him. I've enjoyed this series so far and posted my thoughts on the 2nd one HERE. No doubt, this latest addition will be just as enjoyable as the last, since this author's works tend to be top-notch.

But let's just dive in and find out!

ART ATTACK

The Sherlock Society #3

by James Ponti

Aladdin

Middle Grade Mystery

320 pages

ages 8 to 12

COMING SEPTEMBER 8th!!!

The Sherlock Society goes undercover in the Miami street art scene to find an anonymous graffiti artist in this third book in the hilarious, New York Times bestselling Sherlock Society middle grade series from Edgar Award–winning author James Ponti!

The Sherlock Society’s latest case is tracking down stealth graffiti artist Funky Munky—well-known for their artistic statements calling out local politicians—on behalf of a developer who wants them to create a mural for a new hotel. Their investigation leads Alex, Zoe, Lina, and Yadi deep into the very colorful south Florida art scene.

But finding someone who doesn’t want to be found is challenging, and it doesn’t help that Miami Art Week is coming up, bringing lots of attention—and lots of new artists—to the area. The Sherlock Society’s best bet is an elaborate sting operation, which involves them picking up spray cans themselves. Can they trap their quarry without exposing themselves?

GOODREADS    /    PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

When these four friends (and Grandpa) take on a case, the fun begins.

Now, that the four sleuths had their photo in the newspaper for helping solve the last case, they're facing all sorts of requests for help. Or maybe, the sudden influx of jobs is due to Grandpa's fancy, new website? Either way, the four find themselves picking and choosing their next case during lunch in the cafeteria. When they get an offer of $20,000 to locate the mysterious graffiti artist Funky Munky so a new building complex can use him to paint a mural on the wall, they're on the case. While they have a bit of help thanks to Grandpa's connections, they've been offered the large sum of money for a reason; Funky Munky has kept his/her identity locked tight for years. Worse yet, Funky Munky seems to have paused their work...or switched over to bananas. The friends aren't sure what the activist is up to but follow clues to an empty warehouse, where they meet more trouble. But these sleuths are determined and clever, and even someone as sly as Funky Munky might not be able to outmaneuver them.

This is a smooth, quick-paced read, which carries mystery, action, friendship, school drama, and family goodness. Each of the four friends has their talents, their weaknesses, and packs personality. This creates a fun back-and-forth on every page as they try to solve the mystery, while dealing with other aspects of life, too. But then, Grandpa, their families, and even the police and other characters add to the atmosphere to make each moment interesting. While the friendship between these four is inspiring, it's the family interactions which add lovely richness. Of course, Grandpa is always up to his antics and drives the most amazing vehicles. But even the parents step in with support and help, while also setting boundaries and holding to punishments when the rules are broken. It creates a wholesome foundation, which doesn't forget to bring in factors such as responsibility and consequences to the mix as the four friends test limits to solve the case. There is plenty of action as well as tense situations, but it all stays based in reality, which makes it even that much more enjoyable.

Fans of mystery, adventure, and teamwork are going to enjoy this one quite a bit.

And here he is...

James Ponti is the New York Times bestselling author of four middle grade book series: The Sherlock Society following a group of young detectives; City Spies, about an unlikely squad of kids from around the world who form an elite MI6 Spy Team; the Edgar Award–winning Framed! series, about a pair of tweens who solve mysteries in Washington, DC; and the Dead City trilogy, about a secret society that polices the undead living beneath Manhattan. His books have appeared on more than fifteen different state award lists, and he is the founder of a writers group known as the Renegades of Middle Grade. James is also an Emmy–nominated television writer and producer who has worked for many networks including Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, PBS, History, and Spike TV, as well as NBC Sports. He lives with his family in Orlando, Florida. Find out more at JamesPonti.com.

Happy Book Birthday, Europa by James Ponti!

It's time to shoutout another book birthday! This time, it's the 7th in a fun spy series for middle graders from a very popular author, who is known for his exciting tales. I have read several of the books in this series, so I'm pretty sure what type of read this will be...well, unless something surprising happens. I'm looking forward to see what the characters are up to in this latest adventure because it's always bound with high-stakes, action, friendship, and very unexpected twists and turns.

Let's open this one up and see if it keeps the series as exciting as it has been so far.

EUROPA

City Spies

by James Ponti

Aladdin

Middle Grade Spy Fiction

384 pages

ages 8 to 12

In this seventh installment in the New York Times bestselling series from Edgar Award winner James Ponti, the young group of spies work to prevent a dangerous criminal from escaping prison in another international adventure perfect for fans of Spy School and Charlie Thorne.

The City Spies are ready to start fresh with a new home, new schools, and a new directive now that Clementine has come in from the cold and Le Fantôme has been put behind bars. But their plans are put into jeopardy when Umbra threatens to attack multiple high-level targets across Europe unless he is released from prison. With intel leading them to Rome, Paris, London, and Amsterdam, the City Spies split up and race across the continent solving codes and chasing clues in an effort to thwart the attacks. With so many moving parts, the City Spies are going to have pull out all the stops if they have any chance to succeed at this latest mission.

GOODREADS     /     AMAZON     /      PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Tension, action, and, for all things, clever-puzzle solving skills come together to form another fun adventure.

After bringing Le Fantome behind bars and having Clementine return, the City Spies are now in London after losing their other base. But that doesn't mean things are going to quiet down. Instead, Umbra is planning bomb attacks, and while the crew first believes them to be in London, it soon becomes clear that several major, European cities are on the target list. So, they divide up to stop the terror...hopefully, before it begins. Of course, things don't run completely smoothly because the villains are vicious, and Umbra isn't an enemy to be underestimated.

It's always a treat to dive into Ponti's work. The tale flies by quickly and smoothly, letting each scene come across with natural flow...and that while the City Spies are up against anything but normal circumstances. They always work together and do their best to solve each new problem. In this latest installment, Ponti takes the problem solving to a new level with more puzzles and riddles that need to be solved. So, fans of this sort of thing are going to especially enjoy this 7th adventure. As with the other adventures, there's never a boring moment, and every step forward seems to find more complex issues that need to be solved. The teamwork is always inspiring and makes sure that no singular character outshines the rest. That doesn't mean that everything goes smoothly, though, since the City Spies do make mistakes...sometimes big ones. This adds to the tension and makes the read that much more grabbing.

City Spy fans are going to enjoy this adventure as much as the others. There are plenty of surprises, gray characters, and heart as well as action. The City Spies aren't done, yet, though, so we'll see what adventure lies in store for them next.

And here he is...

James Ponti is the New York Times bestselling author of four middle grade book series: The Sherlock Society following a group of young detectives; City Spies, about an unlikely squad of five kids from around the world who form an elite MI6 Spy Team; the Edgar Award–winning Framed! series, about a pair of tweens who solve mysteries in Washington, DC; and the Dead City trilogy, about a secret society that polices the undead living beneath Manhattan. His books have appeared on more than fifteen different state award lists, and he is the founder of a writers group known as the Renegades of Middle Grade. James is also an Emmy–nominated television writer and producer who has worked for many networks including Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, PBS, History, and Spike TV, as well as NBC Sports. He lives with his family in Orlando, Florida. Find out more at JamesPonti.com.

The Sherlock Society: Hurricane Heist by James Ponti

Have you been seeing this one everywhere like I have? Today's read is the 2nd in the latest series from James Ponti. I did read the first one (amazing, right?) and enjoyed it quite a bit. James Ponti's tales tend to be easy to read and very smoothly created, which  makes them a nice pick-em-up and know that they'll be enjoyable. Or at least, they have been up until now. Yes, I've read more than a couple of his books, so I can say that. But this one? Well, I guess we'll have to dive in and see if he's pulled it off again or not.

Plus, I do love a good mystery.

So, off we go!

HURRICANE HEIST

The Sherlock Society #2

by James Ponti

Aladdin

Middle Grade Mystery

320 pages

ages 8 to 12

COMING...

SEPTEMBER 2nd!!!

When a hurricane uncovers new information in a cold case, the Sherlock Society investigates a decades-old heist in this second book in the action-packed and funny New York Times bestselling Sherlock Society middle grade series from Edgar Award–winning author James Ponti!

When a category three hurricane hits Miami Beach, it uncovers a body buried at the renowned Moroccan Hotel. The body is identified as the man who served as the hotel’s bell captain sixty years ago…and the presumed culprit of the million-dollar jewel heist that took place just before his disappearance.

Since the bell captain clearly didn’t take off with the goods as had been long believed, the Sherlock Society sets their sights on uncovering the real culprit of the theft. But when the thief may also be implicated in the bell captain’s murder, even sixty years later, there are people who want the truth to stay buried.

GOODREADS    /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Not all mysteries only happen in the present, and this one glides with clues over the years and enough tension to hold until the very last page.

A body has been discovered at the Moroccan Hotel and identified as a man, who'd died sixty years before. Although the Sherlock Society wasn't planning for another case, Grandfather's relationship to the deceased many years ago makes it impossible to ignore, especially since he'd been trying to prove that the deceased was innocent in a jewelry theft for years. While it might seem that the trail has long grown cold, the Sherlock Society comes across more and more information in unexpected ways. But this isn't going unnoticed. Someone doesn't want them to discover the truth and is going to extreme extents to make sure they don't.

Already on the first pages, this tale starts out with energy and grabs...but not in the way that might be expected. It starts with the Grandpa, who might be aged but packs more life than most and adds zest, which fits since it's also his past which underlines the mystery. Alex and Zoe along with their friends have a golden relationship with him (adding goodness), but it also lays a great foundation as the mystery and murder unfolds. Their are hints of darker tons to entice the audience and draw in, but the author uses the character's personalities and situations to add just the right amount of humor to make it a fun adventure. It's an addictive balance.

The writing is smooth as always and adds information and facts, here and there, while weaving a nice web of clues and intentions. There were moments of teetering over-information, which had me skimming over several paragraphs. Still, that didn't quite outweigh the high-tension, dangerous stakes, and action scenes enough to make the book disappoint, either. I just hope this draws back in the future books a bit.

Summed up, this is another fun, grabbing read with characters, who live up to their Sherlock name and with side characters to enjoy or hate...and I can't wait to see what adventure lies in store for them next.

And here he is...

James Ponti is the New York Times bestselling author of four middle grade book series: The Sherlock Society following a group of young detectives; City Spies, about an unlikely squad of five kids from around the world who form an elite MI6 Spy Team; the Edgar Award–winning Framed! series, about a pair of tweens who solve mysteries in Washington, DC; and the Dead City trilogy, about a secret society that polices the undead living beneath Manhattan. His books have appeared on more than fifteen different state award lists, and he is the founder of a writers group known as the Renegades of Middle Grade. James is also an Emmy–nominated television writer and producer who has worked for many networks including Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, PBS, History, and Spike TV, as well as NBC Sports. He lives with his family in Orlando, Florida. Find out more at JamesPonti.com.

City Spies: London Calling by James Ponti

 It's time for spy music to play non-stop in my head again because we're hitting the sixth book in the City Spies series today. I have not read every book in this series, but I have hit a couple. So, I'm pretty sure it will be fun and gripping, but let's find out!

LONDON CALLING

City Spies #6

by James Ponti

Aladdin

Middle Grade Spy Fiction

400 pages

ages 8 to 12

COMING...

FEBRUARY 4th!!!

In this sixth installment in the New York Times bestselling series from Edgar Award winner James Ponti, the young group of spies stages a rescue in Rome in another international adventure perfect for fans of Spy School and Charlie Thorne.

Cairo, the newest member of the City Spies, takes the lead when his sister disappears in Istanbul. Determined to save the family of one of their own, the team risks discovery as their search leads them to Rome. Meanwhile, there’s been intel that seems to threaten the royal wedding about to take place in Westminster, bringing the team back to the UK on an official case for MI6. With so much security all over the city, it’s harder than ever for the City Spies to go unnoticed. Will their skills be up to the task?

GOODREADS    /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Tension, mystery, and, most importantly, the sense of family shine through on every page.

The newest member of the City Spies, Cairo, is facing his first mission...well, not official since the higher-ups know nothing about it. The City Spies are determined to secretly find his younger sister, who disappeared under very questionable circumstances. Following 'bread crumbs', they jet around the world to figure out where she is, who is after her, and, somehow, take care of an official mission, a royal wedding, as well. It's going to keep them busy.

It's been a bit since I picked up a book in this series, but it was no problem to sink right in, especially with that first chapter. This book starts out with tension pure and gets things rolling right away. And there's a lot going on. Not only do the City Spies need to locate Cairo's sister, but there are evil forces at play, pulling at the ties between their 'family' thanks to an earlier betrayal, which is by no means solved, yet.

The writing flows very smoothly, and the characters come across naturally. The spy end is more of a hunt, this time, with clues to follow (before it unfolds into more, later on), so mystery fans will appreciate that end. While this does involve spies, the technology and abilities don't stretch imagination too far, and the characters expand their capabilities as well as the trust in themselves, which adds a nice touch. The family aspect is inspiring and makes this group golden as they are a bit of a hodge-podge mix but still hold together wonderfully.

This is a nice addition to the series and keeps everything exciting and tension packed the entire way through.

And here he is...

James Ponti is the New York Times bestselling author of four middle grade book series: The Sherlock Society following a group of young detectives; City Spies, about an unlikely squad of five kids from around the world who form an elite MI6 Spy Team; the Edgar Award–winning Framed! series, about a pair of tweens who solve mysteries in Washington, DC; and the Dead City trilogy, about a secret society that polices the undead living beneath Manhattan. His books have appeared on more than fifteen different state award lists, and he is the founder of a writers group known as the Renegades of Middle Grade. James is also an Emmy–nominated television writer and producer who has worked for many networks including Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, PBS, History, and Spike TV, as well as NBC Sports. He lives with his family in Orlando, Florida. Find out more at JamesPonti.com.

Today's read... City Spies: Mission Manhattan by James Ponti

I don't know what it is about this series, but every time I get one of the books in my hands, the Mission Impossible song plays in my head. Yep, today's read is all about spies, and if it's like any of the first four books in this series, it's high action mixed with character depth...so spy fun pure. Let's just dive right in because maybe that will keep the song from repeating again and again and again in my head.

MISSION MANHATTAN

City Spies #5

by James Ponti

Aladdin

Middle Grade Spy Fiction

432 pages

ages 8 to 12

COMING...

FEBRUARY 6th, 2024!!!

The City Spies head to the Big Apple when a credible threat is made to a young climate activist who is scheduled to speak in front of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly. With Rio acting as alpha and a new member in their ranks, the team’s mission to protect a fellow teen takes them on an exciting adventure in, around, and even under the greatest city in the world as they follow leads to the outer boroughs, the UN Headquarters, and even the usually off-limits stacks that extend deep under the main branch of the New York Public Library.

GOODREADS   /    B&N    /    AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

This is book five in the series, and when a series gets this far, I'm always afraid the tales will start getting repetitive. While the best attributes from this series continue in this read, it's as exciting and unpredictable as the first four.

The City Spies find themselves on a mission to protect a young and very popular climate activist, who is on her way to speak before the United Nations General Assembly. But even during a protest appearance before her speech, a deadly threat lurks in the crowd. Someone is determined to stop her, and the City Spies need to stop them. Plus, the team has a new member, Rio, which might be a problem or a blessing. Either way, the team is determined to do their duty no matter how sticky the situations get.

There are reads, which flow extremely smoothly, and let the story perform its magic. This is one of those. The tale begins with the latest mission...and a bit of humor. The personalities of each character immediately shine as they work seamlessly together in a quickly increasingly difficult mission. And yet, that doesn't mean that each one doesn't have their own difficulties or flaws. The author manages to maintain a great balance of action and emotional depth to make the characters interesting, their interactions fun, and the tension high. It makes for an easy read, which flies by.

While this book slides right in with the series, several aspects give it just enough of an original atmosphere to hold its own. Centering the mission around a international climate activist was a surprising and fun twist. It did have me thinking of Greta right away, but it took its own interesting turns to keep this only as a quick, first thought. The security issues the group faces were interesting, as was the dynamic Rio brings as the new member of the group. 

It doesn't seem like this will be the last book in the series, and it will be fun to see what this group goes up against next.

Tomorrow's the Day: Forbidden City by James Ponti

Today's review is coming out tomorrow! This is the third book in a wonderful series...yes, I can say that because I actually have read the first two (see, it's happening more and more often!). I've always had a special spot for spies (key in Mission Impossible theme song here, please....and now, you'll have that stuck in your head all day), and this one is a fun one with humor, heart, and everything to make a middle grade spy story entertaining. So, there was no way I was going to skip out on an ARC of this book. It's been sitting in my pile for a couple of months just waiting for release day (patience is hard).

Ready to dive into the world of spies? (key in Mission Impossible again)

FORBIDDEN CITY

City Spies #3

by James Ponti

Aladdin

Middle Grade Adventure / Spies

448 pages

ages 8 to 12

COMING...

FEBRUARY 1st!!!

In this third installment in the New York Times bestselling series from Edgar Award winner James Ponti, the young group of spies help a fellow agent in another international adventure perfect for fans of Spy School and Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls.

After taking down a mole within their organization, the City Spies are ready for their next mission—once again using their unique skills and ability to infiltrate places adults can’t. The sinister Umbra has their sights set on recruiting a North Korean nuclear physicist by any means necessary, and the City Spies plan to keep an eye on his son by sending Paris to the chess prodigy’s tournaments in Moscow and Beijing.

Meanwhile, Sydney’s embedded as a junior reporter for a teen lifestyle site as she follows the daughter of a British billionaire on tour with the biggest act on her father’s music label to uncover what links both the band and the billionaire have to a recent threat from an old Soviet missile base.

From a daring break-in at one of London’s most exclusive homes to a dangerous undercover mission to a desperate search and rescue operation on the streets of Beijing, the City Spies have their work cut out for them on their most dangerous mission yet.

GOODREADS  /   AMAZON   /   B&N   /    BOOK DEPOSITORY

MY TIDBITS

Intrigue, puzzles, and forming friendships run high in an exciting race to solve the code and travel the world in the process.

This is the third book in the series, and while the others are quite a bit of fun and I do recommend them (yes, I read the first two already), these aren't hard to dive into and join the fun without hitting the other books first. 

I do enjoy this series. Not only do the characters come across naturally but there's a nice sense of humor mixed in. Of course, there's tension and action and moments, where it's not clear if the heroes will complete their mission (and of course, that would have terrible consequences if they didn't), but there's also quirks in their personalities, shopping, misunderstandings, forming friendships, and personal issues (nothing to heavy). So while all of this dances along spies and such, it also carries the needed lightness to make it an easy and enjoyable read.

One of the things, which makes this book so enjoyable (outside of the needed atmosphere) are the character strings. Each one (outside of Charlotte) has their own, distinct subplot and problems to solve, while working on the bigger, main one (although Brooklyn is stuck in Scotland first). There's the friendship dynamic, and there's a bit of a type of family dynamic thanks to 'Mother'. And then, there's the travel. The author is a busy guy as he covers quite a bit of ground and research (whether in reality or information wise). It's a travel around the world, which incorporates enough details to make each place unique and, yet, never bogs down with descriptions. This one flows with a well-woven pace the entire way through, and that makes it a treat.

My final thoughts, this is a middle grade series to not be overlooked. The writing sits, the characters are tons of fun, the adventure is there, and...well, it's simply a good read.

And here he is...

James Ponti is the New York Times bestselling author of three middle grade book series: the all-new City Spies, about an unlikely squad of five kids from around the world who form an elite MI6 Spy Team; the Edgar Award–winning Framed! series, about a pair of tweens who solve mysteries in Washington, DC; and the Dead City trilogy, about a secret society that polices the undead living beneath Manhattan. His books have appeared on more than fifteen different state award lists and he is the founder of a writers group known as the Renegades of Middle Grade. James is also an Emmy–nominated television writer and producer who has worked for many networks including Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, PBS, History, and Spike TV, as well as NBC Sports. He lives with his family in Orlando, Florida. Find out more at JamesPonti.com.

 

Review: City Spies by James Ponti

CITY SPIES

by James Ponti

Aladdin

Middle Grade Adventure

384 pages

age 8 to 12

COMING...

MARCH 10th!!!

In this new series James Ponti brings together five kids from all over the world and transforms them into real-life spies.

Sara Martinez is a hacker. She recently broke into the New York City foster care system to expose her foster parents as cheats and lawbreakers. However, instead of being hailed as a hero, Sara finds herself facing years in a juvenile detention facility and banned from using computers for the same stretch of time. Enter Mother, a British spy who not only gets Sara released from jail but also offers her a chance to make a home for herself within a secret MI6 agency.

Operating out of a base in Scotland, the City Spies are five kids from various parts of the world. When they’re not attending the local boarding school, they’re honing their unique skills, such as sleight of hand, breaking and entering, observation, and explosives. All of these allow them to go places in the world of espionage where adults can’t.

Before she knows what she’s doing, Sarah is heading to Paris for an international youth summit, hacking into a rival school’s computer to prevent them from winning a million euros, dangling thirty feet off the side of a building, and trying to stop a villain…all while navigating the complex dynamics of her new team.

No one said saving the world was easy…

     

MY TIDBITS

Spy fans will love being drawn into the international world of danger, espionage and evil villains...while dreaming they could really jump in and help the team.

After hacking into the files of the social system, Sarah finds herself about to face two and a half years in detention without computer access. As far as she's concerned, her life is over. Until a perky man steps in claiming to be her lawyer and manages to free her from the system and fly her to Scotland. The catch—he wants her to join a team of young spies and stop the evil villain while learning all sorts of wonderful skills.

This book grabs from the very beginning, and it was hard not to like Sarah from that very first page. But then, every character springs from the paper with zest, personality and tons of fun quirks. Especially 'Mother' (a male head of the spy group) demands attention with his slick and yet humorous ways. Each team member is a gem, making it hard, as a reader, not to wish one could really join in.

The writing is quick-paced, not too descriptive, and flows so wonderfully along. Little nips of humor sprinkle in the adventure to create a fun mix. Throw in Scotland and Paris and a villain, who is fun to dislike, and there isn't much not to like. The author even throws in the history of each member through flashbacks, which add to the depth and story. The only thing which made me frown just a tad-tiny bit is the length. Still, it's more than a ton of fun to read, and I definitely can't wait to see where the series goes next.


And here he is...

James Ponti was born in Italy, raised in Florida, and went to college in California. After receiving a degree in screenwriting from the USC Film School, he began a career writing and producing television shows for the likes of Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, PBS, Spike TV, History Channel, and Golf Channel. James loves writing, travel, and the Boston Red Sox. He lives with his family in Maitland, Florida.