*City Spies* by James Ponti is an exciting, fast-paced middle-grade thriller that blends mystery, humor, and espionage in a way that’s captivating for readers of all ages. The story follows Sara, a tech-savvy teen who is rescued from juvie by a mysterious British agent known as "Mother." She soon finds herself part of a secret spy group, where she and her fellow young agents, all named after cities, embark on thrilling missions across the globe.

Ponti's writing is sharp and engaging, with well-developed characters who bring the spy world to life in a way that feels both fun and believable. The blend of complex, high-stakes action and lighthearted moments creates a perfect balance, making it a page-turner from start to finish. While the plot is adventurous and often outlandish, the talented group of young spies feels well-suited for their roles, making their escapades enjoyable and immersive.

I loved this book and can’t wait to dive into the rest of the series. *City Spies* is a highly recommended read for anyone who enjoys clever, fast-paced adventures—whether they’re a middle-grade reader or just young at heart.

My kids and I read this story aloud together, and it is such a fun one! I love the unique blend of characters that come together to use their talents in the spy world. It was an enjoyable story for the kids and I to read together!

LOVED this book! It's Harry Potter meets 007! These smart, cunning kids take us on a while adventure through Pairs to protect the world! I just started the second in the series!

My son is obsessed with this series, and said he couldn’t wait for the 5th one to be released. While looking for it on NetGalley to see if we could get approved for an advanced copy, I saw that this first in the series was still available to request. Even though it’s been out for 4 years, I was approved! This was a good thing since my son loves the books so much, he will not let me borrow them to read them.

Thank you for the approval! I enjoyed the book very much and can see why he loves them so much! Thanks for writing books that make our kiddos fall in love with reading!

James bond for Kids, featuring an eclectic cast of orphans from around the world! This series is great and is highly recommended. The kids are apart of a secret training/spy group that is apart of the British government. They spend their timing infiltrating areas and events where adult spy's would stick out. This story follows Sara aka Brooklyn and her integration into the group. For her first big case she has very little training and is thrust into an operation in Paris where she must prove herself and learn to operate as a team with her new found fellow operatives. A fun and exciting read!


I received a free E-ARC from Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Aladdin& Netgalley for my honest review.

This was such a well-written, fun spy story. The characters were very real, each with their own personality and voice. The spy elements were so well done and exciting. I know my students will love it!

I would describe this book as Nevermoor and The House in the Cerulean Sea meet The Naturals. Brilliant children, found family, and spies? Yes please!

I am loving this series and can’t wait to read the next installment!

This was a fantastic read - well paced, good character development and great plot. Glad to read this series, will definitely recommend.

I think this is an amazing realistic fiction book. James Ponti’s books are always awesome and this is now my new favorite series! This book is about a group of underaged (ages 12-15), yet skilled, MI6 agents under the leadership of a man named Mother. Mother has some really funny motherisms! Sara is the newest member and a skilled hacker, which is what got her onto the team. The team enters an environmental competition where they also have to save the world. This book was so exciting and the pace of the story moves quickly, but it's also easy to follow along! I think the author did an amazing job of painting a picture in my mind with his words, so I felt like I could see everything that was happening. I really loved all of the characters! They are all orphans and come from different backgrounds and all over the world. They are all good at different things and have to work together. This book was so good that I stayed up reading even though it was way past my bedtime! I also loved that this book is great for people of all ages. I'm 8 years old and I really liked that the book wasn't scary or violent, which can sometimes be a problem with middle-school books. I also recommended this book to my parents and they loved it too. If it wasn’t limited to 5 stars I would give it 1,000!

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This was so fun! I absolutely loved the main character, Sara. The found family was so heartwarming. It never bored me. The character development was a little sparse but there are four more books for that! It had everything: warmth, adventure, and interesting relationship dynamics. I highly recommend for kids of all ages!

I enjoyed this story with all of the characters within. The main character was Sara Martinez.

Sara Martinez is a girl that can hacker into any computer. While living with her foster family she hacks into a high profile and has the cops knock on her door. She was hacking because she want to get her foster parents into trouble. But it didn't go as planned and now she in trouble. While wanting on the judge she meets a British spy that wants her help. His code name is mother. So he get her out and they leave to Scotland. While going to Scotland he informs her of the plan.

This was a fun story to read or listen to. It had action, adventure, suspense throughout. It had a few giggles within.

I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. This is my honest unbiased opinions.

Great book! This story had my attention right from the state. It was fast paced and I could see the scenes playing out before me like a movie. I enjoyed getting to know all the of the characters. They were each so unique and I love how they had their own quirks and issues and strengths and how they all accepted one another despite their differences. I will have my preteen son read this and the others in the series.

Brooklyn, formerly known as Sara, is the new member of a secret spy team made up of kids from around the world. Now she’s prepping her computer hacking skills and learning general spycraft to stop a crime at an international youth summit in Paris. A fun mystery with plenty of action and adventure. Ready to read the next one!

My 10-year-old and I enjoyed reading this together. We liked the characters, the plot twists and turns, as well as where the story takes place. I definitely recommend this book to any teacher or middle grades child. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my opinion.

I really loved the characters and the adventure, James Ponti has an awesome writing style that keeps the reader engaged in the story I look forward to seeing more of his work and hope there is more to come of this story!

Wonderful spy story for the YA reader. Loved the characters and they way each character was developed and introduced to the plot.

This was a faster-paced read than Ponti's Framed series, in my opinion, and I really enjoyed the back story of Mother and the M16 spy agency. Readers will enjoy the humor, sharp wit, and good friendships, as well as the independence and cool factor of the kid spies. If you enjoy movies such as Spy Kid, or any of James Ponti's Framed series books, this will be a hit.

I highly recommend this series for middle grade readers who like fast-paced books!

This very fun story is about a group of kids who are recruited by MI6 to help them solve crimes. Each of the kids is without a family and has somehow attracted the attention of Mother, the leader of the group, and each has talents that the team needs, but also limitations that would make working by themselves almost impossible. The characters are interesting and well developed and the story line is exciting with lots of plot twists. Thank goodness this is the first in a series of four, because you're going to want to keep reading these!

A MIDDLE GRADE SPY NOVEL THAT READS LIKE A MOVIE? Featuring a girl in STEM? Kids who go to school for SPY ACTIVITIES? Diverse characters up the wazoo? There are set-ups and they almost always pay off. And it’s fun! It’s really really fun! This is a great start to a series, I’m excited to pick up the rest. Four and a half stars, rounded up for Netgalley, etc.

City Spies is a new series that will captivate my readers from the first page. It concorporates modern day themes that are sure to delight older elementary and middle grade students.
A young hacker is able to infiltrate the New York City foster care system which is just the beginning of her talent for exposing dark secrets. We are then introduced to 4 additional young spies from various forlorn backgrounds. Each young spy has their own personalities, quirks and abilities.
The plot is exciting, fast-paced and satisfying. The cloak-and dagger response to the goings-on made me want to dive immediately into the next one. Great read!