The Sherlock Society by James Ponti is his newest middle grade novel (hopefully to be part of a series). In this book, four teens decide to start a detective agency over the summer instead of their regular summer jobs.

This was a fast paced adventure that I think middle grade students will really enjoy! There were also several themes that would make great discussion material if reading this as a class read aloud. Can’t wait for future books in this series!

James Ponti is a homerun hitter when it comes to understanding middle schoolers. While I am not usually a fan of mysteries, Mr. Ponti’s books are never a disappointment. This particular book appealed to me because of the intergenerational connection the kids had with the grandfather. I loved how he steered the kids in the right direction by always having them focus on the 5 W’s of journalism. If you are looking for an action-packed mystery that includes secret recordings, drones, explosions and good old fashioned sleuthing, I think you are going to love The Sherlock Society. Even though this is classified as a middle grade novel, I would recommend it for anyone 3rd grade and up.

James Ponti does it again -- an entertaining and informative story that my students will love! As a parent and teacher, I appreciate the appropriateness of the language and the friend and family relationships within the book.

Sherlock Society is going to be a series that seasoned James Ponti fans are going to be elated to have and it will also make new fans of anyone who hasn’t yet read a Ponti book!

Mystery, investigation, and a team of kids (and the fabulous grandpa) out to search for “treasure”, work through clues, and solve crimes… what’s not to love?! A “breakout” style game to set the stage for a clever set of kids, drones, explosions, interviews, journalistic strategies, and sneaking around all lead to excitement and pull the reader in.

Another hit middle grade title is “afoot”!

This was a fast-paced, fun mystery, and I was 100% there for it. I very much appreciated how real the characters and relationships felt, especially the development that Zoe exhibits. Is it far-fetched that four kid detectives would be able to outwit the feds? Yes. Did I care? No! Will kids care? Definitely not. The focus on asking the right questions, emphasis on doing research/homework, the grandfather, the parents.... all of it was just really well done! I can't wait to recommend this book to our readers: that opening scene will booktalk itself!

I'm a huge James Ponti fan. Our whole family has read the Framed series multiple times and I am always eager for another City Spies novel to be published. I was thrilled to see the beginning of another series, and to have it be Sherlock Holmes adjace, was an added bonus. This new mystery has Ponti written all over it - endearing characters, interesting setting, and his trademark big event then working back to get to that point in the story. I'm so looking forward to spending more time with the sherlock society as the series progresses.

When your last name is Sherlock what else are you going to do for a summer job besides start a detective agency? Of course! In similar James Ponti fashion, The Sherlock Society is an exciting adventure where middle schoolers take on the lead of problem solvers. I love the way this one starts with immediate action and then circles back around. The characters are natural and real (again, like Ponti’s characters in other books). They don’t always make the right choices the first time, they are human, but they learn and try to do better. Woven into the mystery story are wonderful themes of friendship, family, and being true to what you discover is right.

🖤BOOK REVIEW🖤
🔎The Sherlock Society by James Ponti
⭐️⭐️⭐️

A fun series opener for young mystery lovers (or the young at heart mystery lover!). The Sherlock Society follows a group of young sleuths who form their own detective club, inspired by the legendary Sherlock Holmes. The young detectives are guided by their grandfather, a former journalist and investigator in his own right. As an adult reading this title, he was also my favorite character, offering comic relief and sleuthing insights!

Whether pre-teen, teen or adult, this is a fun read for any fan of the mystery genre.

Facts, family, friendship, deduction, and investigation. The Sherlock Society by James Ponti is such a fun read! Not only will kids thoroughly enjoy this story, but this book should be a resource in every classroom. Ponti's use of the five W's throughout the story makes this the perfect book for teachers to use when introducing persuasive, narrative, or expository writing; creating an argument; discussing a news story; and so on.

Siblings Alex and Zoe solicit help from their grandfather, a retired reporter, along with friends Yadi, and LIna to create a detective agency. They rely on their grandfather's use of the five W's of journalism to make sense of each clue and newly uncovered detail. No matter how small, they dispel their assumptions and follow the facts. Where will their questions lead? What will the facts reveal? Come, reader! The game is afoot!

This is my favorite read of the summer so far! I loved the mystery and where it ended up. It's a must buy in September. I loved the grandpa's character the most. He was played by Alan Arkin in my head the whole time. Loved it! My fifth graders would enjoy immensely. Can't wait to share with them!

I loved this book so much! It is a great start for new mystery series like "City Spies" and "Dead City". I have wanted to read this book since I heard about it from NTTBF and I'm so grateful for the chance to read it. I love mystery books and this one is no different. The mystery is so fun to read and it has a thrilling plot. Some of the characters had great character development and were well-blended into the plot. This book is an entertaining blend of mystery and adventure and I cannot wait for the next book!

Thank you to James Ponti, Aladdin and NetGalley for allowing me this early review copy of The Sherlock Society. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Alex Sherlock, his sister Zoe and their friends, Yadi and Lina, have decided to set up a detective agency for the summer. They enlist the help of their grandfather (a retired journalist) to be their transportation. He also helps them find a case, which turns out to be something completely different than the one they started out with.

This book was great! I enjoyed many things about it. I loved that the author uses this mystery to teach the reader new things. I learned some history about Miami, and a notorious criminal. I learned some other cool things, like the difference between a bridge and a causeway. I learned about the Everglades. The mystery was neat because, as I previously mentioned, they take several turns from the mystery they start out with. Interesting enough, they seemingly come full circle by the end of the book. I will be interested to see if this is a series.

This book felt somewhat different to me than the other series I have read by James Ponti. It felt more academic or informative than his other books. This isn’t a bad thing. It is just different. I did find that some of the information sharing came across a tad preachy (for lack of a better word). It was for this reason that I knocked it down from five to four stars.

I would definitely recommend this book to kids who love adventure and mysteries. I would not recommend this book to readers who aren’t into somewhat far fetched scenarios.

Anothe hit series by James Ponti! This mystery adventure book is set in Florida and will capture the attention of a multitude of readers! This book also deals with some of the ‘friend’ issues that are ever present during the middle school years.

A fast-paced and tightly written middle grade mystery with lots of humor and heart! I loved the relationships between the characters, the historical tidbits and info about Florida, and the environmental angle. Ponti has another hit on his hands!

With the last name Sherlock, is there any other summer job than “neighborhood detectives?” Alex and Zoe Sherlock have their own reasons to earn money over the summer break, but the why doesn’t matter. With friends Lina and Yadi, and a little help from their grandfather, the Sherlock Society doesn’t have to wait long for their first investigative job. It’s a little-known fact that Al Capone lived near Miami, Florida, and the Sherlock Society is convinced it can find a hidden treasure. While following a lead, the group stumbles across something much worse. Can they shift gears and solve this crime first?

I love a good mystery, and James Ponti does it again. The team of children he has assembled each bring a different strength, and they don’t always see eye-to-eye. I enjoyed the banter between the children and the ability to figure out the clues together. I am a big sucker for anything Al Capone and learned some things myself. And while I would have loved more about that storyline, I really liked the shift the story took when the kids discovered something alarming. It is a fast-paced story, I hope there are more Sherlock Society stories to come.

This is a book I would have loved reading when I was young. James Ponti scores another success with his Sherlock Society. I had the pleasure of hearing James share the concept of this book at a library conference, and I was captivated by his introduction. When I saw it available through New Galley I could not believe my good fortune in obtaining an e-ARC.

Middle-graders Alex and Zoe live a contented life with their parents and grandfather in Miami. With a last name like Sherlock, it's no wonder they become immersed in local mysteries - to begin with, to make money for Zoe's summer camp dreams. Soon, though, along with their friends Lina and Yadi, and of course, Grandpa. Al Capone reportedly buried a million dollars somewhere in South Florida, and the friends know they can unearth the mystery and find the treasure As they search for clues they accidentally stumble on toxic waste in the Florida Everglades and they decide that Capone's hidden money takes a back seat to ecological disaster.

The storyline is riveting and the characters are well rounded and motivated. I cannot wait to share this book with students in my library when it is released in September!

I just love James Ponti books. The Sherlock Society is faced with finding a mystery to solve during the summer. They are hoping to make some extra money for solving a mystery. The group turns to Alex and Zoe’s grandfather for help. They decide to solve where Al Capone hid his money.. While hunting, the group gets stumbles upon evidence of dumping. Next thing you know, they are investigating that and ending up uncovering a huge scandal.

Quick moving, action pack book. A great book for the mystery lover and James Ponti fan! I will be getting this one when it comes out!!

This is such a fun middle grade treasure hunt mystery. This is such a fun beginning to a new mystery series by James Ponti. Mr. Ponti never fails to bring humor, suspense, and realistic kids into his stories. I loved the addition of Grandpa to the mix of kids. He is quite the character!~ The florida sun, missing money, and dead mobster all add to the excitement and page turning suspense of this book. I enjoyed discovering the clues along with the kids and I can't wait to share this one with my students in the fall.

Ingenious kids, summer vacation, clever way to make some money? All this and more in the newest from James Ponti (Framed, City Spies). Siblings Alex and Zoe along with their friends and their retired grandfather set out to investigate some unsolved cold cases. When one leads them into a current mystery, danger abounds. The book has lots of trademark Ponti elements: smart kids, fun gadgets and understanding adults but lacks some of the intricacies and suspense of previous novels. However, you’ll want to see it through and enjoy when the bad guys get their just desserts.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aladdin books for the E ARC. Siblings Alex and Zoe Sherlock of Miami, Florida, and their two friends, Lina and Yadi, need summer jobs, but don't want the typical jobs like lawn mowing and babysitting. They decide to open up a detective agency, with the help of their grandfather, a former journalist, who teaches them the art of investigation, and also drives them around in his old car.
Their first case: find Al Capone's hidden money that was buried decades ago in the area. While they search for clues, they stumble upon an illegal dumping site, that is killing animals so they group quickly switches gears to solve this crime instead.

What I liked: The four kids all had unique personalities and skills that made the team work together well. The plot moves along quickly, as the kids stumble across more and more clues using a combination of old and new technology, and the book is at an appropriate length for wide appeal. Ponti's Framed and City Spies are hugely popular in my library so this will be an easy sell. The cover is appealing (in part because the kids don't look like they are third graders, an annoying trend for middle grade books). I have spent a lot of time in Miami, particularly in the areas where the story takes place, and Ponti brought this setting to life. I will purchase a couple of copies of this.
In some ways, this reminds me of Carl Hiaasen's books, which take place in the same area and are environmental mysteries.