When a mysterious man who calls himself 'Mother' appears, posing as her attorney, he persuades the judge to release Sara into his custody, then gives her an option: attend a U.K. In this action-packed spy novel, 12-year-old Sara Martinez, who is Latinx, faces juvenile detention for hacking into New York City's juvenile justice computer system to reveal her foster parents' misdeeds and cruelties.

All of these allow them to go places in the world of espionage where adults can’t.īefore she knows what she’s doing, Sara 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. 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. Operating out of a base in Scotland, the City Spies are five kids from various parts of the world. 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. 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. She recently broke into the New York City foster care system to expose her foster parents as cheats and lawbreakers. In this thrilling new series that Stuart Gibbs called “a must-read,” Edgar Award winner James Ponti brings together five kids from all over the world and transforms them into real-life spies-perfect for fans of Spy School and Mrs.

“Will keep young readers glued to the page…So when do I get the sequel?” -Beth McMullen, author of Mrs.

“Ingeniously plotted, and a grin-inducing delight.” - People

City of spies book