City Spies Books in Order

The City Spies books are middle grade spy adventures, but the real hook is the team. James Ponti builds the series around a group of kids from different cities and very different lives who end up working together for MI6. Each of them has a codename tied to home, and each brings a specific skill to the table, from hacking to languages to observation to performance.

It starts with Sara Martinez, a brilliant young hacker from New York who has been badly let down by adults. After she exposes corruption in the foster care system, she looks headed for punishment, not rescue. Then a British spy known as Mother steps in and offers her something better: a place on a secret youth team based in Scotland. That is the beginning of her new life as Brooklyn.

From there, the series opens up into a real ensemble story. Brooklyn joins Sydney from Bondi Beach, Paris, Kathmandu, Rio, and later Cairo, all working out of a castle in Scotland while attending boarding school and training for missions adults cannot pull off as easily. They can slip into places unnoticed, pass as students or tourists, and think in ways older agents often do not. That gives the books their fun balance of school life and espionage.

The missions are big, but the stories stay personal.

One book might send the team to Paris, London, Moscow, Beijing, Egypt, Venice, New York, or Rome. Another might bring in cyberattacks, climate activists, royal weddings, missing siblings, or criminal networks like Umbra. Even so, the best part of the series is usually not the gadget or the chase. It is watching the kids learn how to trust each other, argue like siblings, and slowly become a family.

Mother is central to all of this. He is their handler, protector, and sometimes the only adult in the room who truly sees what these kids need. Around him are other MI6 figures like Monty and Tru, who help shape the team while also reminding readers that espionage comes with real costs. Ponti keeps the tone accessible for younger readers, but he does not flatten the danger.

What you should expect, then, is a fast-paced mix of codebreaking, disguises, humor, narrow escapes, and strong group chemistry. The books move quickly and travel widely, but they never feel random. Each mission gives a different team member time in the spotlight, and that keeps the series fresh.

If you like adventure stories with puzzles, international settings, and a strong found-family heart, City Spies is built for exactly that.