James Ponti Books in Order
Explore James Ponti books in order, with quick summaries for City Spies, Dead City, Framed!, and more, plus series guides and easy advice on where to start.
Last updated: July 10, 2026
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James Ponti books in publication order
38 books
Hollywood East
by James Ponti
1992
This nonfiction title looks at Florida's long connection to film and television. It explores productions, locations, and the state's role as a lively home for moviemaking beyond Hollywood.
History Mystery
by James Ponti
1998
A puzzle rooted in the past gives Shelby Woo a new case to crack. As old stories and present-day clues begin to connect, she has to figure out which pieces of history still matter now.
Election Connection
by James Ponti
1999
Allen helps his friend Robbie campaign for student government, but normal school politics are not the only thing on his mind. Strange signs suggest alien activity nearby, and Allen hopes the mystery might lead him closer to home.
Friends in Need
by James Ponti
1999
A friend lands in serious trouble, and Shelby Woo is not about to sit back and watch. Following clues past rumors and half-truths, she works to uncover what really happened before things get worse.
The Green Monster
by James Ponti
1999
When someone starts sabotaging a superstitious Red Sox star, Shelby Woo and her friends dig into the case. To stop the attacks, they have to figure out whether the culprit is chasing revenge, fear, or something else entirely.
WNBA
by James Ponti
1999
This nonfiction book offers a quick, accessible look at the WNBA and some of the league's standout players. It is a straightforward introduction to women's professional basketball and the stars helping shape the sport.
Psyched
by James Ponti
2000
Raven's visions are causing trouble again, and every attempt to stay ahead of them creates a bigger disaster. Between school, friends, and her own over-the-top plans, she has to survive the future one mistake at a time.
Around the World in 80 Days Jr. Novel
by James Ponti
2004
Phileas Fogg makes a bold wager that he can circle the globe in just eighty days. With his quick-thinking companion at his side, the trip turns into a race packed with danger, detours, and surprises.
Animal Attraction
by James Ponti
2005
Raven's latest vision pulls her into another comic mess, this time with animals adding even more chaos. As always, trying to fix the future only makes the present a lot harder to manage.
Santa's Secret
by James Ponti
2006
Scott Calvin's in-laws are visiting just as Carol is expecting a baby, and they still do not know he is Santa. Keeping the North Pole looking normal becomes a holiday problem all by itself.
The Santa Clause 3: Escape Clause
by James Ponti
2006
Scott Calvin is trying to handle family visits and life at the North Pole when Jack Frost launches a plan to take over Christmas. To save the holiday, Santa has to outwit a rival who would love to turn it all upside down.
Sea of Love
by James Ponti
2008
A new vision sends Raven into another round of comic confusion, this time with crushes and mixed signals making the problem worse. She wants to help, of course, but getting there is never simple.
A Christmas Carol
by James Ponti
2009
Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by three spirits who force him to face his past, present, and future. The journey shows him what his cold-hearted life has cost, and what he still has time to change.
G-Force The Junior Novelization
by James Ponti
2009
A team of specially trained guinea pig agents takes on a mission too dangerous for ordinary pets, or ordinary people. To save the world, they must outsmart a powerful tech villain before his plan goes live.
Race to Witch Mountain
by James Ponti
2009
When cab driver Jack Bruno picks up two strange kids, he is dragged into a chase involving scientists, government agents, and visitors from another world. Reaching Witch Mountain may be their only hope of getting home.
Sound Off!
by James Ponti
2009
Camp Rock Game Day gives the campers a break from songs and rehearsals, but the competition brings its own drama. When Mitchie ends up on Tess's team, both girls discover sides of each other they did not expect.
The Right Chord
by James Ponti
2010
Camp Rock's second session is almost over, but a few campers are stuck there a little longer than planned. That extra time brings one last round of music, friendship drama, and unfinished business before summer ends.
The Sorcerer's Apprentice Junior Novel
by James Ponti
2010
Dave Stutler thinks he is a regular kid until a sorcerer named Balthazar recruits him for a magical fight in Manhattan. To stop a rising evil, Dave has to learn fast and trust power he never expected to have.
Tron Legacy
by James Ponti
2010
Sam Flynn enters the digital Grid in search of his missing father, Kevin. Inside, he finds deadly games, a fierce ally named Quorra, and a ruthless enemy who wants control of both the virtual world and the real one.
On Stranger Tides Junior Novel
by James Ponti
2011
Jack Sparrow is swept into a race for the Fountain of Youth, with Blackbeard, Angelica, and the British and Spanish all chasing the same prize. Mermaids, mutiny, and shifting loyalties make every step of the voyage risky.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
by James Ponti
2011
The hunt for the Fountain of Youth pulls Jack Sparrow into a dangerous voyage ruled by Blackbeard and haunted by old connections. Between naval pursuit, mermaid attacks, and double-crosses, nobody can be trusted for long.
Dead City
by James Ponti
2012
By day, Molly Bigelow is a student at a science magnet school. By night, she learns that zombies are real, Manhattan is full of them, and she has inherited a dangerous role in keeping the peace.
Blue Moon
by James Ponti
2013
Molly learns even more unsettling truths about her family as Omega hunts the original thirteen zombies. From the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to New Year's Eve in Times Square, the search tests every loyalty she has.
Dark Days
by James Ponti
2015
Operation Blue Moon throws Molly and the Omegas into their toughest fight yet. With a friend now among the undead and a new threat rising beneath Manhattan, the fate of the city starts to look frighteningly uncertain.
Framed!
by James Ponti
2016
Florian Bates uses his Theory of All Small Things to spot a clue in an art theft at the National Gallery. Soon he and his new friend Margaret are helping the FBI take on a forgery ring and a dangerous crime syndicate.
Vanished!
by James Ponti
2017
Florian and Margaret go undercover at an elite school where pranks may involve the President's daughter. Then a student disappears at the Kennedy Center, and their simple assignment turns into a much darker mystery.
Trapped!
by James Ponti
2018
When Marcus Rivers is accused of crimes he did not commit, Florian and Margaret jump in to clear his name. Their search leads to an old Russian spy case, hidden codes, and danger beneath the Library of Congress.
City Spies
by James Ponti
2020
After hacking the foster care system to expose abuse, Sara Martinez expects punishment, not recruitment. Instead, she is pulled into MI6's secret kid spy team and sent on a first mission that could change everything.
Golden Gate
by James Ponti
2021
Sydney and Brooklyn head out on a marine research ship, then into a case involving kidnappers, a possible MI6 mole, and double agents. The trail stretches from the North Sea to San Francisco, with Mother searching for answers of his own.
Forbidden City
by James Ponti
2022
Paris shadows a chess prodigy in Moscow and Beijing while Sydney goes undercover around a billionaire's family and a pop tour. Their two assignments collide in a dangerous plot tied to Umbra and an old missile base.
City of the Dead
by James Ponti
2023
Kat leads the City Spies when cyberattacks hit London and the clues point toward Egypt. As the team chases a hidden enemy through the ancient City of the Dead, the case grows far more tangled than it first appears.
Mission Manhattan
by James Ponti
2024
A threat against a teen climate activist sends the City Spies to Venice, New York, and Washington. With Rio taking a larger role and a new member on the team, the mission quickly turns personal and dangerous.
The Sherlock Society
by James Ponti
2024
Alex and Zoe Sherlock start a detective agency with their friends and their grandfather's cold-case files. Their first real case leads to old treasure lore, Al Capone, and danger waiting out in the Florida wilds.
Hurricane Heist
by James Ponti
2025
A hurricane exposes a body tied to a jewel theft that has haunted Miami Beach for decades. The Sherlock Society digs into the cold case and finds that some people still have strong reasons to keep the truth buried.
London Calling
by James Ponti
2025
Cairo takes the lead when his sister disappears, pushing the City Spies from Istanbul to Rome while another threat builds around a royal wedding in London. Split focus and tight security make this one of their hardest missions yet.
Art Attack
by James Ponti
2026
The Sherlock Society goes undercover in Miami's art world when a new case opens up. Alex, Zoe, and the team follow stolen clues, old secrets, and fresh danger in another fast-moving Florida mystery.
Europa
by James Ponti
2026
With Le Fantome behind bars, the City Spies think they finally have breathing room, until Umbra demands his release. The team splits across Europe, chasing codes and clues before multiple attacks can be carried out.
Operation Oz
by James Ponti
2027
The City Spies head toward another far-flung mission, with Australia looming large in the case. Expect covert teamwork, quick pivots, and the same mix of puzzles, action, and found-family loyalty that powers the series.
Where to start with James Ponti
If you want globe-trotting spy adventure: City Spies → Golden Gate → Forbidden City
If you like kid detectives and clever clues: Framed! → Vanished! → Trapped!
If you want spooky action with zombies: Dead City → Blue Moon → Dark Days
If you want a newer Florida mystery: The Sherlock Society → Hurricane Heist → Art Attack
James Ponti sub-series and character series
- Camp Rock: Second Session books in order
- City Spies books in order
- Dead City books in order
- Florian Bates/T.O.A.S.T. Mysteries books in order
- Journey Of Allen Strange books in order
- Pirates Of The Caribbean books in order
- That's So Raven books in order
- The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo (James Ponti) books in order
- The Sherlock Society books in order
Camp Rock: Second Session books in order
Explore this seriesCity Spies books in order
Explore this series
City Spies
by James Ponti
2020City Spies, Book 1
Golden Gate
by James Ponti
2021City Spies, Book 2
Forbidden City
by James Ponti
2022City Spies, Book 3
City of the Dead
by James Ponti
2023City Spies, Book 4
Mission Manhattan
by James Ponti
2024City Spies, Book 5
London Calling
by James Ponti
2025City Spies, Book 6
Europa
by James Ponti
2026City Spies, Book 7
Operation Oz
by James Ponti
2027City Spies, Book 8
City Spies books in chronological order

City Spies
by James Ponti
2020City Spies, Book 1
Golden Gate
by James Ponti
2021City Spies, Book 2
Forbidden City
by James Ponti
2022City Spies, Book 3
City of the Dead
by James Ponti
2023City Spies, Book 4
Mission Manhattan
by James Ponti
2024City Spies, Book 5
London Calling
by James Ponti
2025City Spies, Book 6
Europa
by James Ponti
2026City Spies, Book 7
Operation Oz
by James Ponti
2027City Spies, Book 8
Dead City books in order
Explore this seriesFlorian Bates/T.O.A.S.T. Mysteries books in order
Explore this seriesJourney Of Allen Strange books in order
Explore this seriesPirates Of The Caribbean books in order
Explore this seriesThat's So Raven books in order
Explore this seriesThe Mystery Files of Shelby Woo (James Ponti) books in order
Explore this seriesThe Sherlock Society books in order
Explore this seriesJames Ponti collections, short stories, and related book types
Standalone James Ponti books

Around the World in 80 Days Jr. Novel
by James Ponti
2004
Animal Attraction
by James Ponti
2005
The Santa Clause 3: Escape Clause
by James Ponti
2006The Junior Novelization
Sea of Love
by James Ponti
2008
A Christmas Carol
by James Ponti
2009The Junior Novel
G-Force The Junior Novelization
by James Ponti
2009
Race to Witch Mountain
by James Ponti
2009The Junior Novel
The Sorcerer's Apprentice Junior Novel
by James Ponti
2010
Tron Legacy
by James Ponti
2010The Movie Storybook
Author bio
James Ponti was born in Pisa, Italy, and grew up in Atlantic Beach, Florida. He has said that as a kid he was usually at the beach, at the movies, or playing sports, not racing through stacks of novels. In fact, he was a reluctant reader for much of his childhood.
That makes the shape of his career especially interesting.
Ponti decided in fifth grade that he wanted to be a writer, even before he had fully become a reader for fun. Later, he studied screenwriting at the University of Southern California's film school, which helps explain why his books move the way they do. They are brisk, visual, and built like good adventure movies, with clear stakes, quick scene changes, and characters who are easy to root for.
Before he became known for middle grade fiction, he spent about thirty years working in television. He wrote scripts for Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, and PBS, then moved into writer-producer work for History, Spike TV, Golf Channel, and NBC Sports. He also wrote, produced, and co-directed the Emmy-nominated documentary 27 Years: The Exoneration of Valentino Dixon.
Then came the books.
His first major novel series was the zombie adventure trilogy that begins with Dead City. Those books follow Molly Bigelow, a science-minded New York kid who learns that the undead are real and that keeping Manhattan safe is part of her family story. They are spooky, funny, and packed with city history, which turned out to be a very Ponti combination from the start.
After that, he shifted into mystery with Framed!, the first Florian Bates novel. Florian is a detail-obsessed seventh grader in Washington, DC, and he solves cases with a method called T.O.A.S.T., short for the Theory of All Small Things. Readers who like clever clues, museum settings, and smart-kid detective work usually have a great time here. The sequel Vanished! won the Edgar Award, a plainspoken sign that Ponti was doing something right.
His biggest breakout with many young readers has probably been the City Spies series. It starts with a hacker named Sara Martinez, then widens into a found-family team of young agents working for MI6. The books hop from city to city, mixing codes, disguises, international threats, and a lot of teamwork. They are fast without feeling empty, and that balance is a big part of why kids, teachers, and librarians keep recommending them.
More recently, Ponti launched The Sherlock Society, set in Miami and South Florida. It follows siblings Alex and Zoe Sherlock, their friends, and their grandfather as they dig into cold cases, local history, and old secrets. The Florida setting matters here. So do the weather, the water, and the weird corners of the state's past.
Across all these series, some patterns show up again and again. Ponti likes capable kids, puzzle solving, hidden systems, and adults who do not always have everything under control. He also writes a lot about found families, loyalty, and the thrill of figuring something out one small clue at a time. Even when the plots get wild, the emotional center stays simple: smart young people learning to trust themselves and each other.
He now lives in Orlando, Florida, with his family. He has said he loves traveling, visiting museums and historic landmarks, going to major league baseball parks, and, most of all, browsing bookstores. That feels very on brand for a writer whose books are always in motion, but never far from curiosity.
Edited by
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