James Ponti

James Ponti was born in Italy, raised in Florida, and went to college in California. He wrote and produced television shows for the likes of Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, PBS, Spike TV, History Channel, and Golf Channel. In James Ponti’s City Spies (Aladdin) we meet Sara Martinez, a hacker. After breaking into the New York City foster care system to expose her foster parents as cheats and lawbreakers she’s facing years in jail and being banned from using computer. Enter Mother, a British spy who gets Sara released from jail and offers her a chance to join a secret MI6 agency. Operating out of a base in Scotland, the City Spies are five kids from various parts of the world. When they’re not attending the local boarding school, they’re honing their particular skills, from sleight of hand, to explosives. These talents allow them to go places in the world of espionage where adults can’t. Before 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 dealing with her new team. Publisher’s Weekly called it “A page-turner suited to even the most reluctant readers.”