Geo Librarian

  LONDON CALLING City Spies #6 by James Ponti Aladdin, 2025 ISBN: 978-1-6659-3250-9 Source: publisher for review Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover, book summary, author photo, and interview provided by the publisher. ABOUT THE BOOK In this sixth installment in the New York Times bestselling series from Edgar Award winner James Ponti, the young group of spies stage a rescue in Rome in another international adventure perfect for fans of Spy School and Charlie Thorne. Cairo, the newest member of the City Spies, takes the lead when his sister disappears in Istanbul. Determined to save the family of one of their own, the team risks discovery as their search leads them to Rome. Meanwhile, there’s been intel that seems to threaten the royal wedding about to take place in Westminster, bringing the team back to the UK on an official case for MI6. With so much security all over the city, it’s harder than ever for the City Spies to go unnoticed. Will their skills ...

A ROYAL CONUNDRUM The Misfits #1 written by Lisa Yee, illustrated by Dan Santat Random House, 2024 ISBN: 978-0-593-90562-3 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by the publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK When a notorious thief is out for priceless treasure (gems! cats! general decorum!)—who're you gonna call? An elite team of crime-fighting underdogs, that's who! The Misfits are on the case in this hilarious illustrated series from Newbery Honoree Lisa Yee and Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat! “For any kid who’s felt like a misfit, this crackling adventure packs a wallop!” —Lincoln Peirce, creator of Big Nate and Max & the Midknights Olive Cobin Zang has . . . issues. And they mostly aren’t her fault. (No, really!) Though she often slips under the radar, problems have a knack for finding her. So, imagine her doubts when she’s suddenly dropped off at the strangest boarding school a former castle turne...

  THE SEA OF TERROR Once Upon a Time #3 written by Stuart Gibbs, illustrated by Stacy Curtis Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2023 ISBN: 978-1-6659-1744-5 Source: publisher for review Ages 7-10 Early Middle Grade Fantasy (Speculative)/Humor All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. REVIEW With his trademark humor, Gibbs sends readers on another adventure with young knights-in-training, Tim and Belinda (in disguise). With a style reminiscent of Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events , Tim narrates his misadventures while introducing readers to appropriate vocabulary words and amusing commentary. Despite the nonsensical nature of the tale, there are still important themes included such as friendship, loyalty, and courage. Tim struggles to do what he feels is right because he's afraid of being made fun of for being weak.  The knights he and Belinda travel with are rude and unwise and end up betraying Tim ...

SPINELESS by Samantha San Miguel Union Square Kids, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-4549-3762-3 Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by Goodreads.com & publisher. ABOUT THE BOOK This exciting middle-grade adventure is Hoot for the Gilded Age—with scientific discoveries, secret plots, and surprisingly enormous fauna.    When his asthma lands him at a health resort in the wilds of Gilded Age South Florida, twelve-year-old Algie Emsworth is over the moon. The scientific treasure trove of unexplored swamps may launch his dream career as a naturalist. But even Algie is startled when he happens upon a brand-new species and her brood in the karst springs surrounding the resort. Algie quickly realizes he must keep his discovery a secret: a famous collector of exotic animals is also staying at the hotel, and the new species is threatened by his very presence. An apparent curse has also descended u...

SPY SCHOOL The Graphic Novel by Stuart Gibbs , illustrated by Anna Sakar Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-5344-5543-6 Source: publisher for review Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover and summary from Goodreads.com ABOUT THE BOOK Can an undercover nerd become a superstar secret agent? Now a graphic novel! Ben Ripley may only be in middle school, but he’s already pegged his dream job: CIA or bust. Unfortunately for him, his personality doesn’t exactly scream “secret agent.” In fact, Ben is so awkward, he can barely get to school and back without a mishap. Because of his innate nerdiness, Ben is not surprised when he is recruited for a magnet school with a focus on science—but he’s entirely shocked to discover that the school is actually a front for a junior CIA academy. Could the CIA really want him? Actually, no. There’s been a case of mistaken identity—but that doesn’t stop Ben from trying to morph into a supercool undercover ag...

UNPLUGGED by Gordon Korman Balzer + Bray, 2021 ISBN: 978-0-06-279889-3 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own.   ABOUT THE BOOK     From New York Times bestselling author Gordon Korman comes a hilarious middle grade novel about a group of kids forced to “unplug” at a wellness camp—where they instead find intrigue, adventure, and a whole lot of chaos. Perfect for fans of Korman’s The Unteachables , the Masterminds series, and Carl Hiaasen’s eco mysteries. As the son of the world’s most famous tech billionaire, Jett Baranov has always gotten exactly what he wanted. So, when his father’s private jet drops him in the middle of Little Rock, Arkansas, at a wellness camp called the Oasis, Jett can’t believe it. He’s forced to hand over his cell phone, eat grainy veggie patties, and participate in wholesome activities with the other kids. At the Oasis, he meets Grace, who is his polar opposite. She thrives in the wellness atmosphere and ...

  ALONE by Megan E. Freeman Aladdin, 2021 ISBN: 9781534467569 Source: ARC from publisher for review Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own.   ABOUT THE BOOK   When twelve-year-old Maddie hatches a scheme for a secret sleepover with her two best friends, she ends up waking up to a nightmare. She’s alone—left behind in a town that has been mysteriously evacuated and abandoned. With no one to rely on, no power, and no working phone lines or internet access, Maddie slowly learns to survive on her own. Her only companions are a Rottweiler named George and all the books she can read. After a rough start, Maddie learns to trust her own ingenuity and invents clever ways to survive in a place that has been deserted and forgotten. As months pass, she escapes natural disasters, looters, and wild animals. But Maddie’s most formidable enemy is the crushing loneliness she faces every day. Can Maddie’s stubborn will to survive carry her through the most frighteni...

CITY SPIES by James Ponti Aladdin, 2020 ISBN: 9781534414914 Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Sara Martinez is a hacker. She recently broke into the New York City foster care system to expose her foster parents as cheats and lawbreakers. 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. 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. 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 unique skills, such as sleight of hand, breaking and entering, observation, and explosives. All of these allow them to go places in the world of espionage where ad...

WORDS ON FIRE by Jennifer A. Nielsen Scholastic, 2019 ISBN: 978-1-338-60606-5 Source: Scholastic Book Fair Preview copy Ages 9-12 Middle grade historical fiction All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Danger is never far from Audra's family farm in Lithuania. She always avoids the occupying Russian Cossack soldiers, who insist that everyone must become Russian -- they have banned Lithuanian books, religion, culture, and even the language. But Audra knows her parents are involved in something secret and perilous. When Cossacks arrive abruptly at their door, Audra's parents insist that she flee, taking with her an important package and instructions for where to deliver it. But escape means abandoning her parents to a terrible fate. As Audra embarks on a journey to deliver the mysterious package, she faces unimaginable risks, and soon she becomes caught up in a growing resistance movement. Can joining the underground network of book smugg...

WILDFIRE by Rodman Philbrick Blue Sky Press, 2019 ISBN: 9781338266900 Middle grade adventure/survival Ages 9-12 Source: book fair All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Newbery Honor author Rodman Philbrick sends readers straight into the nightmare of a raging wildfire as 12-year-old Sam is trapped by explosive flames and deadly smoke that threaten to take his life. Can he survive?   Flames race toward Sam Castine's summer camp as evacuation buses are loading, but Sam runs back to get his phone. Suddenly, a flash of heat blasts him as pine trees explode. Now a wall of fire separates Sam from his bus, and there's only one thing to do: Run for his life. Run or die. Lungs burning, Sam's only goal is to keep moving. Drought has made the forest a tinderbox, and Sam struggles to remember survival tricks he learned from his late father. Then, when he least expects it, he encounters Delphy, an older girl who is also lost. Their unl...