#simonkids

[hollymbryan]

Blog Tour + #Review: CITY SPIES: CITY OF THE DEAD by James Ponti (w/ #giveaway)!

Welcome to Book-Keeping and my stop on the Rockstar Book Tours blog tour for the fourth installment in the City Spies series by James Ponti, City Spies: City of the Dead, which releases next Tuesday, 7 February! If you’ve followed my reviews before, you’ll know what a huge fan I am of this series, so I’m thrilled to tell you all about this latest installment. You can also find my review and a giveaway below!

About the Book

title: City Spies: City of the Dead author: James Ponti publisher: Aladdin release date: 7 February 2023

In this fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling series from Edgar Award winner James Ponti, the young group of spies go codebreaking in Cairo in another international adventure perfect for fans of Spy School and Mrs. Smith’s Spy School for Girls. Codename Kathmandu, better known as Kat, loves logic and order, has a favorite eight-digit number, and can spot a pattern from a mile away. So when a series of cyberattacks hits key locations in London while the spies are testing security for the British Museum, it’s clear that Kat’s skill for finding reason in what seems like randomness makes her the perfect candidate to lead the job. And while the team follows the deciphered messages to Egypt and the ancient City of the Dead to discover who is behind the attacks and why, Kat soon realizes that there’s another layer to the mystery. With more players, more clues, and involving higher levels of British Intelligence than ever before, this mission is one of the most complex that the group has faced to date. And it’s also going to bring about a change to the City Spies…

Add to Goodreads  Purchase the Book Check out the Book Trailer

Grab the rest of the City Spies books now!

About the Author

JAMES PONTI (he/him/his) is the New York Times bestselling author of three middle grade book series: City Spies, about an unlikely squad of five kids from around the world who form an elite MI6 Spy Team; the Edgar Award–winning Framed! series, about a pair of tweens who solve mysteries in Washington, DC; and the Dead City trilogy, about a secret society that polices the undead living beneath Manhattan. His books have appeared on more than fifteen different state award lists and he is the founder of a writers group known as the Renegades of Middle Grade. James is also an Emmy– nominated television writer and producer who has worked for many networks including Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, PBS, History, and Spike TV, as well as NBC Sports. He lives with his family in Orlando, Florida. 

Connect with James: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

My 5-Star Review

If you’ve followed my reviews for any length of time, you may know just how much I love this middle grade series. My son and I have both read them all (though he hasn’t yet gotten his hands on this latest one!), and we’ve also read, both separately and out loud together, Mr. Ponti’s Dead City series, which we also love. (He has also read the Framed! series, though I have not.) Naturally I was going to jump at the chance to read and review book four! (You can find my reviews of book one here and book two here.)

While I suppose you technically could read this as a standalone, I would highly recommend reading the first three books first -- you’ll get a much better feel for the characters, and they’re totally all worth reading! In each book, a different one of our “city spies” (their codenames are each the cities in which they were found) is the alpha, or leader, of the mission. In book four, it’s Kat’s turn, and she leads in several missions throughout the book, which take the spies from London to Berlin to, ultimately, Cairo and Luxor, Egypt. Kat has always been a favorite character of mine -- she has Asperger’s and is able to see patterns amid all the chaos of life. She’s truly brilliant and refreshingly honest and plain-spoken! The spies continue hot on the heels of Umbra in this installment, and there’s a surprise addition to the City Spies team that no one was expecting. I literally read the entire book in one sitting; I just couldn’t stop flipping the pages!

I highly, highly recommend this series for all middle grade readers (will be especially good for reluctant readers!), as well as anyone who just enjoys a good spy thriller (one appropriate for kids, of course). This installment continues the unbroken string of five-star reviews for each book in the series. And with *that ending*, I can’t wait to read book five!

Rating: 5 stars!

**Disclosure: I received a copy of the book from the publisher for purposes of this blog tour. This review is voluntary on my part and reflects my honest rating and review of the book.

About the Giveaway

One (1) lucky winner will receive a finished copy of City Spies: City of the Dead by James Ponti! This one is US only and ends on 6 February 2023. Enter via the Rafflecopter below, and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Blog Tour + James’ Tours

Here’s the schedule for this second and final week of the blog tour, as well as James’ schedule of tours for the book launch!

Blog Tour, Week Two:

1/30/2023 - Nerdophiles - Review 1/30/2023 - Eye-Rolling Demigod's Book Blog - Review/IG Post

1/31/2023 - Wanderingwitchreads - TikTok Review/IG Post 1/31/2023 - Review Thick And Thin - Review/IG Post

2/1/2023 - @ChristenKrumm - IG Review 2/1/2023 - Two Points of Interest - Review

2/2/2023 - Book-Keeping - Review/IG Post 2/2/2023 - @bookmama85 - IG Review

2/3/2023 - OneMoreExclamation - Review/IG Post 2/3/2023 - @froggyreadteach - IG Review

James’ launch tours:

Monday, February 7, 2023 at 6:00pm CT Virtual launch event hosted by Blue Willow Bookshop (Houston, TX) In conversation with Kelly Yang (author of NEW FROM HERE and FINALLY SEEN)

Wednesday, February 8, 2023 at 7:00pm ET In-person event hosted by Little Shop of Stories (Decatur, GA) In conversation with Laurel Snyder (author of ORPHAN ISLAND and CHARLIE & MOUSE)

Thursday, February 9, 2023 at 6:00pm ET In-person event hosted by Malaprop’s (Asheville, NC) In conversation with Alan Gratz (author of REFUGEE, GROUND ZERO, and TWO DEGREES)

Friday, February 10, 2023 at 5:00pm ET In-person event hosted by RJ Julia Booksellers (Madison, CT) In conversation with Lauren Tarshis (author of the I SURVIVED series)

Saturday, February 11, 2023 at 3:00pm ET In-person event hosted by Books of Wonder (New York, NY) In conversation with Sayantani DasGupta (author of THE FIRE QUEEN series), Chris Grabenstein (author of DOG SQUAD and THE SMARTEST KID IN THE UNIVERSE), and Karina Yan Glaser (author of THE VANDERBEEKERS series)

Sunday, February 12, 2023 at 2:00pm CT In-person event at St. Louis Public Library hosted by The Novel Neighbor (St. Louis, MO) In conversation with George Jreije (author of SHAD HADID AND THE ALCHEMISTS OF ALEXANDRIA)

Monday, February 13, 2023 at 7:00pm CT In-person event hosted by Wild Rumpus Books for Young Readers (Minneapolis, MN) In conversation with Jacqueline West (author of THE BOOKS OF ELSEWHERE and LONG LOST)

Tuesday, February 14, 2023 at 5:30pm ET In-person event hosted by Quail Ridge Books (Raleigh, NC) In conversation with Kwame Mbalia (author of the TRISTAN STRONG series)

Thursday, February 16, 2023 at 10:30am ET In-person event hosted by Politics & Prose (Washington, D.C.)

Saturday, February 18, 2023 at 2:00pm ET In-person event hosted by The International Spy Museum (Washington, D.C.)

Saturday, February 25, 2023 at 2:00pm ET In-person event hosted at Lake Highland Prep School hosted by Writer’s Block Bookstore (Orlando, FL) In conversation with Jerry Craft (author of NEW KID and CLASS ACT)

[victoriagleasuredesigns]

“It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not weakness. That is life”. Jean-Luc Picard, Picard: The Last Best Hope by Una McCormack Thank you @simonkids for the amazing Star Trek books! I look forward to reading them all, and trying out the Hasperat, and Andorian Spice Bread recipes! 💙🪐✨ Hashtags: #startrekpicard #startrek #startrekcookbook #startrekprodigy #startrekrecipes #finalfrontier #simonkids #bookrecommendations #bookstagram #scifibooks #hasperat #simonspotlight #bookish #picardquotes https://www.instagram.com/p/CoxOd-KrJoI/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[chrissabug]

Oooh my goodness! 😃 So excited to finally share this piece!! I worked on it back in the spring/summer for the upcoming release of Keepers of the Lost Cities: Unraveled 📚✨

It’s always so lovely to do artwork for the keepers series! I love the whimsical world and new take on elves and fantasy!

Thanks for your trust @sw_messenger & @simonkids

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💖check out my Patreon for in-depth TUTORIALS, my favorite BRUSHES, process shots, lineart, sketches, advice articles, process VIDEOS, Podcasts, monthly prints, stickers and more!💌

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[diana-toledano-illustrations]

Did you watch the Oscars last night? This is Edith Head, she holds the record of the woman with most Oscars! With perseverance and passion she went on from being a shy kid in the Nevada desert, to wining eight Academy Awards for best costume design! Learn more about her in our picture book biography DRESSING UP THE STARS —#DressingUpTheStars written by #jeannewalkerharvey and illustrated by #DianaToledano • #costumedesigner #EdithHead #hollywoodfashion #theoscars #inspiringwomen #womentrailblazers #womenshistorymonth #goldenhollywood #fashionbooks #picturebookbiography #nonfictionpicturebook @eastwestlit @simonkids https://www.instagram.com/p/CpvOwD9JJP9/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[candidcover]

Giveaway: The Legendary Mo Seto by A.Y. Chan

Giveaway: The Legendary Mo Seto by A.Y. Chan #TheLegendaryMoSeto #AYChan #Aladdin #SimonKids

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Legendary Mo Seto by A.Y. Chan hosted by Rockstar Book Tours! This middle grade sports fiction book sounds like so much fun. Keep reading to learn more about the book and enter the giveaway to win a copy for yourself. (US only) Continue reading Giveaway: The Legendary Mo Seto by A.Y. Chan

[theliterarylondonlife]

Giveaway: The Legendary Mo Seto by A.Y. Chan

Giveaway: The Legendary Mo Seto by A.Y. Chan #TheLegendaryMoSeto #AYChan #Aladdin #SimonKids

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Legendary Mo Seto by A.Y. Chan hosted by Rockstar Book Tours! This middle grade sports fiction book sounds like so much fun. Keep reading to learn more about the book and enter the giveaway to win a copy for yourself. (US only) Continue reading Giveaway: The Legendary Mo Seto by A.Y. Chan

[lzteach]

Linda’s Book Obsession is Thrilled to Share the COVER RELEASE for "SHIPWRECKED" by Mary Alice Monroe and Angela May, Simon Kids, June 18, 2024. On Tour with Suzy Approved Book Tours

    Cover Reveal Saturday 12/9 “ Shipwrecked (Book 3, The Islanders series)” by Mary Alice Monroe and Angela May. I am so excited to share the Cover Reveal of “Shipwrecked” (Book 3, “The Islanders Series.   @maryalicemonroe   @angelamaybooks   @simonkids   Jake, Macon, and Lovie fight to survive at sea in this third high-stakes adventure in the middle grade, New York Times bestselling…

[roesolo]

Blog Tour: LOVE IS LOUD: How Diane Nash Led the Civil Rights Movement

Blog Tour: LOVE IS LOUD: How Diane Nash Led the Civil Rights Movement @barbfisch @blueslipper @pwisemanbooks @SimonKIDS @SandraNWallace

Diane Nash is a civil rights leader who was a Freedom Rider; a lunch counter protestor, and a 2022 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient. Sandra Neil Wallace and four-time Caldecott Honor recipient Bryan Collier bring her story to vibrant life in Love is Loud. Love is Loud, by Sandra Neil Wallace/Illustrated by Bryan Collier, (Jan. 2023, Simon & Schuster), $18.99, ISBN: 9781534451032 Ages…

[girllustrators]

From the picture book I See You See by Richard Jackson and pictures by me! Published by Atheneum books for Young Readers.

“A warm quiet ode to imagination.” - Kirkus, starred review

This picture book was a joy to illustrate. Richard Jackson had an amazing imagination himself. His manuscript was an invitation for me to use mine. I was given the freedom to explore, reflect and play. Thank you to my team at Caitlyn Dlouhy Books!! Illustrating this book was a sublime journey I will forever hold close in my heart.

~patrice

[bensonshum]

Excited to announce my new book LITTLE SEED. Thank you to Teresa @bookmarkliterary, Cindy Kim and the whole team at @simonkids. Out spring 2022. #kidlit . . . . . #boardbooks #kidsbook #annoucement #childrensbooks #littleseed #author #writer #illustrator #simonkids #bookmarkliterary #childrensauthor #boardbook #books #publisherweekly #scbwi #bensonshum #authorsofinstagram #writersofinstagram #illustratorsoninstagram #reading https://www.instagram.com/p/CI3sP0IH-Bw/?igshid=1g7wx7umzq9es

[pageturnersblog]

FUN FACT:

“The KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES series actually started as a short story told from Fitz's POV. The basic plot was that he would find a girl in the human world, realize she's an elf, and tell her--which wasn't exactly a very satisfying ending! I couldn't stop thinking about that little girl, wondering why she'd been hidden away and what would happen to her next, so I decided to write her story. Seven books later, I'm still writing it, with at least two more books to go. (Yes, I'm pretty sure this is proof that I fail at short fiction.) :)” —Shannon Messenger

This week we are reading: EXILE!

[winkerverserewritten]

Here's a bald Tanya edit! (The illustrator said in her mind,Tanya's hair is indeed a wig,though she doesn't know if it's really canon. Not to mention the pink hair WAS based off a wig. So the wig thing is probably canon.) 2nd slide is original book page. Comment if I did Edit done on Kleki Art Tool on Fire tablet. #zebrafish #photoedit #drawingedit #graphicnovel #fablevision #simonkids https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck9J8hxvIlG/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[booksiseeloveandread]

(Gifted) A Year of Living Awkwardly by Emma Chastain is out now! I hadn’t heard of this series before, but it seems really funny, and sometimes it’s fun to relive your high school years to remember why you don’t want to relive them 🙈 . How was/is your high school experience? . Thank you to @simonkidsuk for sending me a copy! . . . #chloesnow #chloesnowsdiary #theyearoflivingawkwardly #confessionsofahighschooldisaster #highschool #sophmoreyear #emmachastain #simonkids #makeup #bridgetjones #meangirls #contemporaryliterature #chicklit #bookworm #bookaholic #bookstagram #bookcover

[memoandradee]

Hey guys, how are you? I hope very well, welcome to another Wednesday review. Today we are going to review the third book in a trilogy, and the book I read in the midst of Hurricane Grace.

In Michelle Harrison's “A Tangle of Spells” we return to the Widdershins sisters in a new town, a town where magic is rejected, since magic and trouble go hand in hand.

When the three of them arrive, happy to leave their life in Crowstone behind, they arrive in Pendlewick but quickly they find that the people of the town act strange, as if they are in a spell. Not to mention that their new house is some how terrifying. When they find a secret room with a painting that appears to be following them, the three sisters find themselves in the middle of a new dark adventure.

This book really surprised me, it was darker and scarier than the previous two books. There were times when I felt terror run through me, and the stakes were high.

This novel is different to the structure of the previous 2, where we visited various places in the world of the sisters. The gloomy atmosphere of the town was extremely well crafted, you could imagine everything and the lyrical way, fairytale-esc, of the author was fantastic.

Being a novel "different" from the previous ones, it took me about 100 pages to feel into the novel, but when everything begins to happen, the novel holds no stops and it is difficult to put down.

Friends this series of novels I feel that they can be read as stand-alones, nothing more than a few small references to previous books. I recommend reading them as the publication order. But the masterful way that Michelle Harrison structures the novel means that they can be enjoyed separately.

Title: A Tangle of Spells

Author: Michelle Harrison

Rating: 4/5

English Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK

Cover Illustration: Melissa Castrilón

(4/5 ⭐️)

[diana-toledano-illustrations]

Hola! It’s #kidlitartpostcard Day and I have a big announcement to make… I’m now represented by Deborah Warren at @eastwestlit – I’m so happy to have such an amazing team on my corner! 💛 Oh, forgive me, I was so excited that I forgot to do the intro thing: ✏️ I’m Diana Toledano. I’m an illustrator, writer and educator from Spain living in California. 💛 I love mixed media art, dancing, and Spanish-style hot chocolate topped with whipped cream (so good!). 📒 My books and products have been sold all over the world. I have illustrated many titles, including the chapter book series POLLY DIAMOND, the picture book ONE SNOWY DAY, and the non-fiction biography DRESSING UP THE STARS. 
✨I am fascinated by deep stories that offer every child a place of refuge and wonder. – Give me ALL the feelings, and some humor too. ;) 
Art directors, I can’t wait to work with you! P.S.: Art from the #picturebook #DressingUpTheStars narrating the life of #costumedesigner #EdithHead, written by #jeannewalkerharvey and published by Beach Lane with @simonkids https://www.instagram.com/p/CpThODoP_n3/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[mamahadtolistentoallthisdrama]

Boy, do my 2nd and 3rd grade classes love Lulu’s adventures. This one sounds perfect for this time of year. I’m reading it this week and deciding if it will make my substitute bag. I have a feeling it will. - 📚. SYNOPSIS: “Eeny meeny miney mo, That babysitter’s got to go. “ - 🧳. Lulu has put her tantrum-throwing days behind her. That is, until her parents announce that they are going on vacation—WITHOUT LULU. Not only that, but they are leaving her with the formidable Ms. Sonia Sofia Solinsky, who says hello by bellowing, “The Eagle has landed,” and smiles at you with the kind of smile that an alligator might give you before eating you for dinner. - 🧳. The second her parents are out of the house, Lulu tries out several elaborate schemes to bring them straight back. But just when she seems to finally be making some headway, her babysitter reveals an astonishing secret…one that has Lulu crossing her fingers that her parents will go on vacation all the time—without her! - 📚. fall themed book sleeve: @bookishbling - 📚. 📚. 📚. #middlegradereads #judithvoirst #simonkids #childrensbooks #bookstagram #bookreview #bookreviews #bookflatlay #currentlyreading #substitutelibrarian #schoollibrary #librariansofinstagram #bookishbling #booksleeves https://www.instagram.com/p/B3cmEV4g5rc/?igshid=19x6270u10eql