Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Spy kids protect teen activist in exciting, nuanced episode.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
MISSION MANHATTAN opens with the City Spies kids in Venice, Italy, to protect charismatic teen enviro-activist Beatriz, who's giving a speech there. It turns out that both she and 13-year-old Rio share a hometown, and they're soon on a boat chatting away in Portuguese at a VIP party when Rio spots a bomb—in time to get the partiers to safety, but the boat is badly damaged, the bombers escape, and Beatriz is still a target as she heads to New York City to address a gathering of dignitaries. There are plenty of signs that bad guys are planning to kidnap her or worse once she gets there. Paris, Sydney, Rio, Kat, Brooklyn, and Cairo, along with spy dad "Mother," are trying to stay ahead of them—but in a world of lies, deception, and power struggles, it's easier said than done.
Is It Any Good?
Global villainy, lying treachery, fractured families, scary masks, vuvuzelas, and wedgies are just some of the hazards James Ponti's cast of spy kids face in their latest funny, thrilling adventure. Mission Manhattan involves plenty of narrow escapes, dramatic reversals, and laugh-out-loud moments in New York City, but before that, there's a bomb in Venice, a feast in Scotland, and lots more—along with a lot of ethical dilemmas about a line of work that involves lying to people all the time.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about spy stories like Mission Manhattan. Why do you think spying is such a popular theme—and what stories do you think do a good job of telling about it?
Do you like magic tricks? Do you know any? If so, how did you learn them? Was it easy, or hard? How did it go when you performed them?
Have you ever been to New York City? (Or maybe you even live there?) What's your favorite thing there?
Teamwork is critical to the kid spies' success. What are some ways they each contribute to their mission? How do you work in a team? What do you contribute?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Adventure
- Topics : Activism , Adventures , Friendship
- Character Strengths : Courage , Integrity , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Aladdin
- Publication date : February 6, 2024
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 432
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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