For years, readers have been asking if I am going to start a new series.

I am.       Sort of.

Spy School Secret Files is an offshoot of the Spy School series — but  instead of telling made up stories about spies, I and sharing true stories.

Yes, this is my first non-fiction book. It came about as a result of my visit to CIA headquarters. While there, I head so many fascinating true stories of espionage that I asked if I could share them and the CIA eagerly agreed. There were so many stories that I realized there would have to be more than one book, so I decided to focus the first book on tales from World War II, which really was the beginning of the modern CIA.  (Yes, that means there will be at least one more book in this series.)

To tie this to Spy School, I have Ben Ripley narrate the stories. So I hope you will enjoy reading as Ben shares the true stories behind World War II’s courageous spies, their inventive commanders, and the incredible things they did, like commando raids, code-breaking, double-crosses, disinformation, and inventing shark repellant and exploding pancake batter (really). There are amazing stories about famous spies like Julia Child, John Ford, and Sterling Hayden, plus countless others who risked their lives and took great risks to keep the world safe from evil.

Totally True Tales of World War II will be available on November 10, 2026.

Click here to pre-order it!

I have received a lot of messages from a lot of people wanting to know about this book. So I will not draw things out any longer. Here is the new cover and title:

And here is the synopsis:

When the seasoned adult spies of the Hale family mysteriously disappear on a mission to China, Ben Ripley and his fellow spies-in-training head east to discover what happened to them—and find themselves up against a villainous plot that will take them from the skyscrapers of Shanghai to the ancient ruins of the Great Wall to the remote regions of the Gobi desert.

It will be available on October 6. Click here to pre-order it! (Although a lot of sites may not have it ready for pre-order yet. They will soon, though.)

Now, here are the answers to a few questions I am sure I will get:

That’s it? That’s all the information you are going to share with us?

Yes. The less you know about a book before you read it, the more fun it is the read. I don’t want to spoil anything.

Can’t you tell me anything else? Even if I ask nicely?

Sorry, no. And if you send me an email or post a comment asking for more info, I will simply direct you back to this page.

Will there be an exclusive edition of this book with bonus content?

Probably, although that isn’t guaranteed yet. If there is, I will post about it.

Now that you have written Goes South, Goes North and Goes east, will there be a Spy School Goes West?

I don’t know. Strange as it might seem, I write the titles of my books last, not first. I wrote this book because I wanted to set a book in China, not because I wanted to call a book ‘Spy School Goes East.’ That title just ended up working better than any of the other options.

That’s right folks.  I have teamed up with Barnes & Noble yet again to create an exclusive edition of one of my novels!

This one has a special cover, an annotated map of Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda (home to the mountain gorillas), Teddy Fitzroy’s safari checklist and plenty of bonus animal facts. And, as usual, it costs the exact same amount of money as the regular book.

Click here to pre-order your copy today!

Hi all!  2026 is going to be a big year!

First up, on March 24, 2026 there’s the newest book in the FunJungle series, Ape Escape.

When a baby gorilla is stolen from an orphanage in Rwanda, Teddy, his parents, and an old family friend find themselves in a race against time to save it. Teddy has to piece together clues to figure out where the little ape is being taken while traveling through some of the most incredible—and dangerous—terrain in the world.

At the same time, he’s long-distance consulting with Summer to help solve another mystery back at FunJungle. Between facing down lions on the Serengeti and chasing poachers through the bazaars of Zanzibar, will Teddy be able to find the baby gorilla before it’s too late?

I’m pleased to announce that, once again, there will be an exclusive edition of this one available from Barnes & Noble, featuring an exclusive jacket, an annotated map of—plus bonus content that features Teddy’s safari checklist, fun animal facts and more!

Click here to pre-order your exclusive copy today!

Also on March 24, you can get the FunJungle MegaFauna Mystery boxed set!

This has paperback editions of Bear Bottom, Whale Done and All Ears — in a box!

Click here to get it!

Next up, on April 28… Spy School Secret Service, the Graphic Novel!

The New York Times bestselling Spy School series continues in graphic novel form with the fifth book as Ben Ripley goes undercover in the White House to take on a SPYDER operative determined to assassinate the president.

This will also have an exclusive edition at Barnes & Noble! It featuresan exclusive cover with shiny red foil, plus a double-sided, pull-out poster of Washington D.C. and Ben’s highlights of The White House!

Click here to pre-order your exclusive copy today!

Then, on August 18… Spaced Out the Graphic Novel!

The moon base commander has gone missing, and Dash Gibson is on the case in this New York Times bestselling, second mind-boggling mystery of the Moon Base Alpha series —now in graphic novel form!

Click here to get it!

Next, on October 6…. Spy School Goes East!

When the seasoned adult spies of the Hale family mysteriously disappear on a mission to China, Ben Ripley and his fellow spies-in-training head east to discover what happened to them—and find themselves up against a villainous plot that will take them from the skyscrapers of Shanghai to the ancient ruins of the Great Wall to the remote regions of the Gobi desert.

Click here to get it!

On November 10… I will release my first non-fiction book!

Join Ben as he shares the true stories behind World War II’s courageous spies, their inventive commanders, and the incredible things they did, like commando raids, code-breaking, double-crosses, disinformation, and inventing shark repellant and exploding pancake batter (really). There are amazing stories about famous spies like Julia Child, John Ford, and Sterling Hayden, plus countless others who risked their lives and took great risks to keep the world safe from evil.

Click here to get it!

And there may still be one more book coming out in 2026.

Keep checking this website for details!  I will post when I have news!

Once again, I have partnered with Barnes & Noble to create an exclusive edition of one of my books — which is only available at those bookstores.

What do you get with it? Let’s start with the book jacket: it is specially-designed, with a free, exclusive poster on the inside.

I have also written plenty of bonus content for the book itself: sixteen extra pages of fun stuff that will add to the story (and hopefully make you laugh a bit too).

And how much more will this all cost you? Not one extra cent! The exclusive editions is the exact same price as the regular book.  So why not get it?

Click here to pre-order your copy today!

PS. I know I am not saying much about what is actually in the sixteen pages of bonus content. That’s because explaining it might spoil the rest of the book. So please please please don’t write to ask me what’s in it. It’s won’t be able to tell you. You’ll just have to see it for yourself when you get the book.

Many people have been asking me about this book over the past few months, so I am happy to finally be able to share some information about it with you. (It took some time for everyone at my publisher to agree on a title and cover.)

Anyhow, here’s the cover, created, as usual, by the amazing Lucy Cummins::

And here’s the synopsis:

When a baby gorilla is stolen from an orphanage in Rwanda, Teddy, his parents, and an old family friend find themselves in a race against time to save it. Teddy has to piece together clues to figure out where the little ape is being taken while traveling through some of the most incredible—and dangerous—terrain in the world.

At the same time, he’s long-distance consulting with Summer to help solve another mystery back at FunJungle. Between facing down lions on the Serengeti and chasing poachers through the bazaars of Zanzibar, will Teddy be able to find the baby gorilla before it’s too late?

The book will be released on March 24, 2026. Although if you would like to preorder it, you can do that by clicking here.

I am thrilled to finally announce a project that I have been working on with Simon & Schuster for the past year:

Whether you’re a young writer looking for tips, a teacher hoping to educate your students about creative writing, or a homeschooler looking for some fun new lessons, Mission: Write should appeal to you.  There are currently six videos (with more coming in the future) hosted by me — and accompanying lesson plans written by the brilliant educator, Rose Brock.

Best of all, it’s free!  So take a look for yourself.  Just click here to watch and learn!

I, along with many of my favorite writers (and probably yours), have contributed to this amazing anthology:

In a collection of personal stories and essays, award-winning and bestselling authors write about how hope always wins, even in the darkest of times.  Here are just a few of the people who contributed to this book: Tom Angleberger, Sarah Mlynowski, Max Brallier, Julie Buxbaum, Pablo Cartaya, J. C. Cervantes, Rex Ogle, Matt de la Peña, Adam Gidwitz, R.L. Stine, Veera Hiranandani, Hena Khan, Karina Yan Glaser, James Ponti, Soman Chainani, Pam Munoz Ryan, Christina Soontornvat and Gordon Korman.  And oh yeah, the cover art is by Vashti Harrison, and the whole book is edited by the amazing Rose Brock.

I have read all these stories, and they are all truly wonderful.  If you have ever wanted to know more about the lives of your favorite authors, this is your chance.

The book is now available everywhere books are sold. Get it now by clicking here.

This should be pretty obvious from the title of this post, but Once Upon A Tim just got a rave review from the New York Times.

You can read the whole thing by clicking here, but here are some notable quotes:

“Fans of heraldic silliness like “The Princess Bride” and “Shrek” will delight in “Once Upon a Tim,” a charming take on the traditional knightly adventure.”

“The book’s fun comes from Gibbs’s deployment of deadpan humor and boisterous slapstick. Its heart lies in a clever subversion of type.”

“Writing may be magic, but so is reading.”

“This giddy romp through a medieval setting, complete with menacing trolls and gigantic, bloodthirsty butterflies, is the start of a promising series.”

Excited?  Ready for a good story?  Then just click here to order the book!

Also, I am happy with any good review, especially ones from readers.  So if you have enjoyed Tim (or any of my books) feel free to post a positive review on Goodreads.  Just click here.

(For tips on how to write a good review, check out this blog post.)

As anyone who visits this site knows, I am a huge supporter of the conservation movement and do my best in my books (particularly the FunJungle series) to educate readers about environmental issues.

So I am pleased to announce that I have joined the advisory board of Conservation Nation. This organization has two goals:

1. To provide grants and support to emerging and established conservationists from underrepresented groups who are doing wildlife-saving work.
2. To engage and inspire underserved high school students to explore careers in conservation through programs that offer experiential learning, access to field professionals, and micro grants for projects close to home.

You can learn more about this great organization by clicking here.

Or you can learn how to get involved by clicking here.

I had my first meeting as part of the advisory committee on education yesterday and I could not be more impressed by the people who work for CN, the plans they have and their commitment to both the planet and to the next generation of conservationists.