Samantha Spinner is depressed. Her uncle has gone missing. He used to make her and her little brother Nipper and her older sister Buffy strawberry waffles every morning before school. He was eccentric, wearing his green plaid pajamas and orange flip-flops every day, but he loved to talk about art and architecture, and he taught Samantha to say "please" and "thank you" and "what's the tallest building in the city?" in eleven different languages.
And then he disappeared.
Samantha's parents called the police, but they weren't very helpful. They said they would fill out an Unexplained Vanishing Person Form, but Samantha didn't think it would do any good. Uncle Paul was missing, and no one was looking for him.
But then her parents found the letter. Uncle Paul explained that he was actually very rich but had to leave for awhile. He left Buffy $2.4 billion dollars for her to shop with. He left Nipper Yankee Stadium, along with the New York Yankees. And for Samantha, he left an old, worn red umbrella with a note: Watch out for the RAIN.
Samantha mopes for several days, until a chance accident with a magnifying glass (aka hand lens) shows her that what she has isn't just any average umbrella. It's a map of some kind, that includes landmarks from all over the world, including Seattle, Washington, where Samantha lives. Following the map on the umbrella takes Samantha and Nipper on an adventure all over the world as they search for their uncle, try to figure out why there is a map on an old umbrella, dodge smelly ninjas, look for treasure, and learn to see beyond the obvious to what's real.
Samantha Spinner and the Super-Secret Plans is the most fun I've had with a book in quite awhile. Nothing is what it seems in this super-fun, puzzling, world-jumping, ninja-fighting, treasure-hunting middle grade novel. Packed with secret codes and puzzles and lots of interesting information, this book is the start of a new series and an adventure that young readers will love. Or older readers who are still young at heart. I absolutely loved this book, and I already can't wait for the next one in the series.
Galleys for Samantha Spinner and the Super-Secret Plans were provided by Delacorte Books for Young Readers through NetGalley, with many, many, many thanks.