Take another super-big globe-trotting, plaid pants spotting adventure with Samantha Spinner and her brother, Nipper, in the fourth book in this hilarious, puzzle-packed series! Perfect for fans of Mr. Lemoncello's Library and the Secret series, and classics like Holes and The Westing Game . Samantha Spinner's Uncle Paul has gone missing again. But this time, he left behind a yellow mitten and a note: Watch out for the SNOW! That's weird, especially because they're in Seattle . . . and it's the middle of summer! Samantha has defeated ninjas, battled clowns, and faced down daredevils. But with the sinister SNOW, she may have met her math!* A puzzling uncle, a mission to Michigan, and a mysterious mitten. Let's hope Samantha's super-annoying brother can lend her a hand with . . . the PERPLEXING PANTS! *That's a super-secret clue. Gr 4-6-When 11-year-old Samantha Spinner's Uncle Paul is kidnapped by a group of men and women in white coats and green visors, she immediately goes to work trying to decipher the two clues he left behind: a yellow mitten and a note reading, "Watch out for the SNOW!" Soon, Samantha and her brother Nipper are traveling to Michigan on the secret human-size marble maze transport system they discovered on their last adventure. While Samantha eventually ends up in the lair of a math-based criminal organization, Nipper travels to Egypt in a desperate attempt to save his beloved baseball team, the Yankees, from a curse caused by a stolen ring. The two siblings are reunited in a daring final battle against Absolute Zero, the villain who has captured their uncle. This fourth installment is full of math-based puzzles and facts. Frequent references to characters and events in previous adventures may confuse newcomers, and the multiple plotlines are a bit convoluted. But fans of the series will enjoy the wacky twists, wordplay, and puzzles (including several codes that are scattered throughout) with explanations at the end. Although race is never explicitly mentioned, most of the characters in Fisinger's cartoon-style illustrations appear to be white, with the exception of the darker-skinned Fiona Hill, a young master detective who makes a brief appearance. Journal entries describing real locations, like the Detroit Institute of Arts, are scattered throughout, mixing facts with fiction. The book ends on a startling cliff-hanger hinting at the next book's exploits. VERDICT Fans of this puzzle-rich series will enjoy this latest entry, which will leave them eager for the adventure to continue.-Ashley Larsen, Pacifica Libraries, CAα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. Praise for the Samantha Spinner Series: “A winning mix of fast-paced action, fascinating facts, bathroom humor, and hidden puzzles .” — Kirkus Reviews “ Wild , wacky , and occasionally gross. ” — The Bulletin “ Clever, smart, and sometimes a bit silly, this fun mystery  . . . includes a few extra secrets for the especially inquisitive mind . ” — Shelf Awareness “Full of adventure and survival, [ Samantha Spinner and the Super-Secret Plans is] great for [readers of] series like The 39 Clues.” — School Library Journal "Appealing fare for kids who enjoy zany adventure tales with side helpings of historical/geographical trivia and wacky humor .” — Booklist Russell Ginns is a writer and game designer who specializes in puzzles, songs, and smart fun. He has worked on projects for a wide variety of organizations, corporations, and publications, including Sesame Workshop, Girl Scouts of America, Nintendo, and Scientific American . Russell lives and writes in Washington, D.C. He is the author of the Samantha Spinner series : Samantha Spinner and the Super-Secret Plans , Samantha Spinner and the Spectacular Specs,Samantha Spinner and the Boy in the Ball , and Samantha Spinner and the Perplexing Pants . To learn more about him, visit samanthaspinner.com and follow @rginns on Twitter. Chapter One   “One hundred forty- one! One hundred forty- one!” Sitting on the steps to his uncle’s apartment over the garage, Nipper had thought he was far enough away from Sammy the parrot to not hear it screeching. “Three games to go! Three games to go!” He wasn’t. Somewhere behind his neighbor’s house, Missy Snoddgrass’s double- triple super- awful pet bird squawked and blabbed. Nipper’s Yankees were in big trouble, and the parrot made sure he knew it. “Did you hear that?” said Mr. Spinner. “One hundred forty- one plus three is one hundred and forty- four.” Nipper turned to see his dad. He stood a few feet away, smiling, and waving a yellow-mitten-covered hand. In his other hand he was holding up a fresh, steaming waffle with a pair of tongs. “That’s a gross, Son,” said Mr. Spinner. “Remember?” “Yeah, Dad. I remember,” said Nipper. “A dozen dozens is one gross. That rotten bird is squawking about a gross of games.”