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Samantha Spinner #2
Samantha Spinner and the Spectacular Specs
In her first adventure, Samantha discovered that the old umbrella her Uncle left her when he went missing holds the plans for a super-secret network of transit systems that covers the globe.
But Uncle Paul is still missing. And Samantha just received a new gift from him: a pair of strange purple sunglasses. Are they another powerful present? A clue to his whereabouts? Or just a bad fashion choice? Samantha and Nipper need to figure it out fast, because . . . here comes the SUN!
But Uncle Paul is still missing. And Samantha just received a new gift from him: a pair of strange purple sunglasses. Are they another powerful present? A clue to his whereabouts? Or just a bad fashion choice? Samantha and Nipper need to figure it out fast, because . . . here comes the SUN!
Audio CD
First published March 12, 2019
18 people are currently reading
139 people want to read
About the author
Russell Ginns
34 books21 followersRussell 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 and publications, including Sesame Workshop, Nintendo, Scientific American and the Girl Scouts of America. He is the author of “Samantha Spinner and the Spectacular Specs” and his newest, “Samantha Spinner and the Super-Secret Plans” (Delacorte), among many other titles. Ginns lives and writes in Washington, DC.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
March 11, 2019
This series is very creative and clever and I loved having the Spinner parents more involved in the plot this time. In this second book in the series, there are clowns everywhere instead of ninjas. The clowns are just as mean and nasty as the ninjas and really gross in their own way. A little too high on the yuck meter for me, but I am not the intended audience. Unfortunately the puzzles and extra content were not included in the digital ARC I reviewed, although I am assuming the added value will be very similar to the first book in the series. Readers who fell in love with Sam and Nipper in Super Secret Plans will be happy to follow them into Spetacular Specs.
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 21, 2024
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
This book picks up right where the first book left off with Samantha trying to unravel the new clues her uncle has left for her. She thought she’d rid herself of the bad guys who were searching for her umbrella, but she soon discovers that there are many more. This time she’s being pursued by evil pancake-wielding clowns with ultra-sensitive noses (yep, you read that right). As you can imagine, craziness ensues.
I loved that we got to know Samantha’s big sis Buffy a little more in this book (she’s still a caricature, but I don’t think kid readers will mind that one bit since she’s hilariously ridiculous). Also, we got to explore some new locales with Samantha and Nipper: Peru, Mali, and New York City. And the creative transportation systems that Ginns came up with are still star players in the story as well (Ginns based many of them on actual proposed transportation systems and he imagines what they would be like if implemented–in a crazy way). The book continues to weave real-life history and technology into the story in entertaining and creative ways!
This book is a lot longer than the first one (about double), so it’s possible it might be a bit harder for some of the younger readers who were probably drawn to the series to follow along. But the issue with head-hopping is solved in this book (each character’s POV gets its own chapter), so it’s easier to follow in that way. I think these could be read as standalones, but they’d be more fun read together.
Oh, and I forgot to mention that both books have adorable illustrations sprinkled throughout. This series is perfect for kids who like to laugh their way through loony adventures!
I’ll be interested to see what Ginns has in store for book three!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via Rockstar Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
This book picks up right where the first book left off with Samantha trying to unravel the new clues her uncle has left for her. She thought she’d rid herself of the bad guys who were searching for her umbrella, but she soon discovers that there are many more. This time she’s being pursued by evil pancake-wielding clowns with ultra-sensitive noses (yep, you read that right). As you can imagine, craziness ensues.
I loved that we got to know Samantha’s big sis Buffy a little more in this book (she’s still a caricature, but I don’t think kid readers will mind that one bit since she’s hilariously ridiculous). Also, we got to explore some new locales with Samantha and Nipper: Peru, Mali, and New York City. And the creative transportation systems that Ginns came up with are still star players in the story as well (Ginns based many of them on actual proposed transportation systems and he imagines what they would be like if implemented–in a crazy way). The book continues to weave real-life history and technology into the story in entertaining and creative ways!
This book is a lot longer than the first one (about double), so it’s possible it might be a bit harder for some of the younger readers who were probably drawn to the series to follow along. But the issue with head-hopping is solved in this book (each character’s POV gets its own chapter), so it’s easier to follow in that way. I think these could be read as standalones, but they’d be more fun read together.
Oh, and I forgot to mention that both books have adorable illustrations sprinkled throughout. This series is perfect for kids who like to laugh their way through loony adventures!
I’ll be interested to see what Ginns has in store for book three!
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via Rockstar Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
April 23, 2020
Un livre de ma HAL qui est enfin lu, youpi !! Bon j'avoue que celui-ci n'est pas resté très longtemps contrairement à d'autres qui attendent encore un peu. Mon fils devait le lire et puis avec le confinement, le fait d'avoir les cours à la maison en direct par écran interposé, il a préféré attendre un peu. Je peux le comprendre vu qu'il a déjà les lectures obligatoires. Bref il n'y aura que mon avis, mais pas de panique je suis une grande enfant ! Le livre est aussi beau que le premier, couverture cartonnée, papier de couleur crème et épais, il n'y a que la couleur qui change véritablement, mais c'est un bel objet à avoir dans sa bibliothèque.
Nous sommes de retour auprès de Samantha et de son petit frère Jérémy chez eux, alors qu'ils recherchent toujours leur oncle Paul. Une paire de lunettes débusquée et les voila sur le qui-vive. Pas besoin d'avoir lu le premier épisode de leur aventures, même si c'est un plus pour comprendre que le monde de ces deux-là est surprenant, pour aller de l'avant. Ils vont découvrir un mot qui va être très important pour la suite des événements. Pour ceux qui ont déjà eu l'occasion de lire le premier Samantha il faut bien comprendre que tout ne se passe pas comme sur un long fleuve tranquille.
Des clowns déjantés, bien pire qu'ils ne devraient l'être s'amusant à envoyer des galettes en acier sur les gens, des tapis roulants sous des lieux improbables mais pourtant qui seraient logique vu la place existante en dessous des bâtiments et une grande sœur qui vit à l'autre bout du pays qui a l'intention de sortir une pièce de théâtre avec des licornes. Aurais-je oublié de parler également des animaux non domestiqués qui vont vivre chez les parents ou encore du fait que Paul est un intriguant qui arrive à ses fins ? Et sinon tout cela n'est qu'une grande aventure parfaite pour s'évader surtout en ces temps confinés. Et c'est tant mieux !
Alors, déjà la grande sœur qui a réceptionné tellement d'argent qu'elle a changé de nom, de patrie, a osé construire un palais et veux des animaux vivants dans sa pièce, déjà là il y a une entourloupe. Et bien non, son intelligence a dû faire sa malle, à moins qu'elle n'en avait jamais eu, bref ce n'est pas le plus important, mais dans la famille de Samantha je demande la fêlée de service : c'est elle, Buffy. Et avec son majordome légèrement pirate sur les bords de Nathaniel Tate nous avons le droit à délire sur délire. Alors que Jérémy et Samantha arrivent pour un weekend chez elle, dormir dans le foin est très sympathique, mais ce n'est qu'un début
Un début d'aventures abracadabrantes qui donnent le sourire. Grâce à un jeu de piste, Jérémy et Samantha vont se retrouver dans divers pays. Quels enfants n'a pas envie de vivre une aventure à 1000 à l'heure loin des parents pour tenter de retrouver un oncle cher à leur cœur ? De nombreuses surprises en tout genre, des découvertes sans bouger de son canapé, ou lit. C'est très imaginatif et permet à quiconque de visiter des pays. L'auteur a mis pas mal de schéma pour des dispositifs que nous voyons tous les jours qui expliquent les fonctionnement du matériel mais a rajouté sa petite touche personnelle pour aller avec son histoire.
Tout va très vite, les voyages s'enchaînent, les indices sont parfois minces, parfois inexistants et même si par moment Samantha a envie de baisser les bras, elle ne peut pas oublier son oncle Paul qui a disparu. Il faut le retrouver. Les passages secrets sont nombreux et nous avons vu dans le premier tome qui a le plan et par où il fallait passer pour trouver certaines ouvertures et ainsi accéder à d'autres pays. J'adore ce système de passages secrets, comme dans une grande maison, mais là c'est carrément la planète entière qui en est fournie et en plus il est possible d'être d'un point à un autre en moins d'une heure. Le progrès est fantastique. Bien entendu il ne faut pas chercher de points non farfelus, ici tout est fait pour les enfants et que leur imagination se développe.
Les personnages sont jeunes (je ne parle pas encore des parents). Samantha et Jérémy n'ont pas toujours le même point de vue et si Sam est la plus grande, parfois elle a des réactions énervantes. La plus grande ne signifie pas toujours qu'elle a raison. Il se trouve que Jérémy, bien qu'il ne se souvient que de choses inutiles est parfois d'un grand secours. Par contre lorsqu'il s'agit de son équipe de baseball il est plus que perdu. Il a tout de même des moments qui font de lui un simple enfant qui a des désirs surtout lorsqu'il croit dompter un dinosaure. Je crois que ce moment est faramineux. Par chance, sa mère est vétérinaire donc elle arrive à déjouer pas mal de choses qui auraient pu être catastrophique. Les parents justement ne se rendent pas compte de tout, à moins qu'ils ne soient dans le coup ? Comment le savoir... Dans tous les cas, les parents arrivent tout de même à ramener la cavalerie comme il faut, comme quoi même un enfant a toujours besoin de son père ou de sa mère, mdr.
Il y a quelques chapitres qui sont vu des méchants. En même temps, venant de clowns je en vois pas ce qu'il pourrait y avoir de bien là-dedans. Non, mais sérieux, des clowns... Je déteste ces bêtes-là, cachés derrière leur nez rouge, faisant des farces à longueur de temps. C'est normal que leur cerveau soit complètement disjoncté. Les crêpes party et autre lancers sont vraiment très sympathiques. Sans oublier leur allergie aux épices en tout genre. Ce sont vraiment de sacrés personnages qui mettent des bâtons dans les roues des enfants, parce qu'ils désirent avoir Paul pour eux. Tant qu'à faire !
Petit bémol, je n'ai pas eu le même enthousiasme que pour le premier, il est légèrement en dessous de l'autre dans le sens où j'ai trouvé cetrains passages assez long. Rien de bien grave en somme, juste quelques pages alors que dans le premier tome il y avait de l'action plus présente.
En conclusion, un second tome qui nous embarque au Mali, Australie et autres pays. Des personnages hauts en couleur, un Jérémy qui est un peu plus mature par moment. L'univers de Buffy est tout de même bien étrange, mais il va parfaitement bien avec cette histoire qui ne manque pas de surprises.
http://chroniqueslivresques.eklablog....
Nous sommes de retour auprès de Samantha et de son petit frère Jérémy chez eux, alors qu'ils recherchent toujours leur oncle Paul. Une paire de lunettes débusquée et les voila sur le qui-vive. Pas besoin d'avoir lu le premier épisode de leur aventures, même si c'est un plus pour comprendre que le monde de ces deux-là est surprenant, pour aller de l'avant. Ils vont découvrir un mot qui va être très important pour la suite des événements. Pour ceux qui ont déjà eu l'occasion de lire le premier Samantha il faut bien comprendre que tout ne se passe pas comme sur un long fleuve tranquille.
Des clowns déjantés, bien pire qu'ils ne devraient l'être s'amusant à envoyer des galettes en acier sur les gens, des tapis roulants sous des lieux improbables mais pourtant qui seraient logique vu la place existante en dessous des bâtiments et une grande sœur qui vit à l'autre bout du pays qui a l'intention de sortir une pièce de théâtre avec des licornes. Aurais-je oublié de parler également des animaux non domestiqués qui vont vivre chez les parents ou encore du fait que Paul est un intriguant qui arrive à ses fins ? Et sinon tout cela n'est qu'une grande aventure parfaite pour s'évader surtout en ces temps confinés. Et c'est tant mieux !
Alors, déjà la grande sœur qui a réceptionné tellement d'argent qu'elle a changé de nom, de patrie, a osé construire un palais et veux des animaux vivants dans sa pièce, déjà là il y a une entourloupe. Et bien non, son intelligence a dû faire sa malle, à moins qu'elle n'en avait jamais eu, bref ce n'est pas le plus important, mais dans la famille de Samantha je demande la fêlée de service : c'est elle, Buffy. Et avec son majordome légèrement pirate sur les bords de Nathaniel Tate nous avons le droit à délire sur délire. Alors que Jérémy et Samantha arrivent pour un weekend chez elle, dormir dans le foin est très sympathique, mais ce n'est qu'un début
Un début d'aventures abracadabrantes qui donnent le sourire. Grâce à un jeu de piste, Jérémy et Samantha vont se retrouver dans divers pays. Quels enfants n'a pas envie de vivre une aventure à 1000 à l'heure loin des parents pour tenter de retrouver un oncle cher à leur cœur ? De nombreuses surprises en tout genre, des découvertes sans bouger de son canapé, ou lit. C'est très imaginatif et permet à quiconque de visiter des pays. L'auteur a mis pas mal de schéma pour des dispositifs que nous voyons tous les jours qui expliquent les fonctionnement du matériel mais a rajouté sa petite touche personnelle pour aller avec son histoire.
Tout va très vite, les voyages s'enchaînent, les indices sont parfois minces, parfois inexistants et même si par moment Samantha a envie de baisser les bras, elle ne peut pas oublier son oncle Paul qui a disparu. Il faut le retrouver. Les passages secrets sont nombreux et nous avons vu dans le premier tome qui a le plan et par où il fallait passer pour trouver certaines ouvertures et ainsi accéder à d'autres pays. J'adore ce système de passages secrets, comme dans une grande maison, mais là c'est carrément la planète entière qui en est fournie et en plus il est possible d'être d'un point à un autre en moins d'une heure. Le progrès est fantastique. Bien entendu il ne faut pas chercher de points non farfelus, ici tout est fait pour les enfants et que leur imagination se développe.
Les personnages sont jeunes (je ne parle pas encore des parents). Samantha et Jérémy n'ont pas toujours le même point de vue et si Sam est la plus grande, parfois elle a des réactions énervantes. La plus grande ne signifie pas toujours qu'elle a raison. Il se trouve que Jérémy, bien qu'il ne se souvient que de choses inutiles est parfois d'un grand secours. Par contre lorsqu'il s'agit de son équipe de baseball il est plus que perdu. Il a tout de même des moments qui font de lui un simple enfant qui a des désirs surtout lorsqu'il croit dompter un dinosaure. Je crois que ce moment est faramineux. Par chance, sa mère est vétérinaire donc elle arrive à déjouer pas mal de choses qui auraient pu être catastrophique. Les parents justement ne se rendent pas compte de tout, à moins qu'ils ne soient dans le coup ? Comment le savoir... Dans tous les cas, les parents arrivent tout de même à ramener la cavalerie comme il faut, comme quoi même un enfant a toujours besoin de son père ou de sa mère, mdr.
Il y a quelques chapitres qui sont vu des méchants. En même temps, venant de clowns je en vois pas ce qu'il pourrait y avoir de bien là-dedans. Non, mais sérieux, des clowns... Je déteste ces bêtes-là, cachés derrière leur nez rouge, faisant des farces à longueur de temps. C'est normal que leur cerveau soit complètement disjoncté. Les crêpes party et autre lancers sont vraiment très sympathiques. Sans oublier leur allergie aux épices en tout genre. Ce sont vraiment de sacrés personnages qui mettent des bâtons dans les roues des enfants, parce qu'ils désirent avoir Paul pour eux. Tant qu'à faire !
Petit bémol, je n'ai pas eu le même enthousiasme que pour le premier, il est légèrement en dessous de l'autre dans le sens où j'ai trouvé cetrains passages assez long. Rien de bien grave en somme, juste quelques pages alors que dans le premier tome il y avait de l'action plus présente.
En conclusion, un second tome qui nous embarque au Mali, Australie et autres pays. Des personnages hauts en couleur, un Jérémy qui est un peu plus mature par moment. L'univers de Buffy est tout de même bien étrange, mais il va parfaitement bien avec cette histoire qui ne manque pas de surprises.
http://chroniqueslivresques.eklablog....
February 14, 2020
Samantha Spinner and her little brother Nipper have uncovered the secrets of the umbrella Uncle Paul left her and evaded the RAIN. But now she's found a pair of purple sunglasses in the table leg at home and a warning to watch out for the SUN. The glasses lead her and Nipper on further world travels while they try to figure out where Uncle Paul has gone (because they are now pretty sure he isn't dead). Meanwhile, their older sister is insisting the family help with her Broadway show since her producer disappeared. And Nipper is determined to somehow get his New York Yankees back from their diabolical little neighbor girl. Oh, and he ordered a gross of chinchillas to help cheer up Samantha and now he needs to figure out how to deal with them.
In case you can't tell from that description, this book is wacky, wild, random, and completely enjoyable fun. Like the first book there are all sorts of extra secret codes the author has scattered throughout the book (there are clues in the back...and if you are too busy or lazy, the answers too). Samantha and Nipper get to visit several exotic locations from Mali to Machu Pichu to Indonesia and NYC. I like the exposure kids get to all these locations, some of which don't often appear in kid lit. And I'm completely jealous of the speed of their world transportation (though some of their methods don't sound like fun). My only qualm with the book is that the kids take off from Seattle in the middle of the day, arrive in Africa 30 min later in full daylight...and then get to Indonesia just about 3 hours later still in full daylight. At least one of those locations should have been in the middle of the night, but I'll let it slide since the book is wacky enough to feel like it the laws of science and physics are guidelines that can be possibly bypassed, and Uncle Paul might have a way to produce false daylight (and Mr. Spinner most certainly does). A warning for those with a serious fear of clowns, there are lots of evil clowns in this book. Otherwise highly recommended to anyone who likes world travel stories, zany mysteries, entertaining family dynamics, and books packed with codes and puzzles. Can't wait for the next book in the series.
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. Some perilous situations but only chinchillas get seriously hurt (and all off page...they just start disappearing after Nipper brings back a new pet from Indonesia).
In case you can't tell from that description, this book is wacky, wild, random, and completely enjoyable fun. Like the first book there are all sorts of extra secret codes the author has scattered throughout the book (there are clues in the back...and if you are too busy or lazy, the answers too). Samantha and Nipper get to visit several exotic locations from Mali to Machu Pichu to Indonesia and NYC. I like the exposure kids get to all these locations, some of which don't often appear in kid lit. And I'm completely jealous of the speed of their world transportation (though some of their methods don't sound like fun). My only qualm with the book is that the kids take off from Seattle in the middle of the day, arrive in Africa 30 min later in full daylight...and then get to Indonesia just about 3 hours later still in full daylight. At least one of those locations should have been in the middle of the night, but I'll let it slide since the book is wacky enough to feel like it the laws of science and physics are guidelines that can be possibly bypassed, and Uncle Paul might have a way to produce false daylight (and Mr. Spinner most certainly does). A warning for those with a serious fear of clowns, there are lots of evil clowns in this book. Otherwise highly recommended to anyone who likes world travel stories, zany mysteries, entertaining family dynamics, and books packed with codes and puzzles. Can't wait for the next book in the series.
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. Some perilous situations but only chinchillas get seriously hurt (and all off page...they just start disappearing after Nipper brings back a new pet from Indonesia).
August 12, 2020
We entered this series on book #2. I had super-high hopes for chinchilla chicanery, but then little brother Nipper brings home a komodo dragon and ...let me go back to the beginning.
Samantha gets a gift from a most unlikely source -- Uncle Paul. Unlikely, because he's still missing. It's a pair of purple spectacles (fancy word for glasses), and they reveal a pneumatic tube in the table leg marked PSST. In the tube is a message from "Horace": Watch out for the SUN.
She promptly sends a message back through the tube, and she's on the hunt for Uncle Paul. She's convinced he's Horace Temple, the producer hired by her sister, Buffy, to pull off the play of the century, complete with unicorns, yet to be purchased.
Her little brother, Nipper, finds a brochure for chinchillas direct from Chile in their mother's veterinary specialist office, and several days later, twelve boxes (a gross) arrive. One of the rodents rips her umbrella, the map of the magtrains underground. She repairs it with some tape, and her billionaire sister, Buffy, flies the family to New York City for help with her play.
Once she gets to New York City, Sam and Nipper use the glasses to go to Cleopatra's Needle, where they find another PSST message using the specs and in a railing there's another pneumatic tube. But it contains Sam's message to Uncle Paul. Strike one.
On the floor in the hallway of Buffy's penthouse suite, they find four Word Whammy! cards: A,L,I,M. Of course, Nipper finds them and shuffles them and then can't remember their proper order.
This leads them on a whirlwind trip to Mali, which is the absolute wrong place to look for Uncle Paul. Strike Two. It's also where they pick up the clowns tailing them. Yep, clowns, complete with big feet, red noses, and lethal, steel-sided flapjacks. All members of the Society of Universal Nonsense. Or, SUN.
I won't reveal any more plot twists and turns. This is a delightful read from start to finish!
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: http://amb.mystrikingly.com/
Samantha gets a gift from a most unlikely source -- Uncle Paul. Unlikely, because he's still missing. It's a pair of purple spectacles (fancy word for glasses), and they reveal a pneumatic tube in the table leg marked PSST. In the tube is a message from "Horace": Watch out for the SUN.
She promptly sends a message back through the tube, and she's on the hunt for Uncle Paul. She's convinced he's Horace Temple, the producer hired by her sister, Buffy, to pull off the play of the century, complete with unicorns, yet to be purchased.
Her little brother, Nipper, finds a brochure for chinchillas direct from Chile in their mother's veterinary specialist office, and several days later, twelve boxes (a gross) arrive. One of the rodents rips her umbrella, the map of the magtrains underground. She repairs it with some tape, and her billionaire sister, Buffy, flies the family to New York City for help with her play.
Once she gets to New York City, Sam and Nipper use the glasses to go to Cleopatra's Needle, where they find another PSST message using the specs and in a railing there's another pneumatic tube. But it contains Sam's message to Uncle Paul. Strike one.
On the floor in the hallway of Buffy's penthouse suite, they find four Word Whammy! cards: A,L,I,M. Of course, Nipper finds them and shuffles them and then can't remember their proper order.
This leads them on a whirlwind trip to Mali, which is the absolute wrong place to look for Uncle Paul. Strike Two. It's also where they pick up the clowns tailing them. Yep, clowns, complete with big feet, red noses, and lethal, steel-sided flapjacks. All members of the Society of Universal Nonsense. Or, SUN.
I won't reveal any more plot twists and turns. This is a delightful read from start to finish!
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: http://amb.mystrikingly.com/
May 6, 2019
This book began painfully slowly and suffered early from second book in a series.
However, the plot line picked up and the action moved quicker for the second two-thirds of the book. The story is interesting and readers will enjoy the unbelievable methods of travel and ridiculous villains.
I don't care for the stereotyped characters but feel Ginns offered hints of further character development to come. Equally, I don't like how the main character, Samantha, treats her younger brother. Hopefully, this will resolve in the next book.
The humor is there throughout including the over the top Broadway production the oldest sister puts together. Middle grade will enjoy the ridiculousness of the opulence involved.
However, the plot line picked up and the action moved quicker for the second two-thirds of the book. The story is interesting and readers will enjoy the unbelievable methods of travel and ridiculous villains.
I don't care for the stereotyped characters but feel Ginns offered hints of further character development to come. Equally, I don't like how the main character, Samantha, treats her younger brother. Hopefully, this will resolve in the next book.
The humor is there throughout including the over the top Broadway production the oldest sister puts together. Middle grade will enjoy the ridiculousness of the opulence involved.
April 20, 2019
This was one of those books that even though I hadn't read the first one--thus there's a lot I don't understand--I still instantly loved. Samantha and her brother are hilarious, creative, fun, and brave. I laughed so hard during many of the scenes involving the clowns.
I think this could be a book I want to reread someday, and I definitely must read the first book sooner than later.
I think this could be a book I want to reread someday, and I definitely must read the first book sooner than later.
July 31, 2019
A silly, fun mystery adventure that takes us from Seattle to NYC to Mali then Lima and back to the states. Scarlett Hydrangea is still planning to become a star. Nipper is still hoping to earn back his lost team and Samantha is hoping to find her missing uncle while defeating SUN, First they had to defeat RAIN, now SUN and next WIND - or so it seems.
September 1, 2019
Samantha uses her strange purple sunglasses and the super-secret map of the world hidden in the red umbrella to fight the SUN and find Uncle Paul. This fast-paced adventure is filled with unexpected events, exotic travel, fun facts, wacky characters, and puzzles to be solved.
Ginns will be at the 2019 Harbor Springs Festival of the Book in Harbor Springs, MI
Ginns will be at the 2019 Harbor Springs Festival of the Book in Harbor Springs, MI
July 13, 2021
This book was SO disappointing. The beginning wasn’t bad but after the trip to Mali and the fight with clowns, I felt like I’d read enough for one book.
But it just went ON AND ON and was so very boring. Did the author make the book long just to add pages to spell stuff for his secret messages?
Ugh.
But it just went ON AND ON and was so very boring. Did the author make the book long just to add pages to spell stuff for his secret messages?
Ugh.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2019
The second book of this series was as fun to read as the first book and I look forward to more in the series. I love the fantasy and imagination that was put into this story. I suggest before reading book 2 that you read book 1.
I received this from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I received this from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
December 13, 2019
Zany and action packed.
Now, Samantha and her brother are exploring the world... chased by mean clowns with hypersensitive senses of smell.
What does "Watch out for the SUN" mean?
It all leads to a big showdown, on stage...on Broadway!
The story is getting twice as big, and just as funny.
Now, Samantha and her brother are exploring the world... chased by mean clowns with hypersensitive senses of smell.
What does "Watch out for the SUN" mean?
It all leads to a big showdown, on stage...on Broadway!
The story is getting twice as big, and just as funny.
March 4, 2021
I thought hit this book was really good because of it’s imaginative and mysterious style. I thought all the characters were perfect for the situation. I really thought the bad guys were funny. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
September 19, 2018
Samantha and her funny brother are back again. More silly adventures!
September 27, 2018
I got the advance review copy of this book.
I loved the first book in the series.
This one is almost twice as long... and twice as funny!
(I love any book with unicorns.)
I loved the first book in the series.
This one is almost twice as long... and twice as funny!
(I love any book with unicorns.)
November 12, 2018
I liked this as much as the first in the series.
Now Samantha goes to Mali, Indonesia and Peru.
(I got the advanced reader copy.)
Now Samantha goes to Mali, Indonesia and Peru.
(I got the advanced reader copy.)
April 7, 2020
I loved this book.
December 6, 2022
Samantha and her brother are on the hunt and run again trying to find Uncle Paul and survive their big sister. upper elementary.
January 15, 2025
Watch out for the SUN
May 12, 2025
As my ten-year-old said when we finished the book, it was just a lot — so much so that we both had a hard time keeping track of everything.
September 24, 2021
Because the two siblings aren't cooperating as well as they had been they miss a couple obvious clues. Missing these clues results in them heading off in the wrong direction, meaning there could have been an entirely different novel here.
There's also a weird interlude where the siblings spend time with their eldest sister. She's now living in New York and is in the process of putting on a very strange sounding play. New York is complex enough of a place, I expected the novel to focus the adventures in the Big Apple. That's not what happens because that adventure is foiled by the siblings' lack of communication.
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2021/comm...
Family City Interstate 330000
There's also a weird interlude where the siblings spend time with their eldest sister. She's now living in New York and is in the process of putting on a very strange sounding play. New York is complex enough of a place, I expected the novel to focus the adventures in the Big Apple. That's not what happens because that adventure is foiled by the siblings' lack of communication.
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2021/comm...
Family City Interstate 330000
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
April 26, 2021Note: I received a signed copy of this book from the publisher at ALA Annual 2019. I also received a digital review copy through NetGalley.
September 1, 2024
There was nothing bad about this book although I think that the book just didn't intrigue me enough to give it five stars.
January 2, 2019
Well, this book was an adventure from start to finish! So much was happening! It was a bit ridiculous, but this is meant for middle grade kids so they would love it! The clowns are a good addition. They are insane! I really recommend this series for reluctant readers.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.
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