Alec Flint is practicing to be a super sleuth. He's even got a pair of super sleuth pants with lots of pockets to hide his detective tools, and a sidekick, Gina, who's a little bit bossy, but a really great detective and friend. When his dad, a local police officer, tells Alec the Christopher Columbus exhibit has gone missing from the town museum, Alec is on the case!<p>Who would steal the Columbus exhibit? <p><p>With the help of Gina and his fourth grade history class, Alec is determined to uncover the truth! A thrilling mystery that will have middle-grade readers racing to solve the crime faster than you can say, "Welcome to the New World!"<p><p>Praise for An Alec Flint Mystery #1 THE NINA, THE PINTA, AND THE VANISHING TREASUE:<p>"What sets this [mystery] apart is its lively characters, a thoughtfully derived sprinkling of clues for the kids to pursue, and the opportunity for readers to have as much fun solving the mystery (and decoding the coded messages) as Alec and Gina." -BOOKLIST<p><p>"Santopolo's prose crackles. . . . The first in what promises to be a solid middle-grade series in the tradition of Encyclopedia Brown." -KIRKUS REVIEWS