The Atomic Weight of Secrets or The Arrival of the Mysterious Men in Black by Eden Unger Bowditch

I've always been fascinated with science and inventions.  I've always said, when I see a new nifty product, why didn't I think of that? I'm still waiting though for someone to invent the backspace button on land line telephones.....it sure would make my flying fingers happy!

Five children from different places in the world are all the children of famous inventors.  Jasper and Lucy have a good home life but they really don't have any friends.  Everyone at school makes fun of them, including their teachers.  They can't help it they are so smart. Noah travels constantly.  Not because his father is a great inventor but because his mother is a famed opera singer.  Faye is a daughter of a wealthy scientist and Wallace his a really intelligent chemist, but very lonely since his mother died and his dad is always working.

The children are all shocked when the men in black come and take them away.  Their parents tell them to basically be good and to stay invisible, out of the radar.  But the men in black won't tell them where their parents are.

Then, the children are taking to a remote farm to be schooled.  The all fall in love with Miss Brett, the schoolteacher, who teaches the children things they didn't know.  Things such as cooking and fun childrens books.  She pays them all attention and they love her for it.  But after weeks go by with still no word from their parents, the kids decide that they must have been kidnapped and they must rescue them.

But another strange person arrives at the schoolhouse and he is not as nice as Miss Brett.  He means to find the "Thing" and he will remove anything in his path to get it, including the children. 

The Atomic Weight of Secrets is a marvelous adventure for young teenagers or even adults.  I fell in love with the children, but I do believe young Lucy is my favorite.  She is so innocent, yet wise.  The men in black are truly unique and made me laugh with their apparel.  Black duck feet, black tutus and just plain anything they could find black.  Very eccentric! I absolutely loved this book and look forward to the next installment in the series, to see where the children go next.  It will be hard to top this one!