Book excerpt: Prepare, dear reader, for the tale of Solomon Snow, his bossy friend Prudence, and the insufferable Infant Prodigy as they set out in search of Solly’s rightful inheritance — despite some woeful misadventures along the way! Solomon Snow lives in a run-down cottage just outside the village of Boring, works for Ma and Pa Scubbins's laundry business, and has nothing to eat but a gloppy stew known as pottage. It's a pitiful existence, but it's all Solly knows. Then, one day, a secret is revealed that changes his life forever—a secret that happens to involve a mysterious silver spoon. On his resulting quest, Solly is joined by a curious cast of characters: a sharp-minded girl named Prudence, a charming child called the Infant Prodigy, and a filthy (yet extremely cheerful) chimney sweep. Can Solly's new friends help him to reclaim his spoon—and his true identity?