When children find an old slide projector and strangely marked travel photographs among memorabilia in the Shepard family attic, without any warning, they invite adventure, danger, and magic into their lives, along with the chance of solving the mystery involving grandparents who disappeared from home without a trace five years earlier. Eventually, every family member has a critical role to play: teenagers Sylvie and Jay, who are eager for the chase; Great-grandma Mae, whose dreams might predict the future; young parents Dan and Lisa, who need to protect their children; and seven-year-old twins Max and Meghan, who may have to prove themselves the bravest of them all. Their journey is long and complex, taking them from their Michigan home to places across the country and across the world. How can they do it? Meet Amin, a mysterious young man from Kashmir, who also has a family in danger...and a flying carpet!