The Clockwork Three

by Matthew J. Kirby

Overview

Three ordinary children are brought together by extraordinary events. . . Giuseppe is an orphaned street musician from Italy, who was sold by his uncle to work as a slave for an evil padrone in the U.S. But when a mysterious green violin enters his life he begins to imagine a life of freedom.Hannah is a soft-hearted, strong-willed girl from the tenements, who supports her family as a hotel maid when tragedy strikes and her father can no longer work. She learns about a hidden treasure, which she knows will save her family -- if she can find it.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545323079
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	02/01/2012
Sold by:	Scholastic, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	400
Lexile:	680L (what's this?)
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Matthew J. Kirby is the critically acclaimed author of the middle-grade novels Icefall, which won the Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery and the PEN Literary Award for Children's Literature; The Clockwork Three, which was named a Publishers Weekly Flying Start; The Lost Kingdom; Last Descendants, an Assassin's Creed novel; The Quantum League: Spell Robbers; and Cave of Wonders, the fifth book in the Infinity Ring series. He was born in Utah and grew up in Maryland, California, and Hawaii. Matthew is currently at work on his next novel.

Read an Excerpt

From The Clockwork Three

When Giuseppe found the green violin, he did not think it would help him escape. He did not think it would play at all when he pulled it from the harbour. It bobbed and bumped around beneath the pier, still in its case, and a satisfied seagull perched on it. Giuseppe shooed the bird away and fished the case out of the water with a long pole. Inside it, he found the most beautiful, most remarkable violin he had ever seen. The varnished wood rippled deeper than green, like river water.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for The Clockwork Three:



* "In this riveting historical fantasy . . . debut novelist Kirby has assembled all the ingredients for a rousing adventure, which he delivers with rich, transporting prose. Mixing fantasy and steampunk elements with subtle urban mythology, Kirby's immersive story can be read as a modern morality play or a satisfying stand-alone tale." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review



"[M]emorable characters, hearty action, and palpable atmospherics." -- Booklist



"Part mystery, part adventures, part science project, The Clockwork Three is as imaginative as it is fun. Kirby's attention to detail and descriptive powers are fantastic. . . ." -- Deseret News

From the Publisher

Marc Thompson gives distinct, youthful voices to each of three children—Giuseppe, an orphaned street musician; Frederick, an apprentice clockmaker; and Hannah, a hotel maid—whose lives in a fictional American port city in the late nineteenth century become linked as each strives to achieve a better life. Thompson’s narration smoothly makes believable the transition from the children’s separate stories to their shared adventure as they solve the mystery of a hidden treasure—complete with steampunk elements involving a clockwork automaton with the heart of a golem, who becomes their protector. Thompson’s stellar performance of a tale with a host of interesting characters and plot twists is a most satisfying listening experience. C.R.A. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

JANUARY 2011 - AudioFile

Marc Thompson gives distinct, youthful voices to each of three children—Giuseppe, an orphaned street musician; Frederick, an apprentice clockmaker; and Hannah, a hotel maid—whose lives in a fictional American port city in the late nineteenth century become linked as each strives to achieve a better life. Thompson’s narration smoothly makes believable the transition from the children’s separate stories to their shared adventure as they solve the mystery of a hidden treasure—complete with steampunk elements involving a clockwork automaton with the heart of a golem, who becomes their protector. Thompson’s stellar performance of a tale with a host of interesting characters and plot twists is a most satisfying listening experience. C.R.A. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

JANUARY 2011 - AudioFile

Three poor children leading separate lives find friendship and marvel in a late-19th-century alternative-American city. Orphaned Giuseppe was sold from Italy to a brutal, Fagin-like padrone, who runs a ring of buskers. Frederick, also an orphan, is apprenticed to a kindly clockmaker but is haunted by his time in an orphanage. Hannah's father has been felled by a stroke, and it's up to Hannah to support the family. The third-person-limited narrative shifts from child to child, resulting in an Altman-esque opening. Giuseppe finds a magical violin; Frederick toils to build an automaton; Hannah finds a patron at the hotel where she works. Their three paths intersect, and they become friends, each trying to help the others and running afoul of various adversaries in the process. Kirby seems to be drawing on both mysticism and steampunk to drive his story, and neither element really settles into coherence. The kids are likable, but, oddly, they become less interesting once their stories intertwine, and the outcome is too obvious. An interesting concept, but it needed a little more time to come together. (Steampunk. 9-14)

Kirkus Reviews