The Clockwork Three (32 page)

This novel is the result of the instruction, inspiration, and support
I have received from many people.

Rick Wilber and Sheila Williams
gave me the early encouragement I needed when I first began to write stories.

Dr. Norm Jones taught me,
and deepened my love and appreciation of history.

Lin Oliver and Stephen Mooser
founded the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators,
a tremendous resource and community to which I am proud to belong.

My dedicated critique group,
Walt, Leeann, Jane, Brittany, and Carolyn,
continues to provide me with valued insight and friendship.

Members of other critique groups,
Kimball, Randy, Carrie, Lorie, and A’ra,
Duane, Carol, and Elayne,
all provided input on the first chapters.

Fellow writers,
Rebecca Barnhouse, Julie Hughes, Elena Jube, DaNae Leu, and Kate Milford,
read this book as I was writing it and each helped make it better.

Dear friends who have cheered me on:
Bret & Jenny, Beth, Patty, and Gary,
along with many of my coworkers in the Davis School District.

Martine Leavitt taught me the importance of loving my characters,
and changed my life when she introduced me to my agent.

My agent, Stephen Fraser, is a true gentleman of the business.
He has nurtured me as a writer,
and he found this book the perfect home.

Lisa Sandell, my patient editor, has shown me
what a wonderful and collaborative process the making of a book can be.
Her keen eye and judgment sharpened and refined the shape of this story.

Elizabeth B. Parisi designed the amazing cover,
and the artist, Brian Despain, brought her vision to life.
I am grateful to them, and to the entire Scholastic team
who contributed to this book.

My nephews and nieces
and the students I work with
inspire me to always write the best book I can.
I hope that I can give to them
what other authors gave to me.

My brothers and sisters, by birth or marriage,
Amy & Mitch, Sarah & Tyler, and Josh
Orin & Jo, Tyson & Chelsea, Shantry & Shez, and Alton,
have all been very supportive of me.

My wife’s mother, Jacqueline,
celebrated every success, big or small.
She believed in me from the beginning,
and never doubted, even when I did.

My parents, James and Jeanne,
filled our home with books and created a place for me to dream.
I write because, as a child, they read to me.

And most important of all,
Azure.
It was she who put my first laptop in my hands ten years ago
and encouraged me to start writing again.
Without her unconditional support and sacrifice,
I would not be the writer that I am.
She is my best friend, the love of my life, and in all things, my partner.

Matthew J. Kirby
has been making up stories since he was quite small. He was less small when he decided that he wanted to be a writer, and quite a bit larger when he finally became one. His father was a doctor in the Navy, so his family moved frequently. Matthew went to three different elementary schools and three different high schools, and he has lived in Utah, Rhode Island, Maryland, California, and Hawaii, which means that while growing up he met many people, and had many wonderful experiences.

In college, Matthew studied history and psychology, and he decided that he wanted to work with children and write stories for them. So he became a school psychologist, a job he truly enjoys. But it was while working on his history degree that Matthew stumbled upon the true story of a boy the newspapers of 1873 called Joseph. Joseph had been taken from his home in Italy and brought to New York City as a slave to play music on the streets for money. One night, he escaped from his captor and fled to Central Park, where a kind old woman took care of him. Eventually Joseph’s story became well-known, and he went to court to testify against his padrone, which led to changes in the law to protect other boys like him. Joseph’s bravery and strength are what inspired Matthew to write
The Clockwork Three
, his first novel.

Matthew currently lives in Utah with his wife, where he still works with children and continues to write stories for them. You can visit him at his website: www.matthewjkirby.com.

This book
was art directed and
designed by Elizabeth B. Parisi,
and it was edited by Lisa A. Sandell.
The artwork was created by Brian Despain,
using digital, mixed media. The
display type was set in Yolanda Countess, which was
designed in 2004 by Rian Hughes. The book was typeset
by NK Graphics, and production was overseen by
Starr Baer. It was printed and bound by the good
people at R. R. Donnelly in Crawfordsville,
Indiana. The manufacturing was
supervised by Jess White
.

Copyright © 2010 by Matthew J. Kirby
Cover art © 2010 by Brian Despain
Cover design by Elizabeth B. Parisi

All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.,
Publishers since 1920
.
SCHOLASTIC, SCHOLASTIC PRESS
, and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., Attention: Permissions Department, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Kirby, Matthew J., 1976–

The clockwork three / by Matthew J. Kirby. — 1st ed.

p. cm.

Summary: As mysterious circumstances bring Giuseppe, Frederick, and Hannah together, their lives soon interlock like the turning gears in a clock and they realize that each one holds a key to solving the others’ mysteries.

ISBN 978-0-545-20337-1

[1. Friendship — Fiction. 2. Cooperativeness — Fiction.] I. Title.

PZ7.K633528Cl 2010

[Fic] — dc22

First edition, October 2010

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

eISBN: 978-0-545-32307-9