The Clockwork Three by Matthew J. Kirby

Kirby, Matthew J., The Clockwork Three. Scholastic Press, 2010. Language; G, Violence: PG, Sexual Content: G

Desperate to escape from his cruel master and make his way back to his home in Italy, Giuseppe is excited to find a green violin that brings in large amounts of money for him each day when he plays it on the streets. Saving most of his money for his passage, he hides the cash and the violin in an old tomb for a Mr. Stroop. Forced to work in a hotel as a maid after her father has a stroke and her mother is forced to stay home and care for the family, Hannah longs to be able to go back to school and move out of the tenement housing they live in. When her father gets seriously ill from a bedsore, Hannah begins a desperate search for the missing treasure of Mr. Stroop. Apprenticed to a clockmaker, Frederick was lucky enough to escape the orphanage life. Curious to a fault and hoping to make journeyman, he begins saving scrap metal to make a clockwork man. All he needs is a head. When their paths meet and these three become friends, each begins to help the other. Together, they’re able to find Frederick a head in a museum, find a secret passageway into the hotel Hannah works at, where they find the most important clue of all to finding the treasure, and help Giuseppe get away from his cruel master. Their plans for a better life, however, shortly backfire. Giuseppe is on the run for his life, Frederick has mysterious men from the museum after him for stealing their clockwork head, and Hannah is on the run from the police for theft and burglary at the hotel.. Now the three's only hope is to find the treasure. Will they succeed?

An amazing adventure filled with excitement, action, and friendship. The characters are well-developed. The plot is well-done and does a great job of holding the reader's interest. Readers who like fantasy, adventure, and mystery will enjoy reading this book. EL(4-6), MS. ESSENTIAL. Reviewer: Kira M, Youth Services Librarian, WHI Public Library