All the Wrong Questions facts for kids
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Who Could That Be at This Hour? When Did You See Her Last? Shouldn't You Be in School? Why Is This Night Different From All Other Nights? |
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| Author | Lemony Snicket (pen name of Daniel Handler) |
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| Illustrator | Seth |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's fiction, Humor, Mystery, Noir |
| Publisher | Little, Brown and Company (US) Egmont Publishing (UK) |
| Published | 2012 – 2015 |
| Media type | Print, e-book, audiobook |
| No. of books | Four |
All the Wrong Questions is a fun four-book series for kids. It's a prequel to the famous A Series of Unfortunate Events. The books are written by Lemony Snicket, which is actually the pen name for author Daniel Handler.
This series tells the story of Lemony Snicket when he was a young apprentice in a secret group called V.F.D. It adds more exciting details to the world you might know from A Series of Unfortunate Events.
The first book, Who Could That Be at This Hour?, came out on October 23, 2012. The second book, When Did You See Her Last?, was released on October 15, 2013. The third book, Shouldn't You Be in School?, was released on September 30, 2014. The fourth and final book, Why Is This Night Different From All Other Nights?, was released on September 29, 2015. A bonus book, File Under: 13 Suspicious Incidents, was also released on April 1, 2014.
What the Story Is About
This four-book series follows a thirteen-year-old Lemony Snicket. He moves to a strange town called Stain'd-by-the-Sea. This town was left empty after a big ink factory closed and its sea was drained.
Lemony remembers four adventures he had there. Each adventure is about a question he asked that turned out to be wrong. As Lemony and his helper, S. Theodora Markson, look into crimes, Lemony meets both friends and enemies, like a bad guy named Hangfire.
The story also runs alongside Lemony's sister, Kit. She is on a similar secret mission for V.F.D. Lemony's main job is to protect a special statue called the Bombinating Beast. Many people want this statue, including Hangfire.
Meet the Characters
- Lemony Snicket: He is the person telling the story and the main character. He is a thirteen-year-old apprentice for V.F.D. and lives in Stain'd-by-the-Sea.
- S. Theodora Markson: She is Lemony's helper in town. She is a V.F.D. member who isn't very good at her job. She is known for her messy hair.
- Moxie Mallahan: A child who wants to be a journalist. She lives in Stain'd-by-the-Sea after her mother left her.
- Ellington Feint: A mysterious girl with green eyes who loves coffee. She wants the Bombinating Beast statue. She plans to trade it with Hangfire to get her father, Armstrong, back.
- Dashiell Qwerty: He is a "sub-sub-librarian" in Stain'd-by-the-Sea. He has wild hair and wears a leather jacket.
- Pip and Squeak Bellerophon: Two children who drive a taxi because their father is sick.
- Jake Hix: A chef at Hungry's restaurant. He works for his aunt and is Cleo Knight's boyfriend.
- Cleo Knight: A chemist who is trying to make invisible ink. She is Jake Hix's girlfriend.
- Hangfire: The main bad guy in the series. He is a mysterious villain in Stain'd-by-the-Sea. He commits many crimes to get the Bombinating Beast. He also kidnaps children and small sea animals. He started a group called the Inhumane Society and can copy voices.
- Stew Mitchum: The son of Harvey and Mimi. Stew is mean to Lemony but always hides it from his parents. He looks up to Hangfire and his group.
- Harvey and Mimi Mitchum: The town's police officers. They are known for always arguing. They are also very caring parents to Stew.
- Prosper Lost: He owns the Lost Arms hotel in Stain'd-by-the-Sea, where Lemony and Theodora stay. Prosper is described as very curious.
- Kellar Haines: The son of Sharon and a friend of Lemony. He types very fast. He wants to rescue his sister, Lizzie, from Hangfire.
- Sharon Haines: The mother of Kellar and Lizzie. She works with Hangfire. She pretends to be a school official to save her daughter Lizzie from Hangfire.
- Dame Sally Murphy: She works with Hangfire. She is a famous theater actress in Stain'd-by-the-Sea.
- Ornette Lost: The young daughter of Prosper. She is very good at origami and putting out fires.
- Doctor Flammarion and Nurse Dander: They work with Hangfire. They are employees at the Colophon Clinic and make medicines for the Knight family.
- Kit Snicket: Lemony's sister. She is also a dedicated member of V.F.D. Her mission is to break into a museum.
- Lizzie Haines: The daughter of Sharon and sister of Kellar.
- Gifford: A member of V.F.D.
- Ghede: A member of V.F.D.
- Walleye, Pocket, and Eratosthenes: Librarians Lemony met on the train.
- Polly Partial: A grocery store owner in Stain'd-by-the-Sea.
- Zada and Zora: Twin maids who appear in the second book.
How the Series Was Made
In August 2009, it was announced that a publisher called Egmont Publishing bought the rights for a new series by Lemony Snicket. By November 2009, Little, Brown and Company bought the rights for North America.
The author, Daniel Handler, who writes as Lemony Snicket, said the new series would connect to A Series of Unfortunate Events. However, it would not be about the Baudelaire orphans. He explained that it's mostly a new story. But if you read carefully, you will see some connections. He said it would be something for fans who want more from that world. He made it clear that it's not a direct continuation.
In January 2010, Handler said the series was still in its very early stages. He mentioned he would be writing it throughout 2010. He hinted that the series would "approach that question mark from a different angle." In October 2010, Snicket added that he was doing research for a new series for older children. He said it would be about more experiences from his own life and take place before the Baudelaire children were born.
Promoting the Books
On February 8, 2012, the name of the series was announced as All the Wrong Questions. The title of the first book, Who Could That Be at This Hour?, was also revealed. The series was set to follow Lemony Snicket's childhood in a "secret organization."
The first book had a huge first printing of one million copies. It was released on October 23, 2012. The title of the first book had been hinted at earlier as "The First Question." The second book's title was "When Did You See Her Last?".
The first chapter of Who Could That Be at This Hour? was put online on Entertainment Weekly's website on June 1. Three days later, it was also on Guardian.co.uk. This included the first chapter's drawing. Later, more chapter drawings and the second chapter were shared with a fan website as a thank you gift to Daniel Handler. The first two chapters were also given out in special briefcases at a book event. These chapters were later put on the series's official website, lemonysnicketlibrary. Chapters Three and Four were later released with the first two as an E-book on Amazon.com and Google Play.
