One False Note facts for kids
One False Note
|
|
| Author | Gordon Korman |
|---|---|
| Country | United States United Kingdom Canada Israel |
| Language | English |
| Series | The 39 Clues |
| Genre | Children's novel Adventure novel |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
|
Publication date
|
December 2, 2008 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 174 |
| ISBN | 978-0-545-06042-4 |
| OCLC | 245561056 |
| LC Class | PZ7.K8369 One 2008 |
| Preceded by | The Maze of Bones |
| Followed by | The Sword Thief |
One False Note is the second book in The 39 Clues series. It was written by Gordon Korman and published by Scholastic on December 2, 2008. This exciting adventure follows siblings Amy and Dan Cahill. They are searching for clues in a worldwide competition.
After the events of The Maze of Bones, Amy and Dan learn about the famous composer Mozart. Their journey takes them to Vienna, Austria. There, they hope to find the second clue in the 39 Clues competition. One False Note quickly became a bestseller. It reached number one on The New York Times Best Seller list for Children's Books on December 21, 2008. It stayed on the list for 12 weeks.
Contents
The Search for Clues Begins
Amy and Dan Cahill, along with their au pair Nellie, found some music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This discovery happened at the end of The Maze of Bones. The music leads them to Vienna, Austria. Their goal is to learn more about Mozart and find the next clue.
Uncovering Mozart's Family Secrets
In Vienna, Amy and Dan discover that Mozart had an older sister named Maria Anna, also known as "Nannerl." They visit a library to read her diary. However, they find that Jonah Wizard, another competitor in The 39 Clues hunt, has already stolen it. Amy and Dan manage to steal the diary back from him. But when Nellie translates it, they realize three important pages are missing.
A Musical Mystery in Salzburg
Later, Amy and Dan find Mozart's music online. They notice that three lines are missing from the digital version. They play these missing lines in their hotel lobby. To their surprise, the lines are from a completely different song! This song is called "The Place Where I Was Born." This clue sends them to Salzburg, Austria, which is Mozart's birthplace.
In Salzburg, they spot Alistair Oh, another competitor. They follow him into the Salzburg Catacombs. Inside, they see a mysterious "man in black." Soon after, an explosion causes a cave-in, trapping them inside. Luckily, they find another way out through St. Peter's Archabbey. They are then chased by monks! They find an old piece of parchment, hoping it holds the 39 clues. To their disappointment, it's just a recipe.
A Tricky Tracking Device
Nellie makes an important discovery. She finds a homing device on the collar of their cat, Saladin. They decide to use this device to their advantage. They find Alistair sleeping on a park bench. Amy cleverly plants the homing device inside a secret part of Alistair's cane. In return, she takes something Alistair found in the Catacombs. It's an old concert poster from the 1700s, featuring Mozart in Venice, Italy. This new clue points them towards Venice.
Venice: The Clue Revealed
In Venice, Amy and Dan follow Jonah Wizard again. They discover a secret passage from a music store called "Disco Volante." This passage leads to a hidden base belonging to the Janus family, another group of competitors. Inside, they find the missing pages from Nannerl's diary. While Jonah is busy looking at them, Amy and Dan steal the pages.
Escaping the Janus Agents
Janus agents chase Amy and Dan. To escape, they hide the diary pages on a boat called the Royal Saladin. They plan to come back for the pages once they lose the agents. The diary pages reveal that Nannerl thought her brother, Mozart, was acting strangely. He was buying a lot of expensive Japanese steel and getting into debt.
The name Fidelio Racco appears in the diary. This name was also on the concert poster taken from Alistair Oh. The diary also contains two notes from Grace, their grandmother: "The word that cost her life, minus the music" and "D>HIC."
Decoding Grace's Clues
Amy and Dan try to understand Grace's mysterious notes. They figure out "the word that cost her life" refers to Marie Antoinette's famous quote, "Let them eat cake." Amy remembers Grace once said Marie Antoinette used the French word "gateau" for cake. But they still don't know what "minus the music" or "D>HIC" mean.
They go to Fidelio Racco's mansion, which is now a museum. They hide until it closes. Then, they sneak over to Fidelio Racco's harpsichord. Suddenly, they are ambushed by the Kabras, who have been following them.
The Harpsichord Trap
Ian Kabra starts playing Mozart's music on the harpsichord. He doesn't know that the D key is booby-trapped. Amy suddenly realizes what "D>HIC" means: D over High C! She tries to stop Ian, but it's too late. His finger touches the trapped D key. An explosion throws both Amy and Ian into the air. Amy manages to roll safely when she lands. But Ian hits his head on the marble floor and is knocked out. Dan uses a tranquilizer dart gun to knock out Natalie Kabra.
Most of the harpsichord is destroyed by the explosion. However, the keyboard remains intact. Amy plays "The Place Where I Was Born" on the keyboard. A section of the floor drops down, revealing two Japanese swords and the second clue: Tungsten.
The Second Clue: Tungsten
Amy figures out "gateau minus the music." She takes the word "gateau" and removes all the letters that are musical notes (G, A, E). This leaves her with T-U, which is the chemical symbol for tungsten!
Back at their hotel in Venice, Amy and Dan tell Nellie about the second clue. Nellie immediately calls Japan Airlines to book three tickets to Tokyo. The book ends with Alistair Oh discovering who placed the tracking device on Saladin and himself. It turns out to be Grace's lawyer and friend, William McIntyre.
See also
In Spanish: Una nota falsa para niños
