Greystone Secrets 3: The Messengers
Written by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Ages 8-12 | 416 Pages
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books | ISBN-13 : 978-0062838438
Publisher’s Synopsis: As book three of the Greystone Secrets series opens, the Greystone kids have their mother back from the evil alternate world, and so does their friend Natalie. But no one believes the danger is past.
Then mysterious coins begin falling from unexpected places. They are inscribed with codes that look just like what the Greystones’ father was working on before he died. And with the right touch, those symbols transform into words: PLEASE LISTEN. And FIND US, SEE US, HELP US. . . .
The coins are messengers, telling the Greystones and their allies that their friends in the alternate world are under attack—and that the cruel, mind-controlling forces are now invading the better world, too.
After another spinning, sliding journey across worlds, the Greystone kids must solve mysteries that have haunted them since the beginning: what happened when the Gustanos were kidnapped, what created the alternate world, and how a group of mismatched kids can triumph once and for all against an evil force that seems to have total control.
Author Bio:
Margaret Peterson Haddix grew up on a farm in Ohio. As a kid, she knew two girls who had the exact same first, middle, and last names and shared the same birthday—only one year apart—and she always thought that was bizarre.
As an adult, Haddix worked as a newspaper reporter and copy editor in Indiana before her first book, Running Out of Time, was published. She has since written more than forty books for kids and teens, including the Greystone Secrets series, the Shadow Children series, the Missing series, the Children of Exile series, and lots of stand-alones. Haddix and her husband, Doug, now live in Columbus, Ohio, where they raised their two kids.
PURCHASE LINKS
https://bookshop.org/a/2078/9780062838438
Tour Schedule
| Tuesday, April 6, 2021The Children’s Book ReviewA book review ofGreystone Secrets 3: The Messengers |
| Wednesday, April 7, 2021Lisa’s ReadingAn interview withMargaret Peterson Haddix |
| Thursday, April 8, 2021Over Coffee ConversationsBeyond the Book Activity ForGreystone Secrets 3: The Messengers |
| Friday, April 9, 2021Life Is What It’s CalledAn interview withMargaret Peterson Haddix |
| Sunday, April 11, 2021Barbara Ann Mojica’s BlogA book review ofGreystone Secrets 3: The Messengers |
| Monday, April 12, 2021ShootingStarsMagAn interview withMargaret Peterson Haddix |
| Tuesday, April 13, 2021Library Lady’s Kid LitA book review ofGreystone Secrets 3: The Messengers |
| Wednesday, April 14, 2021The Fairview ReviewA book review ofGreystone Secrets 3: The Messengers |
| Thursday, April 15, 2021Satisfaction for Insatiable ReadersA book giveaway ofGreystone Secrets 3: The Messengers |
| Friday, April 16, 2021J.R.s Book ReviewsA book review ofGreystone Secrets 3: The Messengers |
| Monday, April 19, 2021Glass of Wine, Glass of MilkA book review ofGreystone Secrets 3: The Messengers |
| Tuesday, April 20, 2021icefairy’s Treasure ChestA book review ofGreystone Secrets 3: The Messengers |
| Wednesday, April 21, 2021Tales of a Wanna-Be SuperHero MomBeyond the Book Activity ForGreystone Secrets 3: The Messengers |
Interview: Margaret Peterson Haddix
The Greystone Secrets series is for the target age range of kids eight through twelve. Will you share a little bit about why you love writing for this age group?
I was in that age range when I totally fell in love with books as a kid, so part of it is a matter of wanting to pass on my love of reading to another generation. And it is such a fun age group to write for—kids in that range can be such sophisticated thinkers, but they also still appreciate silliness and absurdity.
Greystone Secrets #3: The Messengers is the final book in the series. Would you recommend that kids begin reading the stories from the first book? Or could they read this third book as a stand-alone?
I always try to write series books in a way that makes it possible for kids to still make sense of them even if they pick up the books out of order. So a kid could start with THE MESSENGERS. But I would hope that reading that book would make the kid want to go back and read the rest of the series, too, and the third book has some spoilers for books one and two. So my strong recommendation would be to read the books in order. But I’m fine with kids approaching the books however they want!
Do you prefer writing series or stand-alone stories for kids? Why or why not?
Both. (How’s that for a non-committal answer?) I see pros and cons with each, and I enjoy bouncing back and forth between series and stand-alones. What I like about stand-alones is that they have just one story arc (though often with subplots, of course) and it’s one beginning, one middle, one ending, and then it’s done.
However, with practically every stand-alone book I’ve ever written, there are always secondary characters who whisper to me, “Wait! I have a story, too! Don’t I get to tell my story?” and/or tangential plotlines or issues that intrigue me and tempt me to stray from the main storyline. If I’m keeping the book as a stand-alone, I have to largely ignore the secondary characters’ tales, and be fairly brutal in terms of snipping away at the tangents, or else the book could turn out as a directionless mess. But if the book I’m writing is part of a series, I can take secondary characters from one book and make them main characters in the next; I can use the tangential plotline possibility as the main story arc for a different book in the series. I get to explore my fictional world more thoroughly with a series.
I should also note that with some of the series I’ve written, I thought I was just writing a stand-alone… and then it grew.
Do you have any tips for a young reader who is interested in writing?
Yes: Have fun with it! Use your imagination, and write about situations you enjoy thinking about, and/or characters you wish you knew in real life. Play around with words, and try to come up with combinations that sound good and convey the meaning you want. Enjoy writing the kinds of stories you know you would love to read!
How do you get new ideas for books?
I think ideas are everywhere! I like telling kids that good ideas for stories are all around us—we just have to pay attention. Some of the oddest places I’ve gotten a book idea are from a birthday card, from a jigsaw puzzle, and from a nonsense phrase my daughter repeated a lot when she was two.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with us about the Greystone Secrets series?
Just that I hope kids enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
DISCLOSURE
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GIVEAWAY
Enter for a chance to win a set of the Greystone Secrets series, including Greystone Secrets 3: The Messengers.
One (1) grand prize winner receives:
- A paperback copy of Greystone Secrets 1: The Strangers
- A paperback copy of Greystone Secrets 2: The Deceivers
- A hardcover copy of Greystone Secrets 3: The Messengers
The giveaway begins April 6, 2021, at 12:01 A.M. MT, and ends April 22, 2021, at 11:59 P.M. MT.
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I would love to win a copy of the books so that I have multiple copies for my students to checkout of our classroom library. We love Margaret Peterson Haddix’s books!