Welcome to Day 27 of the 4th Annual March MG Madness! Today we are celebrating Maureen Doyle McQuerry's The Telling Stone, book two in her Time Out of Time series...
The Telling Stone
(Time Out of Time #2)
by Maureen Doyle McQuerry
5/12/15
Amulet Books
In book two, the excitement and mystery continue as Timothy, his sister, Sarah, and their friend Jessica journey from America to Edinburgh, Scotland, where they seek the Four Treasures of Ireland, especially the Telling Stone. They must keep the treasures from falling into the hands of Balor, who can use them to deprive the world of good. The children pass through Time out of Time as they undertake their quest and encounter a number of mythic and folkloric characters, including the Tuatha Dé Danann, Gwydon, Cerridwyn, and others.
In this book, a code hidden in a map is the key to finding the Stone, and readers work alongside Timothy, Sarah, and Jessica to decode the message. Along with the code, the book includes a glossary of the many historical, literary, and folkloric references mentioned in both volumes.
Praise for the Time Out of Time Series
"Threaded with ancient and medieval mythologies, McQuerry’s compelling narrative races forward, immersing the reader in its lyrical mysteries, just as the circumstances surprise and confound the protagonists." STARRED BOOKLIST
"A sense of wonder and worry permeates the narrative, evocative of The Dark Is Rising or the work of Neil Gaiman, and the cliffhanger ending will leave readers clamoring for more." PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY
"This intelligent, engaging series is highly recommended for middle-grade and teen readers, who will eagerly look forward to the next installment."
(Morgan Brickey VOYA 2015-02-01)
"The overlap of mythical and present is nicely realized, with adults especially not what they seem, whether representative of good or evil. [R]eaders...will be looking for the next in the series."(Kirkus Reviews 2015-03-01)
Timothy, his older sister Sarah, and their friend Jessica, once again find themselves traveling through Time out of Time as they seek four important treasures and try desperately to avoid the evil Balor. The trio’s journey takes them all the way to Edinburgh, Scotland, where they use a coded map to search for the Telling Stone, finding help and enemies in unexpected places.
Maureen Doyle McQuerry returns to her exciting Time Out of Time series with book two, The Telling Stone. Like book one, The Telling Stone is full of action, adventure, magic, mystery, and fantastical, wondrous elements! This series is rich in captivating lore and mythology that McQuerry spins and explores with enthralling, smart storytelling and excellent world-building. From the mystical Market to the picturesque Edinburgh and the hills of Scotland, The Telling Stone is brimming with great, vivid details and settings that come to life. McQuerry does a wonderful job of making the sometimes complex mythology very accessible to young readers, who will find these elements absolutely fascinating and riveting.
McQuerry has crafted some truly compelling and engaging characters in this series. I’ve very much enjoyed getting to know our hero, Timothy, and two heroines, Sarah and Jessica. Young readers will love how capable, likable, and relatable these young characters are and how they grow throughout the series. And, like in book one, we are introduced to some intriguing and unforgettable characters that have stepped right out of myths, folklore, and history, and been given new life.
The Telling Stone picks up right where book one ends and opens with quite the explosive beginning, and the thrills, action, and adventure don’t stop! McQuerry sprinkles some clever twists and turns throughout the book that took me by surprise.
my final thoughts: Full of fascinating lore and myths, engaging characters, and fantastic storytelling, The Telling Stone is a wonderful sequel in an equally wonderful series.
MY RATING
5/5 yummy cupcakes
Writers are like crows. They collect shiny objects that capture their attention and hide them away. Maureen has been collecting interesting bits since she was six and decided she wanted to be a writer. Like all interesting journeys, the road to her goal took many twists and turns along the way: teaching middle grade through college, coordinating a program for gifted students, marrying and raising her own two children, traveling the world, and all the while writing in the spaces in between.
Maureen’s published works include The Peculiars,(Abrams/Amulet) a YASLA, Bank Street, Horn Book and Westchester YA best book; Nuclear Legacy, (Battelle Press) an Independent Publisher’s Award winner and numerous poems in literary journals. Her next books, Beyond the Door and The Telling Stone (Abrams/Amulet), are due out in spring and fall 2014.
Whenever she has the opportunity, Maureen loves to present to students in the schools, share her love of language and books, and encourage them to follow their passions. Maureen works with teachers to tailor workshops to specific writing goals. She is also a frequent presenter at writing conferences.
Maureen grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area before it became Silicon Valley and now lives in WA State near the banks of the Columbia River with her husband. Eagles, wood ducks, a friendly owl and raccoons visit her yard. When she’s not writing or teaching, Maureen’s always hoping for a real life mystery to solve.
Win both books in the
Time Out of Time Series!
Abrams has generously offered copies of both Beyond The Door and The Telling Stone for one winner.
Details
-US only
-ends 4/3
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Great to see a new book in the Time Out of Time series, that cover's really striking too, Thanks for a chance to win the books.
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