One False Note is the second book in

the 39 Clues series. It is written by Gordan

Korman, and was published by Scholastic on
December 2, 2008. Following the events of The
Maze of Bones, the protagonists Amy and Dan
Cahill learn about Mozart and travel to Vienna,
Austria to search for the second clue in the
39 Clues competition. One False Note entered
the Children's Books New York Times Best Seller
list at number one on December 21, 2008 and
stayed on the list for children's chapter books
for 12 weeks.

Literary Focus
Plot — The map of the journey

Like a sequence of musical notes, a plot is comprised of the events in a

story — it is simply what the book is about. Use this guide to introduce
your students to the various elements of plot and how they are integral to
a story.
Conflict
Conflict is the clash of actions, ideas, desires or wills. It may be
physical, mental, emotional or moral. After reading One False Note,
discuss these questions:
What is the main conflict of the 39 Clues series that continues into book
two?
What is Amy's mental conflict? How does it contribute to her character and
the story?
The Holt family represents a physical conflict with Amy and Dan. How does
the author's description of the Holts emphasize this conflict?
Amy and Dan face multiple moral conflicts in the series. What are these
conflicts and what choice of action would you choose?
Suspense
Suspense is the element of plot that keeps the reader turning the page. It
makes the reader wonder what will happen next!
After reading, discuss these questions:
What elements of suspense did you wonder about the most in One False Note?
Where did you find the most suspenseful part of the plot — in the
beginning, middle or ending of each chapter?
Why would the author plan where to put the suspenseful part of the story?

Mystery
Readers crave an explanation for what they don't understand. A good
mystery drives the reader to find out just what is going on! Just what is
in the diary? What does the clue mean?

Dilemma
Dilemma is a difficult choice between two actions. For example, should the
heirs take a million dollars or a clue? Dan and Amy are constantly faced
with dilemmas in their quest for the clues.
Discuss among yourselves: What dilemma have you faced in real life
recently? How would the outcome be different if you picked the other
course of action?

Surprise
Surprise is an element of plot that causes an unexpected event. It makes
the reader shout, "I never guessed that!" Artfully crafted surprise
entertains the reader, especially in a mystery. Discuss what elements of
surprise worked in One False Note and caught readers off guard?

Ending or Resolution
Whether happy or sad, all plots must come to an end. In most mystery
stories, conflicts are resolved, all answers to the mystery are revealed,
and all is explained.
But not always! How is a series like the 39 Clues different? What parts of
the plot ended and/or were fully resolved? What parts continue, or remain
unresolved?
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
Chapters 1 - 3
1. Who’s having a hunger strike?
__________________________________________________________________________
2. Where are Amy, Dan and Nellie headed and where are they boarded?
__________________________________________________________________________
3. Where are the Holts?
__________________________________________________________________________
4. How did the Holts capture Amy and Dan?
__________________________________________________________________________
5. What do the Holts want from them?
__________________________________________________________________________
6. What did Saladin do with the clue? Was a problem to Amy and Dan,
why?
__________________________________________________________________________
7. How were Amy and her group saved from the Holts?
__________________________________________________________________________
8. Who else were spying on Amy and Dan?
__________________________________________________________________________
9. What do you call the people from Vienna?
__________________________________________________________________________
10. What’s the title of Mozart’s piece found in the catacombs?
__________________________________________________________________________
11. What’s the difference between the music score they found in the
catacombs and the Internet version?
__________________________________________________________________________
12. Compare Amy’s interest about Mozart to Dan’s
__________________________________________________________________________
13. As Amy reasoned, why should they learn as much about Mozart as
possibly as they can?
__________________________________________________________________________
14. Who is Nannerl? Where’s her diary?
__________________________________________________________________________

Chapters 4 - 6
1. What was Dan complaining about?
__________________________________________________________________________
2. Who did Amy and Dan suspect as the thief of Nannerl’s diary?
__________________________________________________________________________
3. How did Amy figure out that Jonah Wizard was staying at the Royal
Hapsburg Hotel? Circle the letter of your answer.
a. It was published all over the papers in Vienna
b. It was the snootiest, fanciest, and most expensive place in Vienna.
c. They secretly followed Jonah Wizard’s limousine.
4. Where did Nellie end up?
__________________________________________________________________________
5. Were Amy and Dan able to retrieve the diary? How?
__________________________________________________________________________
6. Where exactly was the diary hidden?
__________________________________________________________________________
7. How was Nellie busted of being an imposter – that she isn’t a hotel
chambermaid?
__________________________________________________________________________
8. How did Amy and Dan escape from the chasing guards?
__________________________________________________________________________
9. Who arrived at Amy and Dan’s hotel room while waiting for Nellie?
__________________________________________________________________________
10. How did Dan trick Irina Spasky?
__________________________________________________________________________
11. What were Jonah’s thoughts when he learned that the diary was with
Amy and Dan?
__________________________________________________________________________
Chapters 7-9
1. Is Maria Anna’s talents also recognized just like Wolfgang Amadeus?
What was her life like?
__________________________________________________________________________
2. What did Amy notice in Nannerl’s diary – which alarmed her? Give
details.
__________________________________________________________________________
3. What did Amy do to figure out WAM’s music score?
__________________________________________________________________________
4. What did they find out after playing the score in the piano? Add
details.
__________________________________________________________________________
5. Where did Amy, Dan and Nellie go next? Why?
__________________________________________________________________________
6. Who was the jaywalker who almost got them into an accident?
__________________________________________________________________________
7. Where did they go to find more clues?
__________________________________________________________________________
8. Who else did they see that made them alarmed?
__________________________________________________________________________
9. While in the catacombs, what happened to Amy and Dan?
__________________________________________________________________________
10. What clue did they find within the crypts?
__________________________________________________________________________
11. At the end of Chapter 9, who were chasing Amy and Dan?
__________________________________________________________________________

Chapters 10-12
1. Who were the Benedictine monks? Describe them.
__________________________________________________________________________
2. What was on the parchment they stole from the monks?
__________________________________________________________________________
3. What was the thing found in Saladin’s collar? Who did the siblings
think that put it there?
__________________________________________________________________________
4. Where did the siblings put the device?
__________________________________________________________________________
5. What did they get inside Uncle Alistair’s cane?
__________________________________________________________________________
6. Who was Fidelico Racco?
__________________________________________________________________________
7. Who did the siblings see wearing a disguise? Why do you think they were
in disguise?
__________________________________________________________________________
8. What was Nellie’s diversion? Was she successful?
__________________________________________________________________________
9. How did they find the secret passage? Describe the secret passage.
__________________________________________________________________________
10. Which clan does the stronghold belong to? Describe it.
__________________________________________________________________________
11. What did they realize about the four clans?
__________________________________________________________________________

Chapters 13-15
1. Where was Nannerl’s diary placed?
__________________________________________________________________________
2. Who caught them in the Janus stronghold?
__________________________________________________________________________
3. Who painted George Washington which was later put on the US dollar
bill?
__________________________________________________________________________
4. Who is Cora Wizard? What has she done for the Janus headquarters?
__________________________________________________________________________
5. What did the siblings do to escape from the Janus members?
__________________________________________________________________________
6. How did they get out of the place? Where did they get out?
__________________________________________________________________________
7. What did they use to further escape the Januses?
__________________________________________________________________________
8. Where and How did they hide the pages of the diary?
__________________________________________________________________________
Chapters 16-18
1. Was it prudent for them to hide the pages on the Royal Saladin?
__________________________________________________________________________
2. What happened to the siblings’ boat?
__________________________________________________________________________
3. Who do you think was chasing the siblings besides the Janus?
__________________________________________________________________________
4. What was Amy dreaming when Dan woke her up?
__________________________________________________________________________
5. Who caught Amy and Dan?
__________________________________________________________________________
6. What happened to the Royal Saladin?
__________________________________________________________________________
7. What did Amy and Dan think about each other when they found out they
lost the Royal Saladin?
__________________________________________________________________________
8. When they found the Royal Saladin, what did they plan to do?
__________________________________________________________________________
9. What was happening on the Royal Saladin?
__________________________________________________________________________
10. What was on the ripped pages of Nannerl’s diary?
__________________________________________________________________________
11. What was Amy’s interpretation of the pages?
__________________________________________________________________________

Chapters 19-21
1. Who was Fidelio Racco?
__________________________________________________________________________
2. What did they find at the exhibit that belonged to Mozart?
__________________________________________________________________________
3. What is wolfram?
__________________________________________________________________________
4. What did the siblings think of the Cahills of today?
__________________________________________________________________________
5. Who shot Amy as they were about to play on the harpsichord?
__________________________________________________________________________
6. How did the Kabras learn about KV 617?
__________________________________________________________________________
7. What did Amy see underneath D above high C? What was D>HIC?
__________________________________________________________________________
8. What happened when Ian played the harpsichord?
__________________________________________________________________________
9. What happened when Amy continued playing the harpsichord?
__________________________________________________________________________
10. What did they find on a bed?
__________________________________________________________________________
11. What was the next clue?
__________________________________________________________________________
12. What did they realize about the 39 clues?
__________________________________________________________________________
13. How did Nellie end Saladin’s hunger strike?
__________________________________________________________________________
14. Why are they going to Japan?
__________________________________________________________________________

Now, go back to the top and discuss plot.