Activity guide

ABOut tHe BOOK

In book two of the Archer Legacy, Gerald Wilkins, the richest kid

on earth, discovers that his family has been protecting a centuries-

old secret, concerning nothing less than the fate of the world. Now

Gerald and his friends, Ruby and Sam, are off to India to find out

the truth. Friendships are tested, a buried city is rediscovered, and

a whole mess of pigeons is involved. And Gerald has to choose

between his love for his friends and the darkest desires of his heart.

ReAd LiKe A detectiveRead carefully! Find the answers to the questions below as you discover the many mysteries of The Emerald Casket.

1. Why do you think author Richard Newsome recaps events from the previous book, The Billionaire’s Curse, in The Emerald Casket? What would you miss or not know about without these recaps?

2. Why does Mason Green want to know all about Gerald’s family (page 27)?

3. What does the word “fraternity” mean, and why is it significant to the story?

4. Who or what are the seven sisters, and why are they important to the novel?

5. Why is the insignia of “three forearms clasped at the elbows to form a triangle around a blazing sun” important (page 89)?

6. A fortune-teller tells Gerald to remember, “Nothing is certain” (page 104). Why? How does this advice end up proving true?

7. The Guptas are not what they seem. What is eventually revealed about the Gupta family?

8. How are Mason Green and the word “viridian” linked?

9. Who says, “The tenth gate is opening. The way is almost clear” (page 324)? What does it mean?

10. Which country is mentioned at the end of the book? Why? What does this suggest about the next book in this series? How do you know?

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Activity guide

WHeRe iS it? WHAt HAPPeNed tHeRe?As you travel with Gerald and his friends in The Emerald Casket, fill in the chart below. Use the map on the inside of the book jacket to help identify the corresponding countries.

Now fill in the chart below with two cities found on the Indian Railways route. Then record the important story events that took place in each.

iteM ON MAP cOuNtRy LOcAtiONSigNiFicANce

tO StORy

Glastonbury

The Normandy Coast

Rome

Alexandria

The Taj Mahal

Alicia’s House

The Lost City

city StORy eveNtS

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Be A LiteRARy SLeutH! Discover Clues and Allusions

The Emerald Casket keeps you on your toes! Read carefully as the story twists and turns and watch for clues that will lead you to discover

how the three keys to the three caskets are finally brought together.

Clues are found in details and dialogue, in how characters behave, in the setting, and in the plot. Clues help you make predictions about

what might happen next. As you read the book, list the ten most important clues you discover. Compare your list with a friend’s.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Activity guide

Allusions are references to persons, events, places, books, movies, or anything else found outside the story. Allusions can help you

better understand what’s happening within the story and are kind of like being in on a joke. An example of an allusion in The Emerald

Casket is the character of the “thin man.” Answer these questions about this character:

1. Who does the thin man work for?

2. What is an “enforcer”?

3. What crime has the thin man committed?

The Thin Man is also a famous detective story written by Dashiell Hammett, which was made into a popular movie in 1934. Research this

story and learn more by watching scenes from the film on YouTube or by renting the movie. Why do you think author Richard Newsome

alludes to The Thin Man in his novel? What commonalities do The Emerald Casket and The Thin Man share?

Now locate the allusions listed below in the novel and find out more about them. Note to what or whom they refer and how they contribute

to the story.

• Green Room (pages 22–24)

• Mensa (page 55)

• The Bride of Frankenstein (page 65)

• Mama la ram (page 68)

• Sigmund (page 160)

• Bollywood movie poster (page 226)

• Holy Grail (page 275)

• Zombie army (page 276)

• Tarzan movie (pages 186, 300)

• The seven sisters (page 306)

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Activity guide

SOLve tHe MySteRy OF tHe HiddeN WORdS

Learn the meanings of the nine words from The Emerald Casket listed below by matching

each with its meaning on the right. Use contextual clues from the novel to help match the words

and definitions. Then search for the words in the hidden words puzzle; the words can appear

horizontally, vertically, diagonally, forwards, or backwards.Words1. CULT (page 145)

2. FRATERNITY (page 199)

3. INTIMIDATE (page 95)

4. MOLLIFY (page 106)

5. RICKSHAW (page 232)

6. SPIRE (page 304)

7. TERRIFY (page 95)

8. TSUNAMI (page 298)

9. VENDETTA (page 296)

definitionsa. A grudge

b. A group of men united by

a common cause

c. To calm down or soothe

d. A tidal wave

e. To make timid or fill with fear

f. The top point that tapers upward

on a structure

g. A religious community often

considered to be extremist

h. To make deeply afraid

i. A two-wheeled cart pulled

by a person

D I N T I M I D A T E V

M E R S T E L L M Q D I

O O V W R N S A N J U B

L E F R A T E R N I T Y

L M Q B E H I P Y X U F

I W E T L Y S R M P S I

F M V Z E A Y K L E P R

Y H A T H A F E C R I R

I V E N D E T T A I N E

A W C U U I S A D P R T

Q I A R D S M W E S L A

K L E C U L T N C W A I

Answer Key: 1-G, 2-B, 3-E, 4-C, 5-I, 6-F, 7-H, 8-D, 9-A

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