Arcade and the Dazzling Truth Detector
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7.Do you ask a lot of questions? How do you feel when you can’t find an answer to a question? Are you comfortable accepting that some things in life are a mystery? Why or why not?
8.A large portion of Arcade’s story takes place in New York City. Have you ever been there? If so, what was your favorite place to visit? If you haven’t been, is there a place that you’d like to visit that was described in the Arcade series? Why does that place interest you? (You may want to do some research on that place at the library or online.)
9.Hey you . . . wake up! Mr. Dooley just gave you an assignment to write about time travel. Is it possible? What do you know about science that could lead you to believe in time travel? Convince him! (Make this fun. Use your God-given creativity and imagination.)
10.Arcade has trouble seeing the truth about the token and himself until he gets new glasses from Elena’s dad. Do you think the problem was Arcade’s eyesight, or was it something else that kept him from seeing the truth he needed to see? What kinds of things blind us from seeing the truth about ourselves and others?
11.Elena tells Arcade that it was no accident that the volleyball hit him in the face. What do you think she meant by that? Do you believe in coincidence, or do you believe everything happens for a purpose? Why do you hold that belief?
12.Arcade, Zoe, Kevin, and Casey—four African-American preteens—find themselves in the presence of President Abraham Lincoln just as he’s about to sign the Emancipation Proclamation—a document that changed the course of history for African-Americans. Do you feel a special connection to a particular event in history? Research that, and be amazed!
13.The number 23 shows up in all four Arcade books in different ways. (Twenty-three is my favorite number.) Can you remember all the references to the number 23? Do you have a recurring number or word in your life? If so, does it hold a special significance for you and if so, what is that significance? Again—imagine the possibilities!
14.Arcade tells Elena, “-Ests just don’t happen by accident.” Think about the bravest, toughest, brightest, funniest, happiest people you know. Do you believe that God created them that way for a purpose? Do you know that you are God’s b-est? Research that! It’s the truth!
15.So now you know what the Ts on the Triple T Token stand for: Travel, Testing, and Truth. How have these three Ts affected your life? Have you traveled? What kinds of tests have you been through (not just school tests)? What truths have you learned about yourself and others? My prayer for you is that you will keep your eyes and your heart open to life’s adventures, and that you will use what you learn in every one to help others be their best selves!
Acknowledgments
Thank you, Lord, for blessing me with the abilities and the guidance to live a life that allows me to accomplish so many things I can’t take total credit for. As always, it all starts with you. You give me the desire and the ability to do what pleases you. I pray this series of books makes you proud.
Momma Jennings—Even as you face the sad but joyous loss (and heaven’s gain) of Dad and the love of your life, you continue to impress me with your incredible strength! I know we will see Daddy again, but until then, I’ll continue to look to you for the unconditional love and unwavering encouragement you have never failed to give. You inspire me to keep striving to be the best man I can be. I’ll always strive in all that I do to be there for you and to make you proud!
Jill Osborne, Keith Bell, Zondervan/Zonderkidz—We are about to publish my fifth book! I’m stunned! I just want to thank you all for your hard work in helping me make The Coin Slot Chronicles a reality! I hope that we can keep this adventure going, but to have come this far after being a kid who suffered from a reading deficit, is something I could never have imagined nor ever hoped to accomplish without your help and motivation!
Every kid who reads Arcade’s Coin Slot Chronicles—If there were no you, there would be no #ShadTheKidsAuthor. I hope that, thus far, I have inspired you to face life with positivity and hope, to go for your dreams, to take personal responsibility, to make no excuses, to work hard, to keep the faith, and to always . . . always . . . ENJOY THE RIDE!