Book Review by Debbie Winkler
Series: The 39 Clues Series
Author: Jude Watson
Publisher: Scholastic Press (November 2009)
ISBN: 054506046X, EAN: 9780545060462
Page Count: 207 pages
Format: Hardcover + 6 game cards (for online game or collecting)
Target Age Group: 9 – 12
My Rating: 
another worthy addition to a great series!
Synopsis:
After the devastating revelations contained in Book #5, The Black Circle
In order to try and find more information, Amy & Dan travel to Sydney, Australia and look up their godfather, Shep, a laid-back Aussie surfer/bush pilot. He is able to help them track down a mysterious Australian convict from the 1800s, as well as retrace the trail of the famous aviator Amelia Earhart. Along the way, they must survive being used as shark chum, trapped in a mining shaft with the most poisonous snakes and spiders in the world, volcanic eruptions, storms and another house fire. The stakes are even higher this time as Amy & Dan are no longer hunting for clues to win – this time it is personal.
Review:
There are many series that you can read out of order or skip books and not miss out on any information. This is not one of them. I strongly encourage you to begin the series at the beginning: #1 is The Maze of Bones
It would be hard to top the last book in the series, which this one does not, but it is still a great addition and really helps move the plot along. Dan is finally starting to mature and, even though he still argues with Amy, he has learned to forgive and not hold grudges. Amy spends a lot of time wrestling with internal demons, only to find out that her family loves her no matter what and that she needs to stop blaming herself for things that she has no control over. She becomes a much stronger and braver person in this book, which was great to see as I hate to see her acting so timid all the time. They also start noticing more about the people around them and realizing that they are people with motivations, bitter disappointments, and even tragedies in their past. This is especially true of Irina Spasky, who finally chooses sides in this book. Other characters are wrestling with their inner demons in this book too. All of the children are realizing that doing what is right is not always easy and does not always match what those around them are doing. For the first time, I felt like there was a book in the series that was more character driven then action driven. This book was a very welcome addition to the series and I think that it was definitely needed at this juncture. By getting to know the characters better, readers become more emotionally invested in the treasure hunt and want to know what is going to happen as well as rooting for Amy & Dan to win. I was glued to the pages until the book ended and now I am left with nothing until February 2010 when the next book comes out!
Content:
This book is completely appropriate for children as it was written for children. There is a lot of intense action and many of the characters go out of their way to try to purposefully harm or kill the lead characters, but they always manage to escape. For the first time, though, someone close to the children dies. Isabel Kabra, a mother of 2 children, is introduced in this book and she is one of the most vicious villains out there. There were a lot more attempts on Amy & Dan’s life than in any other book and I think that they are going to continue to escalate from here. There are no descriptions of dead bodies or gruesome details, just enough facts are provided to move the story along and for you to realize what has happened. There is nothing that is inappropriate for children, but, as this series is so good, I highly recommend that you read this book with your children so that you can discuss whatever they have questions about. The website is also completely safe and you can leave your child happily playing unattended for hours on this carefully monitored site. A great option for both boys & girls who enjoy adventure!
Other Recommendations :
