Book Review by Debbie Winkler
Series: The 39 Clues Series
Author: Gordon Korman
Publisher: Scholastic Press (December 1, 2008)
ISBN: 0545060427, EAN: 9780545060424
Page Count: 174 pages
Format: Hardcover + 6 game cards (for online game or collecting)
Target Age Group: 9 – 12
My Rating: 
a great follow-up to the first book in the series!
Synopsis:
Amy & Dan Cahill are hot on the trail of their 2nd clue – and all trails lead to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Seems that the famous composer was a Cahill and descended from the artistic Janus branch. The kids and their au pair, Nellie, quickly find themselves leaving Paris, France and heading on their way to Vienna, Austria to solve the puzzle. It doesn’t take them long, however, to realize that the key to the puzzle actually lies with Mozart’s sister, Nannerl. Nannerl was an amazing musician in her own right, but never got the recognition she deserved because she was a woman. Her journal will lead Amy & Dan to Salzburg and then on to Venice, Italy to try and capture the clue before anyone else in their family. Along the way, they must survive a beat-down by their musclebound, doltish cousins the Holts, an explosion that their sleek cousins the Kabras accidentally set off while trying to steal Amy & Dan’s clue, getting caught in yet another set of catacombs by mistakenly following a family member on a wild goose chase and even an attack by Benedictine Monks! Now if only they could convince their finicky cat, Saladin, to eat something other than red snapper, they might feel like they have really accomplished something…
Review:
My first warning is to go and read book #1 The Maze of Bones
Anyway, this book is a bit different in that Amy & Dan argue a lot in it. Most of their arguments are due to Dan being a little know-it-all and Amy constantly putting herself, and her brother, down and intimating that neither of them is clever enough to really win the prize at the end of the 39 clues. Some may say that they are being typical siblings, (and I would agree), but it may be perceived as a little bit excessive. I understand why the author felt that it was necessary, though, as the 2 siblings are together all the time and I know that I need my alone time to enable to me to keep an even keel around other people. Also, in the first book, Amy & Dan were reacting to circumstances around them and now they have to be more active in choosing their routes and deciding if they want to continue in the race now that they know what they are in for. This naturally leads to discussions, which can easily become heated. Dan & Amy are definitely opposites in almost everything so there were a lot of these “discussions.” I wasn’t too bothered with the arguing, actually, as I come from a really big family and I am sure that is how we sounded to outsiders, too. Only someone who a brother or sister can truly understand that you can argue with someone and still love them and back them up no matter what.
This book is much more fast paced than the first book, which had a bit of a slow start for me. For those of you who didn’t really enjoy the first book in the series, The Maze of Bones
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. Amy & Dan are bullied, bribed, threatened and put themselves in great danger, but, of course, they do not get seriously injured and are able to continue to hunt for clues. Parents who do not let their children use their word “stupid” or argue with their siblings may not like some of the scenes, but I thought the book was quite realistic in its portrayal of the hero & heroine. 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 :
