Book Review by Debbie Winkler
Series: The 39 Clues Series
Author: Rick Riordan
Publisher: Scholastic Press (September 2008)
ISBN: 0545060397, EAN: 9780545060394
Page Count: 220 pages
Format: Hardcover + 6 game cards (for online game or collecting)
Target Age Group: 9 – 12
My Rating: 
a really fun book!
Synopsis:
Fourteen-year-old Amy and eleven-year-old Dan are orphans with wealthy relatives, though none of the wealth seems to have trickled down to them. When their beloved Aunt Grace dies, the only one who truly seems to care for them, Amy & Dan are devastated. They are completely unprepared to hear her will – take 1 million dollars and walk away or embark on the greatest adventure of their lives. Amy & Dan believe that their Aunt would have wanted them to join the treasure hunt and find the 39 clues so they give up the cash and get their first clue. This decision will lead them to follow in the steps of Benjamin Franklin – first to Boston and then to Paris, France. Every location they visit has riddles and clues that the quick-witted and clever children will need to solve in order to find the ingredients they need to win.
But Amy & Dan are not the only ones who decided to pass up the cash. They soon discover that there are 4 branches to the Cahill family – the physically strong Tomas branch; the clever & quick-witted Ekaterina branch; the sneaky & sly Lucian branch; & the artistically gifted Janus branch. All branches have representatives vying for the clues and some of them have been searching for the clues their whole lives and already know what a few of the ingredients are. Not only that, but their family members play to win. Amy & Dan must survive a house explosion and fire, bombs, being stranded and lost in a tunnel of bones, cousins trying to bury them alive in a cemetery and that is just in the first few days…
Review:
I found this book to be a refreshing, fun read. There was nothing unusual or surprising in the book or in the plot, but I am reading this series with my 12-year-old nephew and there is plenty for both of us to enjoy in the books. First of all, it is very difficult to find good books with a young boy as the hero and narrator. Dan is a little obnoxious and whiny, but he grows on you. He acts like an 11-year-old would act, but he is a little bit more obnoxious than most as he is a borderline genius with a photographic memory. Amy is a little bit more timid and would much rather look for information in books than have to go out and experience it herself. I sense that she will be growing a lot in the series as right now she gets intimidated very easily and is willing to give up quickly when faced with obstacles. The point of view bounces between Dan & Amy, but there are a few short chapters where we get the point of view from another character.
There is plenty of action in this book and, while we don’t get to know a lot about the secondary characters, we do find some humor in the archetypes that Riordan chose to use for his villains: Uncle Alistair Oh, a microwave burrito millionaire who double crosses the children in the first day; their cousin Jonah Wizard, top-of-the-charts musician who tries to con them into working with him and then letting Jonah take all the credit; cousins Ian & Natalie Kabra who are beautiful on the outside, but treacherous and devious on the inside – not to mention trained and ready to kill; and the Holt Family led by cousin Hamilton Holt who leads his muscle-bound brood with the skill and imagination of a drill sergeant. The extended Cahill family, as well as the children’s laid back au pair, Nellie, give the book its touches of excitement, action and humor.
Rick Riordan was able to smoothly incorporate historical facts into the plot line so that children don’t realize that they are learning while they are enjoying a grand adventure. I found his writing style was well suited for children and was clear and easy to read. This book also comes with a pack of 6 cards that you can use to play games and collect clues online. Many of the cards contain puzzles that children need to solve to unlock clues online and I love that Scholastic tried to make this a completely interactive series. My nephew and I spent hours in front of the computer entering all of the cards, playing the games, and solving the puzzles on the missions that were available. This is a great book to read with children.
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. This series could be a great opportunity to explain that a lot of people are neither wholly good nor wholly bad, but that most of us are a little bit of both. 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 :
