The 39 Clues Book One: The Maze of Bones

Riordan, Rick. The 39 Clues Book One: The Maze of Bones. Scholastic, 2008. ISBN 978-0-545-06039-4

Plot

Dan Cahill loves collecting things. He collects coins, baseball cards, civil war weapons, and rubbings from tombstones. Amy, his sister, is an avid reader. She is shy around people but comes to life when she is surrounded by books. Libraries are her place. Dan is 11 and Amy is 14 when their grandmother, Grace Cahill, dies. The children were close to her and are devastated. Their parents are also dead. They are cared for by an au pair, Nellie, and their Aunt Beatrice. After Grace's funeral, her lawyer and executor, William McIntyre, reveals to selected members of her family that they may or may not inherit $1,000,000 from her estate. If they wish to participate in a hunt for clues and race to solve a mystery, they may gain something more valuable. If they do not want to participate in the game, they can walk away with the money. Each potential beneficiary is given 5 minutes to choose. Dan and Amy choose the hunt. Their Aunt Beatrice disowns them, so they enlist the aid of Nellie, and they are off on a race against time and their treacherous relatives to solve the mystery their grandmother set out for them. They are given one clue to follow, which leads them to believe that their quest involves Benjamin Franklin, who they find out is their ancestor. The trio finds that they must go to Paris to the places Franklin frequented to find more clues. The book comes with six trading cards. Readers are invited to visit http://www.the39clues.com/ to register their collection of trading cards, collect clues, and play the game online.

Critical Evaluation

A fast-paced story, brother-sister squabbles, a mystery, and the lure of a reward pulled me through this book in a few hours. I enjoyed the ensemble cast of characters. Dan and Amy's family has every kind of villain. There are a few who are obviously evil, like the Kabras, and some who you want to trust, like Alistair Oh. But the children were told to trust nobody, so they are constantly weighing their options. The story is an exciting blend of mystery and adventure. The ending is a cliff-hanger, and obvious tip-off that there is another book in the series to read. But this makes it fun for kids who really get into the series.

Annotations

Dan and Amy Cahill are in a race against time and often a fight for their lives as they follow the clues to save themselves and maybe the world in a game orchestrated by their dead grandmother.

Author

Rick Riordan is also the author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series for children. He was a middle school teacher for fifteen years.

Genre

Fiction -- adventure

Curriculum Ties

Language arts

Social Sciences – American history, world geography

Booktalk Ideas

Talk about Benjamin Franklin's life in the United States and in Paris, France.

Reading Level/Interest Age

Grade 4 to 6 (age 9 to 12).

Challenge Issues and Defense

None.

Why is it here?

The tie in between the book, the trading cards, and the website is intriguing.