The 39 Clues
 The 39 Clues Logo | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Adventure Children's literature Historic Mystery |
| Publisher | Scholastic Corporation |
| Published | 2008–present |
| Media type | Print Audiobook |
The 39 Clues is a series of adventure books, combining reading, online gaming, and card collecting. Published by Scholastic, the main part of the series consists of ten books about the adventures of siblings Amy and Dan Cahill trying to thwart the other Cahills to get 39 clues, which will make the finder "the most powerful and influential person(s) on the planet". Amy and Dan agree to the challenge in their grandmother Grace Cahill's will and search for 39 Clues scattered around the world. Continuing books will be about the rising of a new family, the Vespers. Rick Riordan wrote the first book and the main story arc; however, other authors wrote the remainder of the books in the series. All of the ten books have been written and published, the authors being Rick Riordan, Gordon Korman, Peter Lerangis, Jude Watson, Patrick Carman, Jude Watson (again), Peter Lerangis (again), Gordon Korman (again), Linda Sue Park and Margaret Peterson Haddix. Card packs are also being sold which contain 16 different cards that can be used in searching for clues. Each book contains six cards, and the total number of cards is currently 438. Also, its official website offers missions that will lead to clues.
Due to the series' integration of online gaming and card collecting with reading, the series creates an interactive experience. In addition, there are exclusive prizes for children, winnable by buying the books and playing the online game. The novels are designed to incorporate historical elements by placing famous people in the midst of the Cahill family.
Overview
Cahill Family
The Cahill family has influenced civilization more than any other family in the world. Almost every famous historical figure that has ever lived belongs to it: leaders, scientists, artists and athletes. The Cahill family began five hundred years ago with Gideon Cahill and his wife Olivia. They had five children: Katherine, Jane, Luke, Thomas, and Madeleine. These five eventually became the founders of branches: Ekaterina, Janus, Lucian, Tomas, and Madrigal. The secret to the family's power lies in 39 Clues, which are ingredients, such as silk and tungsten, that add up to a mysterious chemical compound that will somehow empower its owner to be the most powerful human being on the planet.
The Cahill family is split into four main family branches: the Lucian, the Ekaterina, the Janus, the Tomas, and the "outlying" group called the Madrigals. The five branches are named after the five children who founded them. They constantly fight each other for Clues, with the Madrigals trying to quell them. Each branch has their own unique name, crest, and color.
Lucian
Founded by Luke Cahill, the Lucian branch comprises the world's greatest leaders and spies, such as Theodore Roosevelt ,Winston Churchill, Benjamin Franklin, Isaac Newton, Napoleon Bonaparte, , Ching Shih, Benazir Bhutto, Catherine the Great, Bernardino Drovetti, Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly, Christine O'Donnell, Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia, Ninoy Aquino, Marie Louise, Michael Bloomberg, Barack Obama, Nicolas Sarkozy, Silvio Berlusconi, Susan B. Anthony, George Bush, George Bush Jr., Gustave Eiffel, Sidney Reilly, and Kim Jong II. The Lucians have produced some of the best leaders including Czar Nicholas II of Russia, King George V of Britain, King Peter I of Serbia, Raymond Poincare, president of France, and Emperor Taisho of Japan. Most important leaders, such as some US Presidents, are members of the Lucian branch, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Lyndon Johnson, and Calvin Coolidge. In the novels, Lucians allegedly control secret bases such as Area 51 and Fort Knox, with strongholds in Paris, Karachi and Moscow. Lucians have controlled six countries which are Russia, France, Serbia, Japan, Belgium,and United Kingdom. Lucians Constantine of Russia and Tsar Nicholas I came close to finding all 39 Clues. Lucians are known for being some of the greatest spies in the world. In the books, Ian, Natalie, and Isabel Kabra, Irina Spasky, and Nataliya Ruslanova Radova (who is a Lucian double agent for the Madrigals) are Lucians. They would do anything for the 39 clues. The Lucians are the most ruthless branch, as they use poison for almost everything. They are excellent liars and lie detectors. The Lucian branch is led by Vikram Kabra. When his wife, Isabel Kabra went to join her kids on the clue hunt, he stayed in London. Isabel got charged with murder and is now in jail. Her kids, Ian and Natalie Kabra, plan to take over the branch when Vikram lets them. Although they are half Vesper, they are still going to be chosen as leaders. The Lucian symbol is two-headed snake wrapped around a sword backgrounded in red.
Ekaterina
Founded by Katherine Cahill, the Ekaterina branch is made up of famous scientists, geniuses and great inventors, such as Abraham Lincoln,Franklin Delano Roosevelt Michael Dell, Galileo Galilei, Thomas Edison, Tim Berners-Lee, Alexander Graham Bell, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Howard Carter, John Flamsteed, Albert Einstein, Alexander Hamilton, Orville Wright, Wilbur Wright, Leon Theremin, Nikola Tesla, Charles Darwin, steve Wozniak, George Herbert, Elias Howe, Robert Fulton, Eli Whitney, Jr., Konrad Zuse, Philo Farnsworth, Henry Ford, Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre, James Watt, Alexander Fleming Stephen Hawking, Thomas Edward Lawrence, Milton S. Hershey, John Cadbury, Hisashige Tanaka, and Marie Curie. They are the branch of ingenuity, despising members of the Tomas branch, due to the fact that Katherine stole one of Tomas's clues when they went to Portugal to escape from their brother Luke. But before they could leave, Thomas married a Portuguese woman. Angry that Thomas had chosen love over duty, Katherine fled Portugal in the middle of the night, taking one of Thomas's clues with her. Thomas vowed revenge when he discovered his sister's treachery. Their branches have been bitter enemies ever since. Ekaterinas are responsible for the Bermuda Triangle, the Loch Ness Monster, and CERN, using Cairo, the Bermuda Triangle, and CERN as their strongholds. The Ekaterina symbol is a dragon backgrounded in yellow. The Ekaterinas in the novels are Ned, Ted, and Sinead Starling who are in Book 1 and Book 10, and Alistair Oh, and his uncle, Bae Oh. The current leader of the branch is Frank Starling, after Bae Oh was put in prison for murdering his brother, Gordon Oh.
Tomas
Founded by Thomas Cahill, the Tomas branch is made up of famous explorers, discoverers, and athletes, such as Jack Rowe, Pele, Shawn White, Neil Armstrong, Babe Ruth, Philip II of Spain, Jim Brown, Jackie Robinson, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, Henry Hudson, David Livingstone, Herbert Hoover, Usain Bolt, Edmund Hillary, Jackie Chan, Roald Amundsen,Lebron James Lakshmi Mittal, Michael Phelps, John F. Kennedy, Gertrude Ederle, Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky, Manny Pacquiao, David Beckham, Lionel Messi, Shaquille O'Neil, Muhammad Ali, George Mallory, CC Sabathia, Prince Fielder, Hope Solo, Alex Morgan, Annie Oakley, Sir John Franklin, Simón Bolívar, James Cook, Lisa Leslie, Michael Jordan and Candace Parker. With strongholds in Tokyo, Durban, South Africa, and Mexico City, Tomas members hate the Ekaterina branch. The Holts(Eisenhower, Hamilton, Reagan, Madison, Mary-Todd) are the only Tomas in the series. WARNING!!!! They are not as stupid as they appear.The symbol is a polar bear in fighting position backgrounded in blue.
Janus
Founded by Jane Cahill, the Janus branch is made up of the world's most famous and talented artists, such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Daniel Radcliffe, Miley Cyrus, Rihanna, Bob Marley, Maria Anna Mozart, Thomas Jefferson, Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Emily Dickinson, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Percy Shelley, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Isadora Duncan, Jane Austen, , Alfred Hitchcock, , Damien Hurst, John Pinette, Richard Pryor, Markus Persson, Cee Lo Green, Giorgio Armani, Mark Twain,Madison Bray, Harry Houdini, Walt Disney, Raoul Lufbery, Steven Spielberg, John Keats, Lord Byron, Ustad Ahmad Lahauri, Mary Shelley, Marilyn Monroe, Josephine Baker, Okita Sōji,Jessie J, Zac Efron, Adele, Eminem, Mike Posner, Justin Timberlake, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Cliff Burton, Lars Ulrich, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Taylor Swift, The Jonas Brothers, Ludwig Friedrich Wilhelm, Scott Joplin, Frank Sinatra, Bill Cosby, Duke Ellington, Aileen Quinn, Shirley Temple,Billie Joe Armstrong,,Mike Dirnt, Tre Cool, Betty White, Michael Jackson, and Elvis Presley as stated in The Black Book of Buried Secrets .The Janus have produced some of the worst rulers including Franz Joseph I of Austria, Mehmed VI of Ottoman Empire, Kaiser Wilhem II of Germany, Ferdinand I of Bulgaria, Maximillian of Mexico, and Puyi of China. The Janus have controlled six countries which are Austria, Germany, Bulgaria, Turkey, Netherlands, and China. The Janus made some of the most famous pieces of art that exist and some of the greatest pieces of writing that has ever been written. They have strongholds in Venice, Hollywood, and Beijing. Janus characters in the books are Jonah Wizard, the leader of the branch, his mother, Cora Wizard, and Sophie Watson, who will be in the series called Cahills vs. Vespers. The Janus symbol is a wolf in fighting position backgrounded in green.
Madrigal
The Madrigals were founded by Madeleine Cahill, the fifth child of Olivia Cahill who was born after the other four set out to find the serum, which protected their family from the plague. Olivia raised Madeleine to believe that nothing is more important than family and taught her to keep her brothers and sisters from the Clues; to keep her identity secret she went under the name Maddy Babbit. Grace, Fiske ("the man in black"), Amy, and Dan are all descendants from Madeleine, therefore Madrigals. At the end of Storm Warning, Amy and Dan's au pair, Nellie Gomez, is initiated into the group after helping them, although she is not a Cahill. Madrigals are made up of people who want to prevent any type of war and want to create peace between the Cahill branches. This branch is made up of peacekeepers, such as José Rizal, Abigail Adams, Mother Teresa, William Shakespeare, Fredrick Douglas, Woodrow Wilson, Malcolm X, Linus Pauling, Jimmy Carter, Elie Wiesel, Nelson Mandela, Al Gore, Harry S.Truman, , Suzanne Collins, Mary Pope Osborne, Barbara Park,Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Ekat Double Agent), James Preller, J.K.Rowling, and Anthony Horowitz
For the past 500 years the Cahills didn't know that the Madrigal was actually a fifth branch of the Cahill Family, descended from Madeline Cahill, until recently. The other branches fear the Madrigals because every time a branch is too close in completing The 39 Clues, the Madrigals would step in and prevent their success for ultimate power. But the branch has another objective, which is to reunite the Cahill family and stop the warring of the branches. The Madrigals would do anything to prevent the creation of an all-powerful Cahill, often sending double agents to infiltrate other branches in disguise. The Madrigal symbol is an C backgrounded in black to repesent the hope that they have in reuniting the family. The Madrigal colors, black and white, are the colors of the Yin-Yang, the Chinese symbol of balance.
Characters
The Seven Teams
When Grace Cahill gave her relatives a chance to search for the 39 clues, seven teams were formed. The teams are numbered according to the order they agreed to the challenge. The teams are the Kabras, the Holts, Alistair Oh, the Starlings, Irina Spasky, Jonah Wizard, and Amy and Dan Cahill.
Serum Formula
Some say the Cahill formula is the most powerful liquid on the face of the earth. Madrigals have been trying to get that formula first because they know that the power of the serum is too great for anyone to hold. The Madrigals already had bits and pieces of the serum formula. They never found the serum formula until Dan and Amy Cahill entered the hunt for clues that took them around the world. At the end of the tenth book "Into the Gauntlet", Amy and Dan get the serum and decide not to use it because of all the power it contains. They destroy it, but Dan memorized the recipe, and it is permanently locked inside his head.
Series one
Each book in the 39 Clues series includes six cards, which unlock one online clue, the same one Amy and Dan find in the corresponding book. Readers can unlock it by entering the code on one of the cards on their 39 Clues account. If eligible, they will also be automatically entered to win the Book Prizes, the largest being $100,000.
Book 1: The Maze of Bones
The Maze of Bones is the first book in the series, written by Rick Riordan. It was released on September 9, 2008. Amy and Dan Cahill travel to Paris, France in search of a clue that Benjamin Franklin hid there after their grandmother sets their large family off on the quest. William McIntyre (the person that first told Amy and Dan about the clue hunt) told the 7 teams to trust no one. Unfortunately, Amy and Dan didn't do what William had said. The pages that have strange markings say "Anne Cahill did not drown". While on the journey they discover that there is more to their family than they were led on to believe. The find and activate a liquid only to be stolen by Ian Kabra. The clue is iron solute. Some hints are the black light reader, W.A.M, Richard S_________, coordinates in a box and Maze of bones.
Book 2: One False Note
One False Note is the second book in the series, written by Gordon Korman. It was released on December 2, 2008. After succeeding in obtaining the first clue, Amy and Dan (along with their competition) travel to Vienna, Austria to find a clue relating to Mozart and his sister, Maria Anna "Nannerl" Mozart, famous Cahills(Janus). Following a lead to Venice, Italy, Dan and Amy brush up with the other competitors, however, to secure the lead. The strange markings say "Look to India" and the music notes say Gideon. The clue is tungsten.
Book 3: The Sword Thief
The Sword Thief is the third book in the series, written by Peter Lerangis. It was released on March 3, 2009. They travel to Japan to find the next clue, focusing on swords stolen centuries ago by Japanese warrior Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and they make an alliance with Alistair Oh and later the Kabras. Amy and Ian start to like each other, but their relationship ends in an unusual way, because Ian shuts Dan, Amy, and Alistair in a cave in Pukhansan, Seoul, South Korea. The strange markings at the bottoms of the pages say "The competition is about hope". The clue is gold.
Book 4: Beyond the Grave
Beyond the Grave is the fourth book in the series, written by Jude Watson. It was released on June 4, 2009. Amy and Dan go to Egypt on the next step in their quest and meet an old friend of their grandmother's, who gives them a hint left for them by Grace before she died. Amy is apparently not over Ian, as she often thinks about him. The pages that have strange markings say "Alistair was there the Night they died." The clue is myrrh.
Book 5: The Black Circle
The Black Circle is the fifth book in the series, written by Patrick Carman. It was released on August 11, 2009. After receiving a telegram from a mysterious person known as 'NRR', Amy and Dan travel to Russia. In Russia, Amy and Dan form an alliance with Hamilton Holt. They go through a series of clues that keep leading them to different places and they are being timed. The clue is1 gram of melted Amber.
Book 6: In Too Deep
In Too Deep is the sixth book in the series, written by Jude Watson. It was released on November 3, 2009. Amy and Dan arrive in Australia and meet up with their surfer uncle Shep Trent. Also, Isabel Kabra joins the hunt. Isabel tries to kill Amy and Dan by starting a fire and Irina dies saving them. It is revealed that Isabel Kabra was the one who caused Amy and Dan's parents to die. The clue is water. Irina reveals a clue to Amy, rosemary, only one sprig.
Book 7: The Viper's Nest
The Viper's Nest is the seventh book in the series, written by Peter Lerangis. It was released on February 2, 2010. Amy and Dan, shaken up by their last encounter with Irina, travel to South Africa after discovering a note in Irina's boat. Their search leads them to a Tomas stronghold in the South African veldt. The secret of the book is: There is a Madrigal Watcher. The clue is aloe.
Book 8: The Emperor's Code
The Emperor's Code is the eighth book in the series, written by Gordon Korman. It was released on April 6, 2010. Amy and Dan arrive in China, fresh from the shocking discovery that they are Madrigals. In this book, Dan releases the info that he is a Madrigal to the Wizards. At one point in the book, Dan is kidnapped by the Kabras. They continue to search for clues, though, and find a note written on silk from the Chinese emperor Puyi. They find out that the clue is hidden elsewhere. They travel to the top of Mount Everest to find the Clue. The encircled words say "Madrigals are behind everything. They lay out the path others will walk. The end is coming."
Book 9: Storm Warning
The ninth book, Storm Warning, was written by Linda Sue Park and released on the 25th of May, 2010. Amy and Dan go to Jamaica, where they meet a friend of Grace and her nephew, Lester, who helps them, then dies. Nellie is then confirmed to be a Madrigal in this book. The clue is Mace, as in the spice.
Book 10: Into The Gauntlet
Into The Gauntlet, the one before the final book in the first series, was released on August 31, 2010, written by Margaret Peterson Haddix. In the book, all the teams come to the island of the original home of Gideon Cahill. Isabel Kabra captures them, and forces each of them to say their clues, by threatening to kill their loved ones. Amy saves them by smashing the serum over her head and knocking Isabel out cold. Amy and Dan are left with a list of everyone's clues in their hands, which each team gave them, "because they don't trust themselves around the serum, and the great power it wields." Dan and Amy end up winning the clue hunt the way Grace wanted them to, with everyone else wanting them to win. Also, secrets are revealed to Amy and Dan that are letters from Grace.
Book 11: Vespers Rising
Vespers Rising serves as a transition between the first and second series. It is separated into stories of different Cahills (mostly Madrigals). It was written by Rick Riordan, Peter Lerangis, Gordon Korman, and Jude Watson. The book was released on April 5, 2011. It explains the history and the cause of the rivalry between the Vesper Family and The Cahills. It also shows the night of the fire and who caused it, then talking about the life and mission of Madeline Cahill and her encounter with her brother Luke and Damien Vesper, the man who killed Gideon Cahill. It also fills in details about Grace Cahill's childhood and how she took the responsibility of a Madrigal by going on a dangerous journey during World War Two to retrieve Gideon Cahill's ring before a Vesper beats her to it. The last story returns to present day with Dan and Amy. Fiske, Amy and Dan travel to Switzerland together to retrieve the ring of Gideon Cahill. They find the ring in Grace Cahill's chalet, and Amy is the new guardian of the ring, per Grace's instructions. There are also two Vespers trying to get the ring at the same time. Their names are Casper Wyoming and Bruno.
Series Two: Cahills vs. Vespers
The first book in the second series, The Medusa Plot, is to be published and released August 30, 2011, and is written by Gordon Korman, who was also the author of Books 2 and 8 of the original series. Jude Watson was the author of Books 4 and 6 of the original series, and will write book two to be released in December 6, 2011. Peter Lerangis was the author of Books 3 and 7 of the original series, and will be writing book three which will be released in March 2012. Roland Smith is a new author to the series, who will write book four, to be released August 2012. Linda Sue Park was the author of Book 9 from the original series, and will write book five, to be released December 2012. The final book is by David Baldacci, a best-selling author known for his legal thrillers, and is set to be released in March 2013. After two years, thirteen-year-old Dan Cahill and his sixteen-year-old sister, Amy, thought they belonged to the world's most powerful family. They thought the hunt for 39 Clues leading to the source of that power was over. They even thought they'd won. But they were wrong. A powerful new enemy, the Vespers, has emerged from the shadows, sending Dan and Amy on a dangerous journey that will take them from Rome to the ancient city of Timbuktu. If Dan and Amy don't stop the Vespers in time . . . the whole world will pay.
Book 1: The Medusa Plot
by Gordon Korman. All over the world, Cahills are being kidnapped by Vespers. The kidnapped Cahills include Fiske, Nellie, Phoenix Wizard (a new character and Jonah Wizard's cousin), Reagan Holt, Natalie Kabra, and many others. After the kidnappings, the Vespers send a strange message to Dan and Amy. The message demands a famous painting be stolen in exchange for one of the hostages. They accept and break into an art gallery, stealing what they think is the painting and flee. However, they very soon learn that they stole a fake painting and that the Vespers want either the real thing or nothing. They then receive another message, this one saying that the deal will be called off in 24 hours unless the real painting is stolen. To be released on August 30, 2011.
Book 2: A King's Ransom
by Jude Watson. Amy and Dan are in a race of their lives...and the enemy may be even closer than they think. When seven members of their family were kidnapped by a sinister organization known as the Vespers, thirteen-year-old Dan Cahill and his older sister, Amy, vowed they'd stop at nothing to bring the hostages home. But then the ransom comes in and the Vespers demand the impossible. Amy and Dan just have days to track down and steal an ancient map. The only catch? No one has seen the map for 50 years. To be released on December 6, 2011.
Bonus Books
Bonus Book: The Black Book of Buried Secrets
The Black Book of Buried Secrets, written by Mallory Kass with an introduction by Rick Riordan, is a bonus book in the series, and was published on October 26, 2010. This book is about many of the secrets in the 39 Clues series never revealed before, including information about the four branches, the fire that split the original Cahill family, and the night Hope and Arthur Cahill died. Mini-stories and reference stories are included, such as Isabel's trial and arrest, Bae Oh's assault on Alistair and Bae's arrest, as well as the time when Katherine stole Thomas' clue. It is the first 39 Clues book that uses color on its internal pages. Unlike the other books the book does not have a card pack inside. This book also gives some insight on the Vespers and the new book in the 39 Clues series: Vespers Rising.
Bonus Book: Agent Handbook
The agent handbook is a look into the series that you can write inside of and has some additional information on characters, founders, and branches. The book also has places to fill out information that you have found while reading the series. It was supposed to be released together with Book Nine, but was released early at Barnes and Noble and is selling in Bogotá, Colombia and other countries. Barnes & Nobles is having an offer where if you buy any 39 clues book, you get the Agent Handbook for free (for a limited time).
Components
Mobile app
Scholastic offers a game called Madrigal Maze for iPhone and iPod Touch, also available on the Android Store. The app is currently only available on the Scholastic website.
Cards
Collectible cards used in finding the Clues are included with hard cover books. Additional card packs are also sold and virtual ones may be obtained on the series website. Every book contains six different cards while card packs contain sixteen.
There are replicator cards, which on the website, you can redeem cards you don't have into your collection.
The cards have rarities: common, uncommon, rare, and ultra-rare. Ultra-rare cards can get you clues. Common cards can be found in books. The rare and uncommon cards can be found in card packs .
Website
On the official The 39 Clues website, fans of the series can create an account and win certain prizes if eligible. When a user creates an account, they become a "member" of one of the Cahill family branches, and will be able to interact with the online 39 Clues experience. They can also play "Missions" (games that are played by users to reveal clues) and load cards from the books onto their account by typing in the code from the cards. People can also play "games" at Arena 39. After playing games at Arena 39, medals can be won and transferred to the back of a members virtual personalised member card.
Film adaptation
Steven Spielberg acquired film rights to the series in June 2008. Spielberg and Scholastic Media president Deborah Forte will produce the series, while Spielberg is interested in directing the first film. Jeff Nathanson was hired to write in September 2008.
Awards
As of June 11, 2010, The 39 Clues series has been on the New York Times bestseller list of Children's Series books for 48 weeks. Books in the series have also appeared on the USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists.
Future releases
References
External links
- The 39 Clues (official page)
- 39 – Various – A wiki devoted to The 39 Clues
- First Prize: World Domination
- Scholastic Plans to Put Its Branding Iron on a Successor to Harry Potter
- 39 Clues Wiki
Retrieved from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_39_Clues#Film_adaptation
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