The 39 Clues

The 39 Clues

The 39 Clues Logo
The Maze of Bones One False Note The Sword Thief Beyond the Grave The Black Circle In Too Deep The Viper's Nest The Emperor's Code Storm Warning Into the Gauntlet
Author	Rick Riordan Gordon Korman Peter Lerangis Jude Watson Patrick Carman Linda Sue Park Margaret Peterson Haddix
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre	Adventure Children's literature Historic Mystery
Publisher	Scholastic Corporation
Published	2008–ongoing
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. They agree to the challenge in their grandmother Grace Cahill's will and search for 39 clues scattered around the world. Rick Riordan wrote the first book and the main story arc, however, other authors wrote the remainder of the books in the series. As of April 2010, eight have been written by Rick Riordan, Gordon Korman, Peter Lerangis, Jude Watson, Patrick Carman, Jude Watson (again), Peter Lerangis (again), and Gordon Korman (again). The final two books are being written by Linda Sue Park and Margaret Peterson Haddix. Card packs are being sold also which contain 16 different cards that can be used in searching for clues. Each book contains 6 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 novles are designed to incorporate historical elements by placing famous people in the midst of the Cahill Family.

Overview

Cahill Family

In the series, the fictitious 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, the first Cahill, and his wife, Olivia. The fictional secret to the families power lies in the 39 clues, which are ingredients, like 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.

Branches

The Cahill family is split into five family branches: the Lucian, the Ekaterina, the Janus, the Tomas, and a special "outlying" group called the Madrigals. The five branches are named after the five children who founded them, constantly fighting each other to find lost "Clues". Each branch has their own unique name, crest, and color.

Ekaterina

File:Ekaterina logo 2.png

Founded by Katherine Cahill, the Ekaterina branch is fictionally made up of famous scientists and great inventors, such as Abraham Lincoln, Galileo Galilei, Thomas Edison, Bill Gates, Howard Carter, John Flamsteed,Albert Einstein, Nikola Tesla, George Herbert, Elias Howe, Robert Fulton, Eli Whitney, Jr., and Marie Curie. They are the branch of "ingenuity", despising members of the Tomas branch, due to Thomas Cahill's betrayal of his sister, Katherine. Ekaterinians are responsible for the Bermuda Triangle, the Loch Ness Monster, and CERN, using Cairo, the Bermuda Triangle, London, and CERN as their strongholds. The Ekaterina symbol is a yellow dragon. The Ekaterinians in the novels are Ned, Ted, and Sinead Starling, Alistair Oh, and his uncle, Bae Oh. The Ekaterina branch is led by Bae Oh.

Janus

The Janus branch's symbol, a green wolf.

The Janus branch's symbol, a green wolf.

Founded by Jane Cahill, the fictitious Janus branch is made up of the world's most famous and talented artists, such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Maria Anna Mozart, Thomas Jefferson, Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Emily Dickinson, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Isadora Duncan, Alfred Hitchcock, Damien Hurst, Giorgio Armani, Mark Twain, Harry Houdini, Walt Disney, Raoul Lufbery, Steven Spielberg, John Keats, Lord Byron, Ustad Ahmad Lahauri, Mary Shelley, and Ludwig Friedrich Wilhelm. 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 (usually classics). They have strongholds in Venice and Hollywood. Janus characters in the books are Jonah Wizard and his mother, Cora Wizard, the leader of the branch.

Lucian

The Lucian symbol, similar to the caduceus, with two red snakes entwined around a sword.

The Lucian symbol, similar to the caduceus, with two red snakes entwined around a sword.

Founded by Luke Cahill, the fictional Lucian branch comprises of the descendants of the world's greatest leaders and spies, such as Theodore Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Benjamin Franklin, Isaac Newton, Napoleon Bonaparte, Ching Shih, Catherine the Great, Bernardino Drovetti, Marie Louise, Michael Bloomberg, Susan B. Anthony, Gustave Eiffel, and Sidney Reilly. They are the most ruthless Cahills, often using force against their opponents, not afraid to maim. Most important leaders, such as some US Presidents, are fictional members of the Lucian branch. In the novels, Lucians allegedly control secret bases such as Area 51 and Fort Knox, with strongholds in Paris, Karachi, Pakistan and Moscow. Lucian Constantine of Russia came close to finding all the 39 clues. In the books, Ian, Natalie, and Isabel Kabra, Irina Spasky, and Nataliya Ruslanova Radova are Lucians. The Lucian branch is led by Vikram and Isabel Kabra. and are considered by to be the worst of the four branches.

Tomas

The Tomas symbol, depicting a blue bear.

The Tomas symbol, depicting a blue bear.

Founded by Thomas Cahill, the Tomas branch is fictionally made up of famous explorers, discoverers, and athletes, such as Annie Oakley, Neil Armstrong, George Washington, Babe Ruth, Philip II of Spain, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, David Livingstone, Herbert Hoover, Edmund Hillary, Roald Amundsen, Lakshmi Mittal, Michael Phelps, John F. Kennedy, Gertrude Ederle, Wayne Gretzky, David Beckham, Manny Pacquiao, and Simon Bolivar. With strongholds in Tokyo, Durban, South Africa, and Mexico City, Tomas members hate the Ekaterina branch. The Holts are the only Tomas in the series, with the branch led by Ivan Kleister.

Madrigals

Founded by Madeleine Cahill, the Madrigals are made up of mysterious persons who are trying to prevent the four branches from getting Clues. Famous Madrigals include Abigail Adams, Paul Robeson, Deng Xiaoping, and Amelia Earhart. Their leader used to be Grace Cahill, succeeded by Amy and Dan Cahill due to her death. The Madrigals do anything to prevent the other branches from getting clues, with a stronghold in the jungles of Central America. In the Madrigal Maze application downloaded into iPhones, it is revealed that to join the Madrigals, you have to get yourself out of a maze alive inside their stronghold located deep in the jungles of Central America. Prominent Madrigals in the books are William McIntyre and the Man In Black. In the seventh book, Amy, Dan, Hope Cahill, and Arthur Trent are revealed to be Madrigals. The Madrigals symbol is a brown M, which is revealed on the cover of the 'Secrets of The Madrigals' booklet which comes with card pack 3. In Book 8, Amy and Dan Cahill referred to the Madrigals as the "worst among the worst", even though they themselves are Madrigals.

Characters

Main article: List of 39 Clues characters

• Dan Cahill : Dan is the eleven-year-old (born in 1997) male lead in the books. Dan has dark blonde hair and green eyes like jade with a scar under his right eye. He is the son of Hope and Arthur Cahill. He appears in all the books and has asthma. He makes a major alliance with Jonah Wizard in book 8 and is the brother of Amy Cahill. He has a photographic memory, is a great mathmatican, and en
• Amy Cahill: Amy is the female lead in the books. She is a fourteen-year-old, born in 1994, with reddish brown hair and green eyes like jade. Amy is the daughter of Hope and Arthur Cahill. She appears in all the books and is the sister of Dan Cahill. She likes going to libaries and museums.Amy is agoraphobic and claustrophobic. She is noted to have a crush on Ian Kabra, but after his betrayal to her, she lost her trust for him. On many occasions throughout the series, Amy has been called beautiful, and her appearance is that of Grace at a young age.
• Grace Cahill: Grace Madeleine Cahill is the grandmother of Amy and Dan Cahill. She is from Attleboro, USA. She is the leader of the Madrigals, as revealed in a code in the seventh book. Her cards are either #59, #133, and #197. She recently died of cancer, remarking the new beginning of the search. Also leaving her leader status to Amy and Dan ( dubbed the prince and princess of the Madrigals)
• Hope Cahill and Arthur Trent: Hope Cahill and Arthur Josiah Trent are Amy and Dan Cahill's parents. Hope is from Boston, USA. They are confirmed Madrigals in the seventh book. They don't have their own cards. Hope was deeply involved in the search for the 39 clues. They died in their burning house in Beacon Hill that was incinerated by Isabel Kabra while trying to recover a poem Arthur and Hope had found regarding the hunt. Hope is also a topographer while Arthur is a mathematics professor. In the seventh book, it is revealed that they have a connection with the Man In Black.
• William McIntyre: William McIntyre is Grace Cahill's lawyer and advisor. He is a Madrigal. He is one of the Man In Black's most trusted ally. Card 137 shows that he has six toes on his right foot. In the 200th card, he is seen together with Amy, Dan, and Alistair. This could mean that he is a member of either Team Three or Team Seven.
• Man in Black: The Man In Black is a man spying on Amy and Dan Cahill. He always wears black clothes and is a Madrigal. His card is #203. In Book 7 it is hinted that he had a connection with Amy and Dan's parents.
• Bae Oh: Bae Oh is Alistair Oh's uncle. He is eighty-seven years old. Like his nephew, Bae always carries a cane with him. He is also the boastful and ruthless leader of the Ekaterina branch. His card is #168. Years before the quest begins, he hired someone to kill his twin brother Gordon Oh. He also has a connection with the Man In Black.
• Beatrice Cahill: Beatrice Cahill is Grace Cahill's sister. She is from Boston, USA. She doesn't have her own card. She took care of Amy and Dan Cahill before they started searching for the clues, but did not treat them well. After abandoning them when they decided to join the hunt for the clues, she employs an agent to look for Amy and Dan and send them in foster homes. Also, she is a collector of ceramic cats.
• Vikram Kabra: Vikram Kabra is the billionaire father of Ian and Natalie Kabra, and the husband of Isabel Kabra. He is from London, UK. He is the ruthless leader of the Lucian branch, which he shares with Isabel.
• Nataliya Ruslanova Radova: Nataliya Ruslanova Radova, also referred as NRR, is Anastasia Romanov's daughter. She is from Volgograd, Russia. She is a Lucian who suffers from hemophilia. She doesn't have her own card. In the fifth book, she helps Amy and Dan Cahill in the hunt for the 39 clues. She also reveals to them the truth about the four branches and their parents.
• Robert Bardsley: Robert Bardsley is a music professor who lives in Pretoria, South Africa. He was made a member of the Tomas but decided to leave once he discovered their true intentions and formed a resistance with other South Africans who were formerly recruited by the branch. He helped Amy and Dan Cahill escape from Ian, Natalie, and Isabel Kabra in the seventh book.
• Winifred Thembeka: Winfred Thembeka gave Amy and Dan the a document as one of Grace's many friends.

The seven teams

Main article: List of teams in The 39 Clues

When Grace Cahill gave her relatives a chance to search for the 39 clues, 7 teams agreed. The teams are numbered according to the order they agreed to the challenge.

Books & Audiobooks

The 39 Clues Books and Card Packs as of April 2010.

Each book in the 39 Clues series unlocks one online clue, the same 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. All of the codes for one pack is the same. When they do that, they will also be automatically entered to win the Book Prizes, the largest one being $100,000.

Book 1: The Maze of Bones

Main article: 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 on a quest to "hunt clues." They find a lead in the Catacombs of Paris which leads them to a church at Montmartre, where they find the first clue.

Book 2: One False Note

Main article: 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, iron solute, Amy and Dan (along with their competition) travel to Vienna, Austria to find a clue relating to Mozart, a famous Cahill. Following a lead to Venice, Italy, Dan and Amy brush up with the other competitors, however, secure the next lead.

Book 3: The Sword Thief

Main article: 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. Eventually, the Kabras betray the trio and that affects Amy very badly. The lead they discover in Tokyo's subway tunnels takes them to Seoul, South Korea, Alistair's home. They find their third clue in a rock formation in the mountains outside Seoul. During their escape, the rock formation collapses and buries Alistair. He is thought dead but escapes and begins a quest for revenge on the man he believes to have killed his father, his uncle Bae.

Book 4: Beyond the Grave

Main article: Beyond the Grave

Beyond the Grave is the fourth book in the series and is 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. They find the lead to the location of the clue, only to discover it stolen by the mysterious Madrigals when they arrive. However, they discover that the actual clue was in their grandmother's letter the whole time.

Book 5: The Black Circle

Main article: The Black Circle

The Black Circle is the fifth book in the series and is 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 without their au pair and pet cat. They work on a series of leads left by NRR which take them around Russia and through the history of the royal Romanov family and end up finding a Lucian stronghold. In it they meet NRR, who is actually a woman named Nataliya Ruslanova Radova and the great daughter of Anastasia Romanov. She leads them to the Church on the Blood, where her mother was supposed to be killed along with her family, and they find the Amber Room, which had been missing for decades. They find the next clue in there: a gram of melted amber.

Book 6: In Too Deep

Main article: In Too Deep (The 39 Clues)

In Too Deep is the sixth book in the series and is 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. They learn about Ekat agent Robert Cahill Henderson, who came devastatingly close to assembling all the clues, and also discover that Amy's hero Amelia Earhart was actually a Madrigal. They find a clue that Henderson missed in his original research, and only discovered after his life's work had been destroyed by the Krakatau eruption. However, that night the house they are staying in with Alistair Oh is set on fire by Isabel Kabra, and Irina Spasky is killed in the blaze trying to save the Cahills and Alistair.

Book 7: The Viper's Nest

Main article: The Viper's Nest

The Viper's Nest is the seventh book in the series and is 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 Pretoria, South Africa. Amy and Dan follow clues that lead them to learn about Shaka, a great South African warrior. Information about their parents are also revealed in this book, like the fact that Hope Cahill and Arthur Trent traveled under the name Nudleman. It is discovered that Nudelman was a well-known murderer. At the end of the book, Amy and Dan discover their family branch: Madrigals.

Book 8: The Emperor's Code

Main article: The Emperor's Code

The Emperor's Code is written by Gordon Korman and was released on April 6, 2010. Amy and Dan have just arrived in China, fresh from the shocking discovery that they are Madrigals. They continue to search for clues, though, and find a note written on silk from the Chinese emperor Puyi. Then, an argument about the night their parents died causes Dan to run away, only to be captured by the Kabras. When they find he does not have anything of importance, they knock him out. He wakes up in a lollipop factory and is rescued/kidnapped by Jonah Wizard. Surprisingly, he gets along with Jonah, and they go to a temple of Janus monks where Dan learns kung fu and finds some remains of a lab in a statue. He later is brought to investigate the Terracotta Army by the Wizards, but it turns out to be a trap set by the Kabras. Dan parts with the Wizards, and sees the Holts climbing Mount Everest on the news. Meanwhile, Amy finds a lead pointing to Mount Everest inside the Great Wall of China. Amy and Dan get reunited at the hangar for the A-Star helicopter, which they plan to use to get to Everest's summit. They successfully arrive, only to encounter the Holts as well as Ian Kabra. Amy finds a Janus vial hidden by George Mallory, but loses it when she rescues Ian from falling off the mountain. A locket Dan found containing a picture resembling their mother points them to their next destination: the Caribbean.

Book 9: Storm Warning

Main article: Storm Warning (The 39 Clues)

The ninth book, Storm Warning, will be written by Linda Sue Park and will be released on May 25, 2010. They are looking for Anne Bonny, a pirate.

Book 10: Into the Gauntlet

Main article: Into the Gauntlet

The tenth and final book, Into the Gauntlet, will be written by Margaret Peterson Haddix and will be released on August 31, 2010.

Cards

Main article: The 39 Clues Cards

Collectible cards used in finding the 39 clues are included with hard cover books. Additional card parks are also sold and virutal ones may be obtained on the series website. In total 434 collectible cards are available. Every book contains six different cards while card packs contain sixteen. Every card contains a code that differs from other cards.

Official website

On the official The 39 Clues website, fans of the series can make a 39 Clues account and win certain prizes if they are between 6 and 14 years old. When a user makes 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" and add cards from the books onto their account.

Missions

Missions are games that are played by users to reveal clues and interview the characters. Eight of them have already been released and there will be a total of eleven.

The Cahill Web

The Cahill Web is a place where people can read archives, articles, and websites about Cahills, and further information about other people, organizations, and places related to the 39 Clues. Cahill archives can be accessed by everyone. Lucian archives can only be accessed by Lucians while Tomas archives can only be accessed by Tomas. Ekaterina archives can only be accessed by Ekats while Janus archives can only be accessed by Janus.

Inbox

The inbox is where people receive top secret e-mails. Some of them are from the leadership of their branch, some are from agents of their branch, and some are from other people. They contain information about what is happening with the branches, what the agents are doing, and other interesting information.

The Clues

According to the series, there are 39 clues scattered around the world that if combined, will lead the person to become the most powerful human being the world has ever known. The clues that have been found in books, cards, and online are listed here. 31 out of 39 total clues have been revealed so far.

Film version

Steven Spielberg acquired film rights to the series in June 2008. DreamWorks CEO Stacey Snider believes the books can amount to three or four films. Spielberg and Scholastic Media president Deborah Forte will produce the series, while Spielberg is interested in directing the first film. It is expected to come out around 2011. Jeff Nathanson was hired to write in September 2008.

Awards

The 39 Clues launched on September 9, 2008, with Book 1: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan, which debuted at #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list. On December 2, 2008, Book 2: One False Note by Gordon Korman was released and also debuted at #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list. Since then, the series, including Book 3: The Sword Thief by Peter Lerangis (March 3, 2009), Book 4: Beyond the Grave by Jude Watson, Book 5: The Black Circle by Patrick Carman, and Book 6: In Too Deep by Jude Watson, again, have appeared on the USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists.

Future releases

Storm Warning by Linda Sue Park, the 9th book in the series will be released on May 25, 2010.Into the Gauntlet by Margaret Peterson Haddix, the 10th book in the series will be released on August 31, 2010. Additionally, card pack 4 titled Ultimate Card Pack covering books 9 and 10 will be released on May 25, 2010. Missions 8, 9, 10 are anticipated as well but release dates have not yet been announced by the publisher.

Note:While the Into the Gauntlet is last book to be released,the book and mission winners will not be announced until September 2010

External links

• The 39 Clues (official page)
• 39 – Various – A wiki devoted to The 39 Clues
• First Prize: World Domination