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 Roland Smith David Baldacci
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 trying to thwart the other Cahills to get the Clues. Continuing books will be about the rising of a new family, the Vespers. 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. 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 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 novels are designed to incorporate historical elements by placing famous people in the midst of the Cahill family.

Overview

Cahill Family

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 family's power lies in 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 (except the Madrigals) fighting each other to find lost Clues. Each branch has their own unique name, crest, and color. Pronunciations of each branch name are included.

Ekaterina

• ee-cat-ur-EE-nah

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., Thomas Edward Lawrence, Bob Troppo, and Marie Curie. They are the branch of "ingenuity," despising members of the Tomas branch, due to Thomas Cahill's betrayal of Katherine. 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 yellow dragon. The Ekaterinas in the novels are Ned, Ted, and Sinead Starling, Alistair Oh, and his uncle, Bae Oh, the leader of the branch.

Janus

• JAY-nuss

The Janus branch's symbol, a green wolf.

The Janus branch's symbol, a green wolf.

Founded by Jane Cahill, the Janus branch is made up of the world's most famous and talented artists, such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 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, Giorgio Armani, Mark Twain, Harry Houdini, Walt Disney, Raoul Lufbery, Steven Spielberg, John Keats, Lord Byron, Ustad Ahmad Lahauri, Mary Shelley, Josephine Baker, Okita Sōji, and Ludwig Friedrich Wilhelm, and Shirley Temple. 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 and Hollywood. Janus characters in the books are Jonah Wizard and his mother, Cora Wizard, the leader of the branch.

Lucian

• LOO-shian

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 Lucian branch comprises 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, Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia, Marie Louise, Michael Bloomberg, Susan B. Anthony, Barack Obama, Gustave Eiffel,and Sidney Reilly. They are the most ruthless Cahills, often using force against their opponents, and are not afraid to maim. Most important leaders, such as some US Presidents, are 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 and Moscow. Lucians Constantine of Russia and Tsar Nicholas II 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 are Lucians. The Lucian branch is led by Vikram and Isabel Kabra.

Tomas

• toe-MaS

The Tomas symbol, depicting a blue bear.

The Tomas symbol, depicting a blue bear.

Founded by Thomas Cahill, the Tomas branch is made up of famous explorers, discoverers, and athletes, such as Pele, Annie Oakley, Neil Armstrong, Babe Ruth, Philip II of Spain, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, Henry Hudson, David Livingstone, Herbert Hoover, Edmund Hillary, Roald Amundsen, Lakshmi Mittal, Michael Phelps, John F. Kennedy, Gertrude Ederle, Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky, David Beckham, Manny Pacquiao, Shaquille O'Neil, George Mallory, 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 are the only Tomas in the series, with the branch led by Ivan Kleister.

Madrigal

• MAD-rigg-al

Founded by Madeleine Cahill, the Madrigal branch is made up of the descendants of Madeleine Cahill. The other branches seek the 39 Clues, however the Madrigals have another objective. When Gideon Cahill died, his wife was pregnant with the fifth child. Years later, when Olivia Cahill died, the fifth child, Madeline, swore to fulfill her mother's wish to reunite the five branches once and for all. Famous Madrigals include Abigail Adams, Paul Robeson, Deng Xiaoping, Anne Bonny, William Shakespeare, Nanny Sharpe, Mary Read, Florence Nightingale, Amelia Earhart, Mother Teresa, Frederick Douglass and Roberto Clemente. More than half of the Nobel Peace Prize winners were Madrigals. Their leader used to be Grace Cahill, and was succeeded by Fiske Cahill due to her death. The Madrigals will do anything to prevent the other branches from getting Clues, with strongholds off the coast of Ireland, in the jungles of Central America, and under a fake Easter head statue in Easter Island. In the "Madrigal Maze" application downloadable for iPhones and iPod Touches, it is revealed that to join the Madrigals, characters have to get themselves out of a maze alive inside the Madrigals 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. In book nine, Nellie becomes a Madrigal. The Madrigals symbol is a black M, which is revealed on the cover of the 'Secrets of The Madrigals' booklet which comes with the third card pack.

Vesper Family

There are not many details yet about this other family, which is shrouded in secrecy, except for the fact that they are non-Cahills who have been interested in gaining Cahill powers and that they are extremely ruthless, as shown by Fiske Cahill's comparison: "...frankly, they make Isabel Kabra look like Mother Teresa." It is also rumored that Isabel Kabra is a Vesper, due to the inclusion of the surname in her maiden name.

Characters

Main article: List of The 39 Clues characters

• Amy Cahill: Amy is the fourteen-year-old female protagonist. Amy is the daughter of Hope Cahill and Arthur Trent and the older sister of Dan. Amy enjoys reading and studying and likes visiting to libraries and museums. She is both agoraphobic and claustrophobic, which hinders her ability to find Clues at times. She is noted to have a crush on Ian Kabra, but after his betrayal to her, she lost her trust for him. She also has a stutter when she's nervous. Amy has long reddish-brown hair and jade green eyes.
• Dan Cahill: Dan is the eleven-year-old male protagonist. He is the son of Hope Cahill and Arthur Trent and is the brother of Amy. He has a photographic memory, and is a great mathematician. He likes to fool around and make jokes, but also knows when to be serious. His hindrance is his asthma. He makes a major alliance with Jonah Wizard in book eight. He has dark blond hair and green eyes.
• Grace Cahill: Grace Madeleine Cahill is the grandmother of Amy and Dan Cahill. She is from Attleboro. She is the leader of the Madrigals, as revealed in a code in the seventh book. Her cards are #59, #133, and #197. She recently died of cancer, rekindling the search for the Clues. She also left her leader status to Amy and Dan.
• Hope Cahill and Arthur Trent: Hope Cahill and Arthur Josiah Trent are Amy and Dan Cahill's parents. Hope is from Boston. They are confirmed Madrigals in the seventh book. Hope was deeply involved in the search for the 39 Clues. They died in a house fire in Beacon Hill that was instigated 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 adviser. He is a Madrigal. He is one of the Man In Black's most trusted allies. 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.
• Fiske Cahill: 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 nine, it is revealed that he is Grace Cahill's brother Fiske but was not thoroughly recognized. Because of this relation, the book also shows the similarities between him and Dan.
• Alister Oh: The uncle of Amy and Dan. Ekaterina, microwave burrito inventor. Lives in a mansion in Korea, and can seem nice but mostly betrayal.Was there the night Hop and Arthur Cahill died.
• Bae Oh: Bae Oh is Alistair Oh's uncle. He is 87 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, from Boston. 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 to foster homes.
• 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 was the ruthless leader of the Lucian branch, which he shared with Isabel.
• Nataliya Ruslanova Radova: Nataliya Ruslanova Radova, also referred to as NRR, is Anastasia Romanov's daughter. She is from Volgograd, Russia. She is a Lucian who suffers from hemophilia. In the fifth book, she helps Amy and Dan Cahill in the hunt. 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 branch, 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.
• Irina Spasky: Amy and Dan's cousin; a retired KGB agent and a Lucian. Her cards are 74 ,107, and 150. She had a son who died because of Isabel Kabra.
• Ian Kabra: Son of Vikram and Isabel Kabra. He is the brother of Natalie. Also cousin of Amy and Dan. Secretly has a crush on Amy, found out in the 3rd book.
• Natalie Kabra: Daughter of Vikram and Isabel Kabra. She is the sister of Ian. Also cousin of Amy and Dan. Thinks she's popular and brags about being rich.
• Jonah Wizard: Cousin of Amy and Dan; a famous rap singer from the Janus branch. In the eighth book, and continues in the tenth, Jonah starts to doubt himself and question the ways of his mother and some Janus.
• Lester Dixon : In Book 9, Lester is shown to have a relation with Grace, though he is not a Cahill. He helps Dan and Amy find Clues because he is an archaeologist. However, his generosity and helpfulness was not extended throughout the whole book. Caught amidst a chaotic situation involving the Kabras, Lester selflessly places his life secondary to them and loses his life, much to Amy and Dan's devastation. His death led them to believe that they were turning into real Madrigals and almost had them give up on the race.
• Sinead Starling*: In book one Sinead is forced to leave the competition because of a bomb at the Franklin Institute. Sinead and her brothers create a serum to speed the healing process. She returns in the tenth book where it is revealed one of her brothers is blind and the others gets headaches frequently. Sinead hopes the master serum will heal her brothers completely.
• Hamilton Holt: Oldest and only son in the Holt family, son of Eisenhower Holt, son of Mary Tod. Appears to have an alliance with Amy and Dan Cahill. Though not trusted with his farther around. Loves sports and is part of the Tomas branch.
• Eisenhower Holt: Dad of Hamilton Holt, husband of Mary Tod. Tomas, known to shout and appears to like purple in the books. He has a strong connection with his son, but he doesn't realize it until the tenth book.

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 were formed. The teams are numbered according to the order they agreed to the challenge.

Series one

The 39 Clues books and card packs as of April 2010.

Each book in the 39 Clues series includes six cards, which unlock 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. If eligible, they will also be automatically entered to win the Book Prizes, the largest being $10,000.

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 off on the quest. The Clue is iron solute.

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, 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, to secure the lead. The Clue is tungsten.

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. Amy and Ian start to like each other, but their relationship ends in an unusual way, because Ian fails horribly at reading his true feelings. The Clue is gold.

Book 4: Beyond the Grave

Main article: 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 Clue is myrrh.

Book 5: The Black Circle

Main article: 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. The Clue is amber.

Book 6: In Too Deep

Main article: In Too Deep (The 39 Clues)

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. It is revealed that Isabel Kabra was the one who caused Amy and Dan's parents to die, she also kill's Irina Spasky. The Clue is water.

Book 7: The Viper's Nest

Main article: 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 Clue is umhlabla (aloe).

Book 8: The Emperor's Code

Main article: 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 Clue turns out to be silk.

Book 9: Storm Warning

Main article: Storm Warning (The 39 Clues)

The ninth book, Storm Warning, was written by Linda Sue Park and released on the 25th of May. Amy and Dan go to Jamaica, where they meet a friend of Grace. The identity of the Man in Black is revealed in the book. He reveals seven Madrigal Clues, including mace, which is the book's clue, to Amy and Dan.

Book 10: Into The Gauntlet

Main article: Into the Gauntlet

Into The Gauntlet, the final book in the series, was released on August 31, 2010, written by Margaret Peterson Haddix. In the book, all the teams come to Cahill Island, the Madrigal hideout. 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." It is revealed that there is another family like the Cahills, called Vespers. Dan and Amy end up winning the clue hunt the way Grace wanted them to, with everyone else wanting them to win. The 39th Clue is the Serum formula.

Vespers Rising

This stand-alone book will serve as a transition between Series One and Two. It will be written by Rick Riordan, Peter Lerangis, Gordon Korman, and Jude Watson and is expected to be released on April 5, 2011.

File:VESPERSRISING FLAT.jpg

Book cover for Vespers Rising

Series Two: Cahills vs. Vespers

Book 1 by Gordon Korman

This book is to be published in August 2011. Gordon Korman was also the author of Books 2 and 8 of the original series.

Book 2 by Jude Watson

Jude Watson was the author of Books 4 and 6 of the original series.

Book 3 by Peter Lerangis

Peter Lerangis was the author of Books 3 and 7 of the original series.

Book 4 by Roland Smith

Roland Smith is a new author to the series.

Book 5 by Linda Sue Park

Linda Sue Park was the author of Book 9 of the original series.

Book 6 by David Baldacci

David Baldacci is a best-selling author known for legal thrillers. The book is set to be released in March 2013.

Bonus Books

Bonus Book: The Black Book of Buried Secrets

The Black Book of Buried Secrets, by Rick Riordan, is a bonus book in the series, and was published on October 26,2010.

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. It was released together with Book Nine.

Components

Cards

Main article: The 39 Clues Cards

Collectible cards used in finding the Clues are included with hard cover books. Additional card parks are also sold and virtual ones may be obtained on the series website. Every book contains six different cards while card packs contain sixteen.

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.

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

• The 39 Clues: The Movie is scheduled to be released in late 2011.
• Vespers Rising is scheduled to be released April 5, 2011.

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