Book Review The 39 clues Book #1 Made By

AvinashVenk atesh

Some Facts About the book

Author:Rick Riordan Country:United States United Kingdom Canada Israel Language: Series: Genre(s): English, Hebrew The 39 Clues Children's novel

Adventure novel Mystery Publisher: Scholastic

Publication date:September 9, 2008 Media type: Print (hardcover) Pages: 220 Followed by: One False Note

About the Author

Riordan was raised in San Antonio, Texas. He graduated from Alamo Heights High School in 1982 and the University of Texas at Austin in 1986, where he double-majored in English and history. Riordan taught English and history, including Greek mythology, in middle schools in the San Francisco Bay Area and in San Antonio. He was awarded St. Mary's Hall's first Master Teacher Award in 2002. As a novelist, Riordan has created many successful series. The multi-award-winningTres Navarre mystery series, intended for adults, follows the fast-paced adventures of an erudite Texan private eye. Riordan also helped create the young adult series The 39 Clues; he authored several of its books, including The Maze of Bones, which topped the New York Times Best Seller list on September 28, 2008. His Percy Jackson and the Olympians series features a twelve-year-old boy who discovers he is the modern-day son of an ancient Greek god. Twentieth Century Fox purchased the film rights and released a feature film on February 12, 2010. Following the success of Percy Jackson, Rick Riordan created The Kane Chronicles, which features a modern-day Egyptian pantheon and two new sibling protagonists. Its first book, The Red Pyramid, was released on May 4, 2010; the sequel was released on May 3, 2011. Riordan also created a sequel series to the Percy Jackson books, The Heroes of Olympus. Its first book, The Lost Hero, was released in the U.S. on October 12, 2010; the sequel, The Son of Neptune, is expected to be released on October 4, 2011. Riordan plans to expand both series simultaneously. "The Heroes of Olympus" will have five books and "The Kane Chronicles" with three books. The San Diego Comic-Con International 2010 featured Riordan as a guest. Rick Riordan lives in San Antonio with his wife and their two sons.

Summary
Amy and Dan Cahill, the protagonists of the novel and their grandmother, Grace's favorite grandchildren, attend Grace's funeral after her death. A choice is given to a select number of heirs: to find the 39 Clues, which will make the winner the "most powerful and influential person(s) on the planet", or to take a million dollars and walk away. Amy and Dan decide to accept the challenge. Their guardian, Aunt Beatrice disowns them, and they receive the first Clue. The first clue puzzles all of the competitors, and prompts Amy and Dan to check in the library for a man named Richard S-. They discover that Richard Saunders, the name they were looking for, is actually Benjamin Franklinwho was a Cahill. Amy and Dan, along with their friendly uncle, Alistair Oh, find an almanac by Franklin,which their relatives, like Alistair's father, Gordon Oh, and Dan and Amy's mother, Hope Cahill, have written in. Soon they realize there is a fire in the mansion, which ultimately burns it down. Alistair escapes with Poor Richard's Almanack and Dan and Amy are left with nothing but their grandmother's cat, Saladin, whom Dan rescued in their escape, and their grandmother's jewelry box. They realize in order to travel to different places they will need adult supervision, so they enlist their au pair, Nellie Gomez, to accompany them on their journey. The Cahills find a lead in Philadelphia, prompting them to travel to Paris, France, where they learn more about Ben Franklin and their family. After turning down a proposal from fellow competitor Jonah Wizard, whom they met after arriving in Paris, they follow Irina Spasky, who, due to a theft chain, now has the almanac. Irina lured them into a trap on an island, but they were later saved unpredictably by the Holts, a family who is also after the Clues. After their escape, Amy and Dan told Nellie all about the 39 Clues, and Nellie decides to help them. With their information, the Cahills go to the Paris Catacombs. They find some bones which have numbers on them: a magic box number game, planted there by Franklin to give the coordinates to the next Clue. This leads them to a church where they find a room with a mural of the four original Cahills, after who the four Cahill branches are named. Inside the vase is a small vial, with scrambled words on it. Dan solves the anagram, and they resolve to insert the vial into a lightning rodone of Franklin's inventionsto charge it. Amy succeeds, but the vial is stolen by Cahill enemies the Kabras. Even though the

Kabras stole the vial, Dan still has the important paper containing what they need, and solves the puzzle on the first clue they were given: iron solute. Amy's Internet searches for Franklin also have led them to the probable location of the second Clue: Vienna, Austria, the home of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

CharacterSketch
Amy (age 14) and Dan Cahill (age 11) They are the protagonists of the series. They are the grandchildren of Grace Cahill. They became orphans when their parents died in a fire seven years earlier. Since that time, they have been in the care of their aunt Beatrice, before traveling to find the 39 Clues. They both have jade-green eyes, but Amy has reddish-brown hair, while Dan has a dark blonde color. Dan and Amy's cards are #2 and #18, respectively, but both also appear in card #200, and plenty of retailer cards. Grace Cahill She is the Cahill's grandmother. She has traveled all over the world, and settled in Attleboro, Massachusetts. The Maze of Bones starts with a scene of her dying, and in the last minute, changing her will. Her cards are #59, #133, and #197 (all as a founder). Alistair Oh He is an aged, Korean inventor (most proud of his invention: microwavable burritos). He is from the Ekaterina branch. He is also Amy and Dan's "uncle", with his father being a halfbrother with Grace's father. His cards are #34 and #96. Ian (age 14) and Natalie Kabra (age 11) They both from London, UK.[2] Ian and Natalie both have cinnamon-complexion skin, amber eyes, and jet-black hair. They are both Lucians, with their parents, Isabel and Vikram, being the branch leaders. Ian and Natalie's cards are #178 and #112, respectively.

Irina Spasky She is a former Russian KGB spy. Irina is known for her poison fingernails and for her sneakiness. She is also part of the Lucian branch. Her card is #74 (as an agent) and #107 (as a founder). Jonah Wizard He is a superstar singer/actor. He is never seen without his dad, Broderick Wizard. He had starred in the reality show "Who Wants to be a Gangsta?". Eisenhower, Mary-Todd, Hamilton, Madison, and Reagan Holt They are the strongest team in the quest. Eisenhower and Mary-Todd are the parents of Hamilton , Madison, and Reagan. Arnold, the family pit bull, is also considered as member of the family. Hamilton is fourteen years old while identical twins Madison and Reagan are both eleven. The whole family wears matching purple jogsuits, and they always travel with Arnold. Hamilton, Madison, and Reagan are considered as their school's bullies. They are all in Tomas. Their respective cards range from #145 (Eisenhower), #90 (Hamilton), #187 (Madison), and #123 (Reagan). Ned, Ted, and Sinead Starling These are the Starling triplets. They have freckled faces and they always wear identical preppy clothes. They were put out of the hunt on the second day, due to an explosion caused by the Holts in a Philadelphia museum. In an interview with Patrick Carman it was revealed that they are part of the Ekaterina branch.[citation needed] Nellie Gomez She is the Cahill's au pair. Amy and Dan enlists her to be their guardian on the 39 Clues, unknowingly at first, but she later decides to help the children. She is of Mexican and French decent. She does not have any cards yet. William McIntyre He is Grace Cahill's mysterious lawyer, advisor, and "closest confidant for half of her life". He is one of the Man In Black's most trusted ally. He told Amy and Dan to Trust No One but they didn't listen to him.