The Maze of Bones

katjune62 - My mom started reading these books and got SO into them, she bought the whole series. She tried to persuaid me into reading them, but I didn't have time, so I refused. A few months later, I decided to give the first one a try because I needed a book for my reading homework. At first I just read a couple chapters, but then it got really interesting. Before you know it, I'm through the first five books and I can't stop reading them. This first book is about fourteen-year-old Amy Cahill and her really cute eleven-year-old brother Dan Cahill. Their grandma Grace dies and they attend the funeral at her mansion with their crabby blue-haired legal-guardian Aunt Beatrice because their parents died in a fire. They know that everyone else is only there to inherit Grace's fortune, but they were the closest ones to Grace and they were there because they loved her so much. Amy, Dan, rich Ian and Natalie Kabra, the muscular Holts, Russian Irina Spatsky, and their Uncle Alistair Oh, popstar Jonah Wizard, and a few others are invited into another room where they are asked if they would take a million dollars each, OR if they would take part in a perilous clue hunt to find the large power of the family. Aunt Beatrice threatens them and tells them that if they don't take the cash, she will unown them and give them to social services. They take the clue hunt to agrivate Aunt Beatrice and start with the first clue. They start an alliance with their Uncle Alistair and look in the libraury and find a first edition Poor Richard's Almanac with their mother's writing in it. The mansion catches on fire and they have just enough time to save Grace's cat, Saladin. Alistair makes off with the book. Amy and Dan trick their "Au Paree" (babysitter) into taking them to France to find the next clue. I loved this book and I'm sure that you will, too. Especially if you love mystery, adventure, and know Amy and Dan's motto- "Trust no one," which is so true in the clue hunt.

Starred review from September 22, 2008
Built around a ripe conceit—wealthy matriarch scatters cryptic clues to a mysterious fortune around the globe—this first installment in a projected 10-book series is tons of fun. Lead-off hitter Riordan (The Lightning Thief
) mixes just the right proportions of suspense, peril and puzzles in a fast-paced read (Riordan mapped the narrative arc for all 10 volumes, but other high-profile authors will be writing for the series, too). Likable orphans Amy and Dan Cahill have moxie (plus Dan can memorize numbers instantly) and frailties (Amy hates crowds). As the siblings compete with less honorable members of the Cahill clan, all distantly related to Benjamin Franklin, to win the fortune by collecting all 39 clues (only two are found in this first book), they learn about their dead parents, each other and world history. The humor is spot on—one uncle is credited with inventing the microwave burrito. The only flaw? The story does not end so much as drop off a cliff. (The second book, One False Note
by Gordon Korman, is set to arrive in December.) While waiting, readers can collect cards, each of which contains evidence, and play the online game ( www.the39clues.com
), for which Scholastic is offering over $100,000 in prizes. This ought to have as much appeal to parents as it does to kids—it's Webkinz without the stuffed animals, and a rollicking good read. Ages 9–12.

Starred review from November 1, 2008
Gr 4-7-When their beloved Aunt Grace dies, Dan, 11, and Amy, 14along with other Cahill descendantsare faced with an unusual choice: inherit one million dollars or participate in a perilous treasure hunt. Cahills have determined the course of history for centuries, and this quest's outcome will bring the victors untoward power and affect all of humankind. Against the wishes of nasty Aunt Beatrice, their reluctant guardian since their parents' deaths, Dan and Amy accept the challenge, convincing their college-age au pair to serve as designated adult. Pitted against other Cahill teams, who will stop at nothing to win, the siblings decipher the first of 39 clues and are soon hot on the historical trail of family member Ben Franklin to unearth the next secret. Adeptly incorporating a genuine kids' perspective, the narrative unfolds like a boulder rolling downhill and keeps readers glued to the pages. As the siblings work together to solve puzzles and survive dangers, they develop into well-drawn individuals with their own strengths and personalities. Supporting Cahill cast members come across as intentionally exaggerated caricatures, adding to the tale's breathless fun. The book dazzles with suspense, plot twists, and snappy humor, but the real treasure may very well be the historical tidbits buried in the story. Part of a multimedia launch including a Web site, collectable game cards, and a 10-title series (penned by different authors), this novel stands solidly on its own feet and will satisfy while whetting appetites for more."Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2008
Grades 4-8 In a bold leap forward in marketing strategy, this first book in the 39 Clues series introduces readers to what promises to be a sensational mix of reading, online gaming, card-collecting, and even a grand-prize sweepstakes. The premise of the book: Grace Cahill, matriarch of the worlds most powerful family, dies and leaves behind a challenge to her descendants. They can either inherit one million dollars, or forgo the money and receive the first of 39 clues that will lead them on an around-the-world adventure in search of, well, thats a secret. But its an earth-shattering secret, and with 10 books planned for the series (each by a different author), it had better pay off in the end. Riordan, who has plotted the main arc for the series, gets the ball rolling nicely with likable brother-and-sister heroes, a cast of backstabbing relatives, and a smattering of puzzles and clues to decipher in the quest for the ultimate secret. Whether this intriguing book represents the first major event in a shifting world of publishing, or is simply a clever money- and attention-grabbing ploy remains to be seen, but it will be fascinating to see what kids make of it. (Library edition does not include game cards).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)