The Maze of Bones is the first book in Scholastic's new The 39 Clues series. Trying to tap into the market of all the kids who would rather play computer games than read a book, this new series combines the two. The premise is pretty fun. The aging matriarch of one of the most powerful families in the history of the world has written it into her will that upon her death, her family members may choose: $1 million or a clue. This clue will start them on a world-wide scavenger hunt to reveal a secret that will restore their family as the most powerful and influential people on the planet. The books specifically follow Dan and Amy Cahill, and 11 and 14 year old brother and sister who decide to take the clue and form a team.
Each book in the series will be written by a different author. The first is by Rick Riordan, the author of the wildly popular (and really wonderful) series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
The premise is stretched a bit far (the Cahill family supposedly includes Ben Franklin, Elanor Roosevelt, Picasso, Amelia Earhart, Harry Houdini and Abraham Lincoln), but Dan and Amy are extremely likable and the action starts early and keeps up a nice pace throughout the novel. The extended family members competing against them are particularly nasty, never hesitating to burn down a house or blow up part of a museum to get ahead in the hunt. The competition lends a great urgency to the story, so that Dan and Amy not only have to figure out each clue, they have to beat everyone else to the punch. The two must rely on their knowledge of history and creative thinking skills to decipher the clues that eventually lead them to the catacombs below Paris to find artifacts that Ben Franklin left there during his visit in the 1700s. The result is a bit National Treasure meets Alex Rider, and although it isn't quite as engaging as either one it is a worthy read.
The interactive part comes with the website (the39clues.com). Kids can take a quiz to see what branch of the family they belong to as well as play along with the scavenger hunt and figure out some of the clues themselves. Each book comes with 6 clue cards that can be entered on the website to get more information or play different games. A few lucky kids will even be able to win real prizes. I think it's all a really neat idea; I love the idea of letting kids get into the world of the book and play along.
If you like this one, the series continues this December with #2, which will be written by Gordan Korman (Schooled, Swindle).
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