The Maze of Bones (The 39 Clues, Book 1)

As an inveterate lover of puzzles, I had a lot of fun with this one. It turned out to work better for discussion than I thought it might. One night's discussion went really well. The other had some issues - all the talkers were kids who'd already read the entire series and the majority of the kids were non-talkers. That's an issue with the group though mostly and less so with the book. The characterizations are flat, but the action and the puzzles make up for it. I also loved all the historical information about Benjamin Franklin. I'm looking forward to reading the rest eventually and learning about some of the other historical people repurposed as part of the Cahill family. The online components are fun, too (I'm a member of the Janus branch myself) - I'm pretty sure this whole setup would have been catnip to me as a child - books that interact with online games and puzzles and even a collecting aspect with the card packs. I would have been crazy about the whole thing (in a good way).

September 2012 Cover to Cover selection.

This series by Scholastic is written by a number of favorite children's authors. Rick Riordan introduces readers to Amy and Dan Cahill, grandchildren of Grace Cahill. The Cahill family goes back several generations to the 1500s and includes almost anyone who has had an important role in history. The four branches of Cahills, descendants of the four children of Gideon Cahill, span the globe and boast members such as Mozart, Napoleon, and Benjamin Frankiln. Yet the four branches are all seeking the clues and are suspicious of each other. Grace has just passed away, and her will provides for her relatives to choose between one million dollars or a clue. Believing that Grace would want them to take the clue, fourteen-year-old Amy and her younger brother Dan join in the clue hunt with their au pair Nellie. Unsure of which branch they are members, their search takes them to exotic places and even near-death experiences. Scholastic had planned for 10 books, but an 11th volume was added to bridge the gap between the first series and a new one which is still being written.An "International Treasure" for children!

What would happen if you found out that your family was one of the most powerful in human history? What would you do if you were told that the source of the your family's power is hidden around the world, in the form of 39 clues? Amy and Dan Cahill find out about this when they go to there grandmother's funeral and had two choices: take the million dollars they inherited from their grandmother, or get the first clue to an extremely dangerous race against other relatives. Amy and Dan take this clue and they set off on an adventure so great, it'll keep you reading until 2:45 AM!The 39 clues series is focused a lot on the setting because the main characters in this series Amy and Dan Cahill always travel from one place to another and will usually mention real people and educate readers on who they are. (Benjamin Franklin in book 1 for example.) They also show characters in danger in real places too. (Amy and Dan stuck in the catacombs of Paris for example.)Each character and place are described with many details so readers not only can visualize the setting but also learn about history.In my opinion, this book series is great and with all the cliff hangers, it makes readers curious to know what happens next in the series and for that reason, I recommend this book for readers who love adventure and mystery.

This book, unlike all the other stuff Rick Riordan wrote, seems kinda... child written. Like he wasn't giving enough enthusiam twards what he was writting.These 2 kids go on an adveture to find the utimate prize, enough money to last forever, by going on a treasure hunt with clues and deception with fellow competaters. The sister and brother are teamed up with their babysitter as they find clue after clue that leads them all over the world; from USA to France to South America. True the story line is mostly like National Treasure and is very good, but I feel like Me, an 8th grader, wrote it. Now I am not saying that I am an extremly bad writer, I write very well for my age, but his writting didn't pop out of the book. His words didn't ring in my head and urge me to go forward, like they did in the other series (Percy Jackson, Kane Chronicals, Heros of Olympus, etc.). I don't know, maybe its just me, but I really think it could have had much better writing to it, and I am not so sure of reading the others.

The first in 'The 39 Clues' series. Dan, aged 11 and Amy, aged 14 are upset when their beloved Aunt Grace dies. Along with other Cahill descendants they are given an unusual choice; they can either inherit one million dollars or participate in a perilous treasure hunt. They find out that Cahills have determined the course of history for centuries. The one's who finish the quest will receive power which will effect all humankind. Their horrid Aunt Beatrice, who has also been their guardian since their parents death, tries to make them take the money. Dan and Amy decide to participate in the quest, convincing their college-age au pair to serve as companion. The other Cahill teams will stop at nothing to win. They are all soon on the historical trail of family member Ben Franklin. This is a fast-paced action adventure.

Dan and Amy's parents die in a fire when they are young. They are forced to live with their strict aunt, Beautrice.The one thiing in life that makes the siblings happy is grandmother, Grace. She dies from age, so Dan and Amy go to Graces will reading and figure out that they can take a million dollars, or take part in a worldwide scavenger hunt, The 39 Clues. Dan and Amy join The 39 Clues. The 39 Clues starts emediately. Since they start out with a clue, Dan and Amy start right away.

Quick read, simplistic but enjoyable. Brother and sister seeking family secret after grandmother's death. Jet off to Paris with an au-pair and have hair-raising adventures.

This one is the best in the series, the others all fall into the same pattern, which really starts to get boring.

When their grandma dies, Amy and Dan Cahill go on a quest to find the secret to their grandma's power.

Amy and Dan have lost everything... their parents when they were young children and now their favorite grandmother. But instead of taking their $1,000,000 inheritance checks they decide to take a clue to the greatest treasure mankind can offer. But it only begins a dangerous battle with other devious family members, out to hurt them. But with the aid of their au pair (babysitter) they get to Pennsylvania and PARIS to hunt for the next of the 39 clues.I really enjoyed the first book in this series. It's on my schools "Name That Book" competition list and I'm glad I started the series. I have already purchased book 2 and 3 in the series because I enjoyed the first book so much. It's great for students who can read 4th grade level chapter books. It's a great attention holder and I look forward to completing the series!

Dan and Amy Cahill are stunned when their grandmother’s will is read, and there's a twist. Many relatives have come from near and far to find out what Grace Cahill left them. What the relatives get instead is a challenge- they may either take the money she left them and move on with their lives, or they may forfeit the money and begin a dangerous adventure in which they must try to uncover a series of clues to a secret that will make them the most powerful person on Earth. Most of Dan and Amy’s relatives don’t like them, and they act like they're out to get them. Without much time to decide, Dan and Amy agree to take the challenge, after all, they don’t have any family left who they can live with, and they are annoyed that other family members think they don’t have what it takes to win. The game is on! Figuring out the first clue isn’t easy, and along the way they have to decide out who to trust. They must rely on their instincts and hope for the best. Of course, having some special talents and skills will also go a long way. Will Dan and Amy be able to solve the first clue? Where will it take them, and how will two kids be able to travel on a small budget? Where in the world will they find a maze of bones? Can Dan and Amy uncover the second clue before another relative snatches it up? Begin this adventure with the Cahills and see if you can figure out the clues!


I recommend The Maze of Bones (39 Clues, Book 1) by Rick Riordan to kids in third grade and up. If you like trying to figure out mysteries, then this is a story you'll certainly enjoy. Dan and Amy have opposite personalities, which gives the reader the chance to relate to at least one of them, if not both. I like that the siblings get to test themselves, and I learned a lot about history and an important historical figure. There is lots of humor and enough suspense to make you not want to put this book down. I know this is the first in a very long series, each written by a different author (sometimes the same author might write another book in the series). I think it is exciting that there is a real challenge for readers to solve the cases and win a real prize. I don’t think all the books are out yet, so there's still time to get in on the adventure. One this is certain, I'm hooked and need to read the next book!

**The book comes with cards- which I didn't use and I just read the book at face value. Some people may like the cards and some may not- but they are not at all necessary to enjoy the book.

Amy and Dan Cahill are faced with a challenge like no other. Faced with rival opponents who happen to be a part of their family. They are pressured to find the clues before anyone else could do so.

The way the authors of this series blend fact with fiction is absolutely astounding to me. I feel compelled to look up every little "fact" stated to see if it's true or simply part of the Cahill canon, but I stop myself because I REFUSE to destroy the temporary suspension of disbelief with this series (at least until I've finished it).

The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan is the first of the original 39 Clues series. There are eleven books in total, as well as three spin off series: Cahills vs. Vespers, Rapid Fire, and the Cahill Files.The book opens with Amy and Dan Cahill attending the reading of the will of the last Cahill matriarch, Grace. Although they'd been in her care, she had mostly left the caregiving to an au pair. The funeral gives them two options: take one million dollars each or forfeit the money and compete in a worldwide treasure hunt ("The 39 clues") to find the secret to the Cahill power. The siblings, as well as many other distance relatives, decide to vie for the treasure hunt.Back when this series was brand spanking new, the book was part of a larger multi-media thing run by Scholastic which included a social media website treasure hunt (with prizes) and a trading card game. I don't know if any of that jazz is still going, nor do I particularly care. The book (or audio book, in this case) stands alone just fine.There's an E/I (educational and informational) aspect to each of these 39 Clues books. In this one, the Cahill kids learn about Benjamin Franklin and his time in France. They also learn about the Paris catacombs (hence the title). In this regard, the book reads like a combination of the Magic Tree House series and a Dan Brown thriller.

My kids pestered me for weeks to read this book (and they're still bugging me about the rest of the series). They loved it - and I finally succumbed. And I admit it, they were right.Kind of 'National Treasure' meets 'Deathly Hallows', The Maze of Bones is an orphan-discovers-they're-special book. The similarities to JK Rowling's world continue, with the introduction of four family lines, all vying for a cryptic inheritance. But that familiarity only adds to the attraction, I think.This book revolves around Benjamin Franklin (the 'National Treasure' part). The historical facts included are great, though I wonder about where the line between fantasy and accuracy lies. In any case, it's a great place to start a conversation about history.The cards and online games are an added bonus (and marketing opportunity), but not what drives my kids' interest. Good for tweens, I think.

a really interesting and interactive series. i bought it to read along with my nine year old sister. i am thoroughly intrigued so far and interested in the larger picture of solving clues online and with the cards.

I started purchasing this series for my son when he was in 6th grade becasue he is interested in history and I thought these short adventure books would be fun for him. I quickly became hooked on the series myself and so has my brother and his family. The main characters in this series, Amy and Dan Cahill are two ordinary children who find out they are not from an ordinary family and they travel the world trying to collect the 39 clues for the greater good of the world. Each book in the sereis focus on a different historical place or person leaving you not only a fun adventure but a mini history lesson as well. I recomend this series for anu young adult or grown that is looking for a little adventure.

This seems to follow the general pattern of children's series literature, kids in danger, world coming to an end. There is a little historical information to be learned.

Loved this first in a series. This realy does take you on an adventure and look forward to the others. Two children are on the run chasing clues and running from family who want them out of the picture.

This is a mystery adventure about two kids who have the choice of either obtaining a million dollars or a clue to a mysterious game. They choose the clue over the money to spite some mean kids, and because they were curious.Amy and Dan, the main characters, are older kids who travel around the world to collect 39 clues. They started with one, but now they're after 39.When you're reading this book, you can go on a website to get 39 Clues of your own to win over $100,000 in prizes. You do not have to go on the website to enjoy the book. It doesn't make any difference whatsoever.This is a great book, an exciting mystery adventure, that makes you wonder where the clues are. I love this book, and I can't wait for the rest of the series to come out.

This book sets the stage for “The 39 Clues” series. Fantastically rich Grace Cahill dies after leaving a will that sends her relatives across the globe looking for the 39 clues that will make the finder the most powerful person in the world. Dan and Amy Cahill, Graces grandchildren, are among the searchers. The children are pitted against other teams of relatives who are ruthless and will gladly kill the children to stop them from getting the secret first. In this book the clues lead to Benjamin Franklin, a Cahill relative, the trail leads from Boston to Paris.

Excellent to get young readers hooked on a series!

Susan says: This is the first in a new series of books written by different authors, and it will be interesting to see how different authors handle the same material. In this book, Dan and Amy Cahill are sent on a mission along with other members of their family after their grandmother dies. The mission is dangerous, and involves clues pointing to other clues and travel around the world. Some of the other teams also include children, and they are all pretty ruthless. There is a lot of confusion about who is supporting and hurting who, but Amy and Dan are clearly the favorites. There is a lot of suspense in this book, which will keep reluctant readers going through the historical information (right now there is a focus on Benjamin Franklin) and geographical information. It's a good book, and I'll keep reading in the series.

So another case of a good book that I would love if I was the age it was intended for. Riordan knows his stuff and the action and characters were all there, ready for action. It just didn't have the hook that Lighting Thief did. But understandable since he was only here to set things up and move on.

Reminded me of National Treasure for kids. The books include history and feature a brother and sister team so it would be good for boys and girls. Good step up for kids who like Magic Treehouse or A to Z Mysteries.

The Maze of Bones is a fast pasted mystery however it is slightly predictable. It is a great quick read for students wanting to explore a new series of books. Mr. Parks

I was neither disappointed nor impressed with this book. My cynical self wondered how good the story could be if you need books, trading cards, and the internet to tell it; my Rick Riordan fan self just said, yay! The plot is quite engaging, if [book: DaVinci Code]-esque (or rather, [book: The Eight]-esque, but I digress). I'll read another one or two to see how the different authors affects the storytelling. The concept reminds me of [book: Click] and it will be interesting to compare the two. I haven't gone online or really explored the trading cards. I did think it was weird that, after reading the story and aligning myself with the two kids, Scholastic invites the reader to go online and compete with them.

Oh, and 39 seems a very lofty goal for volumes in a series.

This is a great book for children 10-13, it includes action, adventure, thrills and a very well thought out plot involving the secret to controlling the world.

Amy & Dan receive some shocking news when they attend the reading of a will. Their family is much more than they think. They are sent on a worldwide scavenger hunt to uncover and understand clues to their family secrets. The winners of this race will find fortune. The losers sometimes die. They've been told to trust no one. Can they unravel the mysteries and avoid the pitfalls along the way? Can they outlast their family members that are trying to beat them? Fast paced action with mystery along the way. Great start to the series.

This book is the beginning of a 10-book series featuring several renowned authors of young adult and children literature. The story about Amy and Dan, members of a large and influential family, take part in a quest to find the 39 Clues to become the most powerful Cahill's in history. A younger version of the DaVinci Code or National Treasure, children will enjoy the mystery, suspense action and adventure offered in this story. With a little bit of history thrown into the mix, this book will appeal to a wide range of children. Read as part of our children's book group (7-12 years old).