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The 39 Clues Series

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 7, age appropriate for kids over 9; suggested age 9.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Exciting mystery, heavily merchandised.

Themes in this book include:   family relationships, honesty, revenge
updated 10.02.09

Why We Rated This on for Ages 9 and Up

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    Plenty of accurate information is thrown in about major historical figures (Ben Franklin and Mozart for starters) and destinations around the globe.

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Cheating, stealing, breaking and entering, are all OK and almost a sport in this contest. The main characters also learn again and again not to trust anyone as one character after another double crosses them. Although this book may give kids the travel bug and pique their curiosity for more info on historical figures.

  • Role models:

    Our heroes are virtuous and kind, though not always honest, and pretty much everyone else is nasty and downright evil. Even the people who start out seeming nice -- old friends of Grace Cahill, especially -- have a negative agenda.

  • Violence:

    Arson, explosions, and traps, all designed to kill, or at least sideline, the child heroes. Several fights, and people are injured.

  • Sex:

    A kiss between teens in book 3, and 20something Nellie falls for an archaeologist in book 4.

  • Language:

    Plenty of mild name-calling between brother and sister.

  • Consumerism:

    But it's not just a story. Embedded within the series are incentives to buy more cards, register on a 39 Clues Web site, and enter a contest with cash prizes. There has even been a viral marketing campaign involving MySpace and YouTube. Nothing harmful, and books have certainly had associated merchandise before. But this one is just a little more bald-faced than most. Also, many products are mentioned, including electronics, candy (one character has his own Pez dispenser), soft drinks, ice cream, and cars.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Adults drink champagne on a cruise. Amy and Dan find a secret recipe for a liqueur. Some of the characters use poison.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of The 39 Clues Series was written by Matt Berman

Parents need to know that nearly everyone in this book is trying to kill, sideline, or deceive the heroes, who are orphaned children. There is some violence (arson, explosions, traps, and several fights with injuries) though it's mostly cartoonish. This book includes incentives to purchase cards, register on a Web site, and sign up for a contest with cash prizes. It's also being made into a movie with Steven Spielberg attached.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about marketing. Why does the book include playing cards? Why is there a Web site and contest, with cash prizes? What do the publishers have to gain by giving away money?
  • What do they mean when they call this a "multi-platform series"?
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More on The 39 Clues Series

Book Summary

Orphans Amy and Dan belong to a rich and powerful family related to nearly everyone important in history. When their grandmother dies, she leaves 39 clues, spread across the planet, to a treasure that will make the finder immensely powerful. So all the relatives, none of them decent or honest (except Amy and Dan, of course), compete to find and solve the clues while trying to eliminate their competition. This proposed 10-book series (10 physical books followed by 29 online-only installments), each by a different author, includes cards plus a code for a Web site with an online game with cash prizes.
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Publisher’s Details

Publisher: Scholastic Inc., Publication date: 9/8/2008
Number of pages: 220, Price: $12.99 (hardcover)
Read Aloud: 9, Read Alone: 10

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Parent Reviewer
    kimkim411
    Kids ages: 10
    I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give it 3.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language

    Perfect for older kids, but not for tweens

    Nellie fucks an archaeologist in book 10!

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
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  2. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    pie or pie
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 4.0

    I GUESS ITS GOOD

    ONE OF MY FREINDS LOVES 39 CLUES BOOKS I THINK I MIGHT LIKE THEM ALSO I DONT KNOW I HAVE NOT READ ANY OF THEM PS BY THE WAY I FOUND ALFRED KROPP BOOK 2 ITS GOOD OH AND ONE THING NOT TO SPOIL IT BUT MIKE ARNOLDS BACK!!!!!!!!!

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  3. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    b0bthesheep123
    I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive consumerism

    Great for kids with a sense of mystery

    This is one of the best books I gave ever read, and I have read a lot of books. My friends and i sit on he bus discussing clues, looking at the trading cards they come with trying to find every little secret and clue we can.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
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  4. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    Diaryofawimpykid
    I rate this title iffy for age 11 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence

    Great Book

    Great book series! The only thing I would have to say it's a little violant. The are many bombings and fires and people trying to kill each other through out the race to find the 39 clues. Also a little strong vocab. No bad language, but just big words. And if you don't understand them, they'd blow you off course.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details (1) | Read my mind
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  5. Kid Reviewer Age 10
    benbrm
    I rate this title on for age 9 and give it 5.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • My highlights are:
    • Educational

    Awesome

    not bad + free clues in each book

    This review...

    Helped me decide (1) | Had useful details | Read my mind
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