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265 pp.
| Scholastic
| September, 2016
|
TradeISBN 978-0-545-86346-9$16.99
(3)
4-6
Twins March and Jules McQuin (Loot), with good friends and fellow thieves Darius and Izzy, are plotting to steal three infamous, cursed sapphires. Exciting international chases, narrow escapes, witty banter--the urgency and action are high in this tween Ocean's Eleven–esque crime thriller. Diverse characters with well-developed relationships add heart. Enjoyable as a sequel or standalone adventure.
238 pp.
| Scholastic
| March, 2015
|
TradeISBN 978-0-545-74781-3$12.99
(3)
4-6
39 Clues: Doublecross series.
As the newest leader of the Cahills, seventeen-year-old Ian Kabra must prevent the re-creation of four historical disasters to prove himself worthy to the Outcast, a vengeful former Cahill. Ian and his crew race to avoid any more blood on the family's hands. Suspense and tension are at the center of nearly every scene in this spinoff series' plot-focused, unpredictable opener.
(3)
4-6
The separated twin children of a famous jewel thief are thrown together after his death. Following their father's mysterious clues, Jules and March devise a heist of their own, and along the way they build a relationship and learn to trust each other. Interesting secondary characters help develop the tension, and the action and intrigue are sure to please fans of thrillers.
266 pp.
| Scholastic
| October, 2013
|
TradeISBN 978-0-545-52137-6$12.99
(4)
4-6
39 Clues: Unstoppable series.
Six months after sixteen-year-old Amy and thirteen-year-old Dan defeated the Vespers, the Cahill siblings set out on another quest to stop the serum their family has protected for centuries from wreaking havoc on the world. This first entry in a new spinoff series is formulaic, but the suspense and high stakes that 39 Clues fans love are front and center.
190 pp.
| Scholastic
| December, 2011
|
TradeISBN 978-0-545-29840-7$12.99
(4)
4-6
39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers series.
Eager to save their kidnapped family members, siblings Dan (thirteen) and Amy (sixteen), continue to take orders from their enemy, Vesper One. Crisscrossing the world, the Cahills search for ancient artifacts, while dodging Interpol and the conniving Wyoming siblings from the clue hunt. The high-stakes (if formulaic) plot moves quickly and builds suspense, while historical facts are woven into the stories. Review covers these 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers titles: The Dead of Night and A King's Ransom.
(4)
4-6
39 Clues series.
Good-hearted siblings Amy and Dan continue their globetrotting quest for the clues that will unlock the power of their historically über-powerful family. The series still pushes credulity past the tipping point, but these installments introduce new developments (heretofore cartoonish competitors reveal hints of humanity; the sibs' stalwart nanny becomes suspicious; clues to their parents' death surface) that rejuvenate the foundering plots. Review covers these 39 Clues titles: The Black Circle and In Too Deep.
190 pp.
| Scholastic
| June, 2009
|
TradeISBN 978-0-545-09061-2$12.99
(4)
4-6
39 Clues series.
Three different authors contribute volumes to the high-octane series about a treacherous, globe-circling scavenger hunt. Dan and Amy are still the principle underdogs in the search for the clues (a Mozart manuscript, a Japanese sword, ancient hieroglyphs) that will allow them to claim their family's historical power. The (stock) characters are energetically rendered; the action never abates. Review covers these 39 Clues titles: One False Note, The Sword Thief, and Beyond the Grave.