The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan — The 39 Clues: Book 1
I think the description “prolific author” was reserved for a guy like Rick Riordan. You’d have to be illiterate to miss seeing any one of his dozens of books on the bookstore shelves, from the Percy Jackson series and its countless offshoots to this, the 39 Clues series. Of course, I say that now, but I’m actually having a whale of a time finding The 39 Clues: Book 2! These books are so popular, even my library can’t keep them in stock.
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We’re a bit late in coming to Riordan’s various parties, I know, but now that my kids are pre-teens and we’re able to stretch our reading fare a bit more, we’re glad to have found him! We recently read Percy Jackson 1: The Lightning Thief (and I followed it with a reading of the graphic novel as well), and since I found that book to be a bit too dark for my kids (10 and 12), I was super glad to find this alternate series that’s a bit more their speed.
I didn’t know what to expect when we started The 39 Clues, beyond the fact that it’s a mystery series for kids. What I found inside was a less-silly, more-historical version of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. It’s clean, engaging, thought-provoking, mysterious, and filled with adventure, and it’s the perfect type of book for my kids at this stage in life. I didn’t find it so predictable that my kids would lose interest, but filled with enough twists and turns that even I kept engaged. That the books seem to promise a world tour to historical places and following famous people from the past is a boon, and I honestly look forward to reading the entire series to my kids!
Over the past 3 years, we’ve developed a love for book series and have long been on the search for the next one to sweep us away during our nightly reading times. We’ve done Little House and Lemony Snicket, as well as Narnia and Harry Potter, among many others. We even attempted Artemis Fowl but had zero interest after the first chapter. So now to find another series of 11 books (or 29, if you count all the offshoot options as well!) makes me just plain happy as a book-loving father.
Thus far from this first book in the series, I haven’t come across anything that would cause me concern as a parent. Sure there’s some attempted murder, bullies, danger, and deception, but that all makes for adventurous reading! The main characters, Amy and Dan, are orphaned children on the run from a mean and nasty aunt, in pursuit of a family secret (or treasure?) left behind by their loving grandmother, and in competition against other, less-than-worthy adversaries who also happen to be their distant relatives. They probe into their family’s sordid history, following in this first book the path of Benjamin Franklin to the catacombs of France and uncovering clues, answering riddles, and solving math and word puzzles. It’s really fun and we’re definitely drawn in.
Looking forward to Book 2….if I can find it! Happy reading!
©2023 E.T.
Read More from The 39 Clues Series:
1. The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan (2008)
2. One False Note by Gordon Korman (2008)
3. The Sword Thief by Peter Lerangis (2009)
4. Beyond the Grave by Jude Watson (2009)
5. The Black Circle by Patrick Carmen (2009)
6. In Too Deep by Jude Watson (2009)
7. The Viper’s Nest by Peter Lerangis (2010)
8. The Emperor’s Code by Gordan Korman (2010)
9. Storm Warning by Linda Sue Park (2010)
10. Into the Gauntlet by Margaret Peterson Haddix (2010)
11. Vespers Rising by Rick Riordan, Peter Lerangis, Gordan Korman, and Jude Watson (2011)