What do people need to know about The 39 Clues?

Answer 1

The 39 Clues is an eleven-book and counting series by a combination of authors. It is based in the present time, and is an interactive series as well as an output of information, mostly pertaining to famous historical events and/or people. Published by Scholastic, The 39 Clues has grown to includes the books as well as cards, a website, games, competitions, character biographies, and much more.

Plot OverviewPlease see the main article(s): The Cahill Family,Lucian Branch, Tomas Branch, Ekaterina Branch,Janus Branch, and Madrigal Branch.

Amy and Dan Cahill never knew their parents. They passed away in a fire when the siblings were young and their stingy grandaunt Beatrice became their guardian. However, on the weekends, Amy and Dan stayed with their grandmother, Grace Cahill, whose adventurous life gave her great stories to entertain her grandchildren with. When Grace passes away, many relatives gather at the reading of her will. Amy and Dan learn that they are part of theCahill Family: an ancient family with four (secretly five) branches: the Lucians, Janus, Tomas, and Ekaterinas, and secretly, the Madrigals. The founders of the Cahills, Gideon and Olivia Cahill had discovered a secret so powerful, that whoever found it would become the most powerful person in the entire world. In order to find the great secret, the searcher must have 39 different Clues, or ingredients, hidden throughout the world. When Grace died and her will was read, selectively chosen relatives had to make a choice: accept $1,000,000 or take the first Clue and start the hunt. Numerous relatives leave with the million dollars, including Aunt Beatrice, but seven teams stay:

• The Holt Family

• Irina Spasky

• Ian Kabra, Natalie Kabra

• The Starling Family

• Alistair Oh

• Jonah Wizard

• Amy and Dan Cahill

• Although the "official" Clue-Hunt began at Grace's funeral, the competition has been going on since the separation of the original Cahill Family and the creation of the branches.

  Members of the Cahill Family are sorted into their branches by their blood and their talents.

  BranchesThe Cahill Family is made up of four (secretly five) separate branches, always determined enemies of each other. Each branch has it's qualities and enhanced abilities, as found out when the Master Serum is discovered. The Lucian BranchPlease see the main article: Lucian Branch.The Lucian crest

  The Lucian Branch was founded by Luke Cahill. Its qualities are tactics, strategy, spying, secretive, and shadowy. The best leaders and spies came from this branch. Isabel andVikram Kabra were the leaders of this branch until Isabel went to jail and Vikram went in hiding with other top Lucians in London.

  The Ekaterina BranchPlease see the main article: Ekaterina Branch.The Ekaterina Branch was founded by Katherine Cahill. Its qualities are inventiveness, intellect, abstractThe Ekaterina crest thinking, and overall smarts. The inventors, great thinkers, engineers, and archaeologists as well as many others came from this branch. Bae Oh was the leader of this branch until hearrested for murder. Alistair Oh is the current leader. The Tomas BranchPlease see the main article: Tomas Branch.The Tomas Branch was founded by Thomas Cahill. Its qualities are physical endurance and strength,The Tomas crest prowess, brawn, adventurousness, and determination. The best athletes, explorers, etc. came from this branch. Ivan Kleister is the current leader of this branch. The Janus BranchPlease see the main article: Janus Branch.The Janus Branch was founded by Jane Cahill. It's qualities are categorized into one word-art. The JanusThe Janus crest excel with many artistic things, whether it's painting a picture or breaking into a stronghold. The best artists etc. came from this branch. Cora Wizard is the current leader of this branch. The Madrigal BranchPlease see the main article: Madrigal Branch.The Madrigal Branch was founded by Madeleine Cahill. It's qualities come from the heart and soul of a person, andThe more well-known crest to represent the Madrigals, though they prefer the mere Cahill crest to represent them. they tend to be humanitarian, peace-makers, etc., but also are sneaky, shadowy, smart, etc. This is because the goal of this branch is not to collect all 39 Clues, but to bring the family back together. Unfortunately, this oftentimes comes to the actions of killing, stealing, and destroying. Fiske Cahill and William McIntyreare the current leaders or this branch, and Grace Cahill was before she died from cancer. Books in This SeriesThe 39 Clues consists of eleven books already out, 6 books to follow, and 2 add-on books, as well as 4 Card Packs. Book One: The Maze of Bones

  Please see the main article: The Maze of Bones In the first part of the book, Grace Cahill is dying and changes her will just before she dies. All/most of her

  relatives namely; the Holt Family, Alistair Oh, Ian and Natalie Kabra, Irina Spasky, The Starlings, Jonah Wizard and his dad, Grace's grandchildren- Amy and Dan-, and some others (Jose, Beatrice, Ingrid) go to the funeral. Some are called to a room by her lawyer and he tells them that the Cahill Family was a influential clan in the history of mankind. There, they are given a choice; to receive a million dollars, or to join the hunt for the 39 clues that will lead to unimaginable power. Amy and Dan choose to join the hunt, and travel to Philadelphia, Boston, and ultimately, France in search of a clue left byBenjamin Franklin. With them travels their au-pair, Nellie Gomez. They find the Clue (Iron Solute) and go to the next stop; Vienna, Austria.

  Book Two: One False NotePlease see the main article: One False Note

  In the second book, Amy, Dan and Nellie travel aboard a train to Vienna, Austria. When the Holts infiltrate the train, Saladin shreds their only lead. In Vienna, they find out a hint which tells them to go to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's birthplace which is Salzburg. They find the diary of Anna Maria "Nannerl Mozart -the sister of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart- that points to Venice. In Venice, the find the missing pages which tells them to go to a friend of Mozart named Fidelio Racco and go to his house. There they find two swords made of the Clue, Tungsten. The swords were made in Japan, and the exhibit said that Fidelio Racco went to Japan and was never heard from again, so Amy, Dan, and Nellie resolve to go there next.

  Book Three: The Sword ThiefPlease see the main article: The Sword Thief

  In the start of this book, Amy and Dan Cahill are about to board a plane with Nelliealready inside, but Natalie and Ian Kabra bust in, take their flight, and "steal" their Identities. Later, they form an alliance with Alistair Oh and the Kabras. They go to Seoul, Korea and go to Alistair's mansion where they search for helpful information. Amy and Ian start to fall for each other. The six of them go to a cave with the statue of a famous person known as The Bald Rat. As the cave opens up, Amy is in shock because of the sudden opening of the cave, and Ian saves her by tackling her. They kiss without the others seeing and all of them go inside the cave. They find the clue; gold. Ian and Natalie take the clue though Ian was hesitant, and leave the three inside with Amy feeling hurt. Dan and Amy escape while thinking Alistair died. They go to his mansion and s

  ee the dirty white gloves he was wearing indicating that he is alive. The Cahill siblings feel that Alistair tricked them. They go to Egypt with full knowledge that they tricked the Kabras into going to Kyrgyzstan.

  Book Four: Beyond the GraveThis section of The 39 Clues is a stub. You can help the 39 Clues Wiki by expanding it.

  Please see the main article: Beyond the Grave

  Amy and Dan go to Egypt as they realized that the Ekaterina founder, Katherine, left a clue in Egypt. Amy and Dan create an alliance with there uncle Alistair, although the plan ultimately fails. They meet Grace's best friend Hillary Vale and her son Theo, who then betray Amy and Dan. However in the end, they find the clue: Myrrh.

  Book Five: The Black CirclePlease see the main article: The Black Circle

  In the fifth book, The Black Circle, Amy and Dan travel to Russia in hunt of a clue. Pairing up with The Holts, the two teams travel to multiple cities to find this clue. Amy and Dan meet NRRa mysterious character who knows their parents. We discover Irina Spasky's past, and we again see the Man in Black. The Cahill siblings find the clue amber: Amber

  Book Six: In Too DeepPlease see the main article: In Too DeepDown under, in the Australian wilderness, Amy and Dan meet their uncle, Shep, and hunt down on of the clues. In this book, Amy realizes things about the fire, and tries to remember exactly what happened, and is

  surprised when she finds who all was there. Towards the end of the book, Irina Spasky dies, sacrificing her life for Amy and Dan The clue is water.

  Book Seven: The Viper's Nest

  Please see the main article: The Viper's Nest Amy and Dan travel to South Africa, where they enter the Tomas stronghold. After finding the clue, which is Aloe, Dan is poisoned and Amy and Dan find out they are Madrigals. The clue isaloe

  Book Eight: The Emperor's CodePlease see the main article: The Emperor's CodeIn The Emperor's Code, Amy and Dan travel to China with Nellie in search of the clue. Dan gets kidnapped by the Kabras and has to stay with Jonah Wizard until he finds Amy. Eventually, Dan and Amy meet again and go

  in a helicopter to the top of Mt. Everest. The clue is not at the top, but a vial of liquids with the Janus symbol on it is. They realize that the final prize would make you have all the characteristics of each Cahill branch. When they get back down the mountain, they find their eighth clue: raw silk secretion. The clue is silk

  Book Nine: Storm WarningPlease see the main article: Storm WarningStorm Warning was released May 25, 2010. The setting is in Jamaica. The Man In Black's identity is revealed to be Fiske Cahill. The purpose of the Madrigal branch is revealed to be to stop the branches from fighting each

  other and to make sure they never get too many clues. It is also revealed that at the time of the fire, Olivia Cahill was pregnant with her fifth child: Madeline, who's descendants would be the Madrigals. Amy and Dan open a secret box and find the clue Mace. Fiske tells them six more clues, which are Barley, Copper, Rosemary (they already knew because of Irina),Lily,Pepper, and Vinegar. Nellie becomes a Madrigal.

  Book Ten: Into the GauntletPlease see the main article: Into the Gauntlet

  In this book, the final countdown begins. Amy and Dan must stop Isabel from recreating theMaster Serum andthey must unravel the secret of the gauntlet. Also, they must make peace with a representative from each branch. However, Isabel does make the serum, but is stopped from drinking it just in time. But, it isn't over yet, the Vespers are rising!

  Book Eleven: Vespers RisingPlease see the main article: Vespers Rising In this book, there are four sections:
  • The first is about the night Gideon Cahill died.
  • The second is about how Madeleine Cahill was inspired to form the Madrigal branch.
  • The third is about how Grace Cahill as she embarks on her very first mission during one of the most dangerous moments of the 20th century.
  • The last is about how Amy and Dan Cahill fight Vespers to find Gideon's gold ring.
  Books in Series Two: Cahills vs. VespersBook One: The Medusa Plot'This book by Gordon Korman was released on August 30, in conjunction with Card Pack 1: The Marco Polo Heist. Book Two: A King's RansomThis book by Jude Watson was released on December 6.A King's Ransom Book Three: The Dead Of NightThis book will be wrote by Peter Lerangis and will be released March 1, 2012. The Dead Of NightBook FourThis book will be by Patrick Carman. Book FiveThis book will be by Linda Sue Park. Book SixThis book will be by David Baldacci. Extra Books

  There are currently 2 Extra Books out that add-on to the current, original

  series. They are:

  • The Black Book of Buried Secrets
  • 'Agent Handbook

  Both books provide unique insight into the characters, and give information that can be vital. They do-not have a plot or story in them, but mostly act as a kind of encyclopedia or information dock, although there are small stories involved, like in the Black Book of Buried Secrets. These books simply add-on to the story of the 39 Clues, and provide unavailable or newly-discovered details about characters, events, branches, families, etc. They all have codes in them, that are often hard to crack.

  AuthorsBelow are all the authors that have written, or will write, a book in The 39 Clues series. Click on the author page for more information. Each author is in a branch.There are three Janus (Korman, Riordan and Lerangis), two Lucian (Carman and Park), and two Ekaterina ( Haddix and Watson). There are no Tomas (so far) and one Madrigal(Watson). Rick RiordanRick Riordan wrote The Maze of Bones and the introduction The Black Book of Buried Secrets. Riordan is considered a Madrigal because he brought three of the four branches together to write the 39 Clues series, and brought the fourth branch, Tomas, in during the introduction of The Black Book of Buried Secrets. He was born into the Janus Branch. Gordon KormanGordon Korman wrote One False Note and The Emperor's Code. Peter LerangisPeter Lerangis wrote The Sword Thief and The Viper's Nest. Jude WatsonJude Watson wrote Beyond the Grave and In Too Deep. Jude Watson, in the short biography on the 39 Clues website, is considered an Ekaterina, but at the end, they

  say, "Could she possibly be a Madrigal?" They never quite say whether or not Watson is an Ekat, Madrigal, or both.

  Patrick CarmanPatrick Carman wrote The Black Circle. Linda Sue Park'Linda Sue Park wrote Storm Warning. She is probably most famous for her book, A Single Shard, as well as other numerous books.

  Park is a registered Lucian agent.

  Margaret Peterson HaddixMargaret Peterson Haddix wrote Into the Gauntlet.

  She has also written the Shadow Children series, focused on illegal third children far into the future - When America, the land of 'life and liberty', turns on its own populace and forces innocents into hiding because of 'overpopulation' and 'food shortages'. The books follow Luke Garner mostly, but also Trey, his best friend, and Nina. All are third children.

  Also written by Ms. Haddix is Turnabout. This book is about Amelia Hazelwood and her elderly friend, who receive a dosage of PT-1 and begin un-aging. In the thrilling story of friends, family, and the future, everything falls into place.

  Haddix is an officially registered Ekaterina agent.

  David BaldacciHe is to write Book Six of the Book Series Two of the 39 clues. Characters'The main characters are listed below. For the complete list of characters, please click here or if you want a list of main characters click here.
  • Amy Cahill
  • Dan Cahill
  • Grace Cahill
  • Hope Cahill
  • Arthur Trent
  • Nellie Gomez
  • Alistair Oh
  • Irina Spasky
  • Isabel Kabra
  • Ian Kabra
  • Natalie Kabra
  • Eisenhower Holt
  • • Mary-Todd Holt
    • Hamilton Holt
    • Reagan Holt
    • Madison Holt
    • Jonah Wizard
    CluesPlease see the main article: Clues '

    Players can collect clues online at the My Clues tab. These clues can be unlocked through missions, books, card packs, and card combos.

    Cards/Card PacksPlease see the main article(s): Cards and Card Packs.

    When buying a 39 Clues book, you can purchase the book alone, or the book with a pack of 6 cards for an additional cost. Also, five card packs have been released that each have sixteen additional cards.

    Series 1 Card Packs
    • Card Pack 1: Secrets and Sabotage
    • Card Pack 2: Branch vs. Branch
    • Card Pack 3: The Rise of the Madrigals
    • Card Pack 4: End Game
    Series 2 Card Packs
    • Card Pack 1: The Marco Polo Heist

    A code on the bottom of the cards can be entered into the official website, where cards are combined to create clues. Riddles, codes, letters, pictures, and other information are on these cards.

    39 Clues WebsiteThe 39 Clues Website is where readers of the books can go online and create an account. Players take a quiz that places them into one of the four main branches. Once online, players can play games, complete missions, and design their own player card that can be shared with other users. Cards are sold, from either the purchase of the books or the card packs, and their codes entered online. Cards can be combined to make clues. There are 6 tabs, Map, Clues, Arena 39, Books, My Cards and Missions. There are also 6 other tabs below them which are, Profile, Agent Card, Cahill Web, Settings, Help and Logout. Trivia
    • Dan mentions in The Maze of Bones that there could be 39 clues because, "39 is a sweet number. It's 13 x 3. It's also the sum of five prime numbers in a row - 3,5,7,11, and 13. And if you add the first three powers of three, 31, 32, and 33, you get 39."
    • The 39 Clues logo have a couple of symbolic things: 1. The key that runs through the "U in the "Clues" portion of the logo has an "M" as the key tip and a "C" as the handle. The "M" stands for the Madrigals, and the "C" represents the Cahill family. Adding on to that, the key is also symbolic because it shows that the only way to find the end of the Clue hunt is through the Madrigals, who, as described in the book codes, "Lay the path for others to walk on". Therefore, you must insert the Madrigal key into the door in order to win the Clue hunt, and by doing so, involving the Madrigals. The Cahill "C" not only represents the Cahill family, but the Madrigal icon representing the reuniting of the family as well. So, in order to open the door that leads to the end of the Clue hunt, you must hold the family in your hand, representing the fact that you must bring the family together in order to win. This was described in the tenth and last book of the 39 Clues series, Into The Gauntlet, by the keypads and retinal scanners and questions that were inside of the gauntlet, because you could not continue through the gauntlet without at least one representative of each branch, working together.
    • Another symbolic thing is the globe in the background. The globe represents the fact that the Clues are spread out all across the globe. However, in the tenth book, Into the Gauntlet, the logo has been smashed to pieces.