The 39 Clues Blog Tour: Access Granted, Peter Lerangis
By Peter Lerangis, for The Children’s Book Review
Published: August 18, 2010
Welcome to the 7th stop of The 39 Clues blog tour. We are thrilled to host Peter Lerangis! Be sure to enter the giveaway for your chance to win books 1-7 of this exciting and groundbreaking series.
The teacher looked distressed as she greeted me. “I can’t believe what happened to my class,” she said.
I braced myself. Behind her, hundreds of excited kids were filing in to the gym. They sat in sections based on the colors of their shirts: red, blue, green, gold, representing the four branches of the Cahill family. Most were dressed as 39 Clues characters. Jonah Wizard (with his bling) and Nellie Gomez (with her punk attire) were very popular — but also a set of twins dressed as fish (Saladin’s red snapper), a girl in a three-piece suit (Jonah’s dad), and a guy dressed as Nellie.
They seemed happy and engaged. So what had gone wrong?
I knew the school had chosen The 39 Clues as the theme for that year’s curriculum. Makes sense — the series is a worldwide search (geography) for Clues left by the most influential people of all time (history, science), involving twisty plots and strong emotional character connections (language arts) among colorful locales (visual art) and requiring the decoding of cryptic clues (mathematics, logic).
Hmm. Was the teacher disturbed by the intensity? It was kind of extreme …
That morning, the school had warned us to call ahead. As we got close, we were told to drive around the block and hide. When we finally got the OK to approach, our jaws hit the floor. The students were pouring out of the building, screaming, crowding against a line of traffic cones that stretched along the school. Another lane of cones had been set up for us to drive through. When I left the car and began high-fiving the kids, cones shmones — they mobbed me. On a video of the incident, you can hear a teacher saying, “Somebody get him before they kill him.” I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t Justin Bieber.
So maybe this teacher was worried — the way teachers in my elementary school had worried about our Beatles obsession. I felt a vague urge to apologize. “So, um … what did happen to your class?” I asked.
“Well, we just finished Book Two, and they have become obsessed … ” She met my eyes with a bewildered look. “ … with Mozart!”
I was speechless — not surprised, because if anyone could make an oddball eighteenth-century composer and his sister exciting, it’s Gordon Korman — but speechless.
“And I panicked,” she continued. “I didn’t know a thing about Mozart!” She finally smiled, and when she glanced at her kids again, it was with great pride. “So I had to get CDs and other materials. We’ve been listening to his music, studying Vienna — and we’re learning so much! Now, with The Sword Thief, they’re starting to get hooked on Japanese culture. I can’t wait!”
I couldn’t either.
Touring to promote The Sword Thief was one eye-opening experience after another. Part of the fun was that I was in the process of writing Book 7, The Viper’s Nest. I learned which characters the kids connected to best, which aspects of the hunt excited them the most. They became my guides. Until then I had been worried about writing a story involving historical figures relatively unknown to American kids (Shaka Zulu and Winston Churchill), in a locale fraught with a tortured historical legacy (South Africa).
But looking at this teacher, and at the throng of kids so excited about a book — not a movie or a song or a game or the latest app, but a book — I took courage. If they could bond with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, well, anything was possible!
About the author: Peter Lerangis is the acclaimed author of the New York Times bestseller The 39 Clues Book Three: The Sword Thief, as well as many other popular books for children, including Spy X, Antarctica, and the Watchers series. He lives with his family in New York City.
Check out Stop 8 at Robyn’s Online World on August 23!
Book Giveaway
Enter for your chance to win books 1-7 of The 39 Clues. PLUS Book 7 will be autographed by Peter Lerangis!!
Reading level: Ages 8-12
Series overview: The 39 Clues is a groundbreaking, multi-media adventure series for children ages 8-12 that spans 10 adrenaline-charged books, hundreds of collectible cards, and an online game that allows readers to play a part in the story and compete for prizes.
The series centers around the Cahills—the most powerful family the world has ever known. But the source of the family’s power has been lost. Grace Cahill, the last matriarch of the Cahills, changed her will minutes before she died, leaving her descendants an impossible decision: receive a million dollars or a clue. The first Cahill to assemble all 39 clues hidden around the world will discover what makes the family so powerful—a reward beyond measure. It’s Cahill versus Cahill in a race to the finish, with readers hot on the heels of the main characters, fourteen-year-old Amy Cahill and her eleven-year-old brother, Dan. The series highlights famous historical figures kicking off with Benjamin Franklin in The Maze of Bones, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in One False Note, Toyotomi Hideyoshi in The Sword Thief, Howard Carter in Beyond the Grave, Anastasia Romanov in The Black Circle, and Amelia Earhart in In Too Deep.
The series launched on September 9, 2008, with Book 1: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan, which debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. On December 2, 2008, Book 2: One False Note by Gordon Korman was released and also debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Since then, the series, including Book 3: The Sword Thief by Peter Lerangis, Book 4: Beyond the Grave by Jude Watson, Book 5: The Black Circle by Patrick Carman, and Book 6: In Too Deep by Jude Watson, have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists.
The complete list of authors and publication dates for all 10 books in The 39 Clues series is as follows:
Book 1: The Maze of Bones (September 9, 2008) by Rick Riordan
Book 2:One False Note (December 2, 2008) by Gordon Korman
Book 3: The Sword Thief (March 3, 2009) by Peter Lerangis
Book 4: Beyond the Grave (June 2, 2009) by Jude Watson
Book 5: The Black Circle (August 11, 2009) by Patrick Carman
Book 6: In Too Deep (November 3, 2009) by Jude Watson
Book 7: The Viper’s Nest (February 2, 2010) by Peter Lerangis
Book 8: The Emperor’s Code (April 6, 2010) by Gordon Korman
Book 9: Storm Warning (May 25, 2010) by Linda Sue Park
Book 10: Into the Gauntlet (August 31, 2010) by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Movie rights for The 39 Clues have been acquired by DreamWorks Studios with Steven Spielberg eyeing to direct. Deborah Forte, President of Scholastic Media, will produce. The script is being penned by Jeff Nathanson whose credits include “Catch Me If You Can” and “Rush Hour 2.”
39 Clues Online Game: Create an account, discover which branch of the Cahill family YOU belong to, and start exploring the website to see if you can be the first to find the Clues. Get the latest intelligence on the authors, upcoming books, answers to your questions, and more. Plus, talk strategy and share secrets with other Cahills on the 39 Clues message boards.
The 39 Clues Madrigal Maze app, launched in September 2009, is a Top 100 Paid Kids Game in the App Store
The 39 Clues has been licensed in 22 languages to date.
How to enter:
- Leave a comment in the comments field below.
- An extra entry will be given for each time you twitter about the giveaway and/or blog about it. You will need to paste the link in a separate comment to make this entry valid. Click here to follow us on Twitter. (Maximum entries: 3)
Giveaway Rules:
- Shipping Guidelines: This book giveaway is open to participants with a United States mailing address only (international readers can enter if they have a friend in the United States who can accept their prizes by mail.)
- Giveaway begins August 18, 2010, at 12:01 A.M. PST and ends September 15, 2010, at 11:59 P.M. PST, when all entries must be received. No purchase necessary. See official rules for details.
Sponsored by Scholastic.
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Category: Ages 9-12, Best Sellers, Books for Boys, Books into Movies, Brain Twisters, Chapter Books, Giveaways, Interactive, Mysteries, Reluctant Readers
About the Author (Author Profile)
The Children's Book Review, named one of the ALSC Great Web Sites for Kids, is powered by Bianca Schulze, mother to two daughters. Bianca has almost a decade’s worth of experience working with children and is passionate about continuing to work with children. Combined with her love of books and experience as a childrens specialist bookseller, the goal is to share her passion through this blog.Subscribe
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Good Luck to all that enter. I am so excited I can’t wait to see who wins! Thanks so much Peter Lerangis for keeping your mind in constant clutter with words!
This is such a good series! I’ve only read the first three, I can’t believe how fast these came out.
Would love to win these books! Sound so interesting to read!
Tweeted about this awesome giveaway
http://twitter.com/zoja214/status/21536840947
I want to win!
I tweeted about it (http://twitter.com/mom2busyboys) and also added blurb and link in sidebar of my blog: http://janasbooklist.blogspot.com/.
Please enter me in the contest
My daughter just got one of these books and is enjoying it so I would love to get more of the series for her
I’ve heard about this series but have not read any of the books. My middle school child is a reluctant reader and I have thought that these books might really appeal to her. Thanks for the chance to win!
Can’t wait to read them all!
What a great series & a great contest!
My daughter would love these. Thanks for the great giveaway.
I would love to read this and so would my niece. Thank you so much for the chance.
Would love to have this series in our library. Thanks for holding this contest.
I’ve heard such great things about this series and would love to read them! My son is currently obsessed with all things mystery. I know the books are geared towards kids who are a little older than him, but he has been loving reading chapter books with me before bed. And I love that helping to “solve a mystery” along with the characters keeps him so captivated with the stories we read!
Thanks for the chance to enter!
I tweeted: http://twitter.com/MommaStaciA/status/21632082524 Thanks!
My daughter would love this complete series
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
tweet
http://twitter.com/ChelleB36/status/21749309646
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
Hi! I’m a teacher, and my students would be very excited to have a set of books 1-7.
This is such a great series. I can’t wait for the tenth book!
I’d love to win these books for my grandson. I know he would really enjoy them!
I’ve heard how popular these books are. I’d love to be able to give them to my kids. Thanks.
would love to add this to my classroom library!
teacher6th ; twitter
Great Middle Grade reading series!
I was pleasantly surprised by the entire 39 Clues series. I had put off reading them even though many of my students had been asking me to read them. I finally broke down and read the entire series this summer and had a blast. I am thinking they would be a great history curriculum tie-in. Can’t wait to finally read the last one.
My son is crazy about this series! We would love to win this extra-special giveaway.
I really would love to read this series with my grandson.
mesreadsATgmail.com
I am following you on Twitter as MSEREADS and ( tweeted here:
http://twitter.com/MSEREADS/status/22057905994
Thank you.
My son would love this. Thanks so much for the chance!
Follow you on twitter and tweeted at http://twitter.com/justicecw/status/22058756830
Tweeted at http://twitter.com/justicecw/status/22148630929
Tweeted about this giveaway.
http://twitter.com/zoja214/status/22193474203
Tweeted this giveaway. 8/28
http://twitter.com/zoja214/status/22379958541
I’ve heard so many wonderful things about these books! And I know my daughter would just LOVE them!
I tweeted! http://twitter.com/amweeks/status/22475697717
I am so fascinated with what these books have to offer through their readings. They would be great for the classroom. Please enter me into your giveaway.
I follow you on Twitter and tweeted about this giveaway http://twitter.com/ossmcalc/status/22775635563
I follow you on Twitter and tweeted about this giveaway http://twitter.com/ossmcalc/status/22776949516
I follow you on Twitter and tweeted about this giveaway http://twitter.com/ossmcalc/status/22780701020
Wow! I’ve been seeing 39 Clues all over the place but had no idea what the series was all about. I homeschool my son and have decided to work the series into our curriculum this year. Can’t wait to get my hands on book #1.
Please add us to this great giveaway.I have seen these books mentioned on the news about how educational and interactive they are so I would be thrilled to win these books for my daughters to read.We started homeschooling this year,so I think we could easily work these books into our curriculum.
I think I’d love this book as much as my tweenies
I tweeted about the giveaway: http://twitter.com/PicPocketBooks/status/23225494178
My son would love these, especially since there is an online game also!
Tweeted. http://twitter.com/theladya/status/23225788188
Awesome! Please enter me in the contest. The kids at my library are crazy for the 39 Clues!
What a nice contest! thanks for the opportunity
teacher6th
Would love to win this book! Have heard great things about the author and a great book to teach along with a geography/ social studies lesson.
Please enter me in the contest. My students love these books and I need more copies! Thanks!
I have just started reading this series and cannot wait to read the rest of the series. Thanks for the giveaway.
How exciting! Would love to win!
Thank you for such a wonderful opportunity!
This giveaway is closed. Thanks to everyone who entered!
Our winner is MarthaE: I really would love to read this series with my grandson.
Congratulations!
Hello Bianca -
Thank you so much. However I already won and accepted at an early blog stop. So, as much as I would love to have through book 7, please pass this to another reader.
Martha
Thank you so much for being so honest and giving!
Awarded to an alternate winner:
Annmarie W. said:
I’ve heard so many wonderful things about these books! And I know my daughter would just LOVE them!