MrsK Books: 39 Clues

Monday, April 21, 2014

39 Clues

Rick Riordan #1

Our Green Mt. Book Club just fininshed reading, The Maze of Bones. It was such a great "fun" read that many of us are reading the series before the end of the school year.

When Amy (14) and Dan (12) arrive at Cahill Manor for their grandmother's funeral, they had no clue that they would become international sleuths on a quest.... especially not up against other relatives.

Dan and Amy had no way of knowing that their grandmother had changed her will five minutes before she died. They wouldn't know that she was depending on them to succeed. Their grandmother told her lawyer,

"They are our only chance.....five hundred years of work would have been for nothing... everything collaspses...

The family, the world... all of it."

Once the family had attended the funeral for Grace Cahill, certain family members were invited to the reading of her will. Mr. McIntyre cleared his throat and read, "You have been chosen as the most likely to succeed in the greatest, most perilous undertaking of all time - a quest of vital importance to the Cahill family and the world at large." With that, Mr. McIntyre turned on the pre-recorded video of Grace's instructions. "If you accept, you shall be given the first of 39 clues. These clues will lead you to a secret.... which will make you the most powerful, influential human beings on the plantet...." The only catch was that they had to give up their portion of the inheriatance in order to participate.

Everyone who returned their checks, worth one million dollars, was given the first clue....

RESOLUTION:

The fine print ot guess,

Seek out Richard S....

Dan and Amy begin their journey under the mansion. Their discovery of a tattered book, Poor Richard's Almanac, leads them to the discovery of a family descendant and a fire! I did not enjoy this part, no old mansion or old library should ever be burned....

Escaping the fire is the first of their life-threatening adventures. They must get to Washington DC before anyone else...

Dan and Amy are quite the siblings, they fight... they get mad... they can only succeed if they are willing to cooperate. Their sleuthing will lead you to France and more insights into historical facts about Richard S.

Really Liked it

More 39 Clue Discoveries

Mystery Genre Exploration

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MrsK's Reading Bio

Reading is important! No questions asked, not even a blink of the eye from any student I grew up with. On the first day of the First grade, we were given our first books. Day two we all read aloud, round robin of course. Day three we were place in our first basal, now known as a lit circle group. Books were so important, publishers designed new curriculum so that every student was reading by the end of the first week. These early readers had images that looked like what we could see in the classroom, beyond the classroom, even on the big screen. Reading is important, throughout history every generation has believed that “Reading” opens up the world for endless possibilities.

I adore the 1950’s Dick and Jane books. Actually, most reading specialists and experienced (45+) educators believe that every student learned to read with Dick and Jane. Since these books are being re-issued, I have heard many parents, grandparents, and students claim that Dick and Jane stories of repetition does teach students to read.

Early influences from my mother influenced my desire to read. I would watch her read and we would go on “secret” excursions to the library. The library became my playground. I owned every book I could carry home, of course they needed to be taken back to their home after visiting with me for a week or two. My first book that I could pull off of the library shelf and read was, Father Bear Comes Home. I only saw my dad on Sundays for a few hours. I would pull this beginning reader off of the library shelf every week. Every week I would try to read the first chapter. Every week I got further in the story. My mom would let me check it out, only if I could read it myself (She didn’t like the illustrations therefore she didn’t want to take time to read it to me). One day, I pulled the book from the shelf and when mom came to get me from the children’s corner, I realized that I had read the whole story. I ran to the check out desk and the Librarian KERCHUNKED the checkout card. My mother, brother and neighbors read. My teachers read. We all read aloud all day long in school. The Priest read aloud every day at mass, even in Latin. Everybody in the Doctor’s office read. People on the bus read. Dad’s waiting in their cars as the Mom’s and children grocery shopped, read. In fact, once you could read and write, Sunset Magazine considered you a reader and sent you mail every day.

Reading is important; I’ve spent my life reading. I’ve traveled around the world and into space through books. My favorite genre is whichever book I have open at the time. Children’s Literature is my passion. Book clubbing is one of the best past times, especially if food is involved. In fact my friends of old are in a book club and we are about to embark on a beach trip to “read” and discuss our newest selection.

My “home-run” book story has helped every student find his or her own “home-run” reads. Every year, I have shared my, Father Bear Comes Home, and every year my students have brought in their “home-run” books. That’s the “diving board” into our Lit. Studies.

In “Growing Up Digital,” Tapscott’s insights into the new generations enthusiasm for the Net reminded me of my generation’s enthusiasm for reading, movies, TV, parties and our driving permits. The Net-Generation, as Tapscott describes, “are learning, playing, communicating, working, creating communities, and enforcing a social transformation.”
N-Geners are interactive “techies” who are always looking for a way to “work it” verses the TV Generation of “Baby Boomers” who started out looking for “how it works.” Reading development is tougher today, society moves too fast to invest their “non-working” free time into a book or even “home work.” Since I stepped into my own classroom, I have seen students being told to read, being forced to read, and threatened into reading. Homework is not any longer the vehicle for students to gain their future lifestyles or careers with. Yet, the Internet does create an enthusiasm for learning. Since I have been enrolled in these courses, I have used the computers in every subject. My students are using the newest technology in the classroom because I am giving them investigative sites to use as they learn from each other and books. I agree with Tapscott, in order to bridge the gap with this up and coming generation we must “live and learn with them.”

FTC Required Disclaimer: I receive these books from the publishers. I did not receive monetary compensation for these reviews. These reviews have been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)