Author: Patrick Carman
Series: The 39 Clues series
Ages: 9-12
“Read the books. Play the game. Win the prizes.” For those of you following The 39 Clues series, get ready for Book 5 – The Black Circle by author Patrick Carman. Actually the books in this series kind of remind us of that game where one person makes up the first word or sentence and then the next person adds on another word or sentence and so on until you have a complete story. Each book in The 39 Clues series is written by a different author – and we think that’s pretty cool!
The Black Circle
Amy and Dan Cahill are still competing in a dangerous contest that pits family members against each other to claim power over the world. A telegram arrives one morning at the hotel they’re staying in in Cairo, Egypt, revealing things the two characters thought they only told their deceased grandmother. The kids sneak out of the hotel – only to find the mysterious message leading them to Russia.
Obviously, some mystery person is helping Amy and Dan with this leg of the hunt, providing them with a credit card, fake passports and even disguises that get them into the country. The kids, who feel threatened by the powerful Lucian side of the family, become allies with the Holts and travel all around Russia, trying to escape the Lucians and happening across sites associated with important figures like Rasputin and the Romanovs. They learn about the Russian Revolution and the Road of Bones, visit the famous Kremlin and search for the Amber – the greatest lost Russian treasure of all time.
The Adventure
Like the four books before it, The Black Circle is a great read. You actually feel like you’re part of the hunt for clues, being chased by enemies, danger, helicopters, etc. Amy and Dan are typical kids who find themselves totally alone in a strange and foreign country – and they don’t even know if the person “helping” them is a friend or foe.
For a fully interactive experience with this book, visit The 39 Clues series website at http://www.the39clues.com.
The Video
Learn about The 39 Clues series from author Rick Riordan. A million dollars … or a clue?
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