NEW YORK, NY — May 23, 2008 — Scholastic begins the hunt for The 39 Clues™, an interactive multi-media adventure series, on September 9, 2008. The first book, The Maze of Bones, written by #1 New York Times best-selling author Rick Riordan, is scheduled for simultaneous publication in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. The official 39 Clues online game will also launch worldwide on September 9, 2008, on www.the39clues.com. Combining reading with online gaming and card collecting, this interactive series for ages 8-12 spans 10 adrenaline-charged books, 355 collectible game cards, and an online game that allows readers to play a part in the story and compete for prizes.

 Rick Riordan, who authored The Maze of Bones and who outlined the program’s 10-book story arc, will be followed by a team of best-selling and acclaimed authors. The second book, One False Note, by Gordon Korman will be published on December 2, 2008. The third book by Peter Lerangis and the fourth book by Jude Watson will follow in 2009. Additional authors and publication dates for subsequent titles will be announced at a later date. All rights for The 39 Clues are controlled by Scholastic. Scholastic Media, the company’s entertainment, licensing and consumer products division, will simultaneously release the audiobook and will be extending the print and internet components by developing the property across other media and consumer products.

There are 355 collectible game cards created for The 39 Clues—each marked with a unique code. Six cards are included with each book, and randomly assorted card packs of sixteen will be available for purchase separately. Kids can register their cards online and manage their card collections through The 39 Clues website, www.the39clues.com, while trying to collect them all. The 39 Clues website also allows kids to participate in the adventure by tracking their points and their clues, managing their card collections, digging through the archives for secrets, and “traveling” the world to collect artifacts, interview characters, and hunt down the clues.

The 39 Clues 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. Let the hunt begin!

Rick Riordan is the multi-award-winning author of the #1 New York Times best-selling Percy Jackson and the Olympians series for children. He lives with his wife and two sons in San Antonio, Texas.

For more information, visit www.scholastic.com or www.the39clues.com.

Contact: Scholastic Inc. Charisse Meloto 212-389-3785 cmeloto@scholastic.com