Maze of Bones, The 39 Clues: Book Review

I really enjoyed this first installment of The 39 Clues. Each book in the series is written by a different author. Book 1 Maze of Bones is written by Rick Riordan the author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Maze of Bones begins with the death of Grace Cahill the grandmother of Dan and Amy Cahill who are eleven and fourteen respectively. Since Grace Cahill was very wealthy over 400 people show up to her funeral in order to see what she left them in her will. However, only a select few are invited to the reading, Amy and Dan among them. The twist comes when Grace's lawyer plays a video message to the family revealing that the Cahill clan is a powerful family that has helped to shape world history. If this was not fantastic enough, Grace challenges the family to embark on a quest for 39 clues leading to a treasure where only one Cahill will become the most powerful person in history, or they can take $1 million dollars each and walk away. Many walk away, but Amy and Dan Cahill have a feeling that their grandmother wanted them to take on the challenge even though she never mentioned it to them. So they enter the challenge, burning their $1 million dollar checks. With their parents dead and no one else who really cares about them, Amy and Dan trick their caregiver Nellie into accompanying them on the chase which has them running away from their guardian Aunt Beatrice and Social Services. But not only do the children have to figure out the clues and how to pay for their travel, they have to compete against their family members. The Cahill clan are not only mean, rude and greedy, but some of them are also trying to kill Amy and Dan because they believe Grace gave the children inside information on how to win the challenge. Although the children go through some scary moments fighting to find the next clue and stay alive, it is not too gory or frightening for young readers. The book pulls heavily on historical facts to guide Amy and Dan to their next clue. However, it is not boring recitation of facts. It is presented in interesting and exciting ways. In this book, the focus is Benjamin Franklin. I'm looking forward to the next 38 books. Rating: 4/5