Scholastic Announces The 39 Clues™ Global Grand Prize Winners

NEW YORK, March 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education, and media company, announces The 39 Clues™ Global Grand Prize Winners from the New York Times bestselling multi-media adventure series. Kids in the United States, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, and India, who read the books, collected the cards, and played the game, participated in a sweepstakes or online tournaments testing their knowledge of The 39 Clues, the popular series that combines books, collectible cards, and an online game where readers become a part of the story and compete for prizes. To date, more than 1.4 million readers from around the globe have joined the hunt for the Clues by registering at www.the39clues.com to digitize cards, complete online missions and earn points.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110222/NY52258LOGO )

The 39 Clues online tournament for finalists in the United States, Australia, Canada, and Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, and India), took place between March 1, 2011, and March 3, 2011. During that time, finalists in those countries participated in a "39-question" multiple choice online quiz based on information from the world of The 39 Clues. The finalist from each country who answered the most questions correctly in the least amount of time will be awarded the grand prize for that country. The grand prize winners in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and New Zealand were selected through a sweepstakes.  

The 39 Clues Global Grand Prize Winners are (For more information, visit: www.the39clues.com/winners/grandprize):

"Congratulations to all the grand prize winners, the most knowledgeable and skilled clue hunters!" said Ellie Berger, President, Scholastic Trade. "It's exciting to see thousands of kids who are engaged in this multi-media reading experience, and it's equally thrilling to hear from so many parents and educators who appreciate the subversively educational aspect of the series. The 39 Clues has captivated a global following and we couldn't be more thrilled about the success and popularity of the series. We look forward to attracting even more readers worldwide with the launch of The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers this fall."

Each of the adrenaline-charged books in the series offers kids an immersive reading and online experience that involves joining one of four branches of the Cahill family (Lucian, Ekaterina, Janus, or Tomas) – the most powerful family in the world. Once part of the family, they can begin their hunt for the 39 Clues that hold the key to the Cahill family power. Although the prizing entry period has ended, the hunt continues in the books and online at www.the39clues.com, with another new series of adventures to be published starting on August 30, 2011.

The 39 Clues 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 (March 3, 2009), Book 4: Beyond the Grave by Jude Watson (June 2, 2009), Book 5: The Black Circle by Patrick Carman (August 11, 2009), Book 6: In Too Deep by Jude Watson (November 3, 2009), Book 7: The Viper's Nest by Peter Lerangis (February 2, 2010), Book 8: The Emperor's Code by Gordon Korman (April 6, 2010), Book 9: Storm Warning by Linda Sue Park (May 25, 2010), and Book 10: Into the Gauntlet by Margaret Peterson Haddix (August 31, 2010), have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists.

In October 2010, Scholastic published "The 39 Clues: The Black Book of Buried Secrets," an ultimate guidebook to the world of The 39 Clues with an introduction by Rick Riordan. The latest 39 Clues novel, Book 11: Vespers Rising, written by Rick Riordan, Peter Lerangis, Gordon Korman and Jude Watson, will be released on April 5, 2011. Vespers Rising will be followed this fall by The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers, a second story arc of the popular franchise.

The 39 Clues 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, Amelia Earhart in In Too Deep, Shaka Zulu in The Viper's Nest, Pu Yi in The Emperor's Code, Anne Bonny in Storm Warning, and William Shakespeare in Into the Gauntlet.

The 39 Clues movie is in development at DreamWorks Studios with Steven Spielberg eyeing to direct and Deborah Forte of Scholastic Media producing. The script is penned by Jeff Nathanson whose credits include "Catch Me If You Can" and "Rush Hour 2." The 39 Clues Madrigal Maze App for the Apple iPhone™ and iPod Touch® has been ranked among the top "Paid Kids Games" in Apple's App Store since release.

For more information on past prizes and prize winners, visit www.the39clues.com/info/prizes or visit the media room at http://mediaroom.scholastic.com/The39Clues.

For more information about The 39 Clues, and to download digital images, visit http://mediaroom.scholastic.com/The39Clues.

SOURCE Scholastic Corporation