The 39 Clues - 3 - The Sword Thief product reviews

I really enjoyed reading the third installment in this incredibly readable series. Amy and Dan are growing up in a very short space of time as they travel the world and are forced to face some rather painful betrayals. I love seeing Amy begin to come out of her shell and Dan learn a little bit of compassion along the way.

So often with children's stories, the characters do not change (poor Julian - forever stuck on the verge of adolescence), but this series has been brilliantly planned and unfolds its characters with the same skill that it unfolds its mysteries. 39 clues effortlessly guides its readers (young and old) through the action, emotion and excitement. I am incredibly impressed and would even go so far as to suggest that there is something here that 'adult' writers could learn from.

It's hard to find good books that are great for kids and yet affordable in this time if recession, however the 39 Clues series of books fits that bill ncely, not only are they well priced but they are also a damn good read.

Book 3 - The Sword Thief continues to follow Amy and Dan Cahill as they race around the globe to find the 39 Clues to the Cahill familys fortune.

This series has my boy fully entranced and this series has become a bedtime read necessity, in fact this has surpassed his previous bedtime book craving which was Star Wars books (and if you know my son that is a huge thing).

Whilst each book has a different author it has been very hard to distinguish any change in writing style, so it gives the series an good continuation feeling.

I feel these are great books for your youngun's and I will continue to buy the further books in the series.

Twenty bucks doesn't buy much these days and so to find a book that comes in under twenty dollars is a bonus. Couple that to the hours of quiet one gets from one's child actually reading this book is another bonus.
Yet another bonus comes from a child actually WANTING to read a book with little or no prompting, and even more than that you have a potential prize at the end of the books.
So, for something under twenty dollars, you get incredible value for money aside from the educational aspects of this book.

Like the previous reviewer, I am well out of the targetted readership audience, but one simply has to read the books to make sure they are suitable for my child.

It is.

This book was one I finished in under 2 hours, and held captive from page one until the end. The writing, despite the changing authors, appears to be seamless and in the same fast-paced style, and indicated how much planning went into the books to allow them to flow naturally from one book to the other and including all the necessary clues.
There seems to be little for me to add to this review, except to say, Buy it, Your kids will love you for it. The endless hours of quiet will make it an investment worth buying.

Yes, I know I am about -muffled- years beyond the targetted age bracket, but y'know... there are times it is really nice to pick up a younger-targetted book and relax for a change. Now don't get me wrong, I still love the stuff aimed at the older reader, such as Neal Asher and Peter F. Hamilton but something lighter and easier to cruise through can be a nice way to take a break from heavier texts and just blow a day away enjoying something a little less brain-straining.

This book continues the adventures of Dan and Amy Cahill, and their ever-suffering but forever-loyal au-pair Nellie, as they chase around the globe seeking out the fabled 39 Clues to the power of the sprawling Cahill family. With their current trip to Japan being railroaded right from the start, they still manage to struggle on, forming alliances that often turn out to be nearly lethal, but always short-lived. With ongoing character development in every book, it is remarkable to get a common feel across them all despite each being penned by a different author.

There are extras hidden in each book: codes to solve, puzzles to beat and clues to discover. Some are easy, some are far from it... but all are possible for kids aged 8-12, so adults should be able to nut them out and give guidance where needed. My son absolutely *loves* his copy and refuses to put it down during "puzzle time" - to the point he has read the entire series at least 3 times so far.

Overall, another excellent installment, well worth getting if you have bright kids aged 5 and up.

The 39 Clues book #3, A.K.A "The Sword Thief ",was AWWWESOME! In fact it was better than "The Maze Of Bones" or "One False Note". My favourite part was the secret code, but just as a warning, the main clue is rather hard to find. I like long adventures so it was a shame that it was too short and didn't have a lot of traps in it. I'm glad that Scholastic published the book because it was so interesting that I wanted to read it again and again. The book is filled with cool decorations and great puzzles, not to mention fun cards. Some of the good things about the book are the code, that it stretches the mind and that It teaches a lot about clue hunting, clue hunting and puzzle solving. The cards have a fabulous design and the book has an easy to read story.