The 39 Clues: Unstoppable: Nowhere to Run - Library Edition

Jude Watson is the author of four 39 Clues books, BEYOND THE GRAVE, IN TOO DEEP, VESPERS RISING, and A KING'S RANSOM, along with the bestselling Star Wars: Last of the Jedi and Jedi Quest series. As Judy Blundell, she wrote WHAT I SAW AND HOW I LIED, the 2008 winner of The National Book Award for Young People's Literature. She lives in Katonah, New York, with her husband and daughter.

Kicking off a “39 Clues” spin-off series that will run for four episodes, this setup reunites siblings Amy and Dan Cahill with various squabbling cousins. Ruthless media tycoon J. Rutherford Pierce has stolen a serum that endows him with super powers and has set out to conquer the Earth. His grand scheme involves eliminating the Cahills, so Dan, Amy, and the others find themselves racing from Ireland to Anatolia to procure ingredients for the serum’s antidote. Meanwhile, the kids are pursued by a squad of superstrong hit men, who turn out to be astonishingly incompetent; the Cahills survive at least six assassination attempts early on in the story—but, then, the tale still has a long way to go, and it wouldn’t do to start killing off cast members yet. Each episode will be packaged with collectible cards, as well as codes that will unlock additional adventures on an associated web page. With a 39 Clues–inspired film tentatively scheduled for release in 2014, this fast read will find a ready-made audience. Grades 4-6. --John Peters