NEW YORK, NY — March 3, 2009 — The global hunt for The 39 Clues™ , the #1 New York Times bestselling multi-media adventure series from Scholastic, heats up today with the release of Book 3: The Sword Thief by Peter Lerangis, simultaneously in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, and India. Also today, Peter Lerangis joins the hunt for the 39 Clues on a multi-city tour in the U.S. visiting schools, bookstores, and libraries in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Philadelphia. During "The 39 Clues Double-Dealing Tour," Peter Lerangis will embark on a mission to lead kids to clues through special video blogs which will appear on The 39 Clues online game, www.scholastic.com/39clues, and various social networking sites. For more information about the tour and the hunt for Clues, visit www.the39clues.com or http://www.the39clues.com/tour.

In addition, Scholastic announces the complete list of authors and publication dates for all 10 books in The 39 Clues bestselling series:

• Book 1: The Maze of Bones (September 9, 2008) by Rick Riordan, bestselling author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series
• Book 2: One False Note (December 2, 2008) by Gordon Korman, bestselling author of Swindle and The Juvie Three
• Book 3: The Sword Thief (March 3, 2009) by Peter Lerangis, acclaimed author of the Spy X series
• Book 4: Beyond the Grave (June 2, 2009) by Jude Watson, bestselling author of the Jedi Apprentice series; a.k.a. Judy Blundell, author of the National Book Award winner, What I Saw and How I Lied
• Book 5 (August 11, 2009) by Patrick Carman, bestselling author of the Land of Elyon series and Skeleton Creek
• Book 6 (November 3, 2009) by Jude Watson
• Book 7 (February 2, 2010) by Peter Lerangis
• Book 8 (April 6, 2010) by Gordon Korman
• Book 9 (June 8, 2010) by Linda Sue Park, author of the Newbery Medal-winning novel, A Single Shard, and other award-winning titles
• Book 10 (September 1, 2010) by Margaret Peterson Haddix, former journalist and author of more than 20 books for children including the bestselling Running Out of Time, the Shadow Children series and The Missing series

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. The third book, The Sword Thief by Peter Lerangis, launching today, will be followed by Book 4: Beyond the Grave by Jude Watson on June 2, 2009, and the fifth book by Patrick Carman, on August 11, 2009. Movie rights for The 39 Clues have been acquired by DreamWorks Studios with Steven Spielberg eyeing to direct.

"I’m so excited that Peter Lerangis has agreed to travel around the country and remind children everywhere that it's never too late to join the hunt for The 39 Clues," said Ellie Berger, President, Trade Publishing. "I know that once kids get to meet Peter in person, they will be even more hooked on this immersive reading and online experience. I’m delighted that this dream team of bestselling and acclaimed authors is joining Scholastic on this reading adventure."

"I’m packing up to meet The 39 Clues fans across the country as we speak," said author Peter Lerangis, "But I'm also taking along a video camera to record my own hunt for clues! I'll be updating my video blog once a week. Expect major surprises."

The 39 Clues is a groundbreaking multi-media adventure series for children ages 8-12 that spans 10 adrenaline-charged books, multiple collectible game cards, and an online game that allows readers to play a role in the story and compete for prizes. The 39 Clues online game, which launched in September 2008, has drawn children from all 50 states and countries around the world to log on and join the hunt. Also available now is The 39 Clues Card Pack 1, a collection of 16 randomly assorted game cards that can be used for Books 1, 2, and 3.

The 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 kicks off in the first book with Benjamin Franklin taking center stage in The Maze of Bones; and in One False Note, the focus shifts to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. For more information about The 39 Clues and to download digital images, visit http://mediaroom.scholastic.com/The39Clues.

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>Peter Lerangis has written more than 150 books for young readers in many different genres including mystery (the Spy X series), historical fiction (Smiler’s Bones) and science fiction (the Watchers series). Former First Lady Laura Bush selected Peter Lerangis, along with two other writers, Marc Brown and R.L. Stine, to accompany her to Moscow in 2003, representing the United States in the first Russian Book Festival. In 2004, the National Book Foundation chose him to be a Family Literacy Writer-in-Residence, and he has conducted writing workshops for the Highlights Foundation and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Peter graduated from Harvard University with a degree in biochemistry. He’s also a Broadway musical theater actor/singer, a marathon runner, and a father of two sons. He currently lives in New York City.

About Scholastic
Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) is the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books and a leader in educational technology and children’s media. Scholastic creates quality educational and entertaining materials and products for use in school and at home, including children's books, magazines, technology-based products, teacher materials, television programming, film, videos and toys. The Company distributes its products and services through a variety of channels, including proprietary school-based book clubs and school-based book fairs, retail stores, schools, libraries, television networks and the Company’s Internet Site, www.scholastic.com.

Contact:

Charisse Meloto Scholastic 212-389-3785