Book 8: The Emperor’s Code in Stores Tomorrow

Number of Online Game Registered Users Hits 1 Million Milestone

Scholastic Announces “The 39 Clues Passport to Family Adventure Sweepstakes"

NEW YORK, NY (April 5, 2010) – Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, today revealed the final two titles and covers of the bestselling multi-media adventure series The 39 Clues™. “Book 9: Storm Warning” by Newbery Award-winning author Linda Sue Park will be published on May 25, 2010, and the final book in the series, “Book 10: Into the Gauntlet” by New York Times bestselling author Margaret Peterson Haddix, will be released on August 31, 2010. “Book 8: The Emperor’s Code” by Gordon Korman goes on sale tomorrow, along with the audiobook edition which includes exclusive bonus material. There are nearly 7 million copies in print for books 1-8 in the series.

Scholastic also announced a major milestone in the groundbreaking interactive series with The 39 Clues online game logging 1 million registered users to date. The online game has continued to draw more readers and gamers in all 50 states and 191 countries worldwide since its launch on September 2008.

To date, The 39 Clues adventure has taken readers and clue hunters around the world from Philadelphia to Paris to Pretoria. Today, Scholastic announces “The 39 Clues Passport to Family Adventure Sweepstakes,” which will award 5 grand prize winners the opportunity to embark on their own global family adventure. Each winner will receive 4 round-trip airline tickets to one of the following 39 Clues destinations of their choice— the Bahamas, Boston, Moscow, Paris, Tokyo or Venice—and a $5,000 gift card to cover travel expenses. The Sweepstakes is open for entries starting tomorrow, April 6th through August 31, 2010. For more information and to enter, visit http://www.the39clues.com/familyadventure.

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), and “Book 6: In Too Deep” by Jude Watson (November 3, 2009), and “Book 7: The Viper’s Nest” (February 2, 2010) by Peter Lerangis, have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. Movie rights for The 39 Clues have been acquired by DreamWorks Studios with Steven Spielberg eyeing to direct. The script is being penned by Jeff Nathanson whose credits include “Catch Me If You Can” and “Rush Hour 2.” The 39 Clues has been licensed for publication in 22 languages including Japanese, Italian, Chinese, German, Greek, and Hebrew. Scholastic Media recently launched the The 39 Clues Madrigal Maze App for the iPhone™ and iPod touch®, which has been ranked among the top “Paid Kids Games” on the App Store since release.

The 39 Clues is a groundbreaking multi-media adventure series for children ages 8-12 that spans 10 adrenaline-charged books, hundreds of collectible game cards, and a website that allows readers to play a role in the story and compete for prizes. 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 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,” and Shaka Zulu in “The Viper’s Nest.”

Book 9 author Linda Sue Park is the author of “A Single Shard,” which was awarded the prestigious Newbery Medal by the American Library Association for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. She has written several other books for young readers, including the Jane Addams Peace Prize honor book, “When My Name Was Keoko,” and “Project Mulberry” which was a recipient of the Chicago Tribune Young Adult Literature Award. She lives in Rochester, New York.

The author of Book 10, Margaret Peterson Haddix, has written more than 20 books for kids and teens, including “Running Out of Time,” as well as books in the “Shadow Children” and “Missing” series. Her books have been honored with the International Reading Association’s Children’s Book Award, American Library Association Best Book and Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Readers notation. She lives in Columbus, Ohio.

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

Visit Scholastic at our online media room (mediaroom.scholastic.com).

Contact:

Charisse Meloto

212-389-3785, cmeloto@scholastic.com