39 Clues

My twins' birthday is just around the corner :faint: and one of them expressed an interest in the "39 Clues" series while we were at Target one day. I was wondering if anyone has read them or your kids have read them, are they content appropriate for a 7 year old? Both my boys can read at that level, I'm just worried about the content. I may just get one of them on my Kindle and read it to see how it is.

 

My daughter just turned 9 and loves them! They are a great mystery series. From what I could tell, nothing that would be scary or inappropriate.

 

I am in/out at our school library and will say they are popular with the 4/5th grader-- some 3rd graders. They are labeled for 9+. (Guided reading R level), They are in the upper grade portion (3/4/5th), although anyone can check out any books- they are clustered by easy readers, pic books, chapter books (1-3rd grade levels), chapter books (4,5,6+ grade levels), reference,etc.


Read the idea/plot/review here:

http://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/39-clues-series



Our librarian steers the high readers (1st grade) toward other chapter books, even if they are reading at 3rd/4th grade level (which these books are written at) because the content is more mature with violence, killing, deceit, etc. Though not awful. more implied.

It also is marketed to get people to buy cards and interact online.

Just my two bits though!

 

Thanks for posting that website! I remember seeing it before but couldn't remember what it was to look it up. I've bookmarked it now, though! I think I may hold off for a year on letting them read those. I may still pick up one for me to read, though.

Thanks for the info!

 

It doesn't get any easier. Actually, my kids weren't even interested in the 39 Clues books until this year (4th grade), although they were able to read the books, academically, 2 years ago. I am going through this with the Hunger Games. I seem to be the only 4th grade parent not allowing their child to read it (at least if you ask them). I did read them, and the politics of the story are just too complex for them right now--and these are kids who read the entire Harry Potter series in 3rd grade. But, in Harry Potter, it is easy to determine good vs. evil, and in the Hunger Games (and 39 Clues to some extent), the boundary is flipped too often for a younger child to really understand. In 39 Clues, the flips are more spelled out than in Hunger Games, making it more appropriate for the 4th grade crowd.

 

I read The Hunger Games series and I could not believe it's geared towards kids. No way would I let mine read that until they are much older!

I hadn't thought about the Harry Potter books. I know I read them as they were coming out and I think the first couple started out pretty tame and they got more dark as they progressed. So the first couple might be good choices for them and they can move up as they get older.

I bought them a box set of Roald Dahl books for Christmas and they've been reading those. And I have enjoyed re-reading them!

 

Kate, the Hunger Games are actually written for teens, but with the movie coming out, some of the younger kids are reading them. I told mine they have to wait at least a year before they can read them--they have let up a bit about it lately!

 

Teens are kids to me!! :lol:

So I'm bringing this back up. I told Nick he had to wait until he was 9 to read the 39 Clues books.

The twins' school library apparently sections books by color. The kids test at a certain reading level & color and can check out books with that color dot on them. The colors represent the reading level but apparently not content. Since we moved and the twins just started at this new school the end of March, they had to start testing at the beginning and worked their way up to whatever color they are on now. Nick is now up to blue sticker books. (I don't know what level that is, but apparently it's good because he was really excited about it.)

Guess what he comes home from school with today?!?? One of the 39 Clues books. So I guess the librarian there isn't as good about steering kids toward more age appropriate material... although now I can at least read the thing without having to buy one!!

 

my guys are just about to turn 8. So we are right about where you are. We read the first two together. They did not really hold their interest as far as insisting on reading more. I don't think they "got" some of the subtext that was going on. They liked the action of the stories. In the first one there is a fire and the kids have to figure out how to get away. Their relatives are really mean to them and it keeps flashing to memories of their parents that died in a fire I believe. The second one they escape an explosion at a museum and there is a fight between one of them and a "cousin". It is action adventure. But you do have to have a frame of reference to imagine some of the things that are described in the books. I think the biggest idea one of my two got from the books was that he could grow up and learn more that two languages (they are learning Spanish and the nanny in the book speaks English, French, Spanish and maybe more). You may find that he reads the first one and really is not that enthusiastic about reading the others.