Reading Books You Like

Today's New York Times has a thought-provoking article about different ways to choose books for classroom use. If I were a student, I know which class I'd want to be in!

Al's Book Club to Hunt for Clues

Congratulations to Patrick Carman, whose fifth installment in the 39 Clues: THE BLACK CIRCLE, was just chosen as the newest selection for Al Roker's Book Club on NBC's Today Show. Patrick will appear live on the show in September to discuss the book!

Secret tunnels under Giza?

Great article in news recently. This is so close to something I'm writing about in the new book it's scary, but more on that later . . .

The Black Circle Arrives

Congratulations to Patrick Carman on book five of The 39 Clues: The Black Circle, which hits bookstores today. The full cover has been a closely guarded secret for months, but it can now be revealed. Do you recognize the symbol above? You will once you read the book. For more information, check Scholastic's press release, which also shows the hot-off-the-presses Japanese cover for book one: The Maze of Bones.

Demigods of the Week

Shelby and Natalie, grade 9 from Minnesota, recently decided to play capture-the-flag Percy Jackson style. They made flags for each of the cabins, some of which you can see above. They report that the game was held in rainy weather, so the flags didn't survive the game too well -- that happens a lot at Camp Half-Blood too. Hey, at least the players survived, and they took pictures of the flags beforehand. Thanks for sharing your work, girls!

Black Circle arrives 8/11!

Can't wait for Tuesday, when 39 Clues #5, THE BLACK CIRCLE, finally arrives. The full cover will not be revealed until release day, when you will learn the destination of Dan and Amy's new adventure. I've got to say, a sneak peek copy came to me last week, and you're in for a wild ride. Patrick Carman really delivers.