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Scholastic has enlisted 13 children’s books authors to help with the Summer Reading Challenge program.

The participants include R.L. Stine, Maggie Stiefvater and Jackson Pierce, Gordon Korman, Michael Northtrop, Varian Johnson, Jude Watson, Blue Balliet, Patrik Henry Bass, Roland Smith, Tui T. Sutherland, Lauren Tarshis, and Wendy Wan-Long Shang. These writers will create original short stories; kids will be able to access these “rewards” by tracking the minutes they spend reading.

According to the press release, “each of the authors has written a unique short story using the same opening sentence which is, ‘I glanced over my shoulder to make sure that no one had followed me into the shadowy library, then took a deep breath and opened the glowing book…'” The organizers behind this venture hope to break the record of 304,749,681 minutes (spent reading) that was set last summer.

Loot by Jude Watson (for ages 9-12)

LOSERS, WEEPERS. STEALERS, KEEPERS.

When Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson series, says a book is “the perfect summer read,” you know it’s got to be good! He (and we!) love Loot, an action-packed heist book by The 39 Clues author Jude Watson.

Loot starts when March McQuin’s criminal father, Alfie, falls off a high rooftop in a heist gone wrong. As Alfie speaks his last words, he manages to tell March to “find jewels.” But March soon learns that “jewels” is actually “Jules” — a twin sister he’s never heard of!

After finding each other, March and Jules plan to follow their father’s footsteps and find a new life for themselves. With just one well-planned heist, the two could be living beyond their wildest dreams! The only question is how? It all becomes clear when March begins to discover hints his father left behind…

Start reading the action-packed Loot here!

Would you have the courage to pull off a heist like March and Jules? What friends would you take along the way?  Post your answers in the Comments below!

Scholastic will launch a new initiative called “Worlds Collide” to bring together three popular multi-platform series: The 39 Clues, Infinity Ring, and Spirit Animal.

Here’s more from the press release: “As part of the ‘Worlds Collide’ initiative, Scholastic will release for the first time a digital ‘Powerpack’ ebook bundle—including three first-in-series books in one volume—featuring The 39 Clues #1: The Maze of Bones by , Infinity Ring #1: A Mutiny in Time by , and Spirit Animals #1: Wild Born by . Scholastic will support the ‘Worlds Collide’ initiative with an extensive marketing campaign to link together the global audiences of The 39 Clues, Infinity Ring and Spirit Animals through a dedicated ‘Worlds Collide’ online hub (www.scholastic.com/worldscollide).”

Through the Worlds Collide website, fans are encouraged to play around with the stories from all three series and create mash-ups. To extend beyond the internet community, the minds behind this initiative have also organized the “Worlds Collide #1s” live tour.  Fans will also get a chance to meet some of the authors who contributed books to these popular series including James Dashner, Brandon Mull, Gordon Korman, and Jude Watson. Rick Riordan will make a special appearance at one of the events. See below for the complete list of tour dates.

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New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: April 1, 2011

Here’s the scoop on the most popular destinations on The Children’s Book Review site, the most coveted new releases and bestsellers.

Kids’ Earth Day Books: Green with Environmental Awareness

The 39 Clues Blog Tour: Access Granted, Peter Lerangis

How Picture Books Play a Role in a Child’s Development

Review: Scat by Carl Hiaasen

Where to Find Free eBooks for Children Online

THE NEW RELEASES

The most coveted books that release this month:

The 39 Clues, Book 11: Vespers Rising

by Rick Riordan, Peter Lerangis, Gordon Korman, Jude Watson

(Ages 8-12)

Ranger’s Apprentice, Book 10: The Emperor of Nihon-ja

by John Flanagan

(Ages 9-12)

Big Nate Boredom Buster: Super Scribbles, Cool Comix, and Lots of Laughs

by Lincoln Peirce

(Ages 8-12)

The Loud Book!

by Deborah Underwood

(Ages 1-6)

Athena the Wise (Goddess Girls)

by Joan Holub

(Ages 8-12)

THE BEST SELLERS

The best selling children’s books this month:

PICTURE BOOKS

--In Too Deep by Jude Watson, the sixth of The 39 Clues books. Wow! What a great read! All these book have been terrific and this one is no exception. In this one, Dan and Amy Cahill are in Australia, searching for the latest Clue that could make them (or any of their unscrupulous family) the richest and most powerful people on earth. Their parents, who died in a fire, had been to Australia long ago to find a Clue and the kids go there to find what their mother and father may have learned. Along the way they encounter the most poisonous snake on earth, muscle-bound cousins who want revenge, the most evil and deadly of all their relatives, and the possibility of being thrown to the sharks. Lots of action here! And this book offers a tremendous emotional punch too. Amy and Dan learn something about her parents' death that changes them and the reason they pursue the Clues. You gotta read these books! Each one in The 39 Clues gets better and better.

...is just GREAT!! These books keep getting better. Dan and Amy Cahill are in Cairo, Egypt (a exotic place where danger lurks at the most unexpected places) in their search for the latest Clue. If they can find all 39 Clues, they could become the richest and most powerful people on earth, but there are other members of the Cahill family who want those Clues as well--dangerous people who will not let a couple of mere kids get in the way! Dan and Amy find old enemies, new friends, and mysterious messages from beyond the grave. But can these new friends be trusted? Can anyone be trusted in the hunt for the most amazing secret on earth? And can Dan and Amy keep searching for the Clues without turning evil like their relatives? I tell you, you gotta read this one to find out!! Adventure, action, mystery, and breathtakingly exotic locations--no one does it better than The 39 Clues!!