Abstract :
The 39 Clues (2009) is a multimedia series produced by Scholastic for
readers 7–14 years old that includes printed texts released periodically; trading
cards also published periodically in print and virtually; and a complex, intriguing,
and entertaining website. To fully experience the multimedia series, the publishers
expect that readers can read printed text, negotiate the website that blurs the
boundaries between history and fiction, author, character, and reader, compete for
prizes, and build online communities. The more able a reader is to use multiple
media sources for her own purposes, the more likely she is to reach the end goal of
solving the central mystery of the series and win cash prizes. We found that The 39
Clues is a unique instantiation of new literacies (e.g. Knobel and Lankshear, A New
Literacies Sampler, 2007) in action.
