Into the Gauntlet facts for kids
Into the Gauntlet
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| Author | Margaret Peterson Haddix |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The 39 Clues |
| Genre | Children's novel Adventure novel |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
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Publication date
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August 31, 2010 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 327 |
| ISBN | 978-0-545-06050-9 |
| OCLC | 317919014 |
| Preceded by | Storm Warning |
| Followed by | Vespers Rising |
Into the Gauntlet is the tenth exciting book in The 39 Clues series. It was written by Margaret Peterson Haddix and came out on August 31, 2010. In this book, Amy and Dan Cahill are almost at the end of their big clue hunt. They find a poem clue in their hotel room. But then, Isabel Kabra, one of their rivals, steals it!
The story reveals that William Shakespeare was a powerful Madrigal. This means he was part of the secret family. A very important clue is hidden in his work. Dan and Amy go to the Globe Theatre to watch Romeo and Juliet. While there, they see what looks like ninjas! These ninjas find a clue high up in the theater. But they drop it right into Dan and Amy's hands. It turns out the whole Cahill family is there, looking for the same clue. Backstage, everyone fights over the paper. Mr. McIntyre and Fiske Cahill then share a big secret. There's another family out there, even tougher than Isabel Kabra! The globe on the 39 Clues symbol is now shattered. This shows how serious things are getting.
The message on some special cards says, "Only together can we fight the true enemy." Also, a secret message in the book warns, "The Cahills aren't the only ones looking for the Clues. The Vespers are coming."
Contents
The Story So Far
Into the Gauntlet starts with Amy and Dan Cahill in London. They are tired and have no new leads. They get a new clue, but Isabel Kabra's pet monkey steals it. The monkey leaves a coin with a fancy 'K' on it. Luckily, Dan had already memorized the clue. He quickly writes it down again.
Amy searches online to understand the clue. She is about to share what she found. But Nellie realizes the Kabra coin is a listening device! Nellie quickly destroys it. She also finds and destroys three more bugs from other family branches. Amy then tells them the clue points to William Shakespeare. So, they head to The Globe Theatre to see Romeo and Juliet.
Clues at the Globe Theatre
At the theater, Amy and Dan meet the Starlings again. The Starlings are back in the hunt after an explosion. Amy and Dan manage to steal their clue. But then, Jonah Wizard traps them. He was forced back into the hunt by his mother, Cora Wizard. The Holts, Alistair Oh, and the Kabras are also there. Hamilton Holt grabs the clue paper. But Dan quickly rips off the top and bottom parts. He and Amy run away while everyone else fights over the rest of the clue.
Their part of the clue says: "For this great man we sing was b here". They think the missing word is "born".
Shakespeare's Secret Grave
Amy and Dan go to Shakespeare's birthplace. They soon realize the word was "buried," not "born." They are the last to arrive at Shakespeare's grave. Only Isabel Kabra, Eisenhower Holt, and Cora Wizard are still there. They are surprised to see no one is fighting. Instead, everyone is trying to trade clues.
The other teams leave the Cahills at the grave site. They leave video cameras to watch them. But Amy and Dan know this. They pretend to draw a picture of Shakespeare. While doing so, they write messages to each other on a paper. Then, they go outside to Shakespeare's grave. Dan makes a rubbing of the tombstone. He finds a secret line that doesn't usually show. The other teams suddenly arrive. Dan pretends to mess up and tears the paper. He makes sure to rub only the first four lines for each team. Once everyone leaves, he makes a full rubbing for them. This one includes the last four lines. In these lines, Shakespeare asks them to dig up his grave!
The Madrigal Stronghold
Inside Shakespeare's grave, Amy and Dan find a metal pole. It has the words "Madrigal Stronghold * Cahill Ancestral Home" around it. They also find a ribbon with strange letters. But they have to quickly unroll it. The other teams appear and chase them.
Meanwhile, Sinead Starling gets a digital copy of the ribbon. She gets it from the grave's guardian. Everyone else plants a tracking device on Amy and Dan. Amy and Dan recreate the ribbon using Nellie's old t-shirt. They wrap it around the metal pole. This helps them find the location of the original Cahill house. It's on an island off the coast of Ireland.
The Gauntlet Challenge
The other teams follow Amy and Dan to the island. They are forced to work together. They must go through "the gauntlet." This is a series of doors with questions about the clue hunt. All doors except the last one open. When they reach the vial that supposedly holds the master serum, they find Isabel Kabra got there first!
Isabel reveals the serum is fake. She forces them to give her all their clues. She threatens to hurt the people they love. As Isabel is about to drink the fake serum, Ned Starling bursts in. Isabel turns to shoot him with her gun.
The Final Showdown
Everyone unites and charges at Isabel. They knock the gun and the serum out of her hands. But then, only Amy and Dan are holding her down. Everyone else chases after the serum. Isabel reaches for her gun. She hits Dan in the stomach with it. She is about to shoot him. Amy, with no other choice, grabs the serum vial. She slams it down on Isabel's head. The vial shatters, destroying the serum.
Even though the serum is gone, everyone gives Amy and Dan their clues. They were the only ones who held down Isabel.
After finding their way out of the gauntlet, the teams separate. They are now on friendly terms. Amy and Dan stay with Fiske Cahill and Mr. McIntyre. They receive a letter from Grace. Fiske and Mr. McIntyre then reveal a huge secret. The entire Clue Hunt was just a test! It was to prepare them for a battle with another powerful family. Amy and Dan are now legally cared for by their Great-Uncle Fiske and Nellie. But Grace's letter makes it clear: their adventures are far from over!
