When their beloved grandmother dies, she leaves her descendants an unorthodox will: either accept a bank voucher worth $1 million,or else, “you shall be given the first of 39 clues. The premise of “The Maze of Bones” is dramatic and instantly engaging: Amy and Dan Cahill are orphans, brother and sister, neglected by their many rich relations. Scholastic may be hoping to recapture some of the Harry Potter demographic, by force if necessary: the press kit announces a first printing of a million copies worldwide, a multimillion-dollar marketing blitz and a “grassroots blogging campaign” Steven Spielberg is poised to bring out a film version. The book is the first installment of “The 39 Clues,” a multimedia extravaganza that combines a 10-book series, collectible playing cards, online puzzles and a contest with more than $100,000 in prizes. “The Maze of Bones,” which sends a pair of likable orphans on a world-spanning treasure hunt, displays a glossy, tightly engineered appeal.
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