Dive into the thrilling world of *The 39 Clues* with our carefully selected collection of the most memorable quotes from the series. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to the adventure, these quotes capture the excitement, mystery, and spirit of teamwork that define the journey. Join us as we revisit the moments that have inspired and captivated readers around the globe.
1. “We meant to temporarily disable her," Ian said. "Just a drop. But Natalie slipped during air turbulence. Before we could warn your nose-ringed nanny, she drenched us. Luckily, she allowed us to retrieve the antidote from our carry-on.""That's kindness," Amy said."I made them agree to give me all their cash," Nellie explained."That's bribery," Natalie grumbled.” - Peter Lerangis
2. “Dan was thrilled that the second clue had been safely smuggled out of the church in his pants."So, really, I saved the day," he decided."Wait a minute," Amy said, "I climbed onto the roof in the middle of a thunderstorm.""Yeah, but the clue was in my pants.” - Rick Riordan
3. “Nobody got me out," Nellie replied. "They just let me go. They think I'm a deranged Jonah Wizard fan. Apparently, the hotel's full of them. A couple of idiots actually jumped off the front balcony. Can you picture that?""In Technicolor," Amy said bitterly."That low-down KGB reject!" Dan fumed. "I can't believe she cheated me–right when I was in the middle of cheating her!” - Gordon Korman
4. “The au pair was bug-eyed. "What happened back there?""It's not our fault!" Dan babbled. "Those guys are crazy! They're like mini-Darth Vaders without the mask!""They're Benedictine monks!" Nellie exclaimed. "They're men of peace! Most of them are under vows of silence!""Yeah, well, not anymore," Dan told her. "They cursed us out pretty good. I don't know the language, but some things you don't have to translate.” - Gordon Korman
5. “Nellie grinned. "I always wanted to go to Venice. It's supposed to be the romance capital of the world.""Sweet," put in Dan. "Too bad your date is an Egyptian Mau on a hunger strike."The au pair sighed. "Better than an eleven-year-old with a big mouth.” - Gordon Korman
6. “Nellie's brow furrowed. "The great Mr. Hip-Hop Mogul standing in line with the common peasants? How do you figure that?"Dan grinned. "I'm starting to dig this 'no cars' thing. It's a great equalizer.” - Gordon Korman
7. “Amy turned to Nellie. "Can you create a diversion to draw the clerk outside?"The au pair was wary. "What kind of diversion?""You could pretend to be lost," Dan proposed. "The guy comes out to give you directions, and we slip inside.""That's the most sexist idea I've ever heard," Nellie said harshly. "I'm female, so I have to be clueless. He's male, so he's got a great sense of direction.""Maybe you're from out of town," Dan suggested. "Wait–you are from out of town."Nellie stashed their bags under a bench and set Saladin on the seat with a stern "You're the watchcat. Anybody touches those bags, unleash your inner tiger."The Egyptian Mau surveyed the street uncertainly. "Mrrp." Nellie sighed. "Lucky for us there's no one around. Okay, I'm going in there. Be ready."The clerk said something to her–probably May I help you? She smiled apologetically. "I don't speak Italian.""Ah–you are American." His accent was heavy, but he seemed eager to please. "I will assist you." He took in her black nail polish and nose ring. "Punk, perhaps, is your enjoyment?""More like a punk/reggae fusion," Nellie replied thoughtfully. "With a country feel. And operatic vocals."The clerk stared in perplexity.Nellie began to tour the aisles, pulling out CDs left and right. "Ah–Artic Monkeys–that's what I'm talking about. And some Bad Brains–from the eighties. Foo Fighters–I'll need a couple from those guys. And don't forget Linkin Park..."He watched in awe as she stacked up an enormous armload of music. "There," she finished, slapping Frank Zappa's Greatest Hits on top of the pile. "That should do for a start.""You are a music lover," said the wide-eyed cashier."No, I'm a kleptomaniac." And she dashed out the door.” - Gordon Korman
8. “Just then a word floated out through the buzz saw of Zapata-speak: Nefertari. Dan tuned back in."...the most beautiful tomb in Egypt," Ms. Zapata was saying. "You probably know the queen because there's a famous bust of her."A photo flashed on the screen.Dan raised his hand. "That's Nefertiti," he said. "Different queen."Ms. Zapata frowned. She looked at her notes. "You could be right, Dan. Uh...let's move on."Another slide flashed on-screen. "Now, this is the inner chamber of the tomb, where she was laid to rest."Dan's hand rose again. Ms. Zapata closed her eyes."Actually? That's the side chamber.""Really." Ms. Zapata's lips pressed together. "And how do you know this, Dan?""Because..." Dan hesitated. Because I was there. Because I was locked inside the tomb with an ex-KGB spy, so I got to know it pretty well."Especially since the tomb is closed for conservation," Ms. Zapata said.Yeah. But we had this connection to an Egyptologist? Except he turned out to be a thief and a liar, so we captured him. I came this close to smashing him with a lamp...” - Jude Watson
9. “C'mon, Amy, cinnamon rolls are calling us." Dan put a hand to his ear. "Do you hear? 'Amy? Dan?'" he squeaked. "'Come and get my sugary, sticky goodness!” - Jude Watson
10. “I'll sue!" Ian sputtered. "I'll sue you AND the dog. And the country of South Korea. And...and...""The landscape architect?" Natalie asked."The landscape architect!" Ian shouted.” - Peter Lerangis
11. “Let's scope the place out," he suggested, heading around the side of the building, "and be careful in the bushes.""Why?" Amy asked."This is South Africa, dude," Dan replied. "Where cobras come from. And not the hot ones, like Ian.” - Peter Lerangis
12. “How do you know, Dan? You were so young when they died. Do you really remember them?""Not in my mind," Dan replied, gazing at the passing scenery. "But everyplace else...” - Peter Lerangis
13. “Who needs bread crumbs," Dan replied, "when you have GPS?” - Peter Lerangis
14. “Flight 2039 to Boston is now boarding at gate 14A," a voice announced over the PA system.Nellie sighed. "I love Irish accents." She paused. "And Australian accents. And English accents." A dreamy look came over her face. "Theo had an awesome accent."Dan snorted. "Yeah, there was just that one tiny problem. He turned out to be a two-timing, backstabbing thief.” - Rick Riordan
15. “That's it. Gently now," Reagan said to Nellie. "We'll move onto the hard stuff tomorrow.""This...isn't...the hard stuff?" Nellie spit out through gritted teeth.Reagan grinned. "You really hate me right now, don't you?""Immeasurably.""Good. Give me ten.” - Jude Watson
16. “I remember," she said. "Lawrence Malley. He was an expert in security systems.""Aka Lightfinger Larry." Dan grinned. "He was also wanted in five states.""Great," Amy groaned. "I sent you to a tutorial with a crook.""It got us in here, didn't it?""I guess I'm grateful to him, then," Amy said doubtfully."Don't be," Dan said. "The first lock I opened was on your diary. Don't worry, I read two pages and fell asleep.” - Jude Watson
17. “Amy felt her phone vibrate. She held it up. It was from Ian.DON'T ASK THE PRICE OF ANYTHING. DON'T SMILE. DON'T SAY "DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING CHEAPER?" DON'TAmy shoved the phone back in her pocket. "Just pretend to be Ian," she told Dan.” - Jude Watson
18. “There's a fine line between criminality and genius."-Dan Cahill” - Jude Watson
19. “McIntyre hesitated, and for a moment the tall, gray-haired man looked almost boyish. "After all this time...don't you think you could call me William?"Amy and Dan exchanged glances. As fond as they were of him, they couldn't imagine calling their lawyer by his first name.He saw the hesitation on their faces. "Will?"Amy cleared her throat. Dan fiddled with the new GPS."How about 'Mac'?""Mac," Dan said, trying out the name.Mr. McIntyre looked wistful. "I always wanted to be a Mac.” - Jude Watson
20. “Hamilton awkwardly folded himself into the passenger seat. "Couldn't you get something bigger?" he asked as he banged his knee against the dashboard."We're supposed to be a diversion," Jonah said. "Got to make an entrance. Can't do that in a minivan, Giganto Boy. Can't do much in a minivan except look about as uncool as it gets.""Hey! My dad drives a minivan.""Snap.” - Jude Watson
21. “Oh, terrific," Dan muttered. "Just what we need. Another code! Why can't people just say what they mean? Why can't they say THE MAP IS IN THE DESK?” - Jude Watson
22. “The road climbed into the mountains, Jonah taking the hairpin curves as fast as he dared."You look so macho clutching the door handle that way," he said to Hamilton."Just...be...careful," Hamilton said through clenched teeth.” - Jude Watson
23. “Listen!""Ludwig was mad, broBut he was also bad, bro,Was his own 'Iliad,' bro...""Jonah!" Amy breathed.” - Jude Watson
24. “The sunset was spectacular, and they were safe in the minibus with the students from Estonia who were on their way to Salzburg for the Sound of Music tour. Jonah sat up front with girls and led a sing-along.Who would have guessed that the hip-hop star knew all the words to "Climb Ev'ry Mountain"?” - Jude Watson
25. “Amy bit her lip. "I was so scared, Dan. I couldn't think. She shook her head. "I feel so ashamed of myself. If it wasn't for you, we would have been toast.""Whoa," Dan said. "If you're throwing a pity party for yourself, don't invite me." He poked her. "You were the one who got Jonah to find us. Awesome lung power. I thought you only used that volume to get me out of the bathroom.” - Jude Watson
26. “Where'd you get that lighter?" she demanded."Frida," Dan said, closing it. "She left it behind. Remember how she was always talking about outdoorsy stuff? She said she kept a water-resistant lighter on her at all times, in case she needed emergency fire."There was a short beat of silence in the dumpster."Huh," said Dan. "Except probably now.” - Riley Clifford
27. “He looked back at the mirror. "I know it's completely ridiculous, but I can't keep quiet about it any longer. Your closet looks like it was put together by a blind nun, and your brother acts like a cross between a monkey and a go-kart, and you have the social skills of a rock. But I like you, Amy. Quite—quite a bit." He paused. "So, congratulations.” - Riley Clifford
28. “Global warming doesn't care what's in your bank account."-Sinead Starling” - Gordon Korman
29. “Amy was profoundly shocked. "A little over an hour ago, our bus was attacked by three men in ski masks. They definitely knew me, and probably Dan, too. We fought them off, but it could've gone either way.""Like if they'd used a cookie truck instead of a gas tanker," Dan added. "Nobody's scared of Oreos.” - Gordon Korman
30. “Don't think of it as losing a boyfriend. Think of it as gaining a stalker."-Dan Cahill” - Gordon Korman
31. “Dan instantly recognized the angry scratch that stretched from the corner of Ian's eye all the way along the olive skin to his chin. "Have you been messing with Saladin?""No. Saladin has been messing with me," Ian shot back."He isn't big on Lucians," Dan explained. "Animals are really good judges of character.” - Gordon Korman
32. “I'm starving. When we check into our hotel, let's ask the desk clerk where we can find one of those vast pizzas.""What are you talking about?""Your guidebook says Florence is a city of vast pizzas. Look it up yourself.""Those are vast piazzas, not pizzas! It means public squares!"Dan's face fell. "Oh."Amy sighed. "I honestly thought the clue hunt took the dweeb out of you. No such luck.” - Gordon Korman
33. “Check it out."Jonah removed the bubble wrap and held up the picture for his three cousins.Dan took a step backward. The shock was almost as powerful as it had been the day before at the Uffizi. "It's perfect! It's every bit as disgusting as the real one!"Amy nodded. "And so fast. We only called you yesterday."Jonah shrugged. "Even the Janus take a short cut every now and then. You can do a lot with digitization these days. You break the picture down to squares and reproduce them one at a time. The other two are just as fly.""You mean, hog ugly," Hamilton amended. "The serpents don't help," Dan put in critically. "Live fat spaghetti. Lady, if you're thinking of a modeling career, forget it!" The rapper clucked sympathetically. "You guys just don't appreciate the power of the visual image. The Wiz used to be like that–until Gangsta Kronikles. When you're in film industry, you understand the whole picture's-worth-a-thousand-words deal."Hamilton rolled his eyes. "Here we go again.” - Gordon Korman
34. “Art theft gave a guy an appetite.” - Gordon Korman
35. “Jonah peered critically up at the Renaissance masterpiece. "Man, those copies don't due it justice. This one's the truth!""Only a Janus," groaned Hamilton.” - Gordon Korman
36. “Sinead broke in. "The cops need to know what to do with Evan, Amy. What should I tell them?""Shoot to kill?" Ian suggested.” - Gordon Korman
37. “Free food!" mumbled Hamilton, his mouth full. "No wonder you're rich. You don't have to pay for anything.""Since when is it free?" Jonah demanded. "If I don't leave a big tip, it'll be all over Europe that the Wiz is a cheapskate! They'll seat me behind the sound-man from the penguin movie at the Oscars!” - Gordon Korman
38. “Dan inched closer. "Are her eyelids moving?"Jonah was on his feet now, cheerleading. "Get up, babysitter! Up! Up!” - Gordon Korman
39. “What does it feel like to get shot?""I don't recommend it," said Nellie in a controlled voice. "Chocolate is definitely better.” - Gordon Korman
40. “The phone rang in the comm. center. Ian consulted the monitor. "It's Dan." He pressed a button. "Kabra here."Dan's voice crackled through the attic. "Don't say it like that," he complained. "Your name still gives me heartburn.” - Gordon Korman
41. “The key to the city of Florence was about two feet long, and painted a garish gold.Hamilton was fascinated by it. "Wow! How big is the lock?"Jonah laughed. "There is no lock, cuz. It's an honorary gig. Back in my crib in LA, I've got a whole shed full of keys from different cities. Want to know the kicker? I can't get at them. The gardener lost the key to the shed.” - Gordon Korman
42. “Change of plan–," she called to Jonah. "Can you drop us off in Rome?""Yo, am I a movie star or a taxi service?" Jonah grumbled from the depths of the script pile."Technically, your neither," Hamilton puffed, lifting weights again. "I mean, you're a star and you've made movies...” - Gordon Korman
43. “Ian Kabra rolled up his window. "My god, what's that smell?"Behind the wheel, Sinead laughed. "It's called fresh air. Growing up in London, you've probably never breathed it before.""And I hope I never breathe it again.” - Gordon Korman
