Scholastic has announced it will release Spirit Animals, a new multi-platform, multi-author fantasy adventure series for readers ages 8–12, worldwide on September 10, 2013. The story arc of the seven-book series and online game will be established by New York Times bestselling author Brandon Mull, who will pen Wild Born, the first book in the series. The second title, slated for a January 2014 release, will be written by New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater. According to the announcement, Spirit Animals is set in the fantasy world of Erdas, where children who come of age go through a ritual to determine if they have a "spirit animal," a rare bond between human and beast that bestows great powers to both. The series focuses on four kids from different cultures who undergo an annual ritual and discover that they have been chosen for a greater destiny. Each book in the series will unlock expanded gameplay on the immersive Spirit Animals online game site, where kids can customize unique heroes, choose spirit animals, and go on quests to help save Erdas. "Readers are transported into a whole new fantasy realm with Spirit Animals," says Ellie Berger, president of Scholastic Trade, in the announcement. "This is 21st century storytelling at its best. We cannot be more excited about introducing this epic series to kids everywhere." Brandon Mull is the bestselling author of the Beyonders and Fablehaven series. Award-winning Maggie Stiefvater is bestselling author of The Shiver Trilogy, The Scorpio Races, and The Raven Boys. Spirit Animals joins Scholastic’s first forays into the multi-platform space, The 39 Clues, a mystery series of books, collectible cards, and an online game that debuted in September 2008, and Infinity Ring, a travel adventure series for readers ages 8–12 that debuted in August 2012. The 39 Clues: Unstoppable, a spin-off cycle from the original series, launches in October.