According to a press release issued today, Scholastic, the force behind The 39 Clues^® and Spirit Animals^™, announced the expansion of its multi-platform publishing program with the worldwide launch of Horizon, a supernatural survival series for readers ages nine and up. The series will be written by a team of seven authors led by New York Times bestselling author Scott Westerfeld. In addition to books, the series will include "a fast-paced digital game that allows readers to test their survival skills." The new hardcover book series will launch simultaneously in the U.S., the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, with the first book scheduled for release in January 2017. The second book, penned by New York Times bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen, will follow in September 2017. Additional authors will be announced at a later date. Horizon is a supernatural survival story following a diverse group of kids who step from the wreckage of a plane crash to find themselves stranded, at odds, and under threat from curious and terrible creatures. Unlike Scholastic's previous multi-platform series, Horizon will launch simultaneously for desktop and mobile. The game combines altered physics, the ability to build lifesaving gadgets, an eerie soundscape, and antigravity modes that allow players to fly – or, if they’re not careful, crash.  “As a lifelong gamer I am excited to work on a project that allows me to combine my two passions —writing and gaming,” said Scott Westerfeld. “I am thrilled to work with Scholastic to plot the Horizon series across seven books and several platforms to create a captivating and epic experience.” “Scholastic is unveiling the next generation of multi-platform publishing with Horizon, and there’s no one better to propel us into this new dimension than brilliant storyteller and world creator Scott Westerfeld,” said David Levithan, VP, Publisher and Editorial Director, Scholastic. “Horizon is going to engage readers, gamers, and the biggest group of all—the kids who like to do both.”