The Mysterious Benedict Society

by Trenton Lee Stewart

Book Overview

For fans of Lemony Snicket and Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library, this first book in the bestselling, award-winning Mysterious Benedict Society Series is not to be missed

"Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?" Dozens of children respond to this peculiar newspaper ad and are then put through a series of mind-bending tests, which readers take along with them. Only four children--two boys and two girls--succeed...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0316003956
• ISBN13: 9780316003957
• Release Date: April 2008
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Length: 512 Pages
• Weight: 1.08 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 5.2" x 7.6"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Use your mind

It was a very wonderful book, I really enjoyed it. I did not figure all of the points out on the book, until the very end. The difference between Harry Potter books, is that the kids don't have magical powers they use their minds. Every young adult should read this book.

My favorite book of all time!!!

I’ve read over 4,000 books, and this one by far is my favorite. I’d never read a book before that has kids with photographic memories like me. The adventures are amazing. Read this book! You will never regret it!

Amazing read! Surprises around every corner!

Amazing read! Surprises around every corner! This intriguing story keeps the reader compelled to turn every page without fail!!!

Perhaps too big.

This book took longer for me to read than usual. However it's still a good read.

The Mysterious Benedict Society

The adventure begins when orphan Reynard Muldoon (Reynie) answers an advertisement in the paper - "ARE YOU A GIFTED CHILD LOOKING FOR SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES?" Answering the ad leads Reynie to a strange building that opens at odd times and is filled with classrooms of children taking bizarre tests. I found myself taking the tests along with him, and although I was utterly confused by the questions, I was extremely relieved when Reynie was able to ace every test. At the end of the testing, only four children are picked to take the final exam. Reynie, Sticky (George Washington), Kate Wetherall (who would really like to be called The Great Kate Weather Machine) and Constance Contraire master a maze, well let's say they all almost master a maze, and after some soul searching, they each decide to be part of a team that will embark on a dangerous adventure. This story was wonderful to read. It gave me the same feeling as when I was reading the Harry Potter series. A little bit of science fiction, with a lot of mystery and a very warm and happy ending is my best "short" synopsis. I loved the description of the places and people throughout the story and it was complete with big spooky houses, bridges over troubled waters and creepy laboratories. I also recommend this book as a gift. Middle school, high school and adults will enjoy this story. I'm sure it will be added to their collection of "read more than once" or "listen to many times" category.

Great story to read aloud

I read to my two sons, age 8 and 9 every night. I was looking for something just a little bit different. Typically they like illustrations to flesh out the narrative, like in the Moomintroll books or Here Be Monsters. The Mysterious Benedict Society is not (alas!) profusely illustrated so when we started it they sort of passively lay back in their beds to listen. By about the 4th page they were sitting up and by the end of the first chapter they were draped over my shoulders reading the pages with me. This book is absolutely captivating for young kids! We would pause while reading to see if we could work out what would happen next or how a knotty problem was overcome; my sons were absorbecd from beginning to end. Children can easily see themselves as the protagonists amd they love to try to figure out the puzzles. Mr. Stewart wants you to try to solve the mysteries with his characters and his writing sparkles with wit and humor. I certainly hope he has more childrens' books for us in the future. Highly recommended!

Great book

I'm an adult with a child too young to read this one, but I'll put it away for a few years and bring it out again when the time is right. It is a great read with a unique story line, puzzles organically built in to the story, and good pacing. Best of all were the characters, especially the children, who came to life for me. Each one is an individual who is chose become part of the Society, not always for obvious reasons, but because of the contribution only they can make to the success of the mission. It's a great, old-fashioned-type children's book and I highly recommend it to parents looking for a book for their own precocious children.

Loads of fun!

I just loved this book. From start to finish it was flat out great. The characters were all interesting and deep (as opposed to superficial cliches), and the plot had some clever twists and neat puzzles. It was fun solving those puzzles along with the characters, too. So if you're looking for a fun read that's not about magic and dragons (as way too many kids books today are), I highly recommend The Mysterious Benedict Society! I can't wait for the sequel.

An unexpected delight!

This book caught my eye as I was leaving the library yesterday. I had been continuously studing for days and needed a fictional break. After some odd looks from the librarian ( I guess most college students don't check out philosophy books and children's mystery novels at the same time) I went to my car and began to read. To my surprise, I was reluctant to put it down to drive home. This book is so creative, wonderful, and so many other adjectives that I can't think of right now. There was so much in this book that I could identify with, and I found myself wishing that I was 11 again so I wouldn't have been able to read it so quickly. Bravo Mr. Stewart! Reymie, Sticky, Constance, the Great Kate Weather Machine, and Mr. Benedict have become some of my favorite charaters of all time and I can only hope that we might someday have another adventure together. I recommend this book for Gifted Children of any age, for there are truly many special oppertunities inside.