The Mysterious Benedict Society

Stewart, T.L. (2007). The Mysterious Benedict Society. New York, NY: Little Brown and Company.

Plot Description: Through a short series of exams, four gifted children are selected to form a mysterious society run by a man named Mr. Benedict. After a brief introduction and training, the children are informed of what they have been formed to do. These children must go on a secret mission and work together to thwart an evil plan that threatens the world. Each of the children bring their own special talents to their mission and depend on each other and their new found friendships to help them succeed.

Review:
This book is a wonderfully mysterious adventure. I was easily to form an attachment to the four members of the Mysterious Benedict Society, each with their own insecurities and quirky talents. Each child is extremely gifted, but in varied ways, which made it fun to read about their exploits. The book is full of riddles the secret society (and reader) must solve to uncover the evil plan they are meant to destroy. I was entertained the entire way through.

Genre:
Mystery, Adventure, Fantasy

Reading Level:
Ages 9 - 12

Similar Books:

Subjects/Themes:
Friendship, Orphans, Good versus Evil

Awards:

Character Names/Descriptions:
Reynard Muldoon (Reynie): Reynie is an extremely gifted orphan. After answering an ad for gifted children and passing the exams, Reynie meets the other members of the Mysterious Benedict Society and feels for the first time in his life that he has a family. Reynie is especially gifted with deciphering the riddles from Mr. Benedict.

George Washington (Sticky): Sticky, who ran away from home, has the ability to remember anything he sees or hears. He is a very nervous child, constantly fidgeting or polishing his glasses. The duties that he must do as part of the society are more than he can bear at times, but the comfort of feeling as if he is needed is enough for him to continue.

Kate Wetherall: Kate, having been raised by the circus, is extremely talented in getting in or out of any situation. She always has a bucket of handy tools attached to her belt which help her being extremely resourceful in any situation.

Constance Contraire: Constance, also an orphan, is very small and initially thought to be not as gifted as the other members of the society. She is incredibly stubborn and has the habit of complaining about everything.

Annotation:
The young Mysterious Benedict Society members must use each of their gifted, yet quirky, talents to answer riddles, solve puzzles, and uncover the evil workings of a madman.