Whom You Know: READ THIS: The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

Monday, November 29, 2010

READ THIS: The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

"Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?"

When this peculiar ad appears in the newspaper, dozens of children enroll to take a series of mysterious, mind-bending tests. (And you, dear reader, can test your wits right alongside them.) But in the end just four very special children will succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and resourceful children could complete. With their newfound friendship at stake, will they be able to pass the most important test of all?
Welcome to the Mysterious Benedict Society.
Trenton Lee Stewart, graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, lives in Arkansas with his wife and two sons.

Everyone at Whom You Know is gifted, so we had to read this one. The Petite Peachy Panel tells us:
“The Mysterious Benedict Society” by Trenton Lee Stewart is a great book that features a team of four super-bright kids ready to solve secret missions. The writing is fantastic and I really enjoyed the style. You know you have a winner when a children/tween’s book can keep adults interested and involved. The plot showcases teamwork, courage and wit to take on Mr. Curtain’s EVIL plots. Reading about fantastic characters like Reynie Muldoon, Sticky Washington, Kate Wetherall and Constance Contraire is so fun. With different characteristics and talents, this team keeps you on your toes. You too get to work on the clues too. The best part is that just when you thought you have turned your last page…alas there are sequels. So do they have what it takes to be secret agents and solve the mysteries presented to them? It is worth the read to find out!

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart, draws in the reader from the get-go. In all honesty, I don't think I've read an entire book (not counting Goodnight Moon) since before the birth of my son. These days a book needs to be very engaging for me to commit to reading it! This book had me from the beginning. "ARE YOU A GIFTED CHILD LOOKING FOR SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES?" read an ad in the newspaper. Only four children are chosen from the many that respond to this curious ad, after passing mysterious tests that challenge the way they (and we!) think. Follow these four very special children as they embark on a secret mission. I found myself anticipating when I would be able to pick up where I had left off in the book. I couldn't wait to find out how Reynie, Sticky, Kate and Constance (the four "chosen" children) fared in their ongoing adventure! This is a wonderfully quirky book, quite different from anything I've read that comes to mind. I quite enjoyed the fantasy aspect of this novel and at the same time found myself getting lost in the world of the "Mysterious Benedict Society"! I highly recommend this book to any young reader (and maybe the not-so-young as well!)!

As a teacher, I am always looking for books that will engage my students as readers. As I started to read The Mysterious Benedict Society, I fell into the book so deep, I couldn't put it down. I had it done in 2 days! Many of my student like the same types of books I do, so I knew right away this was going to be a good one. I gave the book to one of my students to read and she really liked it. She started asking me all kinds of questions, including one about Morse Code. I loved that the children communicated with Mr. Benedict in Morse Code. I had to explain to my student what it was, and made the story into a project for her. I had her research Morse Code and teach the rest of the class about it. I cannot wait to read the 2 sequels to this story. I bet they are as good as this one.

THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY

Written by Trenton Lee Stewart

Illustrated by Carson Ellis

April 2008 / Ages 8-12 / $6.99

ISBN: 978-0-316-00395-7

Megan Tingley/Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

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