The Mysterious Benedict Society
by Trenton Lee Stewart

    THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY by Trenton Lee Stewart
    Illustrated by:  Carson Ellis
    Category:  Action-Adventure
    Age Recommendation:  Grades 6+
    Release Date:  4/1/08
    Publisher:  Little, Brown
    Reviewed by:  Tasha
    Rating:  5 Stars


    Reynard (or Reynie, as he prefers to be called) Muldoon is not your average eleven-year-old boy.  First of all, he lives
    in an orphanage where he is constantly teased by all the other children. Then there’s the fact that he’s a genius. He’s
    so smart that he needs his own tutor, Ms. Perumal, who is really more of a friend to him. It’s because of Ms. Perumal
    that Reynie happened to be reading the newspaper that held a one-of-a-kind advertisement. “Are You a Gifted Child
    Looking for Special Opportunities?” Not only does this advertisement catch Reynie’s eye, but that of many young
    children. All of these children enroll to take several tests consisting of many brain teasers. Out of all the children,
    though, only four succeed, with Reynie being one of the four.

    The children are all immediately drawn to each other. Not just because of their exceptional mental abilities, but also
    because they are all alone. Reynie, Kate, and Constance are all orphans, and Sticky has run away from a miserable
    home life. When they all finish with their tests they are led to a mysterious old house where they are introduced to Mr.
    Benedict. Mr. Benedict is an intriguing and incredibly smart man who has a secret mission for the children that only
    they can complete.

    To fulfill their mission, the children must go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened. The
    headmaster of the school, Mr. Curtain, is up to no good, and it is up to the children to figure out what he is up to and
    hopefully stop him. It will be no easy feat, as the children will have to wrap their minds around puzzle after puzzle and
    face challenges that not even their wildest dreams could have ever created. With no choice but to turn to each other,
    the children embark on a journey that will forever change their lives.

    I have heard nothing but good things about this book. Needless to say, I had high expectations for it. Overall, I really
    enjoyed THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY, except I found that at times it was a bit lacking.  First, I want
    to say that the author’s writing style was marvelous. It definitely had the magic feeling that Roald Dahl put into his
    books that made them so wonderful. There was that extra umph to the book that made it quite enjoyable. Returning
    again to my reference of Roald Dahl, I felt like the adventure these kids went on was much like the adventure Charlie
    from CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY went on, without the candy!   

    While the book is directed at a more middle grade audience, I still found myself enjoying the adventure and solving the
    riddles along with the children. Overall, I enjoyed the story and think it would be a great book for both reluctant
    readers and middle graders.