The Mysterious Benedict Society

Where were books like this when I was a kid? There were more than a few really good books for children out there, but ever since Harry Potter hit the scene there has been an explosion of excellent fiction for kids. The Mysterious Benedict Society is one of those books.

Reynie Muldoon is an eleven year old orphan and social outcast. Known for being a pretty smart kid with a knack for solving puzzles, Reynie figures he has nothing to lose when he answers an add in the newspaper for children to take a test to receive “special opportunities.” After taking a series of strange and mysterious tests, Reynie finds himself in the home of Mr. Benedict, a narcoleptic scientist. Reynie, along with four other children, have all past the test. Katie Weatherall is a resourceful girl who can do just about anything with the various trinkets she carries around in a bucket. Sticky Washington is a rather intelligent kid, yet has more than one nervous habit. Then there is Constance, who’s only “special” talent seems to be her non-stop complaining. All these kids do have one thing in common – they are all alone in the world.

Mr. Benedict soon tells the children why they had to take all of those tests. The kids learn about the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, a home for boys and girls on an island in the town. Mr. Benedict has been following some very disturbing subliminal messages coming from the island and is afraid that they are starting to influence the people in the media and government. When local government officials start disappearing, Mr. Benedict knows that now is the time to find out what is really going on at the school. For this he needs super-talented kids to act as spies and soon all four children find themselves enrolled at the school.

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart is one of those books that is too much fun to put down. I found myself staying up late to see how Reynie, Katie, Sticky and Constance worked together to solve the mystery of the subliminal messages. The characters begin to form a bond of friendship, something that they all lacked and find out that sometimes you need to rely on your friends when you are in a bind. There is plenty of action and puzzle-solving to keep a kid interested in the story. I also enjoyed the drawings by Carson Ellis at the beginning of each chapter. All in all, an enjoyable read, whether you are a young kid or an adult. The Mysterious Benedict Society is just plain old fun. Thanks goes to Sassymonkey who wrote a review for this book last year and led me to read it.