Books With Bean ~ The Mysterious Benedict Society

Title: The Mysterious Benedict Society 

Author: Trenton Lee Stewart 

Published: March 7, 2007

Genre: Middle Grade, Mystery, Adventure, Science Fiction

Summary: When orphan Reynie Muldoon sees an advertisement looking for gifted children he immediately wants to find out what it is about. When he goes to find out he ends up completing a series of tests. After completing two tests he is joined by two other children, Kate and Sticky, and after going through two physical tests they are taken to meet a man named Mr. Benedict. There they are joined by another girl named Constance. Mr. Benedict tells the children that they are in grave danger and that they only way to figure out how to stop it is to undercover as students at an island boarding school called the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened where the source of the trouble is coming from. The children all agree to go but when they get there they find that things are even more complicated then they thought and they may be too late to stop what is coming.

What I liked about it: The characters are all unique and fun and because of this almost anyone can relate to them. They story is so interesting and I know as a kid when I first read it (Goodness, was it really almost a decade ago? Now I feel old and grown up! Not really, but still) I loved reading a book about kids my age solving problems and doing puzzles and word games which have always interested me. They are friends but it shows that you don’t always get along even with your best friends but you still stick together because together with friends you can do anything. I also love that it shows that family is important even if you aren't flesh and blood family. All the kids at the beginning of the book are alone but by the end they all have families and are loved and taken care of. 

Language: None

Romance: None

Violence: None

Magic: None

Recommended Age: It is a good book and while it will keep even older kids interested it is simple enough that I think 9 or 10 is plenty old enough to read it!