For a great summer read, try The Mysterious Benedict Societyby Trenton Lee Stewart. It’s an easy read because of it’s entertainment and adventure. It is also the right length: just long enough to continue to enjoy it for several days while not being a giant book no one could get through. What I love most about this story are the child heroes and the steadfast faith of the adults in our heroes.
This novel begins with an examination to find kids who will be the Mysterious Benedict Society’s newest recruits. Only four kids successfully pass the series of tests and enter the Society. As it turns out the Mysterious Benedict Society is a secret agency out to destroy a very evil man named Mr Curtain and his minions who are out to take over the world through chaos and confusion. The children are asked to put themselves at extreme peril by becoming spies to infiltrate the bad guys.
Mr. Curtain runs the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened that claims to re-educate kids to make them better functioning adults. In reality it is an institute that brain-washes all its students so that they may become Mr. Curtain’s army. The children of the Mysterious Benedict Society enter the Institute as students in order to take out Mr. Curtain and his army. Located on an isolated island, the kids must fight all by themselves and must work together and utilize each others’ strengths and weaknesses to save the day. The story that ensues is one of narrow escapes and close encounters as the kids work their way through the evil organization and destroy Mr. Curtain.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Mysterious Benedict Society. I thought it well written because it possesses all the great elements of storytelling. It has unlikely heroes, a truly bad guy, and a great conspiracy theory. Additionally, I love that the adults in the Society are fully aware of what they are asking of the children. They openly admit that if the adults could take out the Institute, they would. And because they are asking for such dangerous actions the adults have a wonderful amount of faith in the kids and their abilities. The adults are strong people who display courage and strength, thus making The Mysterious Benedict Society singular in its treatment of adult characters.
This book is perfect for ages 10 and up for those who read on their own. For those who need help reading, it makes a great story time book as well.
Trenton Lee Stewart has also written a sequel to the Mysterious Benedict Society! The second book in this series is called The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey. In this latest addition, Mr. Benedict, head of the Mysterious Benedict Society, gets kidnapped and the kids must follow his clues all over the world in order to save him. Once again, the kids work together as a team to save Mr. Benedict. Their adventures abroad are typical of the Society’s escapades, making it yet another enjoyable summer read.
News! Stewart is coming out with a third book for the Mysterious Benedict Society called The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma. It comes out October 6th, 2009 and you can call us today to reserve your copy! Have a great summer!