The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict (The Mysterious Benedict Society, #0.5)

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The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict (The Mysterious Benedict Society 0.5)

by Trenton Lee Stewart (Goodreads Author), Diana Sudyka

4.31 of 5 stars 4.31 · rating details · 2,212 ratings · 385 reviews

Before there was a Mysterious Benedict Society, there was simply a boy named Nicholas Benedict. Meet the boy who started it all....

Nine-year-old Nicholas Benedict has more problems than most children his age. Not only is he an orphan with an unfortunate nose, but he also has narcolepsy, a condition that gives him terrible nightmares and makes him fall asleep at the worst p...more

Hardcover, 470 pages

Published April 10th 2012 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

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Jun 29, 2012 Clare Cannon rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: 10 years+

Shelves: 08-12yrs, 13-15yrs, favorites

Perhaps even more enjoyable than the Mysterious Benedict Society; I really liked the young Nicholas Benedict and his adventures at a new orphanage. It almost felt like I was back at Hogwarts. There's something captivating about following a new kid at a big, old fashioned school that is part fascinating and part scary, part welcoming and part awe-inspiring. Add to that some down-to-earth friends, some plotting enemies, some ambiguous teachers and some mysterious predecessors (who've planted a tr...more

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Apr 19, 2012 Lynette rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anybody who has read The Mysterious Benedict Society

I cannot wait to read this book!
I LOVE The Mysterious Benedict Society, and was SOOOO psyched when I learned that a new book was coming out.

UPDATE:
Simply put, I LOVED THIS BOOK.

5 likes · like · see review

Jul 26, 2012 Veronica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: borrowed-books

Having read the Mysterious Benedict Society, I always wanted to know the background of Nicholas Benedict, the founder of the society. This book gives all that and more. Nicholas is nine and has been moving from orphanage to orphanage for years. When his guardian drops him off at the new orphanage, she warns him to be good. The problem is not that Nicholas cannot obey, but that his conditions make him easy pickings for teasing. He has narcolepsy and falls asleep at random times. He also falls asl...more

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May 12, 2013 Sitti rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict is truly extraordinary. It is much better written than 'The Benedict Society' series. The transitions in the story line are smoother and I believe it is because Stewart has one character as the focal point of the story instead of four. It doesn't feel like it's jumping whole over the place.

I find The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict much more relatable than the novels in the series. Even though it is aimed at a target audience who are...more

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Mar 06, 2013 Carissa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: juvenile, listened-to-audiobook

A well-read audiobook and an interesting prequel to the rest of the books about these characters. I find it interesting that there is NO mention of Mr. Benedict's twin (it's been awhile since I read the original trilogy. Was his twin revealed to him in book one or had he already met him?). What I did enjoy was Nicholas' (almost) unflappable optimism and ingenuity (albeit unbelievably precocious, but that's what makes us love him, right?). I also appreciate that Nicolas' realization towards the e...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Evan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict" is the fourth and final installment in Trenton Lee Stewart's the Mysterious Benedict Society series. The book is a prequel about Mr. Benedict troubled childhood. As a child, Nicholas Benedict was very smart, able to memorize anything he read. He loves to read, but unfortunately has a disease called narcolepsy. Furthermore, he is an orphan , and since his last orphanage, Littleview, closed, he gets transferred to a different orphanage near the to...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Cleo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned-books

You may have heard of The Mysterious Benedict Society, a book which I love (as well as the two series.) But before the Mysterious Benedict Society, there was a boy named Nicholas Benedict. This book is about his childhood, and it is a great story on its own, though it also provides some insight into Mr. Benedict in the other series. Trenton Lee Stewart has a very distinctive writing style, which was apparent in this book as well. Nicholas, a nine-year-old orphan, gets sent to a new orphanage, ju...more

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Nov 30, 2012 Karen Yingling rated it 3 of 5 stars

Nine-year-old orphan Nicholas is taken to the orphange at Rothschild's End and put in the care of Mr. Collum. Since Nicholas has narcolepsy triggered by excitement or stress and can fall asleep suddenly as well as nightmares that make him scream, Mr. Collum assigns him to a small, windowless room by himself where he is locked in at night. Things get even worse-- bullies called Spiders are constantly making his life difficult, and life at the orphanage is bleak. He does make a friend in John, and...more

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Sep 27, 2012 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-boys-favorites

I met Trenton Lee Stewart after a concert in central Arkansas several years ago. It was a funny experience because I had not read much of the Mysterious Benedict Society (if any of it) and I knew he was famous for it but couldn't think of anything to say to him. I wanted to smack my forehead afterward because it was silly to have a chance to rub shoulders with a literary celebrity but waste the opportunity by several moments of silence.

Anyway. I read the MBS series and thought they were good. A...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Mjohnson rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dear, dear Mr. Benedict. Such an extraordinary man with extraordinary insight (not just intelligence, but understanding!) MUST have had an extraordinary education. And here, at Rothchilds' End, that we discover young Nicholas fighting to survive not just his circumstances and health issues, but also bullies and friends and harried, clueless adults. And yet not all adults are typecast. Through this story (and each moment of the story is...forgive me for saying it again...extraordinary) we make ou...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Betty-Ann rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

I read the first of the Mysterious Benedict Society books last year with a book group I had with some fourth grade boys. Best book club I ever did! Picture this – 12 bouncy, loud, excited boys stampeding into the library, grabbing their book, and becoming completely absorbed in the story. For 30 minutes they read, without any prompting or reminding on my part. You truly could hear a pin drop! We all loved the mystery, trying to figure out the clues. I have not read the other two in the series bu...more I read the first of the Mysterious Benedict Society books last year with a book group I had with some fourth grade boys. Best book club I ever did! Picture this – 12 bouncy, loud, excited boys stampeding into the library, grabbing their book, and becoming completely absorbed in the story. For 30 minutes they read, without any prompting or reminding on my part. You truly could hear a pin drop! We all loved the mystery, trying to figure out the clues. I have not read the other two in the series but when I saw this prequel, I had to pick it up.
The beginning of the story reminds me of a Charles Dickens tale: an orphaned young boy on his way to a new orphanage, no friends or family, on a cold and rainy night arriving by train to a deserted train station. Don’t know how much more gloom you can have in a story! But Nicholas Benedict has something that not everyone has: a brilliant mind. Unfortunately, he suffers from narcolepsy, a condition that causes him to fall asleep anywhere and anytime, often with horrible nightmares.
When he arrives at this new orphanage, he meets bullies (called the Spiders), overworked staff, tired children and in general, an organization that does not run well and has few resources. These are all things, unfortunately, he has encountered before in his short 9 year life. But he also uncovers a mystery with the reward of a “great treasure”. With this great treasure, he will be able to be free from orphanages, go to the best schools, and take care of himself. So he starts the search. However, he needs to be careful because the director of the orphanage is also looking for this treasure.
I won’t spoil the ending because I want you all to enjoy this book as much as I did. Nicholas does find his treasure but it is not what he expects. He discovers that life can be good, filled with loyal friends, kind and caring adults and a future that is bright. You do not need to have read the other Mysterious Society books as this one does stand on its own.
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Jun 18, 2012 Allison Campbell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

THE EXTRAORDINARY OF NICHOLAS BENEDICT by Trenton Lee Stewart makes a compelling stand-alone novel, but for readers of THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY and its sequels, this prequel is a real treat. We meet Nicholas at the age of nine, when he is already an old pro at adjusting to life in a new orphanage, as his narcolepsy and night terrors tax an institution's patience. He joins 'Child's End, ruled by a pack of bullies called the Spiders, and makes a single friend, John. He is locked in his room...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Sweet on Books rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: independent-reader-jr, melissa-g

Fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society will be thrilled with this prequel which offers some insight into how Nicholas Benedict became the leader of a secret society of talented, "brainiacs". At the age of nine, having never known his parents, Nicholas is a veteran of orphanage life. Although he is extraordinarily smart, has a photographic memory and a quick wit, life hasn't been easy for Nicholas. He's moved a lot, has had no positive role models, and because of his "sleeping problem", which in...more Fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society will be thrilled with this prequel which offers some insight into how Nicholas Benedict became the leader of a secret society of talented, "brainiacs". At the age of nine, having never known his parents, Nicholas is a veteran of orphanage life. Although he is extraordinarily smart, has a photographic memory and a quick wit, life hasn't been easy for Nicholas. He's moved a lot, has had no positive role models, and because of his "sleeping problem", which includes bouts of narcolepsy and vivid nightmares, he is often the target of bullies. Despite his past experiences, when he arrives in Pebbleton to meet Mr. Collum, the Director of his latest orphanage called Rothschild's End, he is filled with hope that this place will be different. Sadly, those high hopes don't last for long.

Mr. Collum is strict and unsympathetic, the bullies, known as the Spiders, are as tough as any he has dealt with over the years, the other children ignore him, and Nicholas is forced to spend his nights in a locked room with no windows or lights. As awful as all that sounds, life at Rothschild's End would have been even worse if Nicholas had not been so successful at finding clever ways out of sticky situations. He makes his own key, sneaks a light bulb into his room, and uses his head to stay one step ahead of the Spiders. His optimism returns when he discovers a library to explore, a mystery to solve, and two unexpected friends to share his secrets.

John, whose parents recently passed away, is a kind-hearted, thoughtful boy whose face is marred by chicken pox scars. He is the only one in the orphanage brave enough to talk to Nicholas after the Spiders attempt to make him an outcast. Violet, a deaf mute, is the daughter of a local farmer. She's an incredibly talented artist whose dreams of going to art school are shattered by a disreputable drilling company that destroyed her parents' land. Together, this flawed but talented trio attempts to find a treasure that was supposedly hidden somewhere on the estate grounds of the orphanage. In the process, the three get to know each other, sharing their hopes and dreams and their ideas about where the treasure might be hidden.

In the same detailed fashion that he employs in his previous books, Trenton Lee Stewart, painstakingly develops his characters and builds his plot. When readers first meet Nicholas, it is obvious that he is very intelligent, but as his chaperone wonders how "the boy could seem to know so much and yet so little", it is clear that he still has much to learn. Yes, Nicholas can outsmart the bullies, repair just about anything and solve mysteries that have proven too hard for most adults, but he's still missing something. With the help of supportive friends, the unexpected kindness of a stranger and a great deal of thought and introspection, Nicholas realizes that "the best way to help myself is to help the people I care about." He looks beyond his own needs to the greater purpose of helping others and shows signs of the type of leadership that it takes to start your own secret society and one day save the world from disaster!(less)

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Apr 25, 2012 Charlotte rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

Long before all the exciting events chronicled in The Mysterious Benedict Society and its sequels, Nicholas Benedict was a young orphan, friendless and plagued by narcolepsy (and cursed with an unfortunately large nose). At the age of nine, he was shuttled off to a new orphanage, in an old manor house off in the country. But it was no idyllic rural retreat--faced with vicious bullies, selfish and shortsighted adults, and haunted by nightmares, Nicholas is at first despondent. Fortunately for Nic...more Long before all the exciting events chronicled in The Mysterious Benedict Society and its sequels, Nicholas Benedict was a young orphan, friendless and plagued by narcolepsy (and cursed with an unfortunately large nose). At the age of nine, he was shuttled off to a new orphanage, in an old manor house off in the country. But it was no idyllic rural retreat--faced with vicious bullies, selfish and shortsighted adults, and haunted by nightmares, Nicholas is at first despondent. Fortunately for Nicholas, though, he's a genius....

And when he learns that there is a treasure hidden somewhere on the estate (one the master of the orphanage is also desperate to find), he bends all the powers of his intellect to finding it (except, of course, those powers of intellect he needs to stay one step ahead of the bullies). With the help of two new friends, a fellow orphan and the daughter of a local farmer (whom he meets in mysterious circumstances), Nicholas searches for clues to the treasure's whereabouts. He dreams that it will be a deus ex machina that will solve all his problems...and maybe it will be. Or not.

Far removed from the international high-jinks and dangers that await Nicholas in the future, this story is more domestic--the stage is smaller, the dangers less dramatic. Those, like me, who relish a good plucky orphan tale (that includes a basement stuffed with discarded odds and ends and a lovely library) will enjoy it even more than the later books! Those who enjoyed the puzzles and good hearted characters of those books will find those things here as well.

It is in large part a very satisfying character study of Nicholas--precocious, a tad selfish, and desperate for friends. Those looking for Action and Villains might be disappointed--the mystery here is a paper chase, involving understanding the characters from the people from past who were involved as much as anything else. I myself was not disappointed, enjoyed it immensely, and am looking forward to re-reading the previous books in the series with new insight into Nicholas.
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Apr 24, 2012 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't know what it is about these Benedict books, but they make me feel like a kid again more than any other children's books I've read as an adult. I get wrapped up in them the same way I used to with my favorites back in elementary school. It's a really nice place to visit.

That said, as much as I enjoyed learning Nicholas Benedict's early history, this book flagged so much in the middle third that I almost gave it up. I skimmed a lot because I didn't feel the clues were building fast enough...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Brenda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Nine-year old Nicholas Benedict is a force to be reckoned with. Coming to Child's End, or the Manor, opens up a whole new world for Nicholas. Of course there are "The Spiders" to deal with and the rules to follow and the chores to do, but there are also one or two friendships to be made and a real mystery to be solved. Somewhere in the Manor is the lost inheritance of the late Mrs. Rothchild - it is said to be a vast treasure and Nicholas is sure he will be able to find it. He knows if he can se...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Peg rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, kids_fiction, for-fun, humor, mystery

Nine-year-old Nicholas Benedict is sent to yet another orphanage, Rothschild’s End. He is an extraordinarily intelligent lad, with a photographic memory, mechanical skills, and logical thinking. He is also slightly small for his age, sports a larger-than-usual lumpy nose, and suffers from narcolepsy. Not surprisingly, he becomes a target for the trio of bullies called the Spiders, who rule, undeterred by unsuspecting staff, over all the children at the orphanage. In fact, the small staff is rath...more Nine-year-old Nicholas Benedict is sent to yet another orphanage, Rothschild’s End. He is an extraordinarily intelligent lad, with a photographic memory, mechanical skills, and logical thinking. He is also slightly small for his age, sports a larger-than-usual lumpy nose, and suffers from narcolepsy. Not surprisingly, he becomes a target for the trio of bullies called the Spiders, who rule, undeterred by unsuspecting staff, over all the children at the orphanage. In fact, the small staff is rather inept and unaware, with the director’s attention and efforts directed toward recovering from the near financial ruin caused by his predecessor. Nicholas is housed away from the other children, locked in a storeroom upstairs so his screams and night terrors do not disturb the others. During his first night there, he exhibits his uncanny ability to think on his feet, outwit others, and cleverly gains the freedom to come and go around the orphanage as he pleases. During one of his nocturnal roamings he learns of a missing treasure connected to the benefactors of the orphanage and sets his mind to solving the mystery and acquiring the treasure before Mr. Collum, the director. He is helped by John, the only orphan who befriends him, and a deaf girl who lives on a nearby farm. They encounter one conundrum after another, but Nicholas perseveres, discovering much about himself and the life he wants to live, as he fashions solution after solution. Like the Mysterious Benedict Society books, the story progresses slowly and thoughtfully with a great amount of detail. Tension builds as Nicholas schemes to evade the Spiders and Mr. Collum and to unravel the clues about the treasure. Nicholas is a fascinating character, likable and sympathetic, and readers who know the previous books will enjoy this opportunity to meet Mr. Benedict as a child. The length and detail might deter those who do not know the series, but they will be well rewarded if they stick with it. (less)

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May 13, 2012 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kids-ya, library-books

I didn't even know there was a prequel to the Mysterious Benedict Society books, until I happened to be looking at books in Target while waiting for my boyfriend to finish his shopping. Clearly, once I knew about it, I had to read it: I really liked the rest of the books in the series, which feature the exploits and adventures of four very smart orphans. This book is about the childhood of Nicholas Benedict, whose adulthood we see in the other books: he brings the orphans together, and we know h...more I didn't even know there was a prequel to the Mysterious Benedict Society books, until I happened to be looking at books in Target while waiting for my boyfriend to finish his shopping. Clearly, once I knew about it, I had to read it: I really liked the rest of the books in the series, which feature the exploits and adventures of four very smart orphans. This book is about the childhood of Nicholas Benedict, whose adulthood we see in the other books: he brings the orphans together, and we know he was an orphan himself. but here we actually get to see a formative episode of his life. At the start of the book, Nicholas, age 9, is headed to the latest in a string of orphanages: his parents died when he was just a baby, and he's lived in orphanages ever since. Nicholas is incredibly smart, incredibly observant, and has an unfortunately large nose and narcolepsy, which means he tends to get picked on by other kids. The new orphanage, known as the Manor, is actually called "Rothschild's End—or 'Child's End, as it is often abbreviated"—which should give you a taste of this book's variety of humor (4). 'Child's End has money woes, strict but fair staff, and three nasty bullies called the Spiders; it also has, supposedly, a hidden treasure—the inheritance of Mrs. Rothschild, the wife of the Manor's former owner. Nicholas learns about the treasure, realizes that the orphanage's director is trying to find it, and sets out to find it first himself: in the course of trying to do so, he learns more about himself and other people than he would have expected, and it's sweet to watch Nicholas learn about generosity, about using his intelligence to benefit others as well as himself. (That sounds more smarmy than it comes across in the book, I think.) The book really picked up for me about halfway through, as Nicholas makes friends and the story becomes about the friends as a group, rather than just Nicholas by himself: the way Stewart depicts friendships and group dynamics are a big part of the appeal of the rest of the series, and I liked when that same kind of energy came into play in this book. I probably would have appreciated this book more if I'd re-read the rest of the series first: I read the other books in 2007, 2008, and 2009, and I'm sure I missed things in this book because it's been so long. (For example: this review points out that this book shows the origin of the grown-up Mr. Benedict's "passion for green plaid"—oh! Totally! How did I not think of that?)
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Jul 02, 2012 Tia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: summer-reading, 11th-grade

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 01, 2012 Megan Kirby rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love that Trenton Lee Stewart writes smart, complicated kid's books, but it's getting awkward to have to sneak onto the children's library floor each time he releases a new Benedict Society book. Extraordinary Education was so good, though, that it was totally worth the skeptical looks the librarians gave me when I clomped through reading time in my Doc Martens.

This is the prequel to The Mysterious Benedict Society trilogy, which I tore through last summer. Stewart reinvigorates a fairly stan...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Meredith Buchanan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I just finished all of the ‘Mysterious Benedict Society’ books, and that includes the prequel, which we shall be discussing this evening: The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict.

I am such a big fan of prequels. There are few things sweeter than being woken out of the post-series-finishing blues by the announcement of another installment somehow (no matter how distantly) related to your favorite characters. I really wish JK Rowling would get with the program already.

You may have noticed...more

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May 02, 2013 Briana rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review was also posted at Pages Unbound Book Reviews.

The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict is a great follow-up novel (in terms of writing order; this is a prequel!) to Trenton Lee Stewart’s Mysterious Benedict Society series. The tone is fun, quirky, and clever—a perfect light read that will both entertain and challenge the mind. This book features a single mystery, that of a hidden treasure, rather than a series of puzzles, but there are just enough clues to encourage readers t...more This review was also posted at Pages Unbound Book Reviews.

The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict is a great follow-up novel (in terms of writing order; this is a prequel!) to Trenton Lee Stewart’s Mysterious Benedict Society series. The tone is fun, quirky, and clever—a perfect light read that will both entertain and challenge the mind. This book features a single mystery, that of a hidden treasure, rather than a series of puzzles, but there are just enough clues to encourage readers to try to solve it along with Nicholas. The solution was fairly obvious to me from the start, but younger readers (the intended audience) will probably find it right on their level, challenging enough to be worth their effort but not so much it becomes frustrating.

The book is thicker than many middle grade novels, but the pace moves along steadily. There is lots of action, and a few scenes that are laugh out loud funny, with a bit of character development thrown in on the side. The orphaned Nicholas, used to knowing selfish adults and bullying children, must decide if there are people in the world worthy of his trust. He also must decide what his priorities are. If he finds the treasure, will he keep it for himself, help just a few friends, or find it in himself to become more generous? As you might be gathering, there is also a sprinkling of life lessons in this text, but good ones—optimistic and never preachy.

There are a few tie-ins to the Mysterious Benedict Society that readers of the series will delight in recognizing—things about his past and his character that Mr. Benedict mentions in the series. Stewart is not quite as self-referential as I was expecting, however. This book also does not reach quite the level of suspense as the other three. Many times I was anticipating something to go horribly wrong that never did. Middle grade books don’t have to be dark, but readers could handle a little more danger than Stewart seems to be giving them credit for.

This is a great addition to the series that no Mysterious Benedict fan will want to miss. Nicholas himself is charming, precocious, and fascinating, and it is clear how such an extraordinary education leads him to do further extraordinary things. (Note: This will also read as a great introduction to the series, for those who did not read The Mysterious Benedict Society first. Either order of reading will work!)(less)

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May 19, 2012 Charlyn Trussell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Grades 5 up

Shelves: adventure, bullying, fiction, friendship, mystery, orphans, series, strong-male-character

This prequel to the other books of the Mysterious Benedict Society series is a good read whether or not one has already been introduced to Nicholas Benedict in the other books. He is a rather pathetic child--an orphan with a long nose, he suffers from narcolepsy and horrid nightmares and now he's being sent to yet another orphanage. And it's not a cheery place. In spite of its dreariness, Nicholas manages to make a friend and to find a mystery to solve. His intellect and photographic memory prov...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Bayla rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: marvelous-middle-grade

Great middle grade book. Highly recommended for both those who've read The Mysterious Benedict Societyand those who haven't yet (notice I said yet -- if this is you, go out to the library or a bookstore and get it now. Yes, this means you). I love Mr. Benedict -- and geniuses in general, I mean, who doesn't get a kick out of things like a nine year old repeating whole passages of a book he's just read once by heart, or fixing a phonograph so that when you pedal a bicycle, it plays music? I mean,...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Cliff rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

This prequel to the Mysterious Benedict Society trilogy stands out, much as the original books did, for being both exceedingly clever and surprising to the reader. Even when I thought I had sussed out how Mr. Stewart planned to resolve the storylines he had put into place, I did not come up with as elegant a solution he had planned out. In the end, the book is just as entertaining as the trilogy and still managing to teach a worthwhile lesson to the child who may be reading it.

I do question whet...more

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Oct 16, 2012 Vivienne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book really portrayed Nicholas well. I never thought he was dull, or not brave, but I could always see the vulnerability in him. Being nine years old, he's already extremely intelligent, and he acts like it, but it shines that he's just a little kid when he doesn't understand all these social interactions around him. I can see Nicholas Benedict the younger growing up to be that kind, jolly, Santa-looking figure (in green plaid).

I like how Trenton Lee Stewart writes his stories--they're adve...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Vivien Sarabillo rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: praise-the-authors-of-these-books

I JUST CAN'T.

This book. OMG.

1.) Mr. Trenton Lee Stewart you are...... Words are not enough to describe how sensational you are.
2.) Eidetic Memory? COOL.
3.) Having an Eidetic Memory at such a young age? ANSHDJSKSHDSNDKSDUDNSUPERCOOL.

*****

The Mysterious Benedict Society Series was just amazing. And I guess Mr. T.L.S did a superb job in writing this book that it surpassed the cleverness and exquisiteness of the MBS series. Even though the plot was somewhat similar with the books about Reynie, Sti...more

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May 09, 2012 Flora Bateman rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery, middle-grade-age

This was my introduction to the Mysterious Benedict Society and I must say that I'm hooked. I shall definitely seek out more of these books.

Nicholas Benedict is an orphan with more problems than most. He suffers from narcolepsy and he's a genious. In the begining of the story he comes to Child's End from another orphanage, he's been in orphanages most of his life, and here he finds a mystery. Nicholas soon discovers that there is a treasure to be found that was hidden by the previous owners of...more

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May 28, 2012 skokiesam rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Love, love, love this books. If you have never delved into the world of the Mysterious Benedict Society, this book is a lovely introduction. The page count is a little daunting at first, i suppose, if you're a middle-grade reader or a reluctant reader, but it really isn't. The story is engaging, and Nicholas Benedict is a character you'll want to introduce yourself to. What I like most about Stewart's writing is that every word he writes is careful, purposeful. Everything he commits to paper is...more

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Mar 10, 2013 Christie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Read the prequel first?	5	52	Nov 06, 2012 01:19pm
E.P.I.C. Quiz Group	1	7	Oct 09, 2012 03:33pm
The Last Book...: did you two read the mysterious benedict society books?if so what did you think of the extraordinary education of nicholas benedict?not sure if it's the LAST book,but it's the last one that was written so far! :-)	4	5	Sep 05, 2012 07:06pm

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About Trenton Lee Stewart

Trenton Lee Stewart is the author of the award-winning, bestselling Mysterious Benedict Society series for young readers, as well the adult novel Flood Summer. He lives with his family in Little Rock, Arkansas.

More about Trenton Lee Stewart...

Books by Trenton Lee Stewart

The Mysterious Benedict Society (The Mysterious Benedict Society, #1)

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey (The Mysterious Benedict Society, #2)

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma (The Mysterious Benedict Society, #3)

The Mysterious Benedict Society Collection (The Mysterious Benedict Society, #1-3)

The Mysterious Benedict Society: Mr. Benedict's Book of Perplexing Puzzles, Elusive Enigmas, and Curious Conundrums

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“Nicholas Benedict did have an exceptional gift for knowing things (more exceptional, in fact, than most adults would have thought possible), and yet not even he could know that this next chapter was to be the most unusual-and most important-of his entire childhood. Indeed, the strange days that lay ahead would change him forever, though for now they had less substance than the mist through which he ran.” — 7 people liked it

“No sooner had he thought this than he realized what was anchoring his happiness. It was purpose. He knew what he wanted to do. He knew the way he thought things should be, and Mr. Harinton was proving that other people--even adults--could feel the same way. Nicholas had something to aim for now. He might not know what he wanted to be when he grew up, but he knew with absolute certainty how he wanted to be.” — 4 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=http://gr-assets.com/book/show/12902884-the-extraordinary-education-of-nicholas-benedict?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1331362608l/12902884.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://gr-assets.com/book/show/12902884-the-extraordinary-education-of-nicholas-benedict?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict by Trenton Lee Stewart[/url]

The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict (The Mysterious Benedict Society 0.5)

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