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Sep 30, 2010

Elizabeth rated it:

How do librarians decide what children's book they want to read next? Well, there are professional reviews, online reviews, and good old-fashioned word of mouth. And when it came to "The Mysterious Benedict Society", I picked up this 486-page tome, turned it about, and then needed a quickie confirmation from somebody as to whether or not I should shell out a significant portion of time to read this puppy. As it happened, a librarian I knew and trusted assured me that it wasn't all that More...

6 comments like (44 people liked it)

Sep 18, 2011

Stephen rated it:

I appreciated this book at 500 pages, but would've been REALLY fond of it at only 250. Remove some plod-along-ploddy sections and tighten up a few narrative side tracks and I think you have yourself a big winner for both YA's and those YA at heart.

Ignoring the size for a moment (yes, yes, it matters and we will return to it)...this is charming, smart, well-written story that had me thinking Dickens for Kids based on its engaging yet restrained prose style. It has that cozy feel of w More...

10 comments like (38 people liked it)

Dec 22, 2007

Ann rated it:

What a delightful story! It was very difficult to choose a shelf for this book - it's not truly fantasy, but its not just adventure or mystery either. Perhaps a little Sci-Fi more than fantasy? Well, anyway, it was a wonderful book about four children who agree to help save the world. It sounds a little over-done, I know, but it’s really quite sweet and charming. Well-written and with loveable characters and a kindness throughout the book I was enthralled from the first page.
The boo More...

6 comments like (15 people liked it)

Apr 04, 2008

Marya rated it:

In the Mysterious Benedict Society, four children with four different problem solving skill sets come together to solve a mystery. Those four children consist of the reader, who has the amazing ability to memorize things; the engineer, who has the amazing ability to create anything to solve the task at hand from materials she carries with her; the baby, whose chief attribute is to be unpredictable and not listen to the rules much less follow them; and the professional puzzle solver, who looks at More...

6 comments like (9 people liked it)

Aug 10, 2008

Gregory rated it:

"The Mysterious Benedict Society" owes a large debt to Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events. It is written in the same Dickens-meets-Roald-Dahl style (although it does emphasize Dahl's whimsy over Dickens' occasional bleakness). It features an oddball cast with a broad spectrum of eccentricities and unique physical features. The plot even centers around a group of kids from orphanages attempting to foil the dastardly plans of a villain who seeks to exploit them in his mad q More...

5 comments like (11 people liked it)

Dec 23, 2007

Kathryn rated it:

I'VE FINISHED THE BOOK: My initial impressions (and review comments) were overwhelmingly enthusiastic. I admit that the second half of the book did not quite live up to my hopes/expectations but I'd still give the book four stars overall (five stars for the beginning--see comments below). I felt that the second half of the story (once the children officially embark on their mission and become The Mysterious Benedict Society) was not as captivating, mainly because I found a great deal of the c More...

6 comments like (6 people liked it)

Sep 19, 2008

Nancy rated it:

What a treat this book was to read! I thoroughly enjoyed it -- the kids were great, the villain and his heinous plot were quite terrifying, and the plot clipped right along. My one small reservation is that somehow I find I am in no rush to read the sequel -- yet this might have simply to do with the fact that the story did clearly end (unlike, say, THE HUNGER GAMES). But basically, I'd recommend MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY to anyone. I plan to give my copy to a bright 11-year old girl I know. More...

8 comments like (10 people liked it)

Feb 27, 2009

Alan rated it:

This is by far the best YA novel that I have read since the Harry Potter books. Characters are great, thoughtful and like nothing I have read before. Even though this book is almost 500 pages long, I have been reading it aloud to my class and they are loving it! Every day I come into class they are asking if we get to read it for the day. I can't wait to get the second one.

Enjoy!

9 comments like (12 people liked it)

Jun 16, 2011

Julie rated it:

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

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jun 22, 2009

Jennifer rated it:

Reynie, Kate, Sticky, and Constance are four very gifted children with a mission. They call themselves The Mysterious Benedict Society and together they have to infiltrate the nefarious Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened - a psuedo-school run by the evil Mr. Curtain. It's up to these four disimilar and intrepid kids to save the world and of course they are completely up to the task.

I thnk this book will have broad appeal to under-12s. The length of the book threw me off - it More...

4 comments like (4 people liked it)

Aug 02, 2008

Christy rated it:

Trenton Lee Stewart seems unafraid to pick up a few children’s lit archetypes: four remarkable and lovable children (albeit one slightly less lovable than the others), missing parental figures, the kind male guardian, the boarding house/ evil school scenario, and themes of mind control and world domination. But within the archetypes, Stewart creates his own brand of magic. One becomes fond of Reynie Muldoon’s human perception, Sticky Washington’s nervous glasses cleaning habit, Constance Contrai More...

1 comment like (6 people liked it)

Dec 11, 2008

Heather rated it:

What a fun book! A small group of very gifted children work together to save the world from evil. It's funny in all the right places, and I'm sure I detect the influence of Lemony Snicket on the narrative voice. Yes, it's long, but in a good way- this is so much fun to read that I didn't want it to end too soon. I'll be heading back to the library for the sequel soon, I think.

2 comments like (5 people liked it)

Dec 15, 2007

Jackie "the Librarian" rated it:

Four brilliant orphans are recruited by a Mr. Benedict, who needs their help to discover who is behind a plot to rule the world. The best thing about this book are the logic puzzles the kids have to solve to get invited into the Benedict Society - readers can figure out solutions at the same time the characters do. I really found myself rooting for those plucky orphans, each with their own unique personalities and skills. Go orphans! Save the world!

0 comments like (6 people liked it)

Jan 28, 2009

Kat rated it:

I kept seeing this book pop up in the bestseller list on Amazon. The title was intriguing, as was the beautiful cover art. I picked up the paperback at Target and decided to dive into this New York Times bestseller.

I've read that this book is often compared to Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, but I've never read any of those. So I had no frame of reference and no expectations when reading the book.

The Mysterious Benedict Society follows the adventures of f More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Nov 20, 2008

Alexis rated it:

I'm reading this one aloud to my boys (5 and 7) they are loving it so far. We are about 2/3 of the way through. The first half was excellent. The characters aren't as developed as I would like and the overall plot is dragging a bit right now. But the kids are still captivated. GREAT MORAL LESSONS for kids here; think honesty, good sportsmanship, and especially integrity.

Update: The boys loved it. Both boys gave the book five stars. I gave it three. It got off to a roaring st More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Mar 15, 2009

Uci rated it:

Saya paling suka bagian awal buku ini, ketika anak-anak cerdas itu harus menjawab dan memecahkan berbagai teka-teki sebelum dinyatakan lulus dan kemudian menjadi anggota Persekutuan Misterius Benedict. Tapi setelah itu pikiran saya mulai melayang ke mana-mana alias nggak fokus saat mencoba mengikuti jalan ceritanya sampai habis. Banyak penjelasan yang membingungkan tentang otak, pikiran bawah sadar dan sebagainya. Waduh, sulit banget sih misinya :P

Di tengah jalan, membaca tentang i More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Jan 13, 2010

Beckie rated it:

What a total romp of fun, mystery and adventure, one of the best kids books besides Harry Potter that I've read in a long time!

9 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jan 20, 2009

Ayu rated it:

Basically it’s about four gifted and talented children being secret agents. With the help from Mr. Benedict, a genious old man with narcolepsy, they go to an isolated island, in which a special institute is built. Then they struggle together to solve what’s actually going on in the institute. I won’t talk more about it because this will ruin the enjoyment of the reading. However, the way Stewart builds the characters is very noteworthy. No matter how extraordinary they are, these children are st More...

17 comments like (2 people liked it)

Apr 18, 2008

Laura rated it:

“Are You a Gifted Child looking for Special Opportunities?” reads the newspaper advertisement.

Reynard “Reynie” Muldoon, George “Sticky” Washington, Kate Wetherall (The Great Kate Weather Machine), Constance Contraire, and many other children answer “yes” to this ad and go to the specified location.

Once there they all embark on a series of bizarre tests from which only the four clever orphans–Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance–emerge successful. These four solve the exams More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

May 08, 2007

nicole rated it:

Having quit this book half-way through, you might think I dislike it. I don't. It's a great book, especially if you're, you know, between the ages of eight and twelve. But I'm not. So it felt pretty tedious (example: you know, how at the end of the first three Harry Potter books Dumbledore's all "here, let's take a two chapters to explain everything that just happened" and it feels kinda cheap because you're not braindead and all that? Well, like HP, this is a great story, but there's More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jun 05, 2008

sweet pea rated it:

my seven year old friend Abegale passionately loves this book. one day i said (in jest), "i've heard this book sucks" and held up this tome. her and her friend almost killed me. if they had their straight razors, i would be dead now. so, i figured i should probably read the book that almost caused my demise.

i, of course, loved it. all of the characters in this book are excellently envisioned. i love how each of the members of the Mysterious Benedict Society solve the sa More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 10, 2008

Jenn rated it:

I just finished reading this book and I enjoyed it very much. Although the book is over 485 pages long, the chapters are short, so it's easy to read several at a time. The story is quirky and strange, and filled with riddles and puzzles - very engaging!

You'll even learn a bit of Morse code while you're reading.

In a word: ..-. ..- -.!

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Jan 23, 2009

Kristen rated it:

I had higher hopes for this book, since some people were calling it the "next Harry Potter." Not so. However, it was still clever and entertaining. It's about 4 orphans who are brought together in an unusual manner to complete a top secret mission. Each child has special abilities and personalites that contribute to the overall success of their mission. I liked it enough that I will probably read the sequal. I would have enjoyed it much more if I was a 10 year old child. There ar More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Mar 18, 2009

Barbara rated it:

So I'm not 11 years old but I thought this would be sort of Harry Potterish and I wanted to read it in case a movie was made of it.

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Jul 07, 2008

Kerry rated it:

This is an inventive tale about 4 orphans who come together to assist a genius and his entourage in combating a madman who is trying to create an "EMERGENCY" for his own gains. This book has codes, mysteries, traps, a crazy tyrant in a wheelchair, and a whisperer. If you are intrigued about who the heck these orphans are or what special opportunities await them, then you should take a peek at this book. I love the work of the Illustrator as well. I think the drawings really complem More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Feb 26, 2009

Brittany rated it:

The members of the Mysterious Benedict Society have a few things in common, they’re all geniuses, they’re up to tackling the challenges Mr. Benedict throws their way, and they’re all under the age of 12! These brilliant kid-sleuths have to work together to take on the evil Mr. Curtain in order save the world.
These books have a lot of great lessons for children in them: from examples of teamwork and loyalty, to patience and forgiveness. Constance is my favorite character and is always full More...

0 comments like

Feb 12, 2009

Patricia rated it:

Ok, so I've seen reviews that say that TL Stewart misrepresents how an orphan is treated, or how an orphan feels... Waah waah waah. I don't really care about how this story represents orphans; it's fiction anyhow.

I liked the fact that the story encourages self reliance and creative thinking for kids. There's a nice irony in the double edged view of children in thsi book... first, that most adults underestimate kids and disbelieve what they say. secondly, that these four children are More...

0 comments like

Jan 06, 2009

Morgan rated it:

Ruth just got me this book, and I was very excited to read it having:
a) Heard about it from Farah who enjoyed it, and
b) Not being able to handle more than fun kids stories at the moment.
I received the book Wednesday night, started it Thursday and finished it over the nice long weekend amidst plenty of naps. It was a great read, very fun and engaging, and a sweet story to boot.

We meet with Reynie, our young hero, at his current home, an orphanage. One day, his bel More...

4 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 01, 2012

Heather rated it:

One of my sixth grade students wrote a book report on The Mysterious Benedict Society and ended by saying that she would recommend the book to . . . me! Now that I have finally read it, I would say her assessment was a good one. I enjoyed the book.

Although a few well-worn themes (teamwork is the only way to succeed, the children save the day, and Lo! what a diverse group of children they are) made the fabric of the book feel a little threadbare in places, other aspects took a coura More...

0 comments like

Jan 28, 2012

Shana rated it:

I bought this book used from Housing Works Bookstore just a few days ago. I went in to use the bathroom, and whenever I do that, I feel obligated to buy a book. It doesn't hurt that I don't need any excuses to buy books.

At any rate, I've been flirting with this book for awhile. I absolutely love The Mysteries Howling from The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series, and the thing is I'd always mistake this book for one of them from afar on the shelves. Maybe there's someth More...

0 comments like