The Mysterious Benedict Society (The Mysterious Benedict Society, 1) - Softcover

Stewart, Trenton Lee

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0316003956 ISBN 13: 9780316003957

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2008

For fans of Lemony Snicket and Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library, this first book in the bestselling, award-winning Mysterious Benedict Society Series is not to be missed!
"Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?" Dozens of children respond to this peculiar ad in the newspaper and are then put through a series of mind-bending tests, which readers take along with them. Only four children--two boys and two girls--succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and inventive children could complete. To accomplish it they will have to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules. But what they'll find in the hidden underground tunnels of the school is more than your average school supplies. So, if you're gifted, creative, or happen to know Morse Code, they could probably use your help.

Review:

Author Interview: Trenton Lee Stewart Interviews Mr. Benedict

Trenton Lee Stewart, author of The Mysterious Benedict Society series, recently sat down with Mr. Nicholas Benedict, the esteemed scientist and intelligence expert, to discuss his new books.

Trenton Lee Stewart: Welcome, Mr. Benedict!

Mr. Benedict: Thank you indeed. Now, why don't we begin with your interest in riddles?

Stewart: My interest? Um, well ... I suppose I've always been drawn to constructive trickery. Riddles, jokes, stories--all these things depend on deception and surprise, yet they also depend on a shared understanding with the audience. Riddles are meant to be solved, just as stories and jokes are meant to be heard. So the successful ones are a sort of collaboration between--sorry, am I going on too long?

Mr. Benedict: [closing his pocket watch] Not at all. Please continue.

Stewart: Let me back up. As a child, I adored a chapter in The Hobbit called "Riddles in the Dark," in which the hero's life depends upon winning a riddle contest... but I feel silly telling you this, Mr. Benedict. You had to solve a real mystery as a boy--when you were a young orphan with narcolepsy, no less--and the stakes were significant. [Smiling at the reader] I give a full account of it in my next book, The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict.

Mr. Benedict: [nodding] A perfectly competent account.

Stewart: Perfectly... competent? Not... not brilliant?

Mr. Benedict: [yawning] Oh, I'm sure it is. And now, a thousand pardons, but I'm afraid I must go.

Stewart: Already? Go where?

Mr. Benedict: [eyelids drooping] To sleep.

Stewart: [catching Mr. Benedict as he slumps forward] Oh, right--the narcolepsy. I guess this, um, concludes our interview, then? Mr. Benedict? Shall I take that snore as a yes?

A Look Inside The Mysterious Benedict Society: Mr. Benedict's Book of Perplexing Puzzles, Elusive Enigmas, and Curious Conundrums
(Click on Images to Enlarge)

A special message from Mr. Benedict

An elusive enigma worthy of a Society Member

Rules of the Society and a Member Bio

Two perplexing puzzles compiled by Mr. Benedict

About the Author:

Trenton Lee Stewart is the author of the award-winning, New York Times bestselling Mysterious Benedict Society series as well as Flood Summer, a novel for adults. He lives in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Carson Ellis received her BFA from the University of Montana and has established a loyal following for her artistic collaborations with the band the Decemberists. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0316003956
• ISBN 13: 9780316003957
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 512
• Illustrator: Ellis Carson