The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart is a great, action-packed novel for middle school kids (it’s approximately the same reading level as Harry Potter). I was practically giddy with excitement over how much I loved the premise:"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-Reynie, Kate, Sticky, and Constance-succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and inventive children could complete."For the first hundred pages or so of this 486-page book, I didn’t want to put the book down. I loved the mysterious puzzles and test questions used to find the four special kids for the mission. It was the perfect setup for a feel-good mysterious adventure that would, in time, reveal the genius behind what special talents each child had.
After the initial thrill wore off, though, it seemed to take a very long time for things to really happen. There was so much exposition involved, and the details of the evil plot revealed in such small increments, that I felt like I had been reading the book forever. And in the end, the actual mission seemed just too convoluted; it had crossed my suspension of belief threshold. It made the climax of the book, where the children defeat the bad guy, less powerful than it should have been. It made the happy ending less believable—too pat—as well.
Despite this criticism, I did enjoy the book a lot and definitely believe that ten- or eleven- year olds would drink this book right up. It’s full of puzzles, intrigue, evil plots, bullies, sinister institutions, action, humor, and warmth. The characters are great fun, and so is the adventure. One of the wonderful things about the four kids is that they each have their strengths, but understand that they must work as a team in order to succeed. I like that each has a particular type of intelligence that is unique, and all have the moral and mental fortitude to be a contributing member to the team, even if they may not always be at their best. Each child has an opportunity to be the strong one, or the smart one, depending on the situation and task at hand. And there are many.
The Mysterious Benedict Society should be in the stores in March of 2007. I’m a bit early with the review, but I just finished reading the ARC this afternoon and wanted to talk about it. Hopefully, this book will get the press it deserves when it is released and you’ll be reminded again of how fun it is, and that maybe you know just the right fifth grader who loves a good adventure.
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
posted by Renee at 10:24 PM
feed me
1 Comments:
I just read it today. I really enjoyed it. It is long, but it's a gripper. He does a good job building up tension so I too couldn't put it down. Too hard for my 3rd graders, but might be good for a read aloud with mom and dad. The whole running theme of belonging, teamwork, importance of family and such will hopefully spark some good discussions.
Post a Comment
<< Home