The Mysterious Benedict Society

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I have been reading this at the local library. Though I have only read about 35 pages, it has been very entertaining. and although, one would sometimes be discouraged by the size of the book, it is a quick read.

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The Mysterious Benedict Society

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... which hasn't happened since the Harry Potter series. So I read and enjoyed it! It's an adventure story, with clues uncovered, puzzles to solve, and danger. My son compared both the plot and the characters to Madeleine L'Engle's "Wrinkle in Time". I agree, although its plot isn't quite as... transcendental. My immediate response to the book was an appreciation for its definition of "genius". At the start of the story, our main character, an 11-year-old orphan boy who is ostracized by classmates because of his obvious intelligence, is being tested along with other kids in a search for children of exceptional brightness. Creatively unfolding for us, as we join the main character in his testing and as we meet those others who have passed, is that genius will be represented quite differently in each child. We end up with a team of four children who join a team of three adults, one of them is Mr. Benedict, so wildly described as to remind me of Roald Dahl, and whose most important trait is their strength of character. It is up to these children to stop the bad guy who has been sending subliminal messages (through television) and plans to make himself M.A.S.T.E.R. (Minister and Secretary of All the Earth's Regions)!

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