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The Bargain Nexus - The Mysterious Benedict Society
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List Price: $17.99
Our Price: $9.03
Your Save: $ 8.96 ( 50% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Little, Brown Young Readers
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Hardcover
EAN: 9780316057776
ISBN: 0316057770
Label: Little, Brown Young Readers
Manufacturer: Little, Brown Young Readers
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 485
Publication Date: 2007-03-07
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers
Reading Level: Young Adult
Studio: Little, Brown Young Readers
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: The mysterious...
Comment: Absolutely fabulous book! Yeah!! No dragons, no blood and guts, or horrid creatures! An excellent book for all ages. Puzzles, secrets,and mysteries abound in this wonderful childrens book.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Interesting, Yet Entertaining.
Comment: I am very pleased to be working on reading the second book (The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey), and I have heard that there will be a third book coming out, and I hope this is true, as I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It tells to story of Reynard "Reynie" Muldoon, George "Sticky" Washington, Kate Wetherhall, and Constance Contraire, all four children gifted. Reynie is naturally intelligent. Sticky can read or hear anything and memorize it just as it was written or spoken. Kate has natural intelligence, and Constance... the three other children don't see much intelligence in her. She is rather small. The children had to start off by taking an "Intelligence Test" that was advertised in the newspaper, and there were many other children there. But by the time all sections of the test were complete, only the four of them were left, and they were taken to Mr. Benedict's house, where he was to meet with them. The children wondered why it had been them that were picked, since some of them were sure that they had missed at least a few questions on the test. It is revealed to them that Mr. Benedict only picked orphans, children who didn't know the location of their parents, or children that had run away from home (in Sticky's case). Mr. Benedict also reveals that he had the test held and the four children selected so they could be part of an experiment. There is an institution that is called the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened (EVIL when the initials are spelt backwards), and the institution is somewhat mysterious. Mr. Benedict decided that he would send a few children that he recruited to the Institute, and the Institute is run by Ledroptha Curtain (who is Mr. Benedict's long-lost twin brother, as revealed at the end of the book.) The children are sent to the Institute on Nomansan Island. They communicate with Mr. Benedict (who is on another island) using flashlights and Morse Code. Once they arrive, Sticky and Reynie do well on the quizzes, while Kate and Constance do horribly. The students who do the best on quizzes in consecutive weeks get promoted to Messenger, which is a position that has special privileges. The whole purpose that Mr. Benedict sent the children are to find what those privileges might be. Sticky and Reynie try to help Constance and Kate do better on their quizzes, and even go as far as cheating to help them. Soon, Sticky is caught giving answers to Constance through secret code. Sticky is then sent to "The Waiting Room", which is supposed to be a horrible place where Mr. Curtain has a talk with you, which is associated with punishment in the minds of some students. He comes back later that night covered in mud and traumatized.
This book was a great book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Plenty of mental and physical adventure to please readers of all ages
Comment: This book revolves around the trials and tribulations of four orphans who, after completing a serious of challenging and unorthodox tests, are tasked with a highly dangerous mission, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance. In order to prevail (supposing that they do indeed find themselves triumphant), they must face their greatest fears and learn to trust one another and come together as a team. Each child brings an important skill to the team (though the importance of some of these skills are not revealed until very late in the book), and it is only united that they can hope to be successful. There is plenty of action and adventure throughout the book, but for all the physical skirmishes, the book is also filled with puzzles, riddles, and mental strategizing. As such, I think it would appeal to a wide variety of children (because it is kid lit), but certainly adults as well. Strong core themes of friendship, family, bravery, truth, and intellectual freedom run throughout the novel, although the latter one might be a bit esoteric/advanced for most child readers; still, Stewart handles all of the issues in a fairly elegant way, and avoids being pedantic. I found the first part of the book where everything is shrouded in mystery stronger than the latter part of the novel, where things do lose steam a bit and the plot seems to meander.
Overall, I didn't exactly feel as though this book held the same magic of the Harry Potter books (no pun intended!) despite the comparisons, but I did enjoy it, and read it quickly (despite its length). The characters were all sympathetic, but not necessarily as well-developed or sympathetic as those in the Potter novels (for instance, Mr. Benedict, is a far cry from Albus Dumbledore). It was a solid first novel (it appears there will be a series), but everything added up to a very good, but not necessarily great, book. Perhaps subsequent books will allow for more meaningful development for all four characters. I won't be rushing out to read the next one (as I did with Chamber of Secrets, after finishing Philosopher's Stone), but I certainly intend to eventually read the next book and the next adventure.
Customer Rating:
Summary: thrilling book
Comment: This is an exciting book. Readers will want to know what will happen to Reynie when he takes the test. Will he pass? A good book for ages 10 to adult.
Customer Rating:
Summary: puzzles and characters
Comment: A friend gave these books to my 13-year-old son. This is his review:
Overall, I believe these books are a very good read. They are filled with interesting puzzles that will test your mental capabilities, and plenty of action. So, without further ado, The Mysterious Benedict society!
The first book is more of a book of puzzles than an action book. I thought the plot was interesting. It's about four children who are sent to a strange location on a secret mission.
What I like about this book is its puzzles and characters. I would definitely recommend this book to all.
The second book is more of an action book than the original. It is one of those rare sequels that are as good as the first. It's about the same four children, now sent to all sorts of places to look for their two abducted friends.
This book has many characters from its prequel, and is just as good. I recommend this book.
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Editorial Reviews:
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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.
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