Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Recommended Resources Book: "Mysterious Benedict Society"?

Has anyone read this?

http://www.amazon.com/Mysterious-Be...t/dp/0316003956/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

It caught ds6's attention like no book has (other than non-fiction weather books, LOL) in a really long time. The first chapter had him on the edge of his seat. It's about a HG+ 11yo, and the first chapter had enough "identifiable" points for ds, and enough action, to get him hooked.

I was surprised when he brought it out of his room for a bedtime story last night -- I bought it from a book order a few weeks ago, having heard it mentioned somewhere -- and so I haven't had a chance to pre-read it yet. Is there anything inappropriate for a 6yo?

I think it's a smidge above his independent reading level, so we're doing it as a read-aloud, though that didn't stop him from taking it to bed and reading through the next 4 chapters! I don't know if he caught everything, though, so we're reading all of it together.

Anyway, seems like a fun book so far!

Wow. That looks like a really nice book.

JB

I'm going to order it for my Kindle so DS will have something to read. Thanks for the tip!

What a coincidence! I just placed an order for this earlier today, and was going to do a search to see if this book and its sequel were mentioned on the forum. It looks like a great premise.

Thks for the recommendation. Just found out that it is available in the school library. Will be checking it out soon.

I didn't see it on the forum, which surprised me! I'm glad people are happy with the recommendation.

And maybe someone has read the whole thing already ...?

My son and daughter read the first book when it came out. DD loved it (she might have been 6 or 7?) and DS (at ten?) just thought it was ok. DD loved the sequel as well, which she read this past Spring.

I read the first book also, and though it was imaginative, I felt the middle dragged a bit and the ending revealed something that I found ridiculous.

We read the first book as a bedtime story, both DS6 and DS4 *LOVED* it! It is a bit fantastical, but it's a kids book and my boys are both still young enough to accept crazy twists at face value. I read the 2nd book right after I read the first one and thought it was a nice book, not quite as well written as the first and a bit more intense, but nothing that would preclude recommending it. I think the books are definitely for younger GTs though, the twists are just too hard to believe for most of the older kids.

There's also a website with some games on it, though DS6 didn't really get into it.
http://www.hachettebookgroupusa.com/features/mysteriousbenedict/content/index.asp

I'm a bit late to this....

I checked out an audio version of this book early this year or late last year. My oldest was 5 then. She really enjoyed it, but we didn't get a chance to listen to the whole thing, b/c we started listening to it just a few days before I had to 'return' it.

Anyway, I didn't see anything 'bad' at the time with it.
Tammy

Thanks! We're somewhere around Chapter 6 now (since they're not numbered, I forget!) and he's still loving it. We'll have to check out the games, MaM -- thanks!