The Mysterious Benedict Society

The Mysterious Benedict Society
by Trenton Lee Stewart

This is one of those books that I read and immediately wondered why it hasn't been made into a movie. Though it is a very long book (524 pages), I can't imagine why Hollywood hasn't edited it down into a fun kids movie. After all, this is a book about kids working under cover as spies to save the world from an evil genius!

Our hero in the novel is an eleven-year-old orphan named Reynie Muldoon. Reynie participates in a special test for children with special gifts, and finds out that he has been selected as a member of a The Mysterious Benedict Society. The Society is made up of four children, each selected because of his or her special gifts. Reynie is skilled in logic, and he can think outside of the box to figure his way out of any situation. Stickey Washington is a genius with a photographic memory. Kate Wetherall is my favorite: she's a tough girl who carries a bucket filled with tools that she uses, MacGyver-style, to get things done. And, finally, Constance Contraire is a tiny, stubborn girl with a set of skills that are not revealed until the end of the book.

The Mysterious Benedict Society is sent to the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, which is run by the evil, narcoleptic Ledroptha Curtain. Using logic, resourcefulness, and pure smarts they must stop Mr. Curtain from taking over the whole world using messages sent through television and radio signals. This book is perfect for upper elementary and middle school students because it is filled with puzzles and problems that readers can solve right along with the characters. The writing style and tone are similar to that of Roald Dahl, the spy action is reminiscent of the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz, and kids who like the art puzzles in Blue Balliet's books Chasing Vermeer, The Wright 3, and The Calder Game will love the puzzles in this book. The Mysterious Benedict Society is highly recommended, and we are fortunate to have five copies of this book on the shelf because it is a Battle of the Books title for this year. Check it out today @ your library!

Retro Book of the Week: The Silver Kiss

The Silver Kiss
by Annette Curtis Klause

This book, published in 1990, is the Twilight of the early 1990's. Zoe, a lost and lonely teenager, has a mother who is dying from cancer. Home alone while her parents are at hospital, Zoe wanders around town and meets Simon. Simon is a vampire, and Zoe is intrigued by him as she persues a relationship with the mysterious, silver-haired boy. This is a vampire novel with substance, and it is far more than a romance novel. It is a beautifully written novel about life and death with well-developed characters, and it is well worth a read for both regular vampire-fanatics and those that may be critical of the genre.

The Silver Kiss was moderately popular in the early nineties, but has experienced a second wave of popularity with the Twilight-infused vampire craze of the past few years. The original cover feels more true to the story -- -soft and romantic, but also quite sad. However, the most recent cover was released to grab the attention of Twilight fans with the red, black, and white color scheme. If you aren interested in this retro book, we still have it on the shelf! Check it out today @your library.

[Retro Book of the Week celebrates the oldies-but-goodies in our media center. Books with faded covers can still have modern appeal! Sometimes I just want to celebrate the books that have influenced YA literature and my literary past, and sometimes I want to give new life to timeless classics. These features will be heavy on books from the 80's and 90's.]

The Third Eye by Lois Duncan

I decided to read this book over the weekend, mostly because we do have a class set of it here in the media center and I have always liked Lois Duncan books. Lois Duncan writes suspense novels for young adults, and this book was full of suspense!

The story centers around Karen, a high school senior who has visions she doesn't understand. Karen loves children. She earns money by babysitting and working at a local daycare center. However, her visions are always about children. Trapped children, drowning children...and missing children. Can Karen use her visions to help these children, or is it all too much for her to bear?

If you like a story with suspense and mystery, this is the story for you. Of course, there is a little bit of romance as well. I found this book to be a quick read -- once I started, I couldn't put it down! I give it four stars.