The Mysterious Benedict Society (book)
The Mysterious Benedict Society is a novel written by Trenton Lee Stewart and illustrated by Carson Ellis, first published in 2007. It tells the story of four gifted children: Reynie Muldoon, George "Sticky" Washington, Kate Wetherall, and Constance Contraire, who form the "Mysterious Benedict Society" and are sent to investigate an institution called L.I.V.E. (the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened), run by a man named Ledroptha Curtain. The book is the first in a series that has sold over three million copies. Plot. Reynard "Reynie" Muldoon is an orphaned boy who lives in the  Stonetown Orphanage. One morning at breakfast, his tutor "Miss Perumal" notices an advertisement in the newspaper targeted towards gifted children. Reynie follows up and finds himself presented with a series of complex puzzles and odd tests. He passes all of the tests and qualifies to help Mr. Nicholas Benedict. He meets three other gifted children: George "Sticky" Washington, Kate Wetherall, and Constance Contraire. Mr. Benedict, the organizer of the tests, is assisted by his subordinates Number Two, Rhonda Kazembe, and Milligan, the secret agent that turned into a security guard for Benedict. They explain that a mysterious threat plagues the  world in the form of secret messages transmitted into people's minds via television and radio signals. These messages have created the illusion of international panic known as "The Emergency". Mr. Benedict invited the children to form a team to stop the Sender from sending them. The messages originate at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened "L.I.V.E." The children join the Institute as students (and spies), and discover astonishing facts that help them complete their mission. Critical reception. "The Mysterious Benedict Society" has received generally positive reviews. Many critics praised the enigmatic plot and puzzles included in the storyline ; journalist Michele Norris, writing for NPR, said, "Almost everything inside this book is an enigma." Additionally, the ethical decisions and moral lessons contained within the book were praised. Kirkus Reviews said that the book was "rich in moral and ethical issues." Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, wrote, "I enjoyed it very much -- great cast of characters, lots of cool puzzles and mysteries. The book made me feel nostalgic, because it reminded me of some of the better children’s books I grew up with, like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Phantom Tollbooth." Awards . "The Mysterious Benedict Society" was a New York Times bestseller in 2008 and won a 2007 Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth award, a 2008 Notable Children's Book for Middle Readers award from the American Library Association, the 2008 E.B. White Read Aloud Award for Older Readers, and a 2008 Texas Lone Star Reading List award. Sequels. Three sequels were published in 2008, 2009, and 2019: "The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey," "The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma," and "The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages." A prequel, "The Extraordinary Education of  Nicholas Benedict", was released on April 10, 2012. A supplementary book, "The Mysterious Benedict Society: Mr. Benedict's Book of Perplexing Puzzles, Elusive Enigmas, and Curious Conundrums", was also released.