MBS & the Prisoner’s Dilemma

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart is the third book about a group of four extraordinarily gifted and adventurous children who call themselves the Mysterious Benedict Society.

Since this is the third book in the series, I won’t say much here about the plot. I’ve enjoyed all three books, and while the first will always be my favorite, I think Prisoner’s Dilemma is the second best. I enjoyed that they were back home at Mr. Benedict’s mansion for most of this one, and the action built up nicely.

The MBS books in general are fabulous – they have it all: great characters, illustrations that are a bit Gorey-esque, a formidable group of bad guys, logic puzzles, brain teasers, and pie.

This series is outstanding, and is a perfect gift for kids (boys or girls) from about 5th grade through 9th. It’s also a series that adults who enjoy YA & kid’s novels will love too; my mom and many of my friends have read and loved them.

For anyone wanting to give this series a try, I recommend starting with the first book, The Mysterious Benedict Society, which is available in paperback from The Book Depository for only $3.49.

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The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey

Trenton Lee Stewart

This weekend I finished The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey, the sequel to The Mysterious Benedict Society that came out last year.

Perilous Journey is much more action packed than the first book. I guess that’s what happens after your enemies know you. You get chased while you’re trying to do the chasing. Very intense. I had to read a few pages of a different book before going to bed because I was afraid I would have crazy dreams.

But it’s the good kind of intense. It’s exciting, and the puzzles and clues keep you on your toes. The four children are learning more about their own gifts. As in the first book, it’s amusing to see how each problem is solved with a combination of their extraordinary gifts. Constance is my favorite of the four in this book.

I recommend this duo, for young adult readers and for adults. Definitely start with the first one.

The Mysterious Benedict Society also has a great website.

(This post was brought over from emilyw.vox.com. Click here for the original post and comments.)