Another Review at MyShelf.Com

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey
Mysterious Benedict Society Book 2

by Trenton Lee Stewart
Illustrated by Diana Sudyka



     

The Mysterious Benedict Society, four precocious children with amazing powers of observation, deduction and memory, are back with a new mission. Mr. Benedict vanishes while preparing a lively adventure for them and they now must follow his clues for a very serious reason - to save him from his evil twin Mr. Curtain. Though not quite as antic or dreamlike in setting, Stewart's writing reminds me a bit of some of my favorite older books by Roald Dahl and Norton Juster - he has the same ability to give you the totally unexpected while making it seem perfectly normal. The four children, Reynie, Kate, Sticky, and Constance, each manage to carve out a very special place in the plot keeping the large cast from becoming confusing. The good guys are wonderfully conflicted, the bad guys are wildly wicked, and the plot keeps moving at a pace to suit even the more curmudgeon reader. I found it simply delightful.

The Book

Megan Tingley Books, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company
May 2008
Hardcover (reviewed from uncorrected proof)
0316057800 / 9780316057806
Children’s, Ages 8 - 12 Fiction / Adventure
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Excerpt
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The Reviewer

Jan Fields
Reviewed 2008
NOTE: Reviewer Jan Fields is the editor of Kid Magazine Writers emagazine and has written dozens of stories and articles for the children's magazine market.
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