Mary Jo Edwards (Children's Literature)
Dozens of young people answer a newspaper ad that offers gifted children special opportunities. After only four of them pass a series of challenging tests, two boys and two girls are admitted to the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened. Their secret mission is to discover who is using children to send hidden messages through radio and television transmissions. The children successfully use their special skills to thwart the headmaster’s evil plan. Although Stewart’s debut novel is lengthy, it is fast-paced and will hold the reader’s interest. Children will find out that the Institute’s headmaster is the evil twin brother of the kind gentleman behind the newspaper ad, Mr. Benedict. The young characters in this title will inspire the reader to follow through with their obligations, even when faced with temptation, self-doubt, and fear. This is a feel-good story with a happy ending for the four orphaned and runaway children who find friendship and family. 2006, Little Brown and Company, $16.99. Ages 8 up.

CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices 2008)
Responding to an unusual newspaper advertisement (“Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?”), Reynie Muldoon follows the ad’s directive to take a special test at a designated place and time. Of the many children who show up for the test, only Reynie and three others are selected to undertake a dangerous mission for the Mysterious Benedict Society. Acting as secret agents, the four children must infiltrate the exclusive Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened. The Mysterious Benedict Society’s eccentric leader is convinced that the Institute is the source of insidious messages being delivered directly into human brains. He believes these messages are causing the “Emergency ”—a worldwide deterioration of all aspects of civilization that is triggering a demand for dramatic government upheaval. At the center of an intricate and dryly comic plot lies a message of cooperation and tolerance as the four quirky and very different children learn that none of them can solve the mystery (and save the world!) without the help of the others. CCBC Category: Fiction for Children. 2007, Megan Tingley Books / Little Brown, 485 pages, $16.99. Ages 10-13.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, January 1, 2007 (Vol. 75, No. 1))
Running long but hung about with cantrips to catch clever readers, Stewart’s children’s debut pits four exceptional youngsters, plus a quartet of adult allies, against a deranged inventor poised to inflict an involuntary “Improvement” on the world. Recruited by narcoleptic genius Mr. Benedict through a set of subtle tests of character, Reynie, Sticky, Kate and Constance are dispatched to the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened to find out how its brilliant founder, Ledroptha Curtain, is sending out powerful mental messages that are sowing worldwide discord. Gifted with complementary abilities that range from Reynie’s brilliance with detail to Constance’s universally infuriating contrariness, the four pursue their investigation between seemingly nonsensical lessons and encounters with sneering upper-class “Executives,” working up to a frantic climax well-stocked with twists and sudden reversals. Low in physical violence, while being rich in moral and ethical issues, as well as in appealingly complex characters and comedy sly and gross, this Lemony Snicket–style outing sprouts hooks for hearts and minds both—and, appropriately, sample pen-and-ink illustrations that look like Brett Helquist channeling Edward Gorey. 2007, Megan Tingley/Little, Brown, 496p, $16.99. Category: Fantasy. Ages 11 to 13. © 2007 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Spencer Korson (Library Media Connection, October 2007)
This was a terrific read from cover to cover. When Reynie, an eleven-year-old orphaned genius finds an article in the paper meant for gifted children looking for an opportunity, his life changes. He finds himself a member of The Mysterious Benedict Society, whose goal is to save the world from the mind control of Mr. Curtain. The children work together to solve puzzles, avoid traps, and ultimately overthrow the villain. This action-packed book is well written and filled with suspense. Due to the age of the characters and the line illustrations, this book seems more suited for middle to upper elementary; however, all readers looking for a good story will enjoy it. The plot development is excellent and the storyline is creative. The main characters are well developed and their adventure is fraught with peril. The sadness developed throughout the book is resolved in the end as the orphans find homes, and lost memories are recovered. It is refreshing for young people to be portrayed in a positive light and for the book to end happily. Anyone interested in a good spy adventure novel will not be disappointed. Recommended. 2007, Little, Brown & Company, 496pp., $16.99 hc. Ages 10 to 15.

Judith A. Hayn (The ALAN Review, Fall 2007 (Vol. 35, No. 1))
Four orphans answer this ad: “ARE YOU A GIFTED CHILD LOOKING FOR SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES?” Reynie Muldoon, an extremely gifted 11-year-old, is a super puzzlesolver; his best buddy, also 11, George “Sticky” Washington, has a prodigious memory; Kate Wetherall solves problems with ingenious use of common kid items, especially her bucket and rope; and Constance Contraire’s behavior matches her name. After a series of tests, the four answer Mr. Benedict’s challenge to save the world from a criminal mastermind by agreeing to infiltrate the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened. Their vague mission is to discover the means Ledroptha Curtain uses to send subliminal messages to the world’s population. Curtain uses young adolescents to control the minds and inclinations of his students, and the foursome must band together as a team to overcome evil and thwart his plans. A lengthy read, the novel will appeal to puzzle-lovers and those who love fascinating, complex plots revealed with wry humor. Category: Family/Science Fiction. YA--Young Adult. 2007, Little Brown, 485 pp., $16.99. Ages young adult.Little Rock, AR

Karen Coats (The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, May 2007 (Vol. 60, No. 9))
Messianic child fantasy has a familiar enough recipe: gather one lonely child (usually an orphan), some stalwart companions, and a wise and benevolent elder, and place in a large, castle-like building. Sprinkle liberally with quirky helpers. Test the children with some minor challenges, and leaven their critical responses with kindly insights from the elder. When they are properly seasoned, have the elder tell them of a villain who is determined to destroy the world and inform them that, alas, though he will always be there to help them, he cannot defeat the villain himself but must send them on a dangerous and potentially fatal mission to save the world. Variations on this casserole can turn out cheesy, bland, or deliciously tasty, with a substantial mouth-feel and a complex blending of flavors. This last is the case with Trenton Lee Stewart’s The Mysterious Benedict Society. Reynie Muldoon, a lonely, gifted orphan, is encouraged by his beloved tutor to check out a mysterious newspaper ad seeking gifted children interested in “special opportunities.” A series of cleverly conceived tests that challenge Reynie’s integrity and cunning as well as his intelligence follows, and he finds himself in the company of three other children who have also passed the tests using their own singular gifts: Sticky has a photographic memory, Kate is a preadolescent MacGyver, and tiny Constance has a remarkable gift for undiluted obstinacy. The four find themselves in the home of a benevolent, narcoleptic genius, Mr. Benedict, who commissions them to find out what’s behind a series of subliminal messages that are being broadcast from a private school on an isolated island. The children enroll in the school and, through deciphering a well-laid series of clues, discover that the messages are part of a plot for world domination devised by the headmaster, Mr. Curtain, who looks remarkably like their beloved Mr. Benedict. To foil the plot, the children must creatively employ their particular gifts: Reynie’s keen understanding of people’s motivations, Sticky’s formidable bank of obscure knowledge, Kate’s athletic problem-solving skills, and Constance’s ability to resist even the most seductive lures all play a part in defeating Mr. Benedict’s evil twin. More importantly, though, these four loners must overcome a lifetime of forced independence to forge a deep friendship and depend on their bond to bolster their individual strengths and dampen their foibles. Each of them has a strong motivation for distrust; they have all been hurt, mistreated, neglected, and misunderstood. Indeed, their largest challenge lies in overcoming their natural inclination to separate themselves and act only in their own self-interest, especially in times of great stress. The character arcs of Reynie and Sticky are especially poignant; their self-doubt and their desire to live up to their first-ever friends’ expectations tap a deep vein of empathy that many readers will respond to. When they ultimately go their separate ways, the gestalt of their friendship has led them to be more open, more forgiving, and more able to love than they were before their ordeal. REVIEWTEXT: In keeping with the gentle seriousness of his focus on the four characters, Stewart eschews the glib, intrusive narration that infects so much contemporary fiction for this age group. Instead, his atmospheric storytelling invites a reader to become absorbed in the world he has created, so that even the slightly cheesy mechanism that Mr. Curtain uses for mind control may be forgiven (what’s a casserole without a little cheese, after all?). Dashes of mild humor and introspection rest on a solid base of suspense, mystery, and well-rounded characters, making this a satisfying dish for readers of varying tastes. Review Code: R* -- Recommended. A book of special distinction. (c) Copyright 2006, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2007, Tingley/Little, 485p., $16.99. Grades 6-9.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Fall 2007)
Orphan Reynie Muldoon becomes a member of a crack team tasked to infiltrate the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened. Their job: to discover the purpose behind subliminal messages emitted from the school. The children face danger and discovery, puzzles and plots, and their own mortal weaknesses. With its lively style, fresh character portrayals, and well-timed revelations, this story flies along. Category: Intermediate Fiction. 2007, Little/Tingley, 487pp, 16.99. Ages 9 to 12. Rating: 2: Superior, well above average.

Donna Scanlon (VOYA, February 2007 (Vol. 29, No. 6))
Reynie, an exceptionally intelligent eleven-year-old orphan, responds to an ad seeking "gifted children for special opportunities." After testing, he is one of four youth who pass all the tests. He and the others-Sticky, Kate, and Constance-meet Mr. Benedict, who has brought them together to save the world from a plot to control it through an invention called the Whisperer, a device that works on a subliminal level to undermine the public's self-esteem and perception of safety. To complete their mission, the four children must enter the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened-conveniently situated on an island in the harbor of their town-as prospective students. The mission's success relies on the talents of each youth: Reynie's knack for leadership, Sticky's eidetic memory, Kate's energy and resourcefulness, and Constance's stubborn and contrary nature. The four call themselves the Mysterious Benedict Society, their first step in bonding as a family. Stewart's style is reminiscent of authors such as Cornelia Funke or Garth Nix. His writing is clear, intelligent, and respectful of his audience. He maintains the suspense brilliantly and introduces a subtle horror in the children's situation in the school that is chilling yet not overwhelming. He laces the narrative with subtle humor on all levels. The characters are well developed, mostly appealing, and evenhanded. Ellis's line drawings add a crowning flair. Do not miss this one. Buy two copies because they will be needed. VOYA CODES: 4Q 4P M J (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2006, Little Brown, 485p., $16.99. Ages 11 to 15.