Die geheime Benedict-Gesellschaft

Can't believe I never read this as a child, this is just exactly the kind of thing I would have loved (and still do.) Something like a cross between the Series of Unfortunate Events and Edward Eager. The plot gets pretty slow in the middle section, but I have no problems with a slow plot so long as we're spending it with enjoyable characters, which we certainly are. ( )

When an unusual ad appeared in the newspaper — “Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?” — the response was overwhelming.

After being subjected to a series of unusual and mind-bending tests, four children were chosen:
Reynard (Reynie) Muldoon – an orphan who lived at the Stonetown Orphanage and has never known his parents. His tutor, Miss Perumal, is the closest he has had to family.
George (Sticky) Washington – a very thin boy, who wears large glasses, has a perfectly smooth, bald head and a very sharp memory.
Kate Weatherall – a quick moving 12-year old with long blond hair, carries a bucket to keep things she might need – like a flashlight, a Swiss army knife, glue and other important things. She has no parents – well she does remember her father.
Constance Contraire – a very small, pudgy girl with a cranky personality, a talent for poetry and stubbornness. She too has no parents.
What the children do have in common is resourcefulness and ingenuity. Qualities needed for the mission the eccentric Mr. Benedict has for them.

This is an action, adventure, spy tale. The children are sent on a secret mission to an island, just off the coast, in an effort to learn exactly what is going on and how that activity will affect the people of the world. Their individual talents and abilities come into play as they blend in with the population and yet explore on the sly to find out what is going on.

This is the first in a short series and would be appealing to adults as well as kids. ( )

Reread for the millionth time. Really bold of Trenton Lee Stewart to write a book perfectly calculated to both A) appeal exactly to ten year old me's interests and B) somehow make me more insufferably precocious. ( )

Only the audio version was available so we are listening to this one. It's nice because we can put it on during breakfast as well as at bedtime.

The kids liked it a lot. We all found it exciting and we were rapt for the last few chapters. A few knocks: Katy and I disliked one of the character reveals at the end. I found the writing repetitious and off-putting at times. ( )

The television adaptation sticks very closely to the book.