The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict (Mysterious Benedict Society #5)

Admirable insight, despite being conveyed by a lad who comes across as more a super-precocious, psychologically astute preteen than a credible 9 year old.

Stewart balances the elements of his story beautifully, using the mystery puzzle to drive the plot while heightening tension through encounters with the Spiders and deepening the tenderness by following Nicholas's emotional development...[as] Mysterious Benedict Society fans have come to expect (and love) from master storyteller Stewart.

Gr 4-8--The childhood of the brilliant and kindhearted leader of The Mysterious Benedict Society is fleshed out in this prequel to the popular series. Nine-year-old Nicholas Benedict is shuffled to yet another orphanage where he's sure to be teased for his intellect, disruptive nightmares, and struggle with narcolepsy. Sure enough, the resident gang makes him their latest target. Mr. Collum, the orphanage director, singles Nicholas out because of his night terrors and locks him in the attic each evening. After creating his own skeleton key in metal-working class, he begins sneaking out after dark to take solace in the library. He cannot resist entering Mr. Collum's locked office, where he finds the former director's diary, which describes a secret treasure room. This is the opportunity that Nicholas has been waiting for: a chance for the kind of financial freedom that will protect him from tyrannical adults and dim-witted bullies forever. While children new to the series, might get mired down by the amount of detail, fans will be thrilled with the rich backstory of a beloved character.--Alison O'Reilly, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, NY

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