The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?

Reynie, Kate, Sticky and Constance –four incredibly gifted children who answer the above ad in the newspaper– have no idea that the "special opportunities" are to be secret agents at a special school. Mr. Benedict, the man whose advertisement it was that brought them together, has found out that strange messages are being planted in people's minds all over the world. Few know it, but these messages are causing political and economical chaos everywhere. And Mr. Benedict has discovered the location of the sender of the messages. The villain is the founder and director of L.I.V.E.: Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened. The children are sent to the school as newly enrolled students, and they quickly discover all sorts of strange things. For one thing, at this school, there are no rules and many rules; especially good students become "Messengers", but no one knows what the Messengers really do, and strangest of all: Mr. Curtain (the Sender) looks just like Mr. Benedict!

This is The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart. Well-written and creative, it's a wonderful adventure with endearing characters, villains you love to hate, great brainteasers and no small amount of danger! Not only is it great fun, it touches on deeper subjects as well; fear, self-doubt, friendship and family, courage, and integrity. I highly recommend this book to absolutely anyone. Good luck trying to put it down.

Just as excellent is its sequel, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey. Mr. Benedict has been taken captive! And the children must embark on a path of clues that takes them overseas to Europe to find him. And don't forget the latest chronicle of the Society's adventures, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma. I only recently found out about it, and now I can't wait to get my hands on it!
All considered, it's 6 stars out of 5 for The Mysterious Benedict Society!