The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemna by Trenton Lee Stewart

July is On the Job
All the stories for July involve kids solving mysteries, figuring out clues, and in general being pretty amazing. From beating grown ups to the next clue, to catching the bad guys in the act, to blowing away the competition with a little magic, these kids are On the Job, making sure the good guys win.

The gang is all back, and still hot on the trail of Mr. Benedict's evil twin brother, Mr. Curtain. As if it wasn't bad enough to have to worry about the 10 Men, and all of Mr. Curtain's plots, the government plans to take away the Whisperer from Mr. Benedict's careful watch!

The children know that Ledroptha is going to try something, and they have to do something to stop him. Without really knowing what to do, they are at the mercy of the adults--which we all know is no fun. The biggest problem arises when one of Mr. Curtain's associates comes to adopt Constance with some phoney documents. Will they really let him take Constance away? It's up to her to try and remember her past, from before she made her way to Mr. Benedict's tests, and try to figure out her true origins.

Everything turns to chaos when the entire city suffers a blackout! The children know this is the best chance for Mr. Curtain to steal the Whisperer, and blame it on Mr. Benedict ... but what can they do? With everyone running around, trying to fix the blackout, the children decide to take matters into their own hands. It won't be easy, but with the four of them - Stinky, Reynie, Kate, and Constance - they've got the know-how to outwit Mr. Curtain, and his group of evildoers.

The in-book puzzles are always fun to solve along with the characters, and this is a great series for kids who enjoy being involved in the story.

"'After I woke up and composed myself, however, I realized the flowers must certainly be yours, Constance, to do with as you please. At any rate - " Mr.Benedict broke off, for just then Constance jumped to her feet, snatched the bouquet from his desk, and hurled it into the wastebasket with all the force she could muster - so hard that flower petals flew up out of the wastebasket like tiny pink butterflies. Then placing her hands against the wall to steady herself, she stomped one foot repeatedly into the wastebasket as if trying to put out a fire. 'I see we are of the same opinion,' said Mr. Benedict as Constance returned to her seat, and the others congratulated her on her judgment." (Trenton, 2009).

*Library Link*

If you liked this, check out:
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart (Book 2)
The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry
If You're Reading This, It's Too Late by Pseudonymous Bosch

Stewart, Trenton Lee. (2009). The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.