The Mysterious Benedict Society Collection

Summary: A prequel with Nicholas Benedict being transferred to a new orphanage when he was nine. 

After the initial trilogy, I quickly picked up the prequel. Nicholas Benedict, the adult/parent figure for the original series was once a child himself. And like the children of the main series, he was brilliant and an orphan.

The book opens on a train with the staff person on a closing orphanage delivering Nicholas to a different orphanage. With the original series, I thought of the series of books by John Fitzgerald based around The Great Brain. Tom, the Great Brain, is a genius 10 year old who is always seeking to acquire more money. Many of his schemes do not work out well, and some harm his brother, who narrates the books. The difference between these books and those Great Brain books is that while both have genius children, the Benedict books are rooted in children looking out for the best for others. The Great Brain books were oriented toward selfish interest for the most part.

Nicholas is not perfect, although he is very nearly perfect. He realizes that he does need others and he has a responsibility to use his genius for others. And that is really the tipping point for him in this book. In someways I like I may have liked this book even more, although I think the range of characters in the main series is more enjoyable. I was glad to have read these books.

Another excellent youth-lit book! This has all the classic elements of good kids books - orphans, mysteries, treasure, bullies, and orphans who outsmart the bullies. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.