Mr. Benedicts Perplexing Puzzles

Title:  Mr. Benedict's Perplexing Puzzles, Elusive Enigmas, and Curious Conundrums
Author: Trenton Lee Stewart
Copyright: 2012
ISBN: 978-0316181938

Now that our Spy program has been completed I would be honored to tell you where some of the activities came from! As our participants know, each day had a different book that represented what we were doing.  On Monday we heard from Paul Janezcko and his book "Top Secret", on Tuesday it was "Harriet the Spy", Wednesday was "The Mysterious Benedict Society", Thursday "Spy School", and Friday "The Red Blazer Girls."

It is true that children who had read these books had a bit of an advantage when it came to solving each day's activities though I like to believe I adapted each scenario to make it sufficiently difficult. 

While earlier this week I reviewed The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict, I would also like to review a second new book in the series that was released this winter, "Mr. Benedict's Perplexing Puzzles, Elusive Enigmas, and Curious Conundrums."  With a title like that you know the book is going to be good. 

It is filled with challenging puzzles, so challenging in fact that even using the hints provided at the end of the book I could still only solve about 1/2 of the puzzles in the book.  Not too many libraries own copies of this book since it would encourage children to write in the book.  However, if you have a child who loves the Mysterious Benedict Society or Puzzles and brain teasers I highly recommend purchasing this book for him.  It will provide hours (and probably even weeks and months) of excitement. 

Try this puzzle yourself and see if you can solve it!

The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict

Title: The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict
Author: Trenton Lee Stewart
ISBN: 978-0-316-17619-4
Copyright: 2012

I love the Mysterious Benedict Society.  Like many other readers I was heartbroken when the series "finished."  How could the third book possibly be the end,  I needed more, lots more.  As luck would have it as I began working on the program for our week-long "Spies, Codes, and Ciphers" program I became aware that their was a brand new book coming out!  The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict was released on April 10th.

This book while not quite as exciting as the original three is the perfect accompaniment to the series.  It explains Mr. Benedict's unusual childhood.  Not that all childhoods aren't unusual, but growing up as an orphan with an incredible mind and unfortunately narcolepsy can prove particularly tiring. 

At age nine Nicholas Benedict is far smarter then I will ever be.  He also needs to learn some typical things such as how to not get beaten up by bullies, how to make friends, and that there are good people in the world.  Plus since this is Nicholas Benedict he must solve the mystery of where the orphanage's fortune has gone.

Plus while he is at it, Nicholas will improve the efficiency of the orphanage and make sure that all his friends are safe and well taken care of!

Small as an Elephant

Title: Small as an Elephant
Author: Jennifer Jacobson
Copyright: 2011
ISBN: 978-0763641559

"Small as an Elephant" by Jennifer Jacobson is an unusual novel.  Librarians can't seem to decide where to shelve the book!  Typically where we put a book is pretty cut and dry, novels are either written for children, adults, or teens.  Right? Normally.  However, with "Small as an Elephant" there is no consensus.  I am reviewing it because the book is intended for children ages 9 and older, and it won the 2012 Lupine Award at Reading Round Up today in Augusta. 

At the Norway Memorial Library we shelve "Small as an Elephant" in the adult fiction section due to content.  Many parents might be unhappy if their child happened to stumble upon this book.  It deals with mental illness, bipolar disorder, and the strength of a child.  Lets be brutally honest for a moment, mental illness is everywhere.  As Jennifer Jacobson mentioned in her speech this afternoon, "there is no extended family that has not been affected by mental illness.  The question is not why did I write a book about mental illness, but instead why not?" 

There are not many children's books that deal with this topic yet the news is telling us that more and more children suffer from a variety of mental illnesses including depression, anxiety, bipolar, and schizophrenia disorders.  In "Small as an Elephant" a young boy wakes up in Acadia National Park realizing that his mother was gone, the car was gone, and she didn't bring him with.  However, Jack knows that his mother has always been unpredictable and he is sure that if he can only find his mother he can make everything right. 

This speaks to the intrinsic belief of children, everything is about them, and they can fix everything.  In order to protect the only family that he has (his mother).  Jack sets off to make his way home to Boston with only a small toy elephant in his pocket.  Jack might find the elephant, but he can't solve his mothers underlying problems. 

Don't be an adult who is afraid of reality.  I dare you to give this to any tween reader.  It is brutally honest, absolutely age appropriate, and a beautifully written story.  Plus it won an award, that must mean it is good right?

Top Secret by Paul Janeczko

Title: Top Secret: A Handbook of Codes, Ciphers, and Secret Writing
Author: Paul Janeczko
Copyright: 2006
ISBN: 978-0763629724

For anyone who might still not know, on Monday April 16th the "Spies, Codes, and Ciphers" program will begin at Norway.  In honor of that this month I am blogging about spies, mysteries, and other books that could be relevant!

I have absolutely fallen in love with Paul Janeczko and his books.  Before I started researching for our program I only knew Paul as a poet.  His poetry is excellent, don't get me wrong, but poetry just never seems very excited.  I don't get totally psyched to read poetry.  Even more so I find it VERY easy to put down books of poetry and well, never pick it up again.  That is never the case with Top Secret.

Top Secret is a non-fiction book that reads like a guide.  This is the sort of book that two best friends would love to receive copies of.  Paul explains step by step how different codes were formed and used historically as well as giving examples for children to try so that you can learn how to effectively encode, and decode your messages. 

Personally one of the my favorite chapters is the one on Ciphers which describes how codes differ from ciphers, how to tell them apart, and most importantly which is most secure!  Next week the kids will have a chance to try their hands at different ciphers.  However, if you aren't attending our program please pick up this book and explore all the different activities with your favorite child.  You definitely won't regret the time you spend working together!

(P.S. Have I ever mentioned how difficult it is to review books with a cat who insists on trying to help you type?)

Title: Spy School

Title: Spy School
Author: Stuart Gibbs
Copyright: 2012
ISBN:978-1-4424-2182-0

In honor of the Spies, Codes, and Ciphers program that will be running at the library on April16-20th I bring you a book review that is sure to get your blood pumping.  By the end of this book you will be dying to come to our Spy program and learn everything that you can about the CIA, FBI, and the NSA! On to the review.

Spy School is written by Stuart Gibbs (an author I had never heard of before).  It begins with a highly classified letter from the "Office of CIA Internal Investigations" and features many blacked out lines leave the reader wondering what really happened.  It explains that the creation of this book is part of a "continuing investigation into Operation Creeping Badger."  First of all, how cool is that name Operation Creeping Badger (which did end up going horribly, horribly wrong). 

Ben Ripley thinks that he is the luckiest kid in the world.  He came home from school on January 16th to find Alexander Hale (a world class spy) sitting in his living room.  Not only that but Ben learns that he has been accepted to the Academy of Espionage of the Central Intelligence Agency.  What could possibly be cooler then finding out that you have been admitted to a secret spy school for kids?  Well it would have gone a bit smoother if Ben hadn't failed his entrance exam and then had to fight off would be assassins his first night!  No one ever said that spy school would be easy.

As Ben works hard to not flunk out or be murdered at the Academy of Espionage he also learns a terrible secret that he has to solve!  Read this book you won't regret it.  The fast pace and exciting storyline will make you not want to put the book down.  Plus there are Ninjas in the book, and what could possibly be cooler then Ninjas