If your child loves puzzles, click here.
I’ve been raving about The Mysterious Benedict Society books.
My son is loving them and frankly, so am I.
They’re about four unusual children who are called upon by Mr. Benedict to solve a threatening, decidedly adult problem. The impending utter breakdown of society by an evildoer, to be specific.
The books are great because they’re focussed on the children, and their very diverse and unique gifts. Each of the children is brilliant in his or her own way, and each is a bit of a misfit. Working together, they pool their gifts to solve mysteries and save the world.
The reader gets in on the fun, since many of the puzzles faced by the children are posed in such a way that the reader of the book can attempt to figure them out as well.
A great website
The website that accompanies the book has a series of logic puzzles, like the ones found in the book. In one instance, you’ll face four doors, each with a number and a letter. You have to figure out which one to open. (And I love that the instruction isn’t, “which door doesn’t belong?” it’s “which door should you open?”)
Kids have to figure out for themselves that on one of the doors, the number of letters matches the number. For instance six-3 would be the answer since “six” has 3 letters.
There is a whole series of delightful puzzles that should prove fun for kids who enjoy thinking things through, and get a kick out of getting the answer right.
Try the website for yourself – the great thing about these books, and the website, is that the puzzles are intended for kids but could easily stump an adult. The other great thing is that hints are provided, so if your child is stuck she can click on up to five solid hints that should lead her logically to the answer.
Photo: This is a picture of the author, Trenton Lee Stewart. I snagged it from Publishersweekly.com, but since it’s also the one featured on the book’s website I figured it was probably an officially sanctioned photo so I won’t get sued.
These were fun. It would make a nice game to keep going between parents and kids – leaving riddle-like messages!