Tag Archives: Adventure

Jun14

The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict

Posted on by
The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict

The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas BenedictIf you know The Mysterious Benedict Society then you’ve already met Reynie (brilliant), Sticky (everything he sees, hears or reads…sticks), Kate (with her bucket of tools) and tiny, brilliant Constance. The children have been pulled together by their mentor and benefactor Mr. Nicholas Benedict, to use their considerable talents to follow clues, solve puzzles and figure out codes to keep bad guys in check. But where did Mr. Benedict himself come from? Why does he feel compelled to take on the world’s evils be assembling a brilliant group of kids? He could recruit Navy Seals or Marines, but no, he chooses kids. Why is that?

This book begins the answer to that question as you learn what Mr. Benedict’s childhood was like and how he became such an expert on, well, everything!

Smarts, friend loyalty, a mystery – it’s all there, just like in the other Mysterious Benedict Society Adventures. Author: Trenton Lee Stewart

From Steve Bridge, Irvington Library –  ”Stewart has gone back in time 40-50 years to show us the early life of Nicholas Benedict, the quirky genius who started the MBS.   Nicholas is a nine-year old orphan, being shuttled to orphanages and foster homes, when he arrives at the orphanage of Rothschild’s End, known as “The Manor.”  Nicholas is already a genius, with a tremendous reading speed and an eidetic memory, able to remember anything he reads.  He is also undersized and has narcolepsy, meaning he is apt to fall asleep at particularly inconvenient moments.  He has never had a friend and understands nothing about the dynamics of a family.  The orphanage is in serious financial trouble, in danger of closing, and has several bullies and a staff severely deficient in the knowledge of how to take care of children.  Just surviving is going to be a challenge for Nicholas; but there is the rumor of a missing Rothschild treasure to spur him on. 

This is clever, can’t-put-it-down writing, with interesting characters and several nice twists at the end.  You could easily start with this one in the series or start with The Mysterious Benedict Society.”

  • The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict on CD
  • Amazon Look Inside The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict
  • GoodReads: The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict

Don’t miss the first three books of The Mysterious Benedict Society! Nicholas took his extraordinary education and did some adventuring with it!
The Mysterious Benedict Society The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma
Print This Post Print This Post
Jun8

If You Like the Avengers

Posted on by
If You Like the Avengers

The Avengers Ultimate GuideMarvel.com Avengers Ultimate Guide

Avenger Things To Do:

Avengers Assemble Marvel Avengers The Avengers Movie Storybook Avengers The Origins
Iron Man and Thor Pt 1 Captain America Pt 1 Young Justice Flash and Flame
Sidekicks NERDS HIVE Sky High
How to Draw Superheroes Heroes Draw Your Own Superheroes How to Draw Justice League How to Draw Comic Book Heroes
Print This Post Print This Post
Jun6

Cold Cereal

Posted on by
Cold Cereal

Cold Cereal

When sixth grader Scottish Play Doe starts a new school he prefers to go by “Scott”. Wouldn’t you? Erno and Emily are twins in Scott’s class. They are wicked smart – especially Emily. This makes them “weird”, kind of like Scott the new kid with the funny name, so they end up sitting together on the bus. The three of them discover that smart is something they have in common. That, and the fact that Scott’s Mom and Erno and Emily’s foster Dad both work at the Goodco Cereal Company.

On a field trip to the city, Scott catches a tiny little man…a leprechaun (like the Lucky Charms guy) trying to steal his backpack. Mick the leprechaun, or clurichaun as he prefers, claims Scott can rescue him from the evil people at Goodco who steal his magic to “fortify” their cereal. After all “There’s a Little Bit of Magic in Every Box!” What else can Scott and his friends do but help the little guy?

Erno and Emily’s foster Dad is wicked smart too, just like Emily. He might just be plain old wicked though, because he disappears just when the kids find out that Emily has been the test subject for the stuff Goodco uses to fortify cereal. She is, in fact, a human experiment.Then some bad guys from Goodco come after Emily – they want to dissect her to study the effects of their experiment. Erno and Scott suspect that evil is afoot at Goodco and that whatever Emily has been given to make her wicked smart is related to the magic that has been stolen from Mick and some of his magical cereal box friends. Scott and Erno take Emily and make a break for it, determined to get justice for Emily and their new magical friends.

Adam Rex comes up with the craziest scenarios but he makes the characters SO likeable and SO funny…who cares if breakfast cereal characters have come to life? And besides, I love a careening adventure that has as it’s core exposing people who will do anything to anyone to make a sale. Looking forward to books #2 and #3 for some magical, kid fortified justice! Favorite character? The sassy clurachaun Mick and Biggs, Erno and Emily’s 8 foot tall Butler. When you are being chased by goons it’s always good to have a cereal fortified giant on your side.  Author: Adam Rex

Here are some more books that feature adventurous, brave kids who use their intelligence to outsmart evil corporation or organizations that have evil plans…you know…adults!
The Secret of Zoom The Name of This Book is Secret The Mysterious Benedict Society The Mysterious Case of the Allbright Academy
The Blue Shoe
Print This Post Print This Post
May9

Amulet #4: The Last Council

Posted on by
Amulet #4: The Last Council

The Last CouncilEmily, her brother Navin and their bunch of Star Wars inspired friends; humans, robots, animals and elves,  head to Cielis, the home of the Guardian Council of Stonekeepers, a group of the most powerful Stonekeepers. Emily hopes she’ll find help there in her battle against the Elf King.

You want to know the first clue something is wrong when you arrive in a strange city? When your host separates you from your friends. Bad. Instead of getting any help, or even anyone to listen to her fears about the rise of the Elf King, Emily finds herself entered into a competition between Stonekeepers to earn a spot on the Council. It’s a little like Hunger Games actually…kids battling it out in a do or die competition. The problem is, Emily doesn’t WANT to be on the Council and she doesn’t want to fight either. But someone in the group IS looking for a fight and is willing to sell integrity itself to win. Emily might not be looking for a fight, but the fight is looking for her.

Meanwhile, her loyal band of friends is on the hunt for her. You can divide this group, but it won’t last long, and don’t think conquering them will be easy either! Note: Miskit STILL my favorite and he isn’t even IN this volume that much.  I need a loyal pink bunny robot friend with brains. He’s got Emily’s back plus, he knows how to drive and repair space ships…Chewbacca style. Hopefully more of him in #5. Learn how to draw that cutie in the video below. Author: Kazu Kibuishi

Here are the first three Amulet books and one more, The Mystery Boxes…which is edited by Kazu Kibuishi. In this one several different graphic novel authors imagine a story about a mystery box and what might or might not be inside it:
The Stonekeeper The Stonekeeper's Curse The Cloudsearchers Explorer The Mystery Boxes
Print This Post Print This Post
Apr18

The Crowfield Demon

Posted on by
The Crowfield Demon

The Crowfield Demon

In The Crowfield Curse, orphan Will became a servant at The Crowfield Abbey so that he would have a place to live and food to eat. Will worked hard. He also learned he had a special gift. Will has the sight. That means he can see the creatures of Old Magic; creatures called the fay most people can’t see. In that first adventure, Will does something important for an Angel. I won’t tell you what, in case you want to read that one first.

In this second adventure Will still lives at the Abbey with Brother Snail, a kind monk who tends the gardens. He also has two special friends, a warrior fay called Shadlock who does work around the Abbey just to be near Will and protect him, and a hobgoblin called Brother Walter -  a small creature that can ride on Will’s shoulder and senses when danger is near.

The hob climbed down from the tree and stood beside Will, his face sharp with anxiety. “Something bad is coming,” he whispered. Will crouched down beside him. “Is it the king?” “No,” the hob said, edging a little closer to him, “Not the king. Something much, much worse than him.” “And it’s in the forest?” The hob nodded. “It’s close by, maybe in the forest, maybe here in the brothermen’s stone place. I don’t know for sure, but I can feel it.” (page 3)

Walter is right, something strange IS going on. The church’s wall has a huge crack in it that is growing wider every day – like a silent, slow earthquake is shaking the Abbey from below. The monks begin to report feeling a presence or something unknown hiding in the shadows as well as haunting dreams – nightmares. There HAS been something hidden deep under the church and the monks have inadvertantly let it loose – a demon even the fay fear.

Brother Snail, Will, Shadlock and the hob set out on a journey to save the Abbey and everyone they know from the ancient demon. Their loyalty to each other and their faith are put to the test as they go toe to toe with an ancient evil. The monks and Will are praying for some help and as is often the case, when a prayer gets answered, it is often very different from what the prayer had in mind! The story is a bit like Frodo and the ring, actually, with Will and his loyal band of friends. Brother Snail is the nurturer/worrier, Shadlock the warrior and hob the trusty sidekick. Walter is a little like Harry Potter’s Dobby, he’s very, very loyal and has some magic powers of his own that Will trusts. I have really liked how the friendship between them has developed since the beginning of The Crowfield Curse, when they didn’t even know each other yet. Author: Pat Walsh

If you liked reading about Will, Shadlock, Walter and the Brothermen at the Abbey, try these other adventures set in medieval times when spiritual beliefs and the supernatural were often mixed up together.
The Crowfield Curse Crispin and the Cross of Lead The Ramsay Scallop The Door in the Wall
Print This Post Print This Post
1 … 4 5 6 7 8 … 35