Author/Illustrator: Trenton Lee Stewart/Carson EllisPlot Summary: Four "gifted" children are selected to infiltrate a mysterious Institute to find out, and stop, what is going on there.
Comments: A long, convoluted tale for the right type of student. Although the reading level is reasonable for an upper elementary student, the length and level of detail may make it a bit daunting. It would be an exhausting read aloud. Although it is the opinion of this reviewer that the notion of "gifted" is pretentious and overextended, it is really not a large part of the book and the book is excellent despite that initial premise.
Extensions:
1. The bottom of this page has bookmarks including a brochure of the book with great discussion questions. Another is a "family reading guide" with activities and discussion ideas for a family who wants to read and discuss the book. I will not be using the one that states, "I am a gifted child."
2. A Literature Circle or book discussion group for gifted students in grades four or five would be appropriate for this title.
3. Brainteasers, Puzzles and Riddles from NIEHS - National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences - can be found here.
4. Brain Boosters from Discover Education can be found here.
5. Mensa for Kids
Themes/keywords: adventure and adventures, schools, science fiction
Age/Reading Level: 3 - 6; ATOS/Follett - 5.6; Lexile - 840
Standards:
(Similar standards for fifth and sixth grades.)
ELA4R2(through eighth grade) The student consistently reads at least twenty-five books or book equivalents (approximately 1,000,000 words) each year. The materials should include traditional and contemporary literature (both fiction and non-fiction) as well as magazines, newspapers, textbooks, and electronic material. Such reading should represent a diverse collection of material from at least three different literary forms and from at least five different writers.
ELA4R1 The student demonstrates comprehension and shows evidence of a
warranted and responsible explanation of a variety of literary and informational
texts.
ELA4W1 The student produces writing that establishes an appropriate organizational structure, sets a context and engages the reader, maintains a coherent focus throughout, and signals a satisfying closure.
ELA4W2 The student demonstrates competence in a variety of genres.
Publisher's Info: Little, Brown and Company, New York. 2007.
ISBN-13: 978-0-316-00395-7
ISBN-10: 0-316-00395-6
Awards/Review Sources:
Wilson's Children 10/01/07 | Wilson's Junior High School 08/01/07 |
| School Library Journal starred 03/01/07 | Notable/Best Books (A.L.A.) 01/01/08 |
| Booklist starred 01/01/07 | Horn Book starred 10/01/07 |
| Book Links starred 01/01/08 | Publishers Weekly starred 12/18/06 |
Genre/Dewey: Fiction
Websites:
The publisher has created a clever website.
Great videos of the author can be seen here.
Al's Pick - MSNBC.com
Notes for Booktalk: The second book in the series is called, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey. The third book was just published an is called, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma.
Vocabulary:
Comments