The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Trenton Lee Stewart |
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| Illustrator | Diana Sudyk |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Mysterious Benedict Society |
| Genre | Children's, juvenile fiction |
| Publisher | Little, Brown |
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Publication date
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October 6, 2009 |
| Pages | 391 |
| ISBN | 978-0-316-04552-0 |
| OCLC | 318879201 |
| LC Class | PZ7.S8513 Myg 2009 |
| Preceded by | The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey |
| Followed by | The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages |
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma is an exciting children's book from 2009. It was written by Trenton Lee Stewart and has cool illustrations by Diana Sudyka. This book was first meant to be the last one in The Mysterious Benedict Society series. But good news! In 2019, a new adventure called The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages was announced.
Contents
Story Summary
This book is the third adventure for the Mysterious Benedict Society. Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance are staying at Mr. Benedict's house. It's super secure because the bad guy, Mr. Curtain, is trying to find the Whisperer. The Whisperer is a special device that can control minds from far away. Mr. Benedict has it, and Mr. Curtain wants it!
A Tricky Visitor
One day, a sneaky businessman shows up. He claims he is Constance's father and has fake papers to prove it. Mr. Benedict has to use the Whisperer to learn about Constance's past. It turns out she is an orphan, and this makes her very upset.
Constance Runs Away
Feeling sad and confused, Constance runs away from the house. Everyone in the house goes looking for her. This is exactly what Mr. Curtain and his helpers, the Ten Men, were waiting for. It was a perfect distraction! They sneak in, steal the Whisperer, and start their evil plans. Of course, the rest of the Mysterious Benedict Society quickly goes after them.
The Chase and Capture
Soon, Reynie starts getting secret messages. They tell him a code number. He figures out it's a library code. Sticky tells them that the book with this code has only one copy, and it's in a library. They find Constance and what seems like a clue to where the Whisperer is. But it's a trap! Mr. Curtain captures them. Kate tries hard to escape many times, but she can't get free.
The Rescue and Victory
Just when things look bad, their loved ones come to save them! Milligan, Mr. Benedict's bodyguard, is especially brave. He fights McCracken, who leads Mr. Curtain's Ten Men. In the end, Mr. Curtain is caught and sent to prison. Milligan decides to stop being a spy. Mr. Benedict adopts Constance, and everyone settles down. The Whisperer is later turned off by Mr. Benedict. Constance even uses her special gifts to cure Mr. Benedict's narcolepsy, which made him fall asleep suddenly.
Main Characters
Here are some of the important people you'll meet in the story:
Reynard "Reynie" Muldoon
Reynie Muldoon is a very smart twelve-year-old boy. He lives with his tutor and adopted mom, Miss Perumal. She is teaching him the Tamil language. Reynie is the main hero of the Benedict Society books. He is great at looking closely at things and asking questions. He solves problems by finding the "puzzle" hidden inside them. Reynie looks like a very ordinary boy, with average brown hair and clothes. He lives at Mr. Benedict's house with his friends and mom. This is because the government wants to keep them safe from the bad guy, Ledroptha Curtain.
George "Sticky" Washington
George "Sticky" Washington is also twelve years old. He is known for being super smart and remembering everything he reads. That's why they call him Sticky – everything "sticks" in his mind! He likes this nickname much more than his real name. Sticky ran away from home because he felt his parents didn't want him. Now he lives at Mr. Benedict's house with his parents. He has tea-colored skin and is bald because he used hair remover to hide himself. When Sticky gets nervous, he always polishes his glasses. His family became very poor trying to find him after he ran away.
Kate "The Great Kate Weather Machine" Wetherall
Kate Wetherall is an energetic fourteen-year-old girl. She became an orphan when she was young after her mom died and her dad left. She later found out that Mr. Benedict's spy, Milligan, is her father! Kate is amazing at finding quick ways to solve problems. She always carries a red metal bucket filled with useful things. Inside, she has a Swiss Army knife and a rope. She also has a trained falcon named Madge. Kate is very strong and brave, often rushing into action without much thought. She has long, blond hair and light blue eyes.
Constance Contraire
Constance Contraire is the youngest of the group, only three years old. Mr. Benedict adopted her at the end of the first book. At first, she doesn't seem to have special powers. But her bravery and stubbornness are very helpful. She pays close attention to small details. Constance could read, write, and speak when she was only two! She is also an orphan; her parents died in a train crash. Constance can spot patterns in things. It might seem like she can see the future, but she just recognizes patterns and sometimes predicts what might happen next. She has wispy blonde hair and clear blue eyes. Constance often naps and can be stubborn because she is so young. She also has extra-sensory perception and can change people's minds. But using these powers makes her very sick and stressed.
Mr. Nicholas Benedict
Mr. Nicholas Benedict is an older man who brings the children together. They later call themselves the Mysterious Benedict Society. He found out about the evil plans of his identical twin brother, Ledroptha Curtain. They were separated at birth because their parents had died. No one believed Mr. Benedict at first. Mr. Benedict has narcolepsy, which makes him fall asleep when he feels strong emotions, especially laughter. Constance Contraire later cures him using her special abilities.
Mr. Ledroptha Curtain
Mr. Ledroptha Curtain is Mr. Benedict's evil twin brother. He kidnapped Mr. Benedict and Number Two to try and take over the world. He wears silver glasses and green plaid suits. He often moves around in a motorized wheelchair. Like his brother, he also has narcolepsy. But his narcolepsy is triggered by anger, not strong emotions like Mr. Benedict's.
Rhonda Kazembe
Rhonda Kazembe is Mr. Benedict's adopted daughter. She comes from Zambia in Africa and spoke Bembi when she was a child. She helps Mr. Benedict, just like Number Two. Rhonda often catches Mr. Benedict when his narcolepsy makes him fall asleep.
Number Two
Number Two is another one of Mr. Benedict's assistants and adopted daughters. She doesn't sleep much and needs to eat a lot of food. Her real name is Pencilla. Constance found out her name in this book by tricking her and then reading her mind. Number Two often dresses like a pencil, with red hair, yellowish skin, and always wears yellow clothes.
Milligan
Milligan was a spy who Mr. Curtain captured. Mr. Curtain erased his memories. But Milligan managed to escape and became Mr. Benedict's bodyguard. When the four children are in danger, his memories come back. He is revealed to be Kate's father! Milligan uses a tranquilizer gun to protect himself and others from the Ten Men. He bravely jumped off a three-story building onto McCracken to save the children.
S.Q. Pedalian
S.Q. Pedalian is Mr. Ledroptha Curtain's personal assistant. He is an orphan and not very smart, but he has a kind heart. In this book, he realizes that Mr. Curtain used the Whisperer for evil and erased his memories. When Mr. Curtain tells him to hurt the Mysterious Benedict Society, S.Q. refuses. He doesn't want Mr. Curtain to be free and keep doing bad things. In the end, S.Q. saves Mr. Curtain's life and visits him often in prison.
Moocho Brazos
Moocho Brazos is Mr. Benedict's chef. He used to work in the circus with Kate. Now he is part of Mr. Benedict's team. He is famous for his delicious apple pies.
Ten Men
The Ten Men are Mr. Curtain's helpers. They only work for him for money and aren't very loyal if he doesn't pay them. In this book, we meet six of them. We already knew four: McCracken, who is their dangerous leader; Crawling, who is careless and has one eyebrow; Garrett, who is strong with a bushy beard; and Sharpe, who is tall and wears glasses. We also meet Blugins in this book. He is more unusual than the others. When we see him, he is often doing things in an over-the-top way or holding something expensive.
