The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict

The book is set in an orphanage, so there's talk of parental loss; while Nicholas doesn't remember his parents, John's died just over a year before. Violet also lost her brother in the war. Three bullies terrorize all the kids -- there's some hitting (John gets a fat lip), but it's mostly lots of threats and chasing and attempts to isolate and humiliate other kids. Nicholas suffers from scary nightmares in which a hag visits and threatens him; he wakes up screaming. Nicholas also nearly drowns when he falls asleep in the bath, and he makes a dangerous jump onto a moving train.

The bullies don't go further than "shut up!" and name-calling about Nicholas' large nose.

Two orphanage staff members smoke; one always has a cigar in hand.

Parents need to know that The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict -- a prequel to the Mysterious Benedict Society Series -- is as full of wonderful characters and messages as author Trenton Lee Stewart's other books. The biggest take-aways concern facing problems head-on and helping others. There's a little less violence here than in the main series, since the biggest adversaries are orphanage bullies instead of trained spies. The bullies taunt, humiliate, threaten, and occasionally hit, but there are never any weapons, and they're usually outsmarted. Kids follow along to solve the mystery with Nicholas and friends, providing great lessons in how to be observant and track down clues. Also of note: The publisher's recommended age is 8-12. The reading level is quite advanced for 8, but the content is great for that age and even younger. That makes this a great book to start reading aloud with kids of multiple ages.