Parents' Guide to

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma

By Carrie R. Wheadon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Not as inventive as first two books, but still great fun.

Book Trenton Lee Stewart Mystery 2009
The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

See all
age 9+

Based on 4 parent reviews

Currylou
Currylou Adult
January 15, 2021
age 9+

My favorite in the series!

I can not believe CMS would give this three stars! It is full of adventure, and it is fast paced and fun. A lot more action than the other two, but still good for any kid with a thick skin. Children get kidnapped, and that could be a bit distressing to little ones, but they are not harmed. A must-read!

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Cristina W.
Cristina W. Parent of 0-year-old
September 8, 2020
age 9+

Fantastic book

Third in the series, a bit scary, Constance the youngest in the team what's to be adopted, Mr. Benedict can't find her papers so he can legally adopted her, they also find out that she telepathic. She also wants to know her past, and how she got to the library where she was living be for she came to Mr. Benedict . She gets mad at him and runs away, the new parents of the society have to go and find her before Mr.Curtain and his crew do. The rest the society have to stay in the house to protect them, but they are the only ones who can find her. The children did get kidnapped and kate got out to get help, but she got cot and hung upside down by one of the ten men. There is a pair of gloves that Mr. Curtain uses on Reynie that shocks him for a second. Milligan the bodyguard that protects the children, throws himself of the roof of a building onto one of the ten men that is trying to harm the children and breaks almost all the bones in he body, he does survive.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In the third installment of the Mysterious Benedict Society series, Reynie, Sticky, Kate, Constance, and various loved ones find themselves holed up in Mr. Benedict's house, which is teeming with security. The evil Mr. Curtain is at large and hunting for the Whisperer -- now in Mr. Benedict's possession -- so he can try again to control minds from afar. When a shady businessman shows up with false records that say he's Constance's father, it compels Mr. Benedict to use the Whisperer to uncover her short past. Distraught and confused after all is revealed, Constance runs away, with the whole household after her -- just the distraction Mr. Curtain and his men need to steal the Whisperer and set his evil plans in motion. Of course, the rest of the MBS soon find themselves on his trail.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4):
Kids say (8):

As with the other books in this inventive series, fans will be thrilled to spend more time with the MBS four. Kids who've read the first two books already know each character's strengths and quirks. As always, Constance provides the majority of the book's humor with her mood swings and unruliness that will remind kids of younger siblings. Constance is also the only one who develops more as a character in this one. Her mind-reading/changing abilities really come in handy in a pinch.

But the story takes awhile to get going (the first 100 pages could have been condensed to 20), and there's no travel adventure (The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilious Journey) or brainwashed island school (The Mysterious Benedict Society) to add that extra layer of intrigue. And we already know all about Mr. Curtain, his Ten Men, and what they're after. A few more surprises and twists would have been welcome. Not that the simpler story will keep fans away -- and once the action picks up in the last third, kids will definitely be engaged.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about reading minds. Would you like to know what others are thinking? Or be able to change their minds without them knowing? How is this a potentially dangerous gift?

  • Talk about the puzzles. How long did it take to piece together the clues?

  • Which MBS member are you most like? Are you agile and resourceful like Kate? Great at solving puzzles like Reynie? Good at remembering everything like Sticky? Or stubborn and in need of a nap like Constance? Whom would you like to be more like?

Book Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended book lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate