Before there was a Mysterious Benedict Society, there was simply a boy named Nicholas Benedict. Meet the boy who started it all....
Nine-year-old Nicholas Benedict has more problems than most children his age. Not only is he an orphan with an unfortunate nose, but he also has narcolepsy, a condition that gives him terrible nightmares and makes him fall asleep at the worst possible moments. Now he's being sent to a new orphanage, where he will encounter vicious bullies, selfish adults, strange circumstances -- and a mystery that could change his life forever. Luckily, he has one important thing in his favor: He's a genius.

On his quest to solve the mystery, Nicholas finds enemies around every corner, but also friends in unexpected places -- and discovers along the way that the greatest puzzle of all is himself.

 

This book is part of a book series called Mysterious Benedict Society .

This book has been graded for interest at 10-13 years.

There are 470 pages in this book. This book was published 2012 by Little, Brown & Company .

Diana Sudyka received a Masters of Fine Art from Northwestern University. She lives and works in Chicago as an artist. Trenton Lee Stewart is the author of the award-winning and New York Times bestselling Mysterious Benedict Society series and The Secret Keepers . He lives in Little Rock, Arkansas.