The Mysterious Benedict Society

The Mysterious Benedict Society series, by Trenton Lee Stewart, is refreshingly unique and fun for both kids and grown-ups (which is good since I don't know which group I fit with yet ;) ). The Society is made up of four specially gifted children who responded to a local newspaper ad asking, "Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?" Each of the children has a unique gift and working together they can solve just about anything! The three books take them through three different adventures to save the world from the villianous Ledroptha Curtain. You can also check out the site here for more information and fun activities. 

Final word: A+. I loved these books. They are everything that good books should be: thought-provoking, funny, brain-stretching, insightful, and full of adventure (I stayed up waaaay too late reading each of the three books because I had come to that point where you just_can't_stop_reading). I loved the stories, the characters, and the issues they made me think about. I finished the series completely fulfilled. My only wish is that there was another. :)