The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey

by Jules Verne

Published in 1874, this adventure predates your book by over a century, yet it shares that same DNA of a gifted ensemble solving impossible puzzles through collaboration and ingenuity. Where Benedict's Society uses their individual talents (memory, observation, code-breaking) to rescue their mentor, Verne's castaways must combine their diverse skills—engineering, science, practical knowledge—to survive and uncover the island's secrets. Both celebrate the idea that ordinary people with extraordinary minds can outthink danger.

by Jorge Teillier

Townsend captures that same effervescent energy of gifted kids discovering they're part of something larger than themselves, complete with a mysterious mentor figure and a found family of misfits. Like the Benedict Society, Morrigan must prove her worth through a series of challenges that reveal each character's unique strengths—but Townsend adds a layer of whimsy and magical wonder that feels fresh while maintaining the same emotional core of belonging and purpose.

by Megan Whalen Turner

Here's where I'm asking you to trust me a little: this reads like a literary puzzle-box disguised as a fantasy adventure. Turner withholds information the way Stewart does—you're constantly re-evaluating what you thought you knew—but she does it with a protagonist whose unreliability makes you question every alliance and motivation. If you loved the intricate plotting and the sense that the characters are always three steps ahead of you, this will absolutely captivate you, though it operates in a more introspective register than the Society's adventures.

by Blue Balliett

Balliett writes mysteries for the same reader who loves the Benedict Society—young protagonists using observation and lateral thinking to solve crimes—but she adds a visual dimension through her illustrations and hidden puzzles embedded in the text itself. The collaboration between her two protagonists mirrors Reynie's group dynamic, and there's that same satisfaction of watching kids outsmart adults through cleverness rather than luck.