Customer Reviews

We the Children (Benjamin Pratt and the Keepers of the School)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Although the seaside Oakes School was dedicated to the children of Edgeport, Massachusetts in 1783 by Captain Duncan Oakes, the town council now plans to demolish it and develop the land into a nautical theme park. When 6th-grader Ben Pratt happens to help the school's old janitor who's experiencing a medical emergency, the janitor presses a gold coin into Ben's hand and recruits him into a mysterious, centuries-long quest, begun by the Captain himself, to forever keep the school for the children. The janitor gives Ben some warnings but then dies, leaving Ben to pair his curiosity and citizenship with his friend Jill's smarts -- and to hope that, together, they can save the school.

It's a quick, exciting read, clue-driven and with the promise of danger. Texture comes from subplots involving friendships, school rivalries, divorcing parents, and life in a seaside community (including sailing and living on a boat). Illustrations accent the text every five (or so) pages.

But to be clear -- this book is the first installment of a new six-book series, and it seems like little more than some opening material (mostly introducing the characters, setting, plot/subplots) and without the story arc or resolution that defines a stand-alone volume. If the entire series were published as a single book, I'd likely rate it 5 stars (this first installment is that promising); if all of the installments in the series were to be released in quick succession, maybe 4 stars. But with Book 2 not due out until Fall 2010, it's a very long wait -- and a very long time to read -- what appeals most as a very fast story.

(Review based on an advance reading copy provided by the publisher.)

First Line: As the ship's bell clanged through the school's hallway for the third time, Ben ran his tongue back and forth across the porcelain caps that covered his front teeth, a nervous habit.

Ben Pratt's parents are going through a divorce, so the last thing he needs is the school janitor acting weird and insisting that, not only is Ben the only one who can save the school, but he needs to keep a strange gold coin and trust no one. Ben would just chalk Mr. Keane's behavior up to being old, but the next thing Ben knows Mr. Keane is dead and there's a very strange replacement janitor hanging around. The school, founded by a sea captain in the eighteenth century, is slated for the wrecking ball; the land to be used for a new amusement park. Mr. Keane's death makes Ben wonder if there really is something going on, and he soon enlists the help of his friend, Jill Acton.

This skinny little volume moves very quickly. I love piecing together clues on coins and maps and blueprints, and the book truly comes to life when Ben goes sailing. Perhaps I'm used to the meaty satisfaction of a volume about Harry Potter, but We the Children was just too short. Ben and Jill are interesting characters, and the storyline is engaging. Unless each volume is published one right after the other-- quickly-- I can see both young and old readers losing interest in what is a very intriguing story. I hope that doesn't happen.

My 11 yr old grandson read this book. He's not the most talkative child & described the book as "weird & quirky" (I believe he was referring to the creepy janitor). As he got into it said he enjoyed it & would recommend it.

Benjamin Pratt & The Keepers of the School is perfect for the 3rd-6th grade mystery reader

My son found this book very interesting. He likes mysteries and action. He was very intrigued by the secrets that kept the book full of suspense. He thought there was very good character development.

I tried to get my 10 year old to read this book and he just wasn't interested. He has enjoyed Clement's "Frindle" and "No Talking" in the past, so I thought this might be a book that would hold his interest. Nope.

I decided to read it myself. It is the introductory book for a series. It has a lot of references to sailing and nautical terms. I could see that being boring to my son as he has no interest in boats. The mystery is pretty basic and the characters are not developed too fully. I would say this is a good book for 3rd - 4th grade.

The ending does not resolve the mystery. You'll have to wait for the next book to see where the story goes.

The first book in the Benjamin Pratt and the Keepers of the School series, We the Children, introduces us to a pair of amateur middle school sleuths. When Roger Keane, the custodian of their middle school, needs help, Benjamin Pratt (Ben) steps in. His reward of sorts is a mysterious gold coin which is given after Ben promises to keep a secret and defend the school. The coin and the promise open Ben's eyes to mysterious and curious things at the Captain Duncan Oakes School.


The building had been a school since 1783, a gift from the eccentric and wealthy shipping Captain Duncan Oakes who has helped defend the coast from the British during the Revolutionary War. Captain Oakes, like many eccentric millionaries, had an unusual stipulation in his donation and thousands of children have benefited from his foresight and generosity. But the current town council and a real estate conglomerate have a deal that would transfer school from its current the grounds and relocate the school inland. Instead, on the current grounds would be a large amusement center, a profit center that would bring in tourism to the sleepy New England town.

While Ben hadn't cared about the chnge, his new awareness of the sale and Captain Oakes has changed all that. Ben and his friend Jill have taken it upon themselves to stop the sale, if they can. The mysterious gold coin and Ben's love for sailing have led them to find nautical clues hidden in the school grounds. Clues to the help that Captain Oakes set aside for just such future threats to the school.

Ben and Jill are quick and funny on their own but the warmth of their friendship and their sleuthing skills make this an unusually fun adventure. The only drawback to We the Children is that the book ends with much of the mystery unresolved -- and we must rely on the next book to find out how the adventure progresses.

Ages 9 to 12.
ISBN-10: 1416939075 - Hardcover $14.99
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (April 19, 2011), 176 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

I think I'd give this one 3.5 stars if I could. It was an entertaining read for the upper elementary set who love a solid mystery/adventure book. For me, though I was never fully engaged by the characters or story, We the Children is still a good start to what promises to be a popular and fun series. Benjamin Pratt, an 11-year-old at Captain Oakes School, is just an average kid; that is, until the school's elderly janitor shares a secret with him by giving Ben a gold coin with a message from Capt. Oakes himself: "My school belongs to the children. DEFEND IT." Ben, along with his classmate Jill, become students on a mission: they must save their school from being torn down and find out what Captain Oakes meant by this cryptic coin.

This was a fast-paced story, with enough elements of realistic fiction, mystery, and adventure to satisfy most young readers. Ben is not quite believable as an 11-year-old protagonist, as he seems a little too introspective for such a young man! Also, I don't think the storyline lends itself to the proposed 6 book series; the plot seems to lend itself more to a trilogy, or even a single volume. I think We the Children is an exciting start to the series, but it just didn't have enough 'meat' in it for me...the story barely got started before the book ended!

Someone is out to destroy the old Oakes School that Benjamin Pratt & his fellow classmates attend. They are wanting to build a huge "amusement park" on the oceanfront property. Amid trying to discover the sinister secrets an old janitor alluded to and exploring the ship-like school to uncover the information needed to save the school, Benjamin is also just trying to be a kid and avid sailor. Join him and his friends in the adventure of a school-time! This wonderful story will leave kids wanting to know more as the mystery is just short of being solved.The author, Andrew Clements, is saving the solution for his next book in the series, I'm sure. My children enjoyed the in-depth look/description of sailboat racing as well. It actually prompted a few searches throughout the library on sailing. A few gasps were heard as one character has a near death drowning experience and we discussed frightening times in our own lives.
I'm a fan of reading with your kids. I enjoy picking up a book and sharing it with my children and students - anything to develop the love of reading and get them interested in picking up a book on their own. Benjamin Pratt & The Keepers of the School is perfect for the 3rd-6th grade mystery reader -or- for the reluctant reader that needs something to keep up their interest like creatively done illustrations, funny occurrences and action to split up the reading. Series are always wonderful to have in your library/purchase as a gift because it keeps the gift of reading going strong - especially when you find a series your child will be interested in!

Like most parents these days, I've been lectured by my son's teachers about the importance of daily reading. Hey, I know it's important! I'm a life-long avid reader myself, so naturally I want to pass this on to my son. Since he's still a reluctant reader, our best bet is to read together as a family. Unfortunately, that gets to be a painful process since a lot of books for boys his age are schlock. (I'm looking at you, The Invasion (Animorphs #1) through whatever. Sure, we've tried to interest him in the Harry Potter series but their sheer size overwhelmed him.

Then this book arrived.

From the first time we sat down to read this together, everyone in the family was hooked. My son was initially enchanted by the thought of a school being destroyed but quickly came to root for Ben Pratt's efforts to stop the town council's plan to demolish it in favor of a theme park. My husband and I appreciated how the book smoothly addressed two serious topics affecting Ben's life: his parents' divorce, and the death of the creepy school janitor, Mr. Keane. The vocabulary was perfectly suited for grades 4-6, and the writing was crisp, fluid and highly entertaining.

Though the story line may be on the light side for some reviewers, since we read one chapter per night together we appreciated how the clear, simple plot was easy to recall from one evening to the next. And don't get me wrong: every time we reached the end of a chapter we all wanted to keep reading. (We'd already agreed on the ground rules, though.) By the time we'd reached the end of the book my son had acquired a new interest in reading mysteries, and all of us began talking about how much we were looking forward to the next book in this series.

Well done, Mr. Clements!

I declare, Andrew Clements can do no wrong--better yet--always gets it right with his next book and the next and the next. Does the man never run out of ideas? "Benjamin Pratt and the Keepers of the School: We the Children" is Book one in this new series. And what an opener!

Two things immediately jump to mind with this book: his cohort in "Keepers of the School" series is a girl, Jill, his age, both in the sixth grade at their harbor-side school, built in 1783 in Edgeport, Massachusetts. That a girl is either the main character and hero, or co-main character and co-hero has become prevalent in modern adolescent literature. Secondly, the book closes with a sailboat race filled with nautical racing terms, making me completely forget the intensifying mystery surrounding the death of the janitor and his passing of a coin and mantle of responsibility for the school's safety to Ben. Although under a vow of secrecy, Ben shares this mantle with Jill.

Two other subplots, although both intertwined with the mystery, is one with his parents' separation and his father's residence at his harbored boat where Ben spends every other week. The second involves the assistant janitor who takes over main duties after his boss's death. There is something mighty suspicious about this man who seems to follow Ben and Jill everywhere. Oh yes, let's throw in the chunk of wood the two tweens find ensconced in a secret place in the middle of the school. It holds the secret to their instructions to save the school from demolition soon-to-take-place.

So far, Book One is an excellent start to Clements' new series. I look forward to Book 2 with great anticipation. I'm sure my library patrons ages 8 through middle school will snap up this book. It's also great for reluctant readers!