Premier Independent Bookseller/Coffeehouse in Sauk Valley
COVID-19 2021
COVID-19 fight update:
Congratulations and thanks to all of you who are fully vaccinated and now boosted. This has made a big difference in the fight against this hard-to-understand virus.
As of 28 February 2022, please come in, shop, sit (or stand) and converse without requiring to cover your nose & mouth.
BUT, please respect our service team and fellow patrons who may want to continue to wear face coverings, keep a physical distance or do the safest thing for their & their loved ones' health & safety.
How to physically distance: Just stay 8 books laid end-to-end from your fellow booklover!
Whether you think the devastating effects of this novel coronavirus have been overblown or not, let's all work as a community to stay safe and keep our local businesses here for you!
Before there was a Mysterious Benedict Society, there was simply a boy named Nicholas Benedict - now it's time to 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.
About the Author
Trenton Lee Stewart is the author of the award-winning and New York Times bestselling Mysterious Benedict Society series. He lives in Arkansas with his wife and two sons.
Diana Sudyka received a master of fine arts degree from Northwestern University. She lives and works in Chicago as an artist.
Praise For…
Praise for The Mysterious Benedict Society:"Great cast of characters, lots of cool puzzles and mysteries. This book reminded me of some of the better children's books I grew up with, like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Phantom Tollbooth." --Rick Riordan
Praise for The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict * "Gives readers a reason to fall in love with the series all over again...[with] adventures, danger, cleverness, dry wit, and good-hearted characters at the center of the action."—Booklist, starred review
"Stewart balances the elements of his story beautifully, using the mystery puzzle to drive the plot while heightening tension through encounters with the Spiders and deepening the tenderness by following Nicholas's emotional development...[as] Mysterious Benedict Society fans have come to expect (and love) from master storyteller Stewart."—The Horn Book
"Stewart fills in the back story on the narcoleptic genius founder of the Mysterious Benedict Society...[with]admirable insight."—Kirkus Reviews
"Fans will be thrilled with the rich backstory of a beloved character."—School Library Journal
"Stewart's dry wit and character ingenuity is sprinkled throughout...enjoyable and charming."—Library Media Connection
Thank you for your support!
For those of you not interested in ordering from that largest river in South America that rivals the Mississippi and the Nile, but BoF is out of stock at the warehouse, try our new affiliate, Bookshop.org, started by a Columbia University MFA who just wants to help the Indies out a bit while being able to put a meal on the table for himself and others.
We Now Are Affiliated with Hummingbird, a Great eBook Resource!
You can still buy titles in other formats (hardcover, paperback, audio CDs) with a Books on First gift card as well as buy a Books on First giftcard which we will send especially to that lucky recipient (free postage!).
... Throughout the month of July, we are having a Where's Waldo hunt in Dixon! Waldo will be at 24 Local Dixon locations and two Waldos will be at Books on First! Find the one with the difference and get an extra stamp!
That'll help get 10 stamps or signatures for a temporary Waldo tatoo AND $1 off coupon for a WALDO book AND a Waldo's in Dixon pin.
Get 20+ stamps and get your name in the drawing for big prizes at our PARTY on Saturday, 30Jul, 11am.
There are door prizes, too, a Dixon fun hunt card from Dixon Main Street Chamber of Commerce. Bring your stamp card if you hadn't done so already.
We are always delighted when someone sees a movie in the book, because now, millions of more people know about the book! It might have been a great film or it might have been a total dud.
But, read the book yourself to see just how good or different the original is!
