The Mysterious Case of the Allbright Academy

The Mysterious Matter of I. M Fine #2

by Diane Stanley

Franny is thrilled when she's accepted by the Allbright Academy, an elite private boarding school designed to train leaders. But she knows she's not as smart as the other kids there—or as beautiful, accomplished, confident, or mature. The fact is, the Allbright students—from their shining teeth and flawless complexions to their sky-high test scores and long lists of honors—are absolutely perfect. Then the Allbright magic begins to rub off on Franny, too. The question Is this a good thing? Can Franny and her friends Cal, Brooklyn, and Prescott un-ravel the Allbright Academy's secret, or will they, too, succumb to its eerie perfection?

Genres: Mystery, Middle Grade, Boarding School, Childrens, Fiction, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

272 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Diane Stanley is an American children's author and illustrator, a former medical illustrator, and a former art director for the publisher G.P. Putnam's Sons. Born in 1943 in Abilene, Texas, she was educated at Trinity University (in San Antonio, TX) and at Johns Hopkins University. She is perhaps best known for her many picture-book biographies, some of which were co-authored by her husband, Peter Vennema. (source: Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed this one for a few years. Just a fun-loving kind of story. Nothing deep. Only a little humor and detective work.

...Oh yeah, and a lot of brownies.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad. A solid if familiar premise: a boarding school where things aren’t what they seem, and a group of kids sets out to see what’s going on. The characters were cool and the plot was good, but there was a glaring issue in execution: the author wrote around all the interesting parts. As soon as you wonder, Oh no, how is Franny going to get out of this?, you turn the page to find she’s already away from the situation and mentions how it transpired. It reads like a first draft where author wrote placeholder transitions and didn’t go back to properly fill them in.

[Amita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading this many many years ago and for the most part it still holds up

[EJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

the last time i read this was probably six or seven years ago and i'm delighted to see it holds up. excellent pacing and very satisfying conclusion and a nicely diverse cast of characters together with a warning about the dangers of conformity.

[Arabella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it is a good book

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Super fun middle grade novel. I thought the plot was interesting. I loved seeing what happened at the school, the mystery of the all important brownies, and how the kids learned to fight and save the students.

[Kate Garner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was mysteriously awesome it was full of cliff hangers. I loved it!!!!!

[Dee Dee G · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good, I was so caught up in it like I was watching a movie. Good from start to finish. I’ll never look at brownies the same way again lol.

[Maggie F · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing! I was totally blown away by all of the twists and turns in the story, and it kept me hanging from the very first sentence!

[Alyssa Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really fun middle grade read, especially for those of us who are academic-minded. Imagine if the Stepford Wives were actually a bunch of bright students at an elite private school and you have the basis of the Allbright Academy. This book leaves so much to consider and strikes just the right balance between wholesomeness and intrigue. Bravo, Diane Stanley!

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://spongey444.wordpress.com/2023...

[Kamila · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like it a lot. Honestly I need these *qualities* sometimes.

[Sarah BT · Rating 3 out of 5]

About the Book: When Franny's younger sister Zoe meets politician Martha Evergood, Ms. Evergood suggests that Zoe would be a perfect candidate for a private boarding school she is on the board of, Allbright Academy. Allbright was founded by two Nobel Prize winning scientists and the program is for the best and the brightest and tailored to their skills and learning style to give them the best education. Zoe's condition of acceptance is that her siblings have to join her. So all three Sharp siblings are accepted to Allbright. But while at Allbright, Franny and Zoe start to change. Their younger brother notice it as well as Franny's best friend back home. But is being perfect such a bad thing? Or is there something more going on at Allbright Academy?

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Although not a really a dystopian novel, The Mysterious Case of the Allbright Academy, could be a good introduction for tweens. There are defiantly some eerie things going on at Allbright and this is a book about tweens against evil adults.

The book itself is a fast read and the mystery is interesting enough to hold young readers. As an adult reader, I wish the mystery had been a bit more fleshed out and not so easily solved (it felt a bit Nancy Drew-ish and too easy). I also thought some of the pop culture references were a bit odd and I wasn't sure if many tweens will get them. But I think if they don't they'll just overlook them and enjoy the mystery and rebelling against bad adults storyline.

This one is good for young tween mystery readers (the main character is in eighth grade, but I think the appeal is actually younger). I'm sure many tweens will look at this book and wonder if something similar could be going on at their own school!

[Roxanne Hsu Feldman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one definitely kept my interest up. I gave it a 4-star although I think it's more a 3.75, since there are a few points that I'd like the author to cover more deeply and some pages that need to be tightened up. For example, when the children went to see Dr. Planck (around pages 185 on) -- there is little need to drag out the revelation of his involvement in the "crime" into another chapter and another encounter. These pages would have been spent better if the idea of democracy is explored further -- from both ends of the spectrum. This would have made the book a lot more meaningful, with more weight, without becoming tedious, IF the author knows how to handle this topic more deftly. There are such fascinating topics: on education, on politics, and on inter-personal relationship... I just wish that it could have been an even better book. (The silly last names of Bodemfedder - bottomfeeder, Lollyheart, and Offloffalof, for example, do not add to the charm of the story. For me, they take away my focus on the characters and the plot and in some way, make this potentially punchy book too ligth-weight.)

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Franny’s younger sister Zoe has a habit of charming the pants off of everyone she meets, so when Zoe charms her way into an invitation to apply to Allbright Academy, an exclusive school for the best and the brightest, Franny is not surprised. But Zoe refuses to go unless her big sister and her twin brother JD come too, and so all three of them become new students at Allbright.

At first, everything is perfect. Franny instantly makes friends with fellow new students Cal and Brooklyn, and she loves the intense classes, the specialized programs, and the delicious brownies. But soon, she and her friends begin to realize that there’s something mysterious going on at Allbright. The students are extraordinarily well-behaved—almost too well-behaved. When Franny and her friends investigate, what they discover is bigger than anything they ever expected.

This is a fun book. Nothing groundbreaking, but enjoyable. It seems to be the second book in a series; I didn’t read the first one, and I was still able to enjoy Franny and her family and friends. The mystery is engaging. All in all, a fun read, just not very remarkable.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Franny and her friends change dramatically once they start at the exclusive Allbright Academy – former gloomy Cal becomes cheery and upbeat; funky Brooklyn cuts off his dreadlocks, gives up writing poetry and changes his name to the more mainstream Brook; and, Franny finds studying easy and becomes a neat freak. In fact, all of the students at Allbright Academy are near perfect, and act more like adults than children.[return][return]The story pulls you in right away, and while it’s not a surprise that there is something not right at the school, the plot is by no means predictable. Franny narrates and speaks directly to the reader. Her voice is natural, yet not exactly realistic for an 8th grader. In fact, I thought that this book might have been better if the characters were high-school aged – it would be more believable that they could do some of the things they do in the story. But these slight faults do not in any way detract from the enjoyment of the book, which is fun, sophisticated, and un-put-downable.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I avoided reading this book for a long time. It just didn't sound appealing. That was a mistake. Franny knows she doesn't really belong at Allbright, an exclusive private school for exceptionally gifted students, and that she and her brother were accepted only because school officials want Zoe, their sister, to attend there. Since Zoe refused to go without her siblings, they were a package deal. But Franny surprisingly finds herself succeeding beyond her wildest dreams. She seems more focused, organized, and more capable than ever before.

After Cal, one of Franny's new friends at the academy, discovers the secret that makes Allbright students do so well, the small group discovers a sinister plot to ultimately control the nation. How can four students make authorities believe their wild tale? Read Diane Stanley's quick-paced novel to find out!

[babyhippoface · Rating 4 out of 5]

Franny knows she doesn't fit in with the gorgeous, brilliant, charismatic students at Allbright Academy when she enrolls alongside her younger brother and sister. In only a matter of days, though, she begins to feel more comfortable and confident than ever before. Everything about Allbright is almost perfect, from the educational opportunities to the athletics to the healthy cafeteria food. But is all that perfection due to a quality institution, or to something sinister going on behind the scenes?

Young mystery-lovers will love every page of this fast-paced tale. Though it is never truly scary, there is enough tension to keep the pages turning as the changes in the students become apparent and the plot unfolds.

Oklahoma Sequoyah Award Masterlist 2010-2011.

[Ariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's like a re-do of the Mysterious Benedict Society, but not as good. But I would recommend this book.
The names are distracting, as has been stated, and the kids' plan to save the academy takes about one chapter, then the book is over. The author could have elaborated more on the scheme, and carrying out the plan. It seemed as if someone was eager to finish it so they left out a few things.
Even with those few flaws, this book is really interesting and entertaining. The characters are funny, and sometimes believable. Real-world issues meet strange names and an unbelievable plan in this must-read.

[April Hochstrasser · Rating 3 out of 5]

Franny knows she doesn't fit in with the brilliant, outstanding students at Allbright Academy when she enrolls. In only a matter of days, though, she begins to feel more comfortable and confident than ever before. How can she, who hates mechanical things, build a working robot during her first week?

She suspects a plot is afoot concerning drugs and duplicity. How far the plot goes is an eye-opener. Mystery-lovers will love every page of this fast-paced tale. Though it is never truly scary, there is enough tension to keep the pages turning as the changes in the students become apparent and the plot unfolds.

[Amy Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Franny and her sister and brother are accepted into the Allbright Academy and she is so excited. Overtime she adopts all of the rules and thoughts of the Academy until one of her friends discovers that a plot is underfoot in the academy to make all of the children perfect using secret ingredients in the beloved brownies that they eat every day. Can Franny and her friends figure out what is going on? This book has a similar feel to Stanley's book the Mysterious Matters of I. M. Fine and uses two of the same characters.

[Matthew Winner · Rating 4 out of 5]

YES for our library.

What a creepy book (but so well-written!). The idea that a group of adults are intentionally drugging the students and teachers in order to create a more perfect society seems straight out of the Stepford Wives, but it works very well for a book for kids.

Still, I have to say that I don't think this is *the* book for students in grades 4-6 to be reading. I don't know that all of them (especially the younger readers) will be able to fully grasp the underlying messages in this book or, for that matter, fully appreciate what's truly going on at the Allbright Academy.

[Les · Rating 3 out of 5]

Franny and her 2 siblings are enrolled at the Allbright Academy, a boarding school founded by 2 Nobel Prize winning scientists for the "best and brightest." Her sister is actually the star student but she says she won't attend unless her brother and sister go too. Franny immediately buys into the program and starts to excel beyond her expectations. However, her best friend brings up a point she has never thought about. Why are all the students so perfect? No unmade beds, no loud music, just a bunch of "Stepford" kids with perfect complexions and teeth all living happily together...

[Earth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I stayed up all night to finish this book but it's not as good as it turn out to be. It's a great disappointment, not even the ending is to my satisfaction. I mean if something is great why fix or destroy it. I would just live it for the better but since you knew the truth then you have a choice. I wouldn't mind taking it if it help me in so many way. But because they tried to be hero, they also distroyed many good things that were going on, I mean they didn't even give the students a chance to choose what to do with thir lives.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Franny is thrilled when she's accepted by the Allbright Academy, and elite private boarding school designed to train leaders. But she knows she's not as smart as the other kids there...or as beautiful, accomplished, confident, or mature. The fact is, the Albright students are absolutely perfect. The question is why? And will she succumb to its eeri perfection?
Wonderful for students 4th grade up. Lots of fun and mysterious!

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the written parts of this book, what I didn't enjoy were the unwritten parts of this book. Because it was written for a juvenile audience, to keep it quickly paced, there are many parts that are left out and you are just supposed to assume they happened. Normally I wouldn't be bothered by this, but it happened quite often in this book. It's a cute story though - very much like the Benedict Society books.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Franny and her brother JD are accepted into an exclusive boarding school when their sister is recruited and won't accept without them. Franny immediately impresses the administration by completing a task only once finished without directions by a previous student. It becomes obvious to JD that something strange is happening to his sisters, and once they realize it, it becomes their mission to save their classmates.

[Eileen Winfrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wish there were a 4.5 star option, because this book was not THE BEST EVER (Harry Potter) but was still above my 4 star books. Anyway, Franny ends up at the perfect boarding school -where only her sister was accepted- and starts to behave as perfectly as the other students there. When she finds out why, she and her friends have to decide what to do. I read it in one sitting. Will recommend for students looking for a good mystery.

[Terrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took the idea of the Stepford Wives and set it into a private school for children and then went a step beyond. It was a fast read and hard to put down. I thought the silly names of the characters was very distracting, but other than that it was a pretty decent book. Ok for Elementary- it opens gates for discussion on mind-control, and democracy.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread from when I was a kid, one of my all time favorite children’s mysteries. For the target audience (upper elementary-middle school) this book and its predecessor are genius. I enjoyed them as much now as I did when I was younger, maybe even more so now understanding more conceptually. Highly recommend to anyone ages 10+ who wants a quick mystery or palate cleanser.