The School for the Insanely Gifted

by Dan Elish

Daphna Whispers is insanely gifted. At age two and a half, she composed her first sonata. At age eight, she completed an opera. And now, at eleven and three-quarters, she is orchestrating a piano rhapsody. With a résumé like that, it's no wonder she is a student at the prestigious Blatt School for the Insanely Gifted. But as sixth grade draws to a close, Daphna's mind is far from the upcoming "Insanity Cup" competition. She's preoccupied by her mother's disappearance two months ago. When a mysterious man breaks into Daphna's small New York apartment, Daphna discovers that her mother's disappearance wasn't a random accident. Her mother knew something—and now somebody is after Daphna. What starts out as a simple fact-finding trip to the basement with her friends spirals into an international expedition. And while Daphna hopes to uncover the secret of her mother's disappearance on her global trek, the last thing she expects to uncover is an outrageous secret about the Blatt School. And one insanely shocking secret about herself.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Mystery, Juvenile, Fiction, Science Fiction, Childrens

304 pages, Hardcover

First published June 21, 2011

About the author

Dan Elish is the author of eleven novels, including the upcoming KING OF BROADWAY (Olympia Press, 2025). Dan's other books include THE WORLDWIDE DESSERT CONTEST (Orchard Books and Bantam), THE SCHOOL FOR THE INSANELY GIFTED (Harpers), NINE WIVES (for grown-up types/St. Martins), and BORN TOO SHORT (S&S) which won a 2004 International Reading Association Students’ Choice Award for young adult literature.

Dan also writes musicals - many for children (music and lyrics) - but also the script (with Robert Horn) to the musical 13 which played at the Mark Taper Forum and won the 2007 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for best production; the show moved to Broadway in 2008 and is now a feature on Netflix, named one of the best ten films of 2022 by Variety. Dan is also the book writer and co-lyricist of THE EVOLUTION OF MANN which played at the Cell Theater in NYC in 2018.

Dan has also written scripts for TV (notably CYBERCHASE and THE WONDER PETS), and has won scholarships and fellowships to The Bread Loaf and Sewanee Writers’ Conferences. He was a member of the BMI workshop and a current member of the Dramatists Guild.

Dan lives in New York City with his wife and two children.

Reviews

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daphna Whispers is a student at the School for the Insanely Gifted. Her gift is music. Her friends are Cynthia and Harkin whose gifts are acting and engineering. Cynthia would like nothing more than to have her One-Woman MacBeth performed on Broadway. Harkin has developed a chewing gum that allows you to view websites while chewing it. The music that Daphna composes has a strange effect on people. In fact, her teacher tells her the music has the power to heal the mind. Daphna's life is in need of healing. Her father died long ago and now her mother is missing. "Why had her mother flown her single cockpit World War I B-2 biplane toward Europe? ... Most important, had she survived?"

Life at the School for the Insanely Gifted is a little crazy. And when the founder of the school, Ignatius Blatt, declares that the students will compete for the first ever "Insanity Cup" for the best invention, it gets a little crazier. The winner will appear on TV with Blatt. Suddenly, all the students at school are acting highly secretive and ultra competitive. "The Insanity Cup has unleashed everyone's inner psychopath." Harken, Cynthia and Daphna all have designs in winning the prize, too, but they have other things to worry about, too.

It starts when a strange man dressed as an antelope breaks into Daphna's apartment. "Where is it? The Flex Bed. Is it with Billy?" These word are foreign to Daphna and although she manages to escape the man, she fears she isn't any safer. Did this strange man have something to do with her Mom's disappearance? In her search for answers, she finds a picture of her mother with two men: Billy B. Brilliant and W. Zoo Ferd. Is this the "Billy" the man spoke of? Through a series of clues left by her mother, Daphna begins to piece together the answer for which she is looking. And it takes her and her friends around the world to a mysterious lab and an even more mysterious man.

Readers should enjoy the highly imaginative inventions that the students create and there is a solid mystery for them to try to solve. A couple of good plot twists along the way, as well.

[Josh Newhouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started this and really enjoyed the beginning. I wish the pov character was different. So far harkin is my fave! The more i read the more i like the creativity but feel the story is spinning its wheels... Finished, frustratingly uneven...best parts were at the school but plot went off, and took character with it... Big twist was telegraphed... So were little ones...

[Lisa Calvert · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just couldn't get into it - I started okay, but my mind kept wandering. The Steve Jobs/Willy Wonka guy was predictable and the contraptions were way too far-fetched to believe. I think it's supposed to be funny, but it just came across as stilted. I had to work too hard to stay interested.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The School For the Insanely Gifted was written by Dan Elish and published in 2011. I think the author wrote this book to have fun himself and let others have fun reading it as well. I believe it was definitely intended for a younger audience, but I think that anyone with a good imagination would love this book. It was one of my favorite fantasy reads I have ever come across. A theme that I found to go throughout the book was just a constant care for others. Everytime the group of friends was in trouble, they would look out for their friends before themselves. It was a very noticeable trend and it was clear that the author did that on purpose to show kids it is important to be loyal to your friends. A comparison I made was a how I used to watch called “Ant Farm”. It was about a school that these kids went to because they were all protegies, and they faced challenges and struggles together. It was a very similar theme except the book I read was much better obviously. I never really liked the show to be honest. There were a couple main characters in this book and to me they were all developed very well. They all their own distinct personality to the point where you could almost guess what each character would do in certain situations. I would highly recommend this book to others, boys and girls. By far one of the better books I have read. It was all around very entertaining and left me wanting to read more. I would rate this book a solid 4.5 out of 5 due to the fact that I was very intrigued the whole time and I don’t usually enjoy reading but I did enjoy reading this.
“We’re here for you!” Jazmine would say. “You know that.” This is a quote from the book directed toward the main character Daphna. This quote in my opinion proves the point I made about everyone caring for eachother.
“True, her friend Cynthia trustwell has already starred in six broadway shows, but that didn’t mean Daphna could skip the opening night of her seventh.” This quote to me really sums up the theme of this book to me. Everyone in the story is there to support their friends even though they all have their own stuff going on. Everyone makes time for each others activities to showcase their talents and that really carries out the theme of loyalty.
Like I said earlier, overall a great book and I recommend to anyone who is willing to open their mind to expand their imagination.

[Twyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite part was when Daphna found her father, Cynthia apologized and was forgiven, and Daphna's father took over the school for the insanely gifted. My least favorite part was when Cynthia betrayed her friends by telling Ignatious Peabody Blatt about the X-Head (I think that's what they called it) and also when Blatt was going to push Daphna out of the helicopter.

[Josh · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an over-the-top adventure filled more with silliness than anything else. I suspect I would have liked it a lot more at age 9 than I did at this point in time. The underlying story is fine, but I would have preferred more depth to our main characters. I think it got lost in the hype about their abilities.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for the Book & Cookie Club parent-child book discussion group at the library. My son and I both enjoyed the story, an engaging mystery for middle grade kids.

[Babs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full of insanely fun inventions!

[Mildly Mad Hatter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like it very much. One of the girls was a brat, and all the kids were selfish. I don't remember any language or anything. The only good part was Billy.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daphna Whispers is nearly twelve and composes utterly entrancing music; her best friend Harkin Thunkenreiser (aka Thunk) builds amazing machine, and her other best friend Cynthia Trustwell has starred in multiple Broadway musicals. They are all insanely gifted and students at the Blatt School for the Insanely Gifted, an institution founded by the extremely colorful entrepreneur Ignatious Peabody Blatt. Daphna's life had been fine until her mother disappeared two months ago, and she was slowly starting to adjust to her new reality with her neighbor as her legal guardian (her father had died from consuming sour yak milk when she was a baby). Then a mysterious burglar surprises her in her apartment and she discovers clues that lead her to investigate her mother's disappearance. Soon Daphne, Cynthia, and Thunk are winging to Africa in one of Thunk's amazing inventions, barely making it to their destination and the startling revelations that will change everything they've believed in!

Elish has crafted an insanely entertaining story full of action and adventure--with some thrills and scary moments, too--that will keep readers turning the pages. One must thoroughly suspend disbelief to manage this novel (the Thunkmobile, created from junked taxis, makes it to Africa with only one refueling stop, for instance), though the main characters' struggles are real enough. Daphna is a sympathetic protagonist, but many of the other characters, particularly the adults, are cartoonish at best, which is great for undermining the fear factor. Recommended for ages 9 & up.

[librarian4Him02 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot: Daphna is a gifted musician at teh Blatt School for teh Insanely Gifted. She has talent adn close friends, but what most occupies her mind is the mysterious disappearance of her mother. When a mysterious man breaks into Daphna's apartment asking about a Flex Bed, Daphna suspects her mother's disappearance may not be merely a random accident. Can she and her friends discover the truth before it's too late? And just how does the founder of the Blatt school fit into the scheme of things?

Why I picked it up: It's been on my too read list for so long, I don't remember why I put it there. However, I suspect it came into my library as a new book and the blurb sounded intriguing.

Why I kept reading: Elish devised a creative plot filled with action, adventure, mystery, and quirky electronic creations. The fast pace of the writing drove me to keep reading. I had to know what would happen.

In the end: It will definitely appeal to fans of quirky science fiction plots and mysteries. Overall, not a bad read. It was a nice break from the heavier-themed books I've been reading lately.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ignatious Peabody Blatt, great inventor of all things technological, opens a school for the insanely gifted. Only 100 students are admitted, among them friends Daphna, Cynthia, and Harkin. Each kid has a unique talent and Blatt decides to hold the "Insanity Cup" competition which will showcase one student as the best of the best. Daphna is preoccupied with the disappearance of her mother, though, and barely finishes her musical masterpiece in time.

But, as with an insanely gifted headmaster, Blatt is really diabolical and is out for only his own gain. He really didn't invent all those mesmerizing gadgets, but stole them from recluse, Billy B. Brillant, who just happens to have a connection to Daphna. Although, Daphna is unaware of the connection, she finds clues her mother left her, and sets out, with her friends, to find the answers she has always wanted.

The School for the Insanely Gifted is clever and mysterious, down to the last page. A fun look at some futuristic technology that, who knows, may just be part of our future.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one. Eleven-year-old Daphna, a musical genius, goes to the Blatt School for the Insanely Gifted in New York, where the announcement of the Insanity Cup has all the students competing for the top prize. Things I loved about this book: Daphna lives by herself (since her mom disappeared) in a one-room apartment that can change with the push of a button to a living room or a music room or a bedroom; her best friend Thunk zips around Manhattan in a flying vehicle he built from an old taxi; her other best friend has starred in six Broadway musicals, most recently as a dog; Iggy Blatt, the founder of the school, is a cross between Steve Jobs and Willy Wonka, who goes more and more Wonka as the story goes on; adults don't get in the way of letting the kids race around town or take chances. The gadgets are fun and the story keeps moving.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daphna's mother has disappeared. She is living by herself in a weirdly modified apartment across from her guardians and neighbors. She attends a school for the insanely gifted along with her two best friends. Lots of highjinks ensue based on all the different talents, giftedness, they each possess. All is not right at their school.

This is a fun read, but not a grab you by the throat and won't let you go read. It's popcorn and soda, not satisfying like bread and definitely not gotta have it chocolate. Not sure why.

[Cecilia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not impressed. Good premise (reminds me a lot of the Mysterious Benedict Society) but the execution was extremely poor. The rules of the reality created in the novel were so inconsistent it was distracting. I could suspend disbelief on some of the ridiculous inventions, but then the simplest things would stump the characters. It just didn't add up. Was not fond of any of the characters. Some of them were really rather irritating. Disappointing.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow. Can I say anything praiseworthy about this book? Well, there's no swearing in it. That's good.
Admittedly, I am not in the demographic for this book, but it was just stupid. The plot had some merit, but it totally went weird and off-kilter and unbelievable. Just outlandish. Ridiculous.
If you're older than 10, please don't read this book. I'm killing brain cells just thinking about it.

[Drew · Rating 3 out of 5]

The most brilliant students attend a special school, but when a weird burglar attacks one of the students, three of them travel across the globe to figure out who's behind it. It's a fun book, with neat tech ideas and creative parts that I would have loved as a kid, but I do feel like it's missing *something*.

[Mcfearsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have no idea why, but I really appreciate this book. I would never read it again, and I wouldn't necessarily recommend it (I read it in 7th grade, I think, so I'm not sure how enjoyable it would be for a non-7th-grader) I read this in half a day, sitting in the same chair, without one putting it down, THAT'S HOW MUCH I LOVED IT.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

adventure with plenty of plot twists
-gifted children (Daphna, Harkin and Cynthia)go to the school for the insanely gifted in NY.
A mysterious man breaks into Daphna's apartment and the adventure begins.

[Jeandana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cool book, and I liked the storyline. I was a little unsure of it, but it turned out well, and it had a good ending. The characters were interesting, and Thunk's inventions were very cool.

[Alisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite but my boys loved it. This is one of the few books I could get my son to read all on his own. He even took it with him in the car. I wish I could've liked it more. I saw too many holes (like a child wrote it) but there was a lot of action for boys.

[Laurel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decent story line, characters were okay, a bit predictable. It had the potential to be so much more. . . I really felt like the author rushed through much of his story. I hung on till the end, but almost wish that I hadn't.

[Robyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

An adventurous story about a group of insanely gifted students who must go on a quest to solve a mystery surrounding their school's founder. I really enjoyed this story and hope that a sequel is written.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an overall good book. It was a humor book, but it came off not being too light. I liked the twist at the end, but it is just me, or is the part about Cynthia's betrayal then change of heart confusing?. But altogether, a very good book.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun.

[Donalyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the premise of this book and I know my students will enjoy it. The plot was predictable and I didn't connect deeply to the characters, but I'm not the target audience.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think readers in the target age group would like this--especially kids who are smarter than their years.

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't in love with this book. You had to suspend your disbelief at too many parts. Maybe the target audience would be more appreciative.

[Tara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Imaginative to a point, but then the imaginative elements become repetitive. The characters are interesting, but the book just seems to be a bit scattered in its plot.

[Danyelle Leafty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun and interesting concept, but there were a few things plot-wise that didn't work for me.