Okay I just finished "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart. I really liked it. It's about this boy, Reynie, who responds to an ad for "special and talented kids", which is a series of obscure tests. He ends up with three other orphans and they become spys and enroll in a mysterious school.

It's a great one to read with your kids. It's been described as Lemony Snickett and Harry Potter. It is a lot like Lemony Snickett, but not nearly as dark and dreary.

The best part of the book is that it's one that you can put down and come back to again.

There is a sequel called "The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey." I've ordered the book and will let you know when I've finished it.