Eleven

First of all, I am reviewing the audio version of this book, which my family listened to on a road trip this weekend. My boys were captivated. Sam is almost 11, he lives with his grandfather, a master carpenter, in a building which also houses an Indian restaurant and a deli. The owners of these establishments are also major supporting characters in the book. Sam is good with woodworking, he's clever, and almost fearless. Sam cannot read, at all. He sees words as crawling spiders on a page. Much of the book revolves around this heroic flaw. The book opens with Sam searching for his birthday presents. He decides to search the attic. While there, he finds a clipping from a newspaper. The picture looks like a younger Sam, and the word MISSING, which Sam painfully sounds out, headlines the story. The boy is referred to as Sam Bell, which is a different last name than Sam has. So, Sam has a mystery. Is this him? Was he missing? Unfortunately he needs help to find out. He turns to another student and forms a beautiful lasting friendship in the bargain. This story is suspenseful and believable. The characters are very well balanced and drawn. Sam's illiteracy is so gracefully handled, as are other issues around broken families and foreign cultures. Truly, the book is totally sensitive without being preachy. I TOTALLY recommend it, and if a student is having trouble reading? Listen to it. It captivates! (*)>

Sam MacKenzie has just found evidence in his attic that his real name may be Sam Bell AND he may be missing - kidnapped, maybe? Now his wonderful life with his grandfather(?) may be a lie! Sam, who has a reading disability, and his new friend Caroline, who always has her head in a book, are sure going to try to find out what happened. This is a great book for boys and girls alike and may really interest reluctant readers because Sam has reading difficulties. Even though he can't read very well (although by the end of the book he resolves to learn to read), Sam is good at working with wood. Young people need to understand the importance of reading, but they also need to see that everyone is good at something, and Sam exemplifies this. Great mystery, great feel-good book!

It was just one day before Sam Mackenzie's birthday, and he wanted to find his grandfather's present, since he could not wait. He looked everywhere and just couldn't find it. So then he tried looking in the attic. And instead of a present, Sam discovered an article that would question who he was and if he was even in the right place. He didn't know it, but this was the beginning of a very long journey. Unfortunately, Sam isn't able to read much, so finding someone who could read the article for him was his first obstacle. While his teacher was lecturing on certain spices, Sam took this opportunity to look for someone he could trust to read the article for him. He lands upon Caroline, the new girl who unexpectedly came into his class about a month ago. He knew she was the perfect candidate since she was always reading during class. Of course, he couldn't just go up to her and ask her to read it for him. So he decides to make friends with her. The first conversation he has with her goes great, except for the part where she said they probably couldn't be friends since she wasn't going to be there for long. Then his teacher volunteers Caroline to help Sam with a castle he was going to build. With this, Sam finally has the opportunity to spend more time with Caroline, and maybe even try to become her friend. Hoping that she would be able to help him, Sam still had other things to worry about, like his dreams that contain images of objects that surround him in his daily life. And the number eleven becomes the biggest mystery of all, besides the fact that it is the day in April he was born; it was imprinted everywhere once he dreamt. Together, two unlikely people will work together to solve a mystery that no one would be able to figure out by themselves. Friendships will evolve, identities will be questioned, and secrets will be revealed. Enchanting and mysterious, ELEVEN is a thriller that will fascinate not only teenagers and adults but also kids of all ages. A novel about a boy with a problem and an unlikely friend there to help him, ELEVEN will take you on a journey that will be cherished once it has ended. Patricia Reilly Giff, famous for her previous releases, will awe her fans once again. Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen

Sam doesn't know why he fears the number eleven, but as his 11th birthday approaches, he feels a need to explore his past. When he discovers a locked box and a newspaper clipping in the attic, he learns he might once have been a missing child. Now he's worried about his relationship with beloved grandfather, Mack, and friends Onji and Anima. Since Sam has difficulty reading, he befriends a new girl at school who reads constantly. Soon Sam and Caroline are working on a class project together and searching for clues to Sam's past. Characters make this story very special. Mack teaches Sam the pleasures of repairing and working with wood. Sam uses his gifts to build a clever wooden castle for the school project. The lessons he applies to his woodworking help him develop the patience to face his reading problems and discover the truth about his past. Onji and Anima, friends and neighbors, act as extended family for Mack and Sam. Anima reads to Sam every evening, and Onji is constantly offering food and support. But it is Sam's friendship with Caroline that really centers this book. Sam isn't sure he wants to be friends with a girl, but he needs Caroline's ability to read. Caroline's artistic but nomadic parents make Sam appreciate his own solid family life. This story moves along quickly, driven by Sam's constant search for information about his mysterious past. All the clues finally fall into place and the dreams and memories that have bothered Sam are explained in a satisfying ending. Reluctant boy readers will especially enjoy this story - Sam is an active, imaginative, and believable eleven-year-old. During the course of the story, he works with wood, goes boating, and ultimately decides to build his own boat. He works out problems for himself, seeking help from friends, family, and teachers when he needs it. But girls will find the story equally enjoyable, as Caroline provides an alternate viewpoint to the action. This would make a good read-aloud book for a classroom. The action-filled chapters will hook readers, and there's room for discussion of issues related to reading and learning difficulties, friendship, family secrets, and the joys of developing one's own talents and gifts.

I read this in an afternoon and was quite pleased. Suspense without being too scary. It was great to see a character with such a wonderful support system as the main character has in his grandfather, neighbors, teachers, cat, and his newest friend. Suitable for boys and girls alike. Might also be good for reluctant readers, as the main character is an 11 year old boy who really struggles with reading and comments that letters look like spiders to him.