Eleven
Sam finds images of the number eleven cropping up in his dreams and in hazy memories of his life before coming to stay with his grandfather when he was very small. Now turning eleven, he is obsessed with the need to understand their meaning, as well as his own past, after spotting the fragment of an old newspaper with the word “missing” next to a picture of a toddler wearing a sweater he knows well--because it was his. Sam adores his grandfather Mack and the rhythm of their lives together. Mack’s two good friends who live and work nearby complete their tight-knit, loving family. But could it all be a lie and he really belongs to someone else? As Sam embarks on a plan to learn more, he enlists the help of a new girl in his class at school. Sam can’t read well and he needs someone who can to help him research the past. Caroline is witty and smart and doesn’t judge Sam because he can’t read. At the same time, her willingness to assist him is dependent upon his agreeing they won’t become friends—her family never stays in one place long enough to make friendship anything other than painful in the end. A class project to build a medieval castle showcases Sam’s considerable woodworking skills but also provides an excuse to spend time with Caroline, his partner, investigating Sam’s ever-more-murky past. But it’s what they learn about themselves in the present that proves to be just as important as each finds a new outlook on personal challenges when need dovetails with desire. Warm and richly realized main and secondary characters distinguish a novel about family and friendship that is imbued with a sense of mystery. ©2008 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 9-12
Age Range:
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format:
Novel
Subjects:
Building/Construction
Families
Friendship
Grandfathers
Mysteries
Reading and Writing
Publishers:
Random House, Wendy Lamb Books
Publish Year: 2008
Pages: 164
ISBN: 9780385730693
CCBC Location: Fiction, Giff