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41 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Middle grade readers will love this suspenseful story, February 22, 2008
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.
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8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A new twist on the "coming-of-age" story, September 22, 2008
"Eleven" begins with quite the premise: During his erstwhile search for his birthday presents, Sam stumbles across some old newspaper clippings kept by his grandfather, with whom he lives. Because Sam struggles with reading, he is only able to recognize his picture as a toddler, and the word "MISSING". "Missing?" Sam wonders, "I was missing?" From here, Sam begins to wonder: Where are his parents? Is the man he lives with really his grandfather? And since he himself cannot read the article, he'll need to find someone he can trust to read it for him.
This is a premise for a story that could easily have gone into many uninteresting and tired directions, but author Patricial Reilly Giff avoids many of them and weaves a story together that is both authentic and fulfilling.
When Sam finally gains the answers to the questions he asks, we accept them, and so does he.
I enjoyed, too, the subplot between Sam and his teachers, who are struggling to help him to read. As a middle school teacher, I found that Sam's reactions and struggles with his inability to sound much the as today's students who bear similar struggles. His final conversation with his reading teacher was quite moving.
As a coming-of-age story, "Eleven" isn't as strong as others, simply because Sam's challenges aren't that common. But his quest for self-identity, as well as that for simple friendship, should ring true with younger readers. Even if they can't put themselves directly into his shoes, they could probably see him as a friend or classmate.
A worthy addition to any library.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Eleven!, January 22, 2010
A Kid's Review
Do you like to put together puzzles? You know figuring out how all the pieces fit together to make a picture. Sam is a normal eleven year old kid with a family that loves him. He is an average student at school. In fact, about the only thing that seems to make him special is his gift for building furniture. He can take unfinished wood, cut it, shape it, put the pieces together and finish it into something great.
Sam accidentally finds a clue (a puzzle piece) about his past that changes the picture of his entire world. Who is he, where did he come from, does he need to escape? Who can he ask for help? Who can he trust? Now he has to find more clues, and meanings. He has to finish this story, this picture.
Patricia Reilly Giff's Eleven, is part mystery, part detective story and much more. It is about finding g the kind of strength you need to overcome your own weakness and fear. It is a story about making yourself better because you find a way to face your problems.
This story is in my opinion not too easy to read, but easy to understand. I think ti is not for readers under fourth grade. I believe that kids who read at this level and above and maybe even adults will enjoy this book.
Patricia Giff mixes dreams, memories, and current events to tell her story. At times I found it hare do tell if I was reading about Sam's past, present or future. Maybe the confusion helped make it more of a mystery.
The story has a lot of detailed descriptions about places, things and people. In some ways, it was easier to picture in my mind locations than it was to follow the story. The book is organized into chapters, and each chapter was like a short story about a specific thing or person. Kind of like separate puzzle pieces.
When all of the pieces came together Sam has a new picture that tells his story and at the same time tells stories about the other important character in the book. When you first start reading this story you might think it is just about a mixed up eleven year old boy. Think again.
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