Eleven

Starred review from November 19, 2007
The day before he turns 11, Sam searches the attic for hidden birthday presents and discovers more than he bargained for: a newspaper clipping showing a photograph of him as a missing child. In this exquisitely rendered story of self-discovery, Giff (Lily’s Crossing
) creates what she calls a “jig-saw puzzle” of a book, showing readers how Sam pieces together artifacts and his own flashbacks to find out whether Mack, the man he has lived with for as long as he can remember, really is his grandfather. Learning the truth requires research, and Sam, a special-needs student who has trouble reading, solicits help from Caroline, a new girl at school. As they embark on two projects—building a medieval castle for social studies and solving the mystery of Sam’s past—they also construct a solid friendship, despite Caroline’s parents’ plans for another, imminent move. Although the premise echoes that of Caroline Cooney’s The Face on the Milk Carton
, the similarity ends there. Evoking an entirely different mood and set of circumstances, this intimate story realistically examines friendship, family secrets and the struggles of a learning-disabled child trying to make sense of the world. Given the author’s expertise at developing sympathetic characters and creating a suspenseful plot, readers will find the complexity of Sam’s vulnerabilities to be as intriguing as the unfolding enigma of his past. Ages 8-13.

What is "eleven," and why does Sam fear it? Could it be a month, a day, an address, an age? Two trees standing side by side or the double mast on a boat? Whatever it is, it haunts Sam's dreams--more frequently as his eleventh birthday approaches. Then, while secretly searching the attic for birthday presents, he notices a newspaper clipping with a picture that could be himself at a much younger age and the mysterious headline "MISSING." Patricia Reilly Giff writes prose with the touch of a poet. Staci Snell reads with the cadence of a poet and a respect for the author's words. She is the voice of Sam's subconscious as he puzzles through the mystery of who he is and where he belongs. N.E.M. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine