This story's suspense comes from our ability to connect to the character, a boy who has just found out that he was kidnapped. He discovers the fact after finding a newspaper clipping but he can't find out the details because he can't read. After befriending a new girl at school, together they get to the bottom of the problem and forge a great friendship in the process.

*From the catalog:
When Sam, who can barely read, discovers an old newspaper clipping just before his eleventh birthday, it brings forth memories from his past, and, with the help of a new friend at school and the castle they are building for a school project, his questions are eventually answered.

Reviewed by Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen for TeensReadToo.com

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. ( )

Sam's story is very compelling - just enough tension to keep you going without making it too annoying or plot center. I wish Caroline had been a little more fleshed out - but Mack, Onji and Anima were so real and warm. Nicely done! ( )

This was a fairly compelling read, with a series of flashbacks on the part of the eleven-year-old narrator, Sam, alternating with chapters about his daily life. Sam lives with his grandfather, Mack, and the two share a building and close relationships with Anima, who runs an Indian restaurant, and Onji, an old friend of Mack's, who runs a deli. Sam struggles with a severe reading disability, but is becoming a talented woodworker like his grandfather. Shortly before his eleventh birthday, Sam is searching the attic for his presents and comes upon some startling clues to his past. With the help of a new girl from school, he begins to search for the truth about his origins. Giff skillfully runs the theme of "eleven" throughout the story and Sam's memories. This would make a good novel for reading groups -- enough substance and depth to discuss, but enough action and intrigue to keep kids interested in the plot.

Eleven is a book that really falls into a younger reader category. Sam, about to turn eleven, doesn't have the best of luck with reading. Truth be told, he can't read very much at all. One evening he stumbles upon a newspaper clipping that shows a younger child, but most definitely him, underneath a banner headline that reveals him to be missing. Sam wonders whether his supposed father, Mack, is really indeed his dad. Sam has apprenticed under Mack in woodcutting, and his skills are superb. He befriends a girl in his class, Caroline, and together they set about crafting a physical representation of the visions of castles Sam has seen in his dreams. Caroline has been moved around a lot, and alas, she will be moved again. The friendship becomes the driving force behind Mack's will to learn to read and write when the distance between them grows. ( )