Eleven~ Tom Rogers
This sweet, sweet story was a joy to read and definitely a must-add to your classroom library!
On September 11, 2001, Alex Douglas woke up eleven years old. It was his birthday, and he was positive that it was going to be his best birthday ever, mostly because he had made a deal with the universe, and he was sure he was finally getting a dog. But from very early in the day, something felt off.
His dad left for work early, giving Alex no time to apologize for the nasty things he had said the night before, the biggest bully in the grade smashed him and his cupcakes on the bus, his teacher started acting really strange at school, and the principal dismissed all the students early unexpectedly.
Then, when Alex’s mom acted odd, too, and insisted that he take his sister Nunu home by himself, Alex became truly suspicious. On the long walk home with his sister in tow, Alex encounters numerous twists and turns.
Unaware that the twin towers had fallen just miles from his home (and unaware that his dad could be trapped beneath them), Alex navigates the neighborhood bullies, an injured pup, a whiny little sister, and a cranky old stranger as best he can.
And when he does learn of the tragedy in New York City, Alex makes one last deal with the universe that he hopes will make everything right and bring his dad back home.
Buy it here!
Maturity: 1/4
This novel is ideal for age 10+. Though it discusses 9/11 events, descriptions are not gruesome or traumatic in any way.
Pages: 193
Lexile: 660L
Lexile is a score that helps educators and parents match students with an appropriate text. A Lexile score is a measure of both a child’s reading ability and a text difficulty. However, Lexile does not take into account the content of a novel. So, pairing readers with a text is a complex process, and knowledge of a novel’s themes and plot is necessary to make a high-quality recommendation.
If you are curious about the grade-level equivalent to Lexile scores, check out the conversion chart here!
Happy Reading!
♥ Kara & Riley
