What do you think?
Rate this book
The Eleventh Finger and the Pirate In the Attic
The fate of the world rests in the six-fingered hand of one magical twelve-year-old.
Caleb and his family move into a haunted house they inherited, and he quickly learns from the ghost of his something great-grandfather that his extra finger is not only a family curse, but a sign of his magical abilities.
As he struggles with a school bully and a creepy principal, he fights to control the magic inside himself. Caleb discovers that a coven of witches ordered Principal Havers to steal back an ancient magical gauntlet. If the principal secures the gauntlet, he’ll take it to the evil master who sent him. But if Caleb finds the gauntlet before his 13th birthday, the Magia Ladrόn will claim Caleb, giving him the power to save the ones he loves.
Everything hinges on Halloween night.
Caleb and his family move into a haunted house they inherited, and he quickly learns from the ghost of his something great-grandfather that his extra finger is not only a family curse, but a sign of his magical abilities.
As he struggles with a school bully and a creepy principal, he fights to control the magic inside himself. Caleb discovers that a coven of witches ordered Principal Havers to steal back an ancient magical gauntlet. If the principal secures the gauntlet, he’ll take it to the evil master who sent him. But if Caleb finds the gauntlet before his 13th birthday, the Magia Ladrόn will claim Caleb, giving him the power to save the ones he loves.
Everything hinges on Halloween night.
ebook
First published September 8, 2013
1 person want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 21, 2013
3.5 stars for story and the execution and appeal to its target audience
2.5 stars for editing
Ariadne Kane's middle-grade debut, the first of a series, hits all the right notes: the prose is solid, the plot well-constructed. The dialogue between the kids feels like 12-year-olds talking, and the parents' dialogue is believable as well. No mean feat. It's one of the things I grouse about in YA and MG-- 12-year-olds who talk and act more like they're eight (I'm looking at YOU, Fablehaven) or 16 and talk and act more like they're twelve (I'm looking at YOU, Michael Vey), either because the writer cannot write dialogue for the ages of the characters or because he/she wants to appeal to as wide an audience as possible.
Caleb Morin and his family move to South Carolina from their home in Arizona, having inherited an ancient house from a relative. The house has a reputation for being haunted. Of course the ancient ancestor, a former pirate, inhabits the place, and of course he stays there to scare away people who might be after the treasure that is rumored to be hidden somewhere in a labyrinth of caves under the island. Caleb was born with an extra finger. Of course this is going to get him bullied in his new school. And of course the extra finger marks him as a witch. A witch with multiple abilities. Abilities he discovers and is able to use within a two-week period. This was my only beef. So far there's nothing Caleb can't do; all he needs is a little practice. The only way there will be a conflict here will be if Caleb, still a newbie, somehow makes a mistake. The problem won't be with not having the ability. Supported by a group of friends who, in a sly nod to convention from Kane, acknowledge that they're the "trusty band of misfits (shades of The Goonies)," Caleb must find his family's treasure and one of its powerful talismans before the evil Crevan family, in league with the evil school principal, do.
Despite a predictable plotline (not a complaint--all books about a kid who discovers he's got magical powers are going to have similar plot points), I found myself caring about the characters and wanting to play chess with Lefty and learn swordplay from Fitz. I found myself caring about the dangers awaiting the Morin family as the evil capitalist and a rogue witch both conspire to bring down the family fortunes by whatever means necessary.
Now, the editing:
Aside from some punctuation thingies: Multiple uses of "you're" for "your" while using them correctly other places. Bugs me because it's fairly easy to proofread for this stuff--just say "you are" out loud and see if it makes sense in your sentence.
Also, there's no such place as Tuscan, Arizona. And this isn't a typo--both times one of the Morins, who came from there, refer to Tucson, it's spelled this way. A search on Kindle for the correct spelling turned up zero results. That kind of sloppiness has no excuse. This isn't some obscure little city in the Middle East somewhere.
Also-also: incorrect use of 'tisn't--a contraction for "it isn't"--used in place of isn't? Kane may be using Latinate syntax because Lefty is from another century, so she might get a pass on this, but one gets the feeling she isn't making an informed stylistic choice here. And misusing "crony," which actually means confidant, buddy, pal, associate, comrade, partner. It's used to refer to one of the popular girls' hangers-on who holds an umbrella over the girl's head during a rainstorm, getting soaked herself. A boss hiring or promoting a friend or a friend's offspring over a more qualified applicant would be an example of "cronyism." The word(s) she was looking for were more along the lines of sycophant, flunky, toady, lackey, drudge, go-fer. "Cronies" are equals, "lackeys" are not.
I know my students would enjoy this story. And I know they look forward to new series because, in the words of one student, "when I read a series, I always know what I'm going to read next and I don't have to always be looking for new books." However, I'm having a hard time reconciling the mistakes. Students will: 1) notice, laugh, and continue to write correctly regardless; or they will 2)Not notice until they make the same mistake in their own writing and wail, "But it was written that way in a book!" when the teacher circles it in red on their essay.
2.5 stars for editing
Ariadne Kane's middle-grade debut, the first of a series, hits all the right notes: the prose is solid, the plot well-constructed. The dialogue between the kids feels like 12-year-olds talking, and the parents' dialogue is believable as well. No mean feat. It's one of the things I grouse about in YA and MG-- 12-year-olds who talk and act more like they're eight (I'm looking at YOU, Fablehaven) or 16 and talk and act more like they're twelve (I'm looking at YOU, Michael Vey), either because the writer cannot write dialogue for the ages of the characters or because he/she wants to appeal to as wide an audience as possible.
Caleb Morin and his family move to South Carolina from their home in Arizona, having inherited an ancient house from a relative. The house has a reputation for being haunted. Of course the ancient ancestor, a former pirate, inhabits the place, and of course he stays there to scare away people who might be after the treasure that is rumored to be hidden somewhere in a labyrinth of caves under the island. Caleb was born with an extra finger. Of course this is going to get him bullied in his new school. And of course the extra finger marks him as a witch. A witch with multiple abilities. Abilities he discovers and is able to use within a two-week period. This was my only beef. So far there's nothing Caleb can't do; all he needs is a little practice. The only way there will be a conflict here will be if Caleb, still a newbie, somehow makes a mistake. The problem won't be with not having the ability. Supported by a group of friends who, in a sly nod to convention from Kane, acknowledge that they're the "trusty band of misfits (shades of The Goonies)," Caleb must find his family's treasure and one of its powerful talismans before the evil Crevan family, in league with the evil school principal, do.
Despite a predictable plotline (not a complaint--all books about a kid who discovers he's got magical powers are going to have similar plot points), I found myself caring about the characters and wanting to play chess with Lefty and learn swordplay from Fitz. I found myself caring about the dangers awaiting the Morin family as the evil capitalist and a rogue witch both conspire to bring down the family fortunes by whatever means necessary.
Now, the editing:
Aside from some punctuation thingies: Multiple uses of "you're" for "your" while using them correctly other places. Bugs me because it's fairly easy to proofread for this stuff--just say "you are" out loud and see if it makes sense in your sentence.
Also, there's no such place as Tuscan, Arizona. And this isn't a typo--both times one of the Morins, who came from there, refer to Tucson, it's spelled this way. A search on Kindle for the correct spelling turned up zero results. That kind of sloppiness has no excuse. This isn't some obscure little city in the Middle East somewhere.
Also-also: incorrect use of 'tisn't--a contraction for "it isn't"--used in place of isn't? Kane may be using Latinate syntax because Lefty is from another century, so she might get a pass on this, but one gets the feeling she isn't making an informed stylistic choice here. And misusing "crony," which actually means confidant, buddy, pal, associate, comrade, partner. It's used to refer to one of the popular girls' hangers-on who holds an umbrella over the girl's head during a rainstorm, getting soaked herself. A boss hiring or promoting a friend or a friend's offspring over a more qualified applicant would be an example of "cronyism." The word(s) she was looking for were more along the lines of sycophant, flunky, toady, lackey, drudge, go-fer. "Cronies" are equals, "lackeys" are not.
I know my students would enjoy this story. And I know they look forward to new series because, in the words of one student, "when I read a series, I always know what I'm going to read next and I don't have to always be looking for new books." However, I'm having a hard time reconciling the mistakes. Students will: 1) notice, laugh, and continue to write correctly regardless; or they will 2)Not notice until they make the same mistake in their own writing and wail, "But it was written that way in a book!" when the teacher circles it in red on their essay.
March 26, 2014
I really enjoyed this book! I originally bought it because I wanted to support a local Utah author, and I was not disappointed. It has a great and simple (yet riveting) plot, something that I would read to my kids. It definitely has more than enough magic/witchcraft to capture my attention! What's so fantastic about this book is how unique it is in terms of content. As you can tell in the title, you expect this book to be weird but it's weird in a GOOD way. Overall, the title/cover might throw you off BUT don't pass up on such a good story! I can imagine buying this for kids/children/siblings who enjoy a good read.
March 12, 2014
This novel is an amazing novel it has everything from ghost to witches. It has a solid story line and keeps you engaged through out the entire novel so read it you wont regret one bit.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews