School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-7-Sixth grader Alex lives with her uncle above his doorknob shop in this swashbuckling adventure by Adrienne Kress (Weinstein Books, 2007). When the school year begins, she is excited to discover that she has a new teacher, Mr. Underwood. What is surprising, however, is that he is the heir to a pirate treasure. After Mr. Underwood is kidnapped by the pirates of a ship named the Ironic Gentleman, and Alex's uncle is killed by a falling shelf of doorknobs, Alex sets out to rescue her teacher. On her quest, she faces danger and encounters a variety of bizarre characters. Eventually, she is also captured by the pirates and comes face-to-face with the ship's captain. That's when she learns the real irony of the ship's name. The pirate captain is neither a man, nor is she gentle. Christopher Lane deftly moves between the different character's voices, giving each a distinct personality. A must purchase for school and public libraries with substantial audiobook collections.-Kathy Miller, Baldwin Junior High School, Baldwin City, KS (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
As PW's starred book review put it, Kress's rousing adventure is a "wonderful blend of whimsy and moral," involving a sixth-grade heroine, Alex, who lives with her uncle, and a teacher descended from a famous pirate and heir to his treasure. Alex is convinced the treasure map is hidden in the stately manor run by the vicious old ladies of the Daughters of the Founding Fathers Preservation Society. Returning home victorious, Alex discovers her beloved uncle has been killed and her teacher kidnapped. Lane's expressive narration never overpowers the story's simple, observational prose style. He brings to life the many colorful characters by giving them distinctive voices, such as the Extremely Ginormous Octopus whose large, booming, throaty voice would fill a canyon; the refined, aristocratic Charles, a mad scientist; and the snarling bearded gentleman. Listeners will eagerly stay tuned to this fantastical quest. Ages 10-up. Simultaneous release with the Weinstein hardcover (Reviews, July 16). (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
Alex, a short, slight ten-and-half-year-old orphan, is often mistaken for a boy. This is the first of many apparently inconsequential details offered in a long-winded, occasionally arch conversational narrative that details her trials and tribulations. When her sixth-grade teacher, Mr. Underwood, is revealed as the heir to a long-lost pirate treasure and subsequently kidnapped, Alex rides to the rescue on his trusty bicycle. Along the way, she's chased by crazed, chainsaw-wielding docents, trapped on a train, befriended by a talking refrigerator and betrayed by a conjuror with a drinking problem. She even briefly toys with the notion of joining the bad guys. Kress's plot is undeniably inventive and several episodes will likely provoke laughs. But, the tone is quite dark and the narrative never quite jells. Characters are broadly sketched, making it difficult for readers to care deeply about Alex's situation, no matter how dire. Fans of fast-paced, tongue-in-cheek adventures may welcome Alex and cheer her eventual triumph. Others will likely lose interest long before she reaches her goal. (Fiction. 9-12) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
