Often mistaken for a boy because of her haircut and name, Alex Morningside is an inquisitive girl of ten-and-a-half who attends the prestigious Wigpowder-Steele Academy. Unfortunately, though she loves to learn, Alex just can’t bring herself to enjoy her classes. Her teachers are all old and smelly and don’t seem to know about anything that has happened in the world the past thirty years, and her peers…well they are quite simply ridiculous.
Luckily for Alex, the new school year brings an exciting new teacher. Mr. Underwood makes lessons fun and teaches her how to fence. But Mr. Underwood has a mysterious family secret—the swashbuckling and buried treasure kind—and not everyone is glad he has come to Wigpowder-Steele. When the infamous pirates of a ship called the Ironic Gentleman kidnap Mr. Underwood, Alex sets off on a journey to rescue him, along the way encountering a cast of strange and magical characters, including the dashing and sometimes heroic Captain Magnanimous, Coriander the Conjurer, the Extremely Ginormous Octopus, and the wicked Daughters of the Founding Fathers’ Preservation Society.
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"I really loved the writing style of this 9-10 year old fantasy novel. My boys and I listened on audio, and the reader was great, too. The plot was a mixed bag, fun premise, but not consistent for the age group. For example, there were things that you would expect for suspended disbelief of a 6 year old-like a talking octopus, mixed with good guys getting killed off and a creepy pirate with no eyes or ears that are better for a 10 year old. But my kids were enthralled, so I guess I would recommend if for an entertaining family car trip, or bedtime story."
— Michelle (4 out of 5 stars)
" A fun adventure with a happy ending. I like this authors writing style. "
— Jodee, 1/22/2014" Very adventurous. Our young protagonist really has a chance to look at the people whose company she keeps. She has to relate to them, warts and all, rather than good & bad. She is surrounded by good people with weaknesses & strong people with bad behavior, just like us all. "
— Michele, 1/18/2014" Such a good book that I had to change my rating after a few days of thinking on it. Full of interesting characters and happenings, plus a cool fridge, an octopus, and some treasure, this book is the perfect book to recommend to people! "
— Nioniel, 1/16/2014" I've read this book at least, oh, four times now. Even knowing what's coming, I love it! It's so funny, with random sentences and obvious statements and...ok, just go read it for yourself! "
— Brooklyn, 1/9/2014" While being for a younger audience (I was 11 when I read it), this book still makes me smile. It is a very goofy, creative adventure. "
— Marz, 1/9/2014" Enjoyable, but a bit silly. "
— Trina, 1/1/2014" This book was in the 3.5 star range. The story was pretty unrealistic, but it worked fairly well in this case, as the book did not take itself too seriously. Overall, it was an enjoyable read, though. "
— Grant, 12/18/2013" This is the the best book ever. you must read this book. it has everything i've ever wanted in in children's adventure book from the gender bending heroine to the chapters that are titled "in which..." completely satisfying. "
— Caitlinleah, 11/26/2013" Haven't finished it yet, good so far. "
— Lulu, 11/11/2013" This book had great potential. I was excited to read it and enjoyed most of it, however, there were scenes and chapters that felt out of place. I had to reread several exerpts to try and figure out why something happened and I was left questioning. hmmmmmm. "
— Kari, 10/23/2013" I loved hearing the audio story of this book. It was witty and fun to hear while doing my endless computer related research tasks. "
— Eric, 8/3/2013" Excellent book. The side adventures along the way were unrelated to the main plot, and, I feel, in some ways detracted from the actual story line. It might have been nice if all the side plots were woven into the main theme. "
— Iwaswondering, 2/8/2013" The basic storyline is a fun idea, but the author gets far too complicated and creates a story full of convoluted situations that don't make much sense together. The story reads like one long absurdity that was created to show off how clever the author can be. "
— Sonja, 12/15/2012" Seru, menegangkan, konyol, tapi khas bahasa anak-anak. "
— Nenny, 2/12/2012" Very, very clever. "
— Nicole, 1/22/2012" The story is entertaining but the author is too much in the story. She adds a lot of extra comments. Some kids will like this it is a little too much for me. "
— Rebekah, 10/12/2011" Loved the heroine, the humor and the basic plot. But the tone and world building was rather uneven. "
— Wm, 8/31/2011" Really, really good fun. "
— Nik, 8/17/2011" I liked the plot. I even quite liked some of the characters. But the storytelling really annoyed me. The narrator constantly broke the fourth wall with "Oh, I forgot to tell you" constructs and frivolous not-funny jokes. And there was an excess of telling instead of showing. "
— Jacinda, 8/3/2011" Sweet, somewhat fantastical adventure story for kids. There is a lot of cleverness, and quite a few imaginative and unexpected happenings, but in practically equal measure there are many of the usual/cliched tropes. A fun read overall. 3.5 stars. "
— Anna, 6/19/2011" A fun adventure with a happy ending. I like this authors writing style. "
— Jodee, 4/1/2011" This is the the best book ever. you must read this book. it has everything i've ever wanted in in children's adventure book from the gender bending heroine to the chapters that are titled "in which..." completely satisfying. "
— Caitlinleah, 11/28/2010" This is a wonderful and hilarious book and is an excellent audio. "
— Laura, 11/17/2010" This was a fun book. Alex isn't in a very happy situation but she handles it pretty well. I would recommend this one. "
— Amanda, 11/10/2010" Seru, menegangkan, konyol, tapi khas bahasa anak-anak. "
— Nenny, 11/2/2010" A cute book. Author did a good job of telling it from a 10 year-old girl's viewpoint. Lots irony as the title would suggest. A good read for kids! "
— Patricia, 10/10/2010" It's very cool and very easy to follow. The story's twisted, but somehow unique. I love it! "
— Trixie, 9/28/2010" The basic storyline is a fun idea, but the author gets far too complicated and creates a story full of convoluted situations that don't make much sense together. The story reads like one long absurdity that was created to show off how clever the author can be. "
— Sonja, 5/26/2010Christopher Lane is an award-winning actor, director, and narrator. He has been awarded the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration several times and has won numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards.