Eleven by Patricia Reilly Giff

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.

As I said - it really seems like this book is intended for a much younger audience. It also took me forever to get through - just didn't captivate me. Nay.