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The Tell-Tale Start (The Misadventures of Edgar & Allan Poe #1)

The Tell-Tale Start (The Misadventures of Edgar & Allan Poe #1)

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The Tell-Tale Start (The Misadventures of Edgar & Allan Poe #1)

Author(s)

Gordon McAlpine

Co-Authors / Illustrators

Sam Zuppardi

Publisher

Viking Juvenile

Genre(s)

Magical Realism

Age Range

Release Date

January 10, 2013

ISBN

978-0670784912

Buy This Book

Meet Edgar and Allan Poe -- twelve-year-old identical twins, the great-great-great-great-grandnephews of Edgar Allan Poe. They look and act so much alike that they're almost one mischievous, prank-playing boy in two bodies. When their beloved black cat, Roderick Usher, is kidnapped and transported to the Midwest, Edgar and Allan convince their guardians that it's time for a road trip. Along the way, mayhem and mystery ensue, as well as deeper questions: What is the boys' telepathic connection? Is Edgar Allan Poe himself reaching out to them from the Great Beyond? And why has a mad scientist been spying on the Poe family for years?

With a mix of literary humor, mystery, a little quantum physics, and fun extras like fortune cookie messages, letters in code, license plate clues -- and playful illustrations thoughout -- this series opener is a perfect choice for smart, funny tweens who love the Time Warp Trio, Roald Dahl, and Lemony Snicket.

Editor reviews

2 reviews

A Cute Start

November 21, 2012

Overall rating

4.0

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I love me a good middle grade and The Tell-Tale Start by Gordon McAlpine is as good as they come. It was quirky, fun, and one heck of a tale. I had so much fun reading The Tell-Tale Start!

The adventures of Edgar and Allan were too awesome. I loved the wit they brought with every page. They made every day occurrences into an adventure, which made The Tell-Tale Start that much more enjoyable.

The characters were pretty awesome as well. I loved how big of a role Edgar and Allan's cat played in the book - it was like he was an actual person. Aunt Judith and Uncle Jack were complete hoots - I would love to have them as an aunt and uncle!

The illustrations in the book were awesome - they served as such a nice guide and companion to the story line, enhancing it with every appearance. They were so fun!

Reminiscent of Lemony Snicket, this fun new series will sweep you off your feet. It's fun and it's charming. I read straight through this one in one sitting, just loving every page.

Erica Top 50 Reviewer 192 reviews

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A Tell-tale Start by Gordon McAlpine

November 30, 2012

Overall rating

4.5

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The Tell-tale Start is a typical middle grade novel. It was funny and was quite an adventure. The twins will sweep you off to their world from the beginning and leave you reeling!
From the first page I was hoked. The adventure they went on started from the very beginning and I was never left bored with them. The plot moved quickly, which made for an awesome story.
I also loved the characters. They were all so fun and the twins were so clever. I connected to them all and loved everything they brought to the story.
What I liked most about this book, was how the author used the poets and showed their "afterlife" as being effective to the events in present time. It was a very interesting concept that hadn't been done before and that freshness alone made it even more enjoyable.
This fun series will take you on a quirky trip until the very last page. I will be sure to pass this on to the teacher of the class I am student teaching.