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The starred review in Publishers Weekly praised Alex and the Ironic Gentleman as “a wonderful blend of whimsy and moral” and at the heart of this new paperback is Alex Morningside, a lovable tomboy with a knack for trouble and a quest for adventure.
Often mistaken for a boy because of her haircut and name, Alex Morningside is an inquisitive ten-and-a-half-year-old 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 in the last 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 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.
Page-turning, hilarious, and ultimately tender, Alex and the Ironic Gentleman ends with a surprise twist that will have readers eagerly awaiting the next book in this delightful new children’s series.
ALEX AND THE IRONIC GENTLEMAN
I read Alex and the Ironic Gentleman, and to be honest it had me at the title. A clever title to live up to and the story did not disappoint. I found it quirky, hilarious and genuinely exhilarating. There was a nod to Lewis Carroll and a wink to Charles Dickens, but no more than that, Adrienne's words are packed with originality. Alex is a wonderful hero who deserves to return for further adventures, indeed I suspect there will be a riot if she does not. Great plot, larger than life characters. The future is bright. ”
Kress has a delightfully simple, observational prose style that recalls A.A. Milne, right down to the frequent capitalization of Good Things and Very Interesting Things and so on. This inspired book should hold up to many re-readings.”
This is a swashbuckling tale of adventure and loyalty in the tradition of The Princess Bride and Harry Potter.”
