Arthur and the Minimoys [Paperback]

Luc Besson (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Deep underground, the Minimoys are waiting . . . for a champion.

Arthur's grandfather disappeared four years ago. All he left behind are his notebooks full of stories about little -- known African tribes—including the Minimoys, a miniature people who are all less than one inch tall.

But the Minimoys can't possibly be real . . . can they?

Arthur is about to find out, as he un covers a hidden message that catapults him on an adventure wilder than he had ever imagined. In just three days, he must find a way to the land of the Minimoys, recover a stolen treasure, battle an invading force of mosquito -- riding warriors, defeat an evil wizard, win the heart of a very independent prin cess—and somehow get back home again.

It seems like an impossible task, but as he'll discover along the way, sometimes the littlest heroes can make the biggest difference. . . .

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Luc Besson, writer, director and producer of The Fifth Element and La Femme Nikita, makes his children's book debut with this over-the-top middle-grade fantasy first published in France.

Ten-year-old Arthur and his grandmother are doing just fine on their own -- except for that Grandpa has been missing in Africa for four years and a developer villain is evicting them from their own house. Things sour further when antique dealers haul away all of Grandpa's priceless African artifacts and books. Arthur is certain that his grandfather must have left some hidden message somewhere that will reverse their current downward spiral. He hopes to discover some way to enter the world of the beautiful, red-haired, blue-eyed African Princess Selenia that he saw in his grandfather's sketches; member of a tiny (less-than-an-inch-tall) tribe called the Minimoys that he suspects might live in Grandma's garden. But how, when Grandpa's attic has been stripped of clues?

Besson's story contains many of the elements of a good, suspenseful children's adventure, but it is often over told, employs an abundance of facile plot solutions, and loses threads and themes in a long, dizzying action-adventure sequence that abruptly ends as "to be continued." Still, it's hard to resist a likeable hero-protagonist, treasure maps, the promise of rubies, and a land of warring tiny people. Let the hype begin! The sequel Arthur and the Forbidden City is due in fall 2005, and Arthur, a computer-animated movie based on the books, is due out in 2006, with Madonna voicing the part of Princess Selenia. (Ages 8 to 12) --Karin Snelson --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6–A French film director tries his hand at fantasy for children. In order to save his grandparents' home from foreclosure and find his missing grandfather, Arthur magically enters the land of the Lilliputian Minimoys through the garden, where he falls in love with tiny Princess Selenia. Now Minimoy-sized, he travels with her and her younger brother towards Necropolis, the center of power for the evil Maltazard and the place where he believes his grandfather is a prisoner. The journey is perilous and replete with battles with the villain's henchmen, and the book ends with our three heroes facing new dangers on their way to Necropolis. The jacket blurb informs readers that there will be two films based on this book and its sequel. Indeed, the volume is full of situations that are likely to work more successfully on film than in print. The author informs readers about the characters' reactions and feelings rather than revealing them through the story, and sections of the book read almost like explanations of the characters to actors. Arthur shifts from being a very young-seeming 10-year-old to being in love with and wanting to marry the princess in a way that is not believable. The narrator's tone is condescending and there are asides that appear to be addressed to adult readers. With flat characters, pedestrian descriptions of the battles, and an ending that feels incomplete rather than cliff-hanging, this book will have trouble keeping an audience.–Sue Giffard, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York City
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; Rep Tra edition (April 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060596252
• ISBN-13: 978-0060596255
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,719,891 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Read it to get to the sequel..but only the first!, October 24, 2006

By 

Dusty Lizard - See all my reviews

This review is from: Arthur and the Minimoys (Hardcover)

Take my review with a grain of salt: I have read all of the books to date in the original French (up to the 4th: "Arthur et la guerre des deux mondes"), so I can comment on the story and original writing, but it is possible the translation may have exacerbated any problems regarding use of language.

"Fun" is the most appropriate word for this work. Originality is unfortunately lacking to some degree. The premise of "Honey I shrunk the kids" + some character elements from "Harry Potter" = "Arthur and the Minimoys"

Even in French, Besson is a somewhat sloppy writer, relying too heavily on almost infantine similes. I am assuming these only worsen in translation.

I did however enjoy the characters. There is something typically French about the relationships of the personages that makes this book worth plugging through, which further matures in the 2nd installment. I would recommend this book just to get to the sequel.

To help you decide whether or not this is worth your time investment, I've included a note about the following books (no spoilers included)

"Arthur et la Cite Interdite" - 4 stars
The character development is heart-warming. This book really shines and creates a genuine desire to read more.
"Arthur et la vengeance de Maltazard" - 2 stars
Terrible. 75% of this book is flashbacks to help you better understand the characters. Almost no action is involved. I felt like it would never end. It could have worked if the stories told about each character related to what was currently happening (or not happening!) in the plot, but things almost tie together near the end.
"Arthur et la guerre des deux mondes" - 2 stars
Boring. Besson decides to come back to the actual hear-and-now, but the events really aren't that interesting. This could have been a platform to further explore the relationships between the characters, but of this opportunity Besson never takes advantage. I was expecting some interesting, almost cataclysmic event (the title translates to "Arthur and the war of the two worlds"), but even this is dissappointing.

Unless more sequels of note are released, I would suggest reading the first two books and stopping.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars They Might Be Mini, But This Story is BIG, June 10, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Arthur and the Minimoys (Hardcover)

It all begins when ten year old Arthur and his grandmother are being forced to move out of their house. Arthur needs to find a treasure that his grandfather left behind before he went to the world of the half inch tall Minimoys to help fight M.the cursed (the most evil Minimoy of them all). But he never came back. Arthur thinks that he got captured by M. and will soon be killed. Then Arthur solves a riddle to get to the land of the
Minimoys to save his grandfather and his home.

"Arthur and the Minimoys" is a great book that's full of action, adventure, and a cliff hanging "to be continued..." end that makes you want to keep on reading. It leaves you with so many questions like: "Will Arthur survive?", "Is his house going to be saved?", and "Will Arthur find his lost grandfather and escape from M. the cursed?". It's a great book for people that like a little fantasy and a lot of action.

Reading this book will make you want to read the sequel, "Arthur and the Forbidden City" where Arthur's adventures with the Minimoys continue. You'll be speechless after you read this story. I sure was. From sword fights to sibling fights, "Arthur and the Minimoys" is a great book for those action adventure lovers. So go to your nearest library and get a copy of Arthur and the Minimoys".

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Just Plain Fun Reading!, December 24, 2006

By 

Amy Graham (Scottsdale, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Arthur and the Minimoys (Hardcover)

Reading Arthur and the Minimoys is like watching a movie...and after reading some reviews, I can see way. It's being developed as a CGI movie in 2007, that said it's also a romping good adventure...a kind of Honey I Shrunk the Kids meets The Secret of Nimh with a smidge of Indiana Jones. As the story starts out, we meet Arthur who is staying with his Grandma and both sorely miss Grandpa who disappeared without a trace four years before. Family love is clearly present and Arthur really loves to visit with his Grandfathers collection of African books and masks, reliving through this the many adventures his Grandfather had as a younger man. It is the day of Arthur's tenth birthday the dastardly Mr. Davido shows up and tells them they have three days to come up with the money they owe or he's taking the house and everything in it...it's at this moment that Arthur refuses to take it "lying down" sets out to find his grandfathers long lost treasure.

From there, Arthur is transported to the miniature world of the Minimoys where he meets the feisty princess Selenia and her somewhat silly (but quite loveable) brother Beta. They set out together on an Adventure that spans the garden (which is a vast and dangerous as the wildest jungle from the height of ¾ of an inch) to stop the evil M, the cursed! As they make their way to the Forbidden City they face innumerable obstacles with courage and a bit of humor! Will they make it to the Forbidden City? Will they be able to stop the evil M, the cursed? Will Arthur get the treasure back before the cruel Mr. Davido boots his grandma out of her house? Those things are left to a second book...but readers won't be too disappointed with the build up to the arrival at the city because the journey there is half the adventure and a whole lot of fun to read.

Overall...this isn't great literature; it's just plain old fun reading. The story is easy to follow, the good guys are all good (and likeable even) the bad guys are all totally evil and the parallel story line between the "real" world (the M, the Cursed and Mr. Davido) and the world of the Minimoys adds a nice second layer to the story. This book would make nice light reading for a couple of nights for readers aged 8-12...nothing too taxing, but highly entertaining for a few hours! I give it four stars.