Lionboy: The Truth (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (Lionboy Trilogy) [Library Binding]

Zizou Corder (Author), Fred Van Deelen (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2006 | Series: Lionboy Trilogy

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Catspeaker Charlie Ashanti and his parents are reunited in Africa but not for long. Charlie soon finds himself on a boat bound for the Caribbean, where he and his nemesis, Rafi Sadler, will be sold to the Corporacy! Charlie's parents and his faithful lion friends are in hot pursuit, but can Charlie outwit his captors and topple the Corporacy's wicked enterprise?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-8–As this final volume in the trilogy opens, Charlie Ashanti and his scientist parents have been reunited in Morocco. Now, however, they must run from a powerful network of corporations that had arranged their kidnapping in order to have control of their anti-asthma medication. Enemy Rafi Sadler is kidnapped alongside Charlie at the hands of lion trainer Maccomo, who hopes to sell Charlie's cat-speaking talents. The details of captivity and escape occupy most of the book. Tension and adventure hold taut on every page, but descriptions of the Corporacy Community assume an understanding of corporate exploitation that may baffle younger readers. As in the first two volumes, there are many characters, not all of whom have developed personalities or motives. A contrived and loose-ended plot element is the appearance of tiger-trainer Mabel Stark as Charlie's aunt and as Rafi's biological mother. Otherwise, the trilogy wraps up neatly, although too abruptly, with the Corporacy overthrown and the lions freed. The popularity of the first two Lionboy books will ensure demand for the third installment. Deelen's illustrations are as whimsical and as detailed as in the first two volumes.–Wendi Hoffenberg, Yonkers Public Library, NY
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.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-8. Charlie the Catspeaker finally faces down the insidious Corporacy and its henchmen in this conclusion to the Lionboy trilogy, which sustains and amplifies the previous books' socially enlightened tones. Half-Ghanaian Charlie contemplates the horrific history of slavery during a second kidnapping episode that creepily retraces the Middle Passage and ends in the Corporacy's Caribbean headquarters. While there, he finds he has become an unwilling subject of genetic research conducted by brainwashed automatons. Charlie's former acquaintances, lions included, launch a rescue mission headed by his scientist parents, while resourceful Charlie musters help from his ever-growing fan club of animals. The unedited whimsy (there's even an oddly upbeat cameo by Fidel Castro) and idealized characterizations aren't for everyone, but followers of the trilogy will revel in the Dickensian finale, awhirl with revelations, reunions, and resolutions. The knowledge that the novel was written with the help of an adolescent (Zizou Corder is a pseudonym for a British mother-daughter team) should deepen readers' satisfaction. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Library Binding: 232 pages
• Publisher: Turtleback (October 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1417779594
• ISBN-13: 978-1417779598
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,036,522 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Good Conclusion, But Does not Shine Like the Previous Books, October 12, 2005

By 

Jewel Allie "JA" (Redwall Abbey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lionboy: The Truth (Lionboy Trilogy) (Hardcover)

Charlie was finally reunited with parents in the end of the previous book. It goes without saying that they are thrilled, but that does not last long. Charlie is kidnapped, and his parents, Claudio, King Boris, Sergie, Ninu and two lions promptly take off after him.

The Truth was really good, though not as good as the first book. There was not as much humor, tension or the exhalent conversations between Charlie and the lions. Sergie was in this book, but he was not as prominent as in the other two books, I really missed that. There was not as much conversation between Charlie's parents. Primo was in this book, but only briefly. I really missed all those parts, and also the fact that the characters did not seem as bright as in the previous books. But the thing I liked least was the beginning, on the beginning Charlie's parents make some very dumb choices, without those choices the plot would almost be impossible, but they come off as cheesy because of the brilliance these people have already shown. I did like Ninu, but a chameleon, especially when it does not have as much character as the lions, is really no substitute for the lions.

If you liked the other two books I would probably recommend this book because of some of the resolutions in the climax. If you Have not read `Lionboy' and `Lionboy the Chase' you will get nothing out of this book. If you haven't read those books I would HIGHLY recommend them before you read this book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A disappointing end to the Lionboy trilogy, January 10, 2006

By 

Jay "Jay" (Aus) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lionboy: The Truth (Lionboy Trilogy) (Hardcover)

As an editor, I had high hopes for Lionboy: the Truth. I had really enjoyed the first instalment, Lionboy (a book with action, characterisation, and plenty of zing), and the second, Lionboy: the Chase, was also exciting and well written. The Truth, however, is lost in the telling. While this book was a nice adventure and, indeed, a necessary wrap-up to the series, I had to force myself to read it. I didn't care about the characters, many of whom seemed empty and flat. Several characters seemed altogether unnecessary. Claudio, for example, seems to simply be along for the ride - his character does not develop, and he plays no important role. Primo makes a superfluous appearance after setting out from Venice, then he disappears mid-story. The Young Lion and Elsina set out on a quest to help Charlie, but really don't achieve much, and also don't develop as characters. Maccomo's character was great - a powerful, frightening villain. But, mid-book, he too becomes passive, until he is quietly arrested at the end. Others, like Madame Baliene and the Eagle serve fleeting purposes - an example of events that bog down the story. And why, why, why does the Circe arrive at the end? So that we can catch up with old characters?

Another irritating feature is the narrator's momsy voice. The text is crammed with the author's moral opinions - her opposition to cloning was repeated ad nauseam. Other messages, such as `pollution is bad,' `stealing is wrong,' `loyalty is good,' `slavery is bad' etc, made me think gee, thanks for the tip, as I heard them again and again.

The biggest flaw was that all of the peril and suspense in this story takes place in the beginning. Towards the end of the story, I simply didn't feel any sense of threat. Convenient plot twists mean that the young protagonist simply coasts to the finish line, stepping over brief, tacked-on obstacles that resolve themselves far too quickly (when Ninu was carried off I thought finally, some action - but he was back in a heartbeat - I didn't even have time to fret. There was a strong feeling of deja-vu when Elsina was shot - only to get straight back up again). The book finished with an abrupt, too-easy ending.

Yes, there were some nice moments, some nice description and some nice action, but the Truth was simply not on par with its predecessors.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A little disappointing, May 14, 2006

By 

Sam "Sam" (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lionboy: The Truth (Lionboy Trilogy) (Hardcover)

The first two books in the trilogy series were fast-paced and fun. Unfortunately, this wasn't really the case with the final book (Lionboy: The Truth). The story seemed to just drag on and then at the end everything happened at once. It seemed that only parts of the book were good while the rest was slow, irrelevant and unnecessary. However, I would still recommend that you read the book so you know what happens at the end of the trilogy series.