Customer Reviews

Steel Trapp: The Academy

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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I have been reading Ridley Pearson books since Dead Aim written under the pseudonym Wendell McCall.

This book is more like his "adult" books than the first one. Pearson added more descriptive details without "boring" the reader - instead it pulls you deeper into the story.

At the end of the 1st book you think Kaileigh and Steel MUST meet again, but wonder how. Then at Wynncliff he spots red hair that - yes! - it's her.

Of course they have to have an adventure and draw new friends into the ride. The other reviews speak to some of the action. I just want to let you know that this book is a great blend of adventure and literature. I can't wait for more.

Be sure to read the other Youth orieanted books - the Kingdon Keepers, the Peter books with Dave Barry, and the Science Project.

The newest of the Steel Trapp Series, "The Academy", is exciting and wonderfully written. This series is in the genre of Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew when I was growing up and very appealing to all ages (I read before passing them on to the younger set). My Grandchildren loved both the first and now this newest in the series. Being a Ridley fan, I am proud to say we now have three generations of family reading his novels.

My son who is 11 is hooked on Kingdom Keepers. We all have read them (adults and kids) and were anxiously awaiting number 3. We had a big plane trip coming up and I was despartely checking when KK3 would be out when I found Steel Trap and The Academy!

What an incredible read. It is quick, thoughtful, action packed and a wild adventure, yet it makes one realize how lucky we are in our own lives. The concerns of the characters are real. They are worried about school shootings and the like and must go into a tunnel. Think how scary tunnels are to a 10-12 year old and just that alone makes you realize how reaching this is for that age, or any age. The book aligns itself with today's middle school reader realistically. And while the characters have terrifying moments they come out just fine. What a wonderful message to our youth - Life can be scary, but if you think, act and have fun you ususually survive just fine!

My son says now rather tha just waiting for KK, he'll read anything Ridley Pearson. Funny thing I said that years ago the first time I picked up one of his "adult books"! Now here I am enjoying my son's books as well!

Ridley does it again! He is the mastermind, and best author of all time! This is another must read, and I highly recommend The Academy. You won't be dissapointed.

Thanks Ridley!

Steven Trapp's photographic memory earned him the nickname of Steel because anything and everything he sees gets locked down in his brain like a steel trap. And while his talent comes in handy when trying to impress teachers or distract his mom, he doesn't feel it's enough to make him intelligent. But that's where Steel is wrong because he is incredibly smart --- ingenious even --- and definitely brainy enough to have competed in the National Science Challenge held in Washington, D.C. last year. That's where he met his new friend, Kaileigh, and where they somehow landed in a life and death international espionage adventure with the FBI.

Someone has taken notice of Steel and Kaileigh, inviting both of them to enroll at Wynncliff Academy, an exclusive east coast boarding school. Steel promises his parents he'll give it a chance --- at least until Thanksgiving --- and settles into the rigid routine of the demanding school. He doesn't have much trouble with the studies part of the program; like always, he reads something once and it's committed to memory. But the food definitely isn't worth writing home about. Steel was also hoping to keep his amazing memory to himself, knowing it jams a barrier between him and others, especially when he's trying to make friends. However, this is not something he can keep a secret. And soon he is asked to try out for a fast-paced Wynncliff team sport called ga-ga, in which his unique memory aids in his ability to play.

Despite his busy schedule, Steel can't help but notice some strange stuff sneaking around the academy. It doesn't take him and Kaileigh long to uncover secret passageways, mysterious meetings and the fact that every student seems to possess a unique talent or ability; it's as if they are being recruited, like a special task force in the military. And then Steel digs too deep, falling head over heels into the heart of the academy --- where students are trained to be real spies. And Wynncliff has a special assignment just for Steel and Kaileigh.

STEEL TRAPP: THE ACADEMY is an action-packed thrill ride, filled with surprise twists, unexpected turns and nonstop excitement. Steel is a very likable individual whom readers would like to call a friend. Other characters are distinct and dynamic, each adding just the right ingredients to form balanced roles. Ridley Pearson has a unique talent for description, involving all of the senses and bringing the scenery alive in an exciting way that boosts the action instead of slowing it down:

"A chilly mist hovered above the soccer field like a veil of gauze, masking any view of the gymnasium and natatorium beyond. A murder of crows flew in and out of the smoky layers, their caws piercing the still, mud-scented morning air and echoing off the dormitory's ivy-covered brick walls. As Steel crossed the adjacent field, the mist swirled around him, looking sometimes like long fingers attempting to grab him, or animal faces, or, at last, like a gray stone archway leading directly to the ga-ga pit and the silhouetted figure that awaited him there."

Intertwined with Steel's tale is a parallel story about a group of homeless teens and the woman who leads them in hotel heists. Both stories accelerate and expand before crashing into one another in the final chapters. This exciting series promises many amazing adventures for all involved, and I can't wait for the third installment.

--- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman, author of FINDING MY LIGHT

We find Steel Trapp: The Academy to be an adventure story with some Harlequin romance thrown in. Throughout the story, we are led from the viewpoint of a somewhat socially-awkward teen boy how it feels to be discovering his sexuality. His world is now interpreted with new realization of how the girls look, the behaviours of other boys, body language cues. The author accurately describes the confusion and feelings experienced when just learning how to relate to girls (i.e. pages 127-130). However, the treatment of the female character is typical Disney-like vixen who seems thrown in just to create sexual tension and never learns from her mistakes.

Determining the age-appropriateness of a story is not solely based upon vocabulary and sentence complexity. If this story were merely a stand-alone adventure of kids facing kid-like problems, perhaps ages 10+ would be an appropriate audience. But mixing in issues of sexuality experienced by teens then changes the book into one for an older reader.

In spite of some of these shortcomings, the book was well written and its main character, 14-year old Steel, demonstrates strong character throughout. It has underlying themes of citizenship, loyalty, father-son relationships and importance of family bonds coupled with sufficient action to hold the attention of reluctant readers. An excellent example of good character for teen boys and a fun read! See our full review at [...]and then join in the discussions on our blog [...]

I read the first Steel Trapp Steel Trapp: The Challenge after falling in love with the Peter and the Starcatchers series. I wasn't sure what to expect (I gave Dave Barry a try and I didn't like his work at all!) but I fell completely in love with the book (action, adventure, thieves, spies, government agents! What's not to love?!)

When I heard about this book, I was excited but not completely sure I'd like it. A boarding school? In England? Eh, I don't know about this. Okay, turns out it was NEW England, but I still wasn't sure. The first Steel Trapp was amazing. Could anything really compare? Uh, YEAH!!

It took a couple of chapters for me to warm up to it, and a few times I got confused. Um, what was that? (reads again) Oh, okay. But once I got going, oh wow! I couldn't hardly put it down! Some studio really needs to make movies out of these books!

It was filled with action, adventure, a hint of romance (don't worry guys it wasn't THAT bad!), a secrety society -- no wait, TWO secret societies! -- and a surprise secret agent (I didn't see that one coming. How I missed it, I don't know. Oh wait, I do: Ridely Pearson is an AMAZING author!).

The great thing about Steel is it's not just a kids' or a teens' book, I think adults will really enjoy it too. And parents concered about "cleanliness" needn't worry. I certainly hope Mr. Pearson is working on the next Steel book!!

QUICK NOTE: This book could be read before the first one, but I highly reccomend reading them in order.

I read the first book in the series and it was just okay. I'm glad I stuck with the series, this one is so much better than the first one.

Steel is at a special prep school. You won't find it on any map, or on the web. For you to go there, you have to have special gifts, and be invited. This school has it all, including a secret society. A secret society that very very few in a special school that nobody knows about. Steel discover it by accident, and once they know that Steel know about them, they'll do anything they feel is needed to make sure Steel keeps quiet, anything. Steel isn't alone. Back again is Kaileigh to help Steel out of trouble and help him find out all about the secret society. The society also sets their eyes on Kaileigh. That's all I really want to say on the plot. There's a lot more that goes on, but I don't want to give anything away.

This is such a great read! It has a lot of action, suspense, and twists and turns that will keep the reader glued to the book. All of the characters seems life like and can't help but to root for them.

For me, there was just one downside, and that's the game of Ga-ga. I felt it was kind of stupid and didn't add to the plot of the book.

If you read this one, I can promise you won't be sorry. I know I wasn't, and I can't wait to read the next Steel Trapp adventure!