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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Many strengths, several issues for more work, March 24, 2008
This is a children's book, aimed at children ages about eight through ten. The three main characters are Trent, a turtle; Mina, a kitten; and Jesse, a squirrel. The villain is a cat named Vane.
The tale revolves around the three friends, Trent, Jesse, and Mina, after they discover a buried, ancient Egyptian treasure, a golden statue, at the same time as the statue is found by the evil, ruthless Vane, who has sought the treasure for years. With a magnificent golden lion spirit acting as referee, either Trent or Vane will become guardian of the statue. Along with the three friends and the villain, there is a good-sized cast of supporting characters. All of the characters are animals, who talk and, in many ways, act like people. How will the lion decide who gets the statue? The title of the book gives you a good clue.
The book has several strengths. The story is very action-packed and fast-paced. I noticed no slow spots, and I think many children will end up wanting to read the 114 pages without a break. The vocabulary generally fits the ages of the target audience, while the plot has enough complexity to make it quite interesting, without being overwhelming. The golden lion spirit of sand is a cool character, that would be great in a cartoon or movie with good computer-generated imagery. The cover shows a picture of Trent, and he is a cute, colorful turtle. The trio of heroes is very personable, and reminded me of Harry, Ron, and Hermione of the Harry Potter books.
I do have a few reservations about this book, though. Most are minor, but a few are not.
1. Confusing introduction - There is a brief, introductory chapter, about Vane digging for artifacts in Egypt. It takes quite a while before we again see Vane or anything about Egyptian artifacts. Children might find this confusing.
2. Wheels? - Trent the Racing Turtle has two wheels instead of four legs. While all the animals talk and engage in human-like actions, they are all described as physically typical for their respective species, except for Trent and his wheels. This never gets explained. I can imagine a child reading the book, going to his or her parent or teacher, and asking, "Why does Trent have wheels?" Neither the child nor the adult will find an answer in the book.
3. Illustrations - The cover art shows a very engaging picture of Trent, and there are pictures of Jesse and Mina on the Internet, but there are no other illustrations in the book. A few pictures, color or pencil sketches, would have enhanced the story.
4. Death - There is an apparent death near the end of the story and, while it is a "bad guy" who dies, a character dying in a fiery explosion seemed extreme and out of place in a children's book. The fate of that character could have been resolved in other ways, more befitting a children's book.
5. Plan - Near the end, the parental figures of Trent, Mina, and Jesse, lay out a plan for their children, which I expect will play out in planned sequels to this book. The trio were surprised the grown-ups were giving them this plan and, when they expressed their surprise, the explanation given was pretty sparse.
6. One Bigger Typo - There were few typographical errors in this book, in my opinion, for a self-published book, but one stood out, and I think children will find it confusing. Jesse Squirrel is scolded by Mr. Squirrel for a bad habit, and Jesse replies with, "Sorry, Mom." I am guessing that "Mr." was supposed to be "Mrs." but that error broke the otherwise smooth flow of the story.
7. Occasionally, when the characters ponder an issue, their thoughts are pretty sophisticated for kids eight or ten years old.
As stated above, the book is clearly set up to be the first in a series, and the plot clearly suggests at least two sequels. I hope that the author can continue carrying on with the definite strengths I mentioned, while clarifying or addressing a few of the issues that I thought kept the book from being even better than it was. Overall, it was a fun reading experience, and I think many children will also find it so.
I thank the author for providing a free review copy, in exchange for my honest opinion.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A wheel-y interesting adventure for kids, February 26, 2008
The first in a planned series of children's chapter books, this is the story of Trent, a brave little turtle on wheels, and his two best friends, Jesse the squirrel and Mina the kitten.
A twist on the usual fantasy/adventure stories, this one is the animal equivalent of the "two boys and a girl and a wise old Uncle" theme, where the young characters face a supremely evil being who's up to no good, thereby proving themselves and bringing out their inner strengths.
The quest begins here for the recovery of three statues, and involves Egyptian tombs, the majestic spirit of a sand lion, a really bad guy and a cast of fiery minions.
Told in simple age-appropriate language, but requiring a little editing, this one is a well-presented quick and easy read for the eight to ten age group.
Amanda Richards, February 27, 2008
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent children's adventure!, February 2, 2008
This book a great read, really fun and entertaining! Three school friends, Trent, Jesse and Mina, come across a mysterious ancient statue that leads them on an adventure bigger, and older, than anything they could ever imagine. If you like animals, adventure, ancient history and of course racing, you'll love Trent the Racing Turtle. Older kids can read the book on their own, or it is good as a bedtime story for younger children, one chapter at a time. The characters are all very lovable, and the author is also a 3D animator who has created amazing 3D versions of each of them.
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