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 Race on! Oct 24, 2008
Reviewed by Matthew Feliciano (age 8) for Reader Views (10/08)
"Trent the Racing Turtle" is about a turtle named Trent who has wheels instead of feet. He likes the wheels because he can go really fast. He has two best friends that he has all sorts of adventures with; they are Jesse and Mina. One day, Jesse got Trent into a race against Vane, an evil treasure hunter. He was also the commander of the Scorchies, who are little red creatures who do not listen very well (just like me!). The winner of the race gets the golden Isols statue.
Mina's uncle once worked with Vane and knew that one day Vane would find the third Isols statue. If Vane won the race, he would melt all of the gold and make himself more jewelry. He was trying to get rid of Trent so that Trent couldn't race by having the Scorchies build a monstrous racing machine. Mina's uncle told stories to help give them guidance.
Trent won the race and saved everyone from the bad guy. The end of the book made me look forward to more books with these characters. The only two things that need to be fixed a little is the way the book is typed because it doesn't look like a real book. It looks like something just printed off a computer. There is no space when a new chapter starts. Also, the cover is cute but it looks like it could be for a little kid's book and this is a book for big kids.
I liked "Trent the Racing Turtle," by Bill Franklin, a lot and Trent and his wheels were fun to read about.
15 of 17 found the following review helpful:
 Many strengths, several issues for more work Mar 25, 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.
4 of 5 found the following review helpful:
 A wheel-y interesting adventure for kids Feb 27, 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
3 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Excellent children's adventure! Feb 03, 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.
0 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Imaginative and Well Written Jan 11, 2008
Trent the Racing Turtle is an imaginative and well written book filled with interesting and creative characters. What a great read. Not like anything else out there. My kids loved reading about Trent, Mina and Jesse! The characters were full of life and the story had a great message. I have read it to them at bed time several times and they have read it on their own. I recommend this to any parent who wants a great adventure book with a good story and a great message.
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