Jeremy Holmes (2)

In the Templeton Twins Have an Idea, the reader is introduced to two resourceful half-orphans named John and Abigail Templeton. After the recent demise of their mother, their absent-minded inventor of a father relocates them from their current home near Elyssian University to the clockwork school of Tick-Tock Tech, they encounter what is best described as a sour grape named Dean D. Dean, who insists that their father stole one of his inventions, and will stop at nothing to make things right show more in his own skewed world view.

Ellis Weiner, adopting a personae of The Narrator, presents a story that is as amusing to read as I imagine it was for him to write. The Narrator is completely sarcastic and completely full of himself, and ensures that the reader is constantly aware of this as he tells this, the first promised tale of the Templeton Twins. He even makes this clear through the end-of-chapter review questions, most of which not being questions at all, but rather condescending statements followed by question marks.

It’s obvious, the influence such fiction as Lemony Snicket had on this book. Fortunately, the influence is only a light flavor, and not a substantial aspect of the work as a whole. While Snicket is a coward and placating, The Narrator showboats and condescends. There is enough unique stuff in this book to set it apart from its clear inspiration. Aside from the voice, there are rampant illustrations that, at times, seem to double as schematics, giving the whole book the feeling of a blueprint (complete with blue ink used throughout).

If you go into this book expecting a pleasant Snicket alternative, you may be disappointed; however, if, like with other Snicket-inspired works, you approach them without those expectations, you may find that you’ll be pleasantly surprised, at least long enough for the next Snicket book to be released. show less

If you like books about clever children who foil villains, books with narrators who have quite distinct personalities of their own, and recipes for meatloaf, you'll enjoy The Templeton Twins Have an Idea, the first book in a promised series of stories about the Templeton family (twins Abigail and John, 12, inventor father Elton, and ridiculous dog Cassie).

The book is quite suitable for the middle grade reader, one who already has some confidence in reading. The narrator often addresses the show more reader with (rhetorical) questions or to comment on the plot, which invites the reader to think critically about the story-telling techniques. The narrator also introduces new vocabulary and concepts and explains them, and in the sort of obvious and over the top way that makes it funny for both those who are already familiar with the words and those who haven't encountered them before.

As an adult reader, I really enjoyed the book. It was funny and fun, and I liked trying to figure out what would happen next based on clues the narrator leaves. The book is printed to resemble a blueprint in many places, which I thought was really cool - plus, the dark blue text was easy on the eyes! Some pages are white while others have the blue tinge of carbon copies, and some are outright blue with white text and illustrations. In fact, there are a lot of illustrations throughout the book - even inside the text itself (such as portions of dialogue being written in white on blue speech bubbles, or onomotapoeia being drawn out in a suitable style). I feel like the illustrations not only add to the whimsy of the book, but make it friendlier for the younger readers.

That the narrator talks directly to the reader and can be a bit arrogant and sarcastic might not be appealing to everyone, or could be confusing to some. But I thought it was funny and made an otherwise fairly standard story much more interesting. I'd say that the book is in the same family as the Series of Unfortunate Events, but softer and for younger readers. I'd also liken it to The Stinky Cheese-Man, and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, but in chapter-book form instead of picture-book form.

I have a 7-year-old nephew that I will pass my ARC to. He's not a very strong reader, as English is his second language, but he loves to read and really enjoys books like The Templeton Twins Have an Idea. I think he'll really like it, though he may need help with some words. It would be the perfect book for him to read with his parents at bed-time, though. show less

Fraternal twins John and Abigail Templeton are in for an adventure when their father, Professor Elton Templeton, takes a new position at the Tickeridge-Baltock Institute of Technology, otherwise known as Tick-Tock Tech. Before the Templetons and their ridiculous dog, Cassie, even have a chance to settle in, things get interesting when an incredibly handsome former student, Dean D. Dean, accuses the Professor of stealing an idea.

Now the Professor is known far and wide for his inventions, so show more no one believes Dean D. Dean's claim. In order to force the Professor to admit that he stole the idea to put the Personal One-Man Helicopter (POMH) in a knapsack, Dean and his twin brother Dan D. Dean kidnap the twins and their ridiculous dog. However, the Dean twins may have underestimated the Templeton twins. You see, each Templeton twin is very clever in their own way. However, John and Abigail must find a way to work together to outwit the evil Dean twins and save their father before he signs over all ownership of the POMH to Dean D. Dean. Unfortunately, with time running out, it doesn't look good for the twins, their father, or their ridiculous dog.

The Bottom Line: After a slow start, "The Templeton Twins Have an Idea" really took off. This book is a little different from others due to the narrator who injects himself into the story quite often. At times the narrator is a bit too snarky and "talked" to the reader just a tad too much. However, the narrator does play a role in explaining things along the way. The narrator also provides Questions for Review at the end of each chapter; these "questions" were hilarious and fun.

Overall, I enjoyed reading the first book of this new adventure series. The author's emphasis on family, teamwork, and following through with ideas make this a worthwhile read. Additionally, Jeremy Holmes' illustrations were spot-on and fun to look at. This is a nicely packaged product that is humorous and fun to read. Kids in middle school will enjoy the snarky commentary. Recommended for boys and girls looking for a quirky new series to follow. show less

This book has a fun and interesting look, and the storyline and characters match!
It is clear that there is an influence of Lemony Snickett in this narrator, although this one is much less likeable, more condescending and completely annoying most of the time. The Narrator is constantly interrupting the story, most of the time to point out how smart he is and how dumb the reader is, which is the annoying part. There are review questions at the end of each chapter that are quite funny. The show more storyline itself, if one can get past the narrator, is charming and fun, as are all the technical drawing illustrations. They compliment each other quite well, and the illustrations really add to the storyline. Ultimately I think fans of Lemony Snickett will like these books as well.
The twins are very likeable and believeable children, and the grown-up characters are all just silly enough to allow the children to be the heroes of their own adventure. It was quite a fun read and I will definitely be checking out the rest of the series. show less