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Title: Franklin's Trading Cards (Kids Can Read) by Sharon Jennings, Sean Jeffrey, Alice Sinkner, Shelley Southern, Paulette Bourgeois ISBN: 1-55337-463-0 Publisher: Kids Can Press Pub. Date: 01 February, 2003 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.95

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Average Customer Rating: 2.5 (2 reviews)

Rating: 2
Summary: It's Not Natural, But I Can See What They Were Trying For
Comment: Normally, "Franklin" books are great stories. Theyr'e fun to read and have interesting characters and dialogue. However, that doesn't seem to be the case here.

There are two main problems with this version of "Franklin's Trading Cards." The first one is the striking lack of resemblance to the television episode on which it is based. Sometimes this can be a good thing, but the changes really aren't for the better. The television episode features both Snail and Goose in major roles, but they're completely absent from this story, fundamentally altering the plot. The other major change in the basic story (there are others, but of less importance) is a major difference in the ending. I won't spoil it, but it's completely untrue to the original ending. The second major problem is the dialogue. Usually, the dialogue in the "Franklin" series is interesting and, most importantly, natural. The characters speak, for the most part, just like you would expect real kids to speak. Not so in this story. Typical lines include: "I will eat Fly Krispy cereal for lunch and supper. ... I will make Fly Krispy squares for dessert." Note the avoidance of contractions, a pattern which seems to hold true with only a few exceptions in the book.

I understand what's being attempted here. The writers are trying to bring the dialogue down to a level intended for a younger audience, as part of this new "Kids Can Read" series. But the result is an unexciting story and unnatural dialogue. Fans of the series will probably want to avoid this one and watch the well-written television episode on which it is based instead.

Rating: 3
Summary: Finding a win-win solution
Comment: Franklin the turtle eats lots of Fly Krispy cereal to collect the Superhero
Trading cards inside. His friends follow along, even though they don't like the
cereal. When Franklin finally gets two of the rare Super Cat cards, he faces a
problem of envy and fairness with his friends. He finds a kind and moral
solution that also allows him to get what he wants most. Not saccharin or
heavy-handed, like many such stories.