Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Charming eco-fantasy finale ideal for reluctant readers.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In TEMPLE OF SECRETS: LEGENDS OF LOTUS ISLAND, BOOK 4, Plum and friends have just barely escaped Nakhon Island and the greedy Councilor Yurn. They're on a ship pulled by an ancient sea creature, Master Render, and must make it to Lotus Island in time to warn all the Guardians that Councilor Yurn and his robots are about to invade. Yurn intends to bulldoze the beautiful Guardian Academy and build luxury homes. In the process, all the lotus flowers on the island will die and the Guardians' power will be no more. Master Render offers to pull their ship only as far as a mysterious island that's not on any maps. From there they will need to get supplies and sail the rest of the journey themselves. That plan falls apart quickly when the inhabitants of Sohn Island, so dedicated to remaining hidden, won't let the uninvited travelers leave.
Is It Any Good?
This solid eco-fantasy series with hints of Thai myths and legends ends on an exciting note, with mysterious islands and flying battle robots and the death of magic at stake. Kids not ready to haul around those big, fat fantasies in their school backpacks will love the four compact adventures—less than 200 pages each. They even include expressive black-and-white illustrations from Kevin Hong, which will keep the pages turning. The stalwart kid characters that can transform into Guardian animals have been a joy to watch throughout the series and throughout their Guardian training, especially Plum. In this installment, she stands up for her frenemy Rella and helps her meditate away her intrusive thoughts to become the hero she's meant to be. Plum also uncovers secrets about the dying lotuses and their connection to magic and digs deep into her own powers to find a way to save them. Author Christina Soontornvat manages to squeeze so much story depth into so few pages that it seems like a magic all its own.
The primary enemy is one conscientious Earth-loving kids all recognize: greedy people who care more about profit than the natural world. And for fun, those greedy people have cool fighting, flying robots. Luckily nature and magic win a round in this finale. Get ready to cheer.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Rella in Temple of Secrets. When Plum helps her meditate to access her power, Rella says it's hard because of her intrusive thoughts. How does Rella feel about herself when she finally gains self-control? Do you find meditation hard like Rella did?
The people of Sohn Island stay hidden from the rest of the island chain. Why do they think this is important? What are they protecting? What if they are ever in danger? If they don't help others, will others come to their aid when they need it?
What lessons did you learn from this series about the importance of caring for the Earth?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Kevin Hong
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Friendship , Robots , STEM
- Character Strengths : Communication , Compassion , Courage , Curiosity , Empathy , Integrity , Self-control , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Scholastic Press
- Publication date : September 17, 2024
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 160
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate