Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Wisecracking narrator hogs spotlight in funny twins tale.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
THE TEMPLETON TWINS HAVE AN IDEA: BOOK 1 finds 12-year-old twins Abigail and John Templeton, whose mom has recently died, starting to get their lives back on track while their father, a brilliant inventor, remains lost in grief. In short order, they acquire Cassie the fox terrier, move to a new college campus for Professor Templeton's work, and are kidnapped by the villainous Dean D. Dean, the only student the professor ever flunked. Creative thinking, teamwork, Cassie's quirks, and the twins' hobbies (his is drumming, hers is cryptic crossword puzzles) all play a role in the resulting antics.
Is It Any Good?
Snarky, sarcastic, attention-hogging narrators are the norm for writer Ellis Weiner, so if you're looking for a story with actual character development and substantive plot, this isn't for you. But if you're prepared for the fact that the Templeton Twins are completely eclipsed by a wisecracking, whining, self-aggrandizing storyteller who doles out bits of the plot with hefty doses of wordplay, snide remarks, comic "quizzes" at the end of each chapter, a recipe for meat loaf, and helpful lectures on subjects from crossword puzzles to hot-wiring cars, The Templeton Twins Have an Idea: Book 1 is an irresistible series start.
Kids who love the barrage of knowledge and wit in The Phantom Tollbooth are good candidates for this one. Humorous graphic elements on most pages and lots of intricate drawings by award-winning illustrator Jeremy Holmes, in which Edward Gorey meets Rube Goldberg, add to the fun.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what it's like to have the narrator play such a big role in a book. When the narrator says this story is for kids who are smart, clever, and funny, just like the twins, what does that tell you about the narrator and what he's trying to do?
John and Abigail are very close but have completely different interests. How does this come out in the story, and why is it a good thing?
Do you think Professor Templeton did the right thing to flunk Dean D. Dean, which set the story's fateful events in motion?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Jeremy Holmes
- Genre : Humor
- Topics : STEM , Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Chronicle Books
- Publication date : August 15, 2012
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 9 - 12
- Number of pages : 232
- Available on : Hardback
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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