LDS Books: Caleb's Quest

Every choice we make puts us on one path or another. Thirteen-year-old Caleb has some tough choices ahead, but he's not alone - you're there to guide him! When Caleb's father is called to go to battle against the Lamanites, Caleb realizes it's up to him to find his father and get him home safely. Caleb's father isn't the only one in danger, though; Caleb will need to be quick, careful, and clever if he wants to succeed in his mission. One wrong choice could mean an end to his adventure - and maybe even his life.

This choose-your-own-adventure begins when you open this book and enter Nephite lands and Book of Mormon times, but only you can decide how it ends!

Reviews-

Do you remember the Choose Your Own Adventure Books from your childhood? I discovered them when I was about nine, and loved them. As you're reading along, you have the chance to make choices, and depending on the choice you make, the story changes. The concept was ground-breaking and soon authors from all over were capitalizing on the idea. Books for older children were soon introduced, including a line for pre-teen girls. One story really turned me off, though - if you chose not to make out with your boyfriend, the story ended. What kind of message is that?

Chris Esseltine brings a positive message to his spin-off, however. His new release "Caleb's Quest" is a Choose Your Own Adventure story that takes place in Book of Mormon times. Caleb is a thirteen-year-old boy whose father is getting ready to go off and fight in the Nephite/Lamanite war. Caleb knows his father is doing the right thing in defending the family and their religion, but he's worried about his father's safety. He decides to go off and act as a page in the army so he can keep an eye on his father and assure himself as to his father's safety.

During the journey, we have a lot of choices to make. We can choose not to go on the journey at all, but as the story is about the journey, it ends if we decide to stay home. We can decide if we should join the army, if we should travel with certain groups, if we should go this direction or that. Whenever you make a choice, you are directed to a different page, and the story continues on from there. You can go back and read all the different choices and storylines as many times as you like - the possibilities are endless.

Your child will learn about Book of Mormon times and battles from the story as well as enjoying a good read. I'd recommend it for ages 10 and up. I did wish the writing had been a little tighter, but I like what the author is doing here and hope to see another installment soon.

--Tristi Pinkston, www.families.com

This is an absolutely fun book! For the picky reader that is between the ages of nine and twelve, this is a book that is filled with choices and consequences. As readers follow Caleb, there are points in the book that offer the reader the chance to direct what Caleb does, thus offering a wide range of adventures for the thirteen year old boy, living in ancient America.

The length of the story varies from really short to full range of the book, turning pages forward and back to keep up with Caleb. As with life, one choice leads to another and rarely do we get a second chance. However, there is more than one way to reach a desired destination or ending. Caleb's journey has the possibility of taking unexpected turns and twists.

Reading this book took me back several years to when I was into the "Choose Your Own Adventure" books. It was nice to share this book with my daughters, who both thought that it was "cool" to decide the outcome of the story. The girls enjoyed the story, but didn't like the fact that it was hard to go back to a choice they didn't like and try again. Maybe there is a lesson to be learned here.

This is an easy to read book that fits into the nine to twelve year old's range of reading ability and attention span. The plot changes with every choice and reading. As a result it can be ten or more different books, all rolled into one. I recommend this book for individuals that do not like to read, because it is fun, creative, and will quickly catch their interest and draw them into the book, and for those who want a creative adventure with someone closer to their own age.

--Karen Hamilton