It’s been a while since one of my hard-hitting reviews of retro kid’s books. That’s right, people! I hold no punches when critiquing what it is that children read (pronounced ‘reed’) or read (pronounced ‘red’)!

Title: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Sky High

Published: 1990 by Bantam Doubleday/Mirage Studios

Pages: 73

Cost: $0 (foraged)

This is a really good book. I really liked it, though there was almost no fighting in it. I don’t remember the turtles ever using any of their weapons in the book. Master Splinter uses a weapon two times, but once it is at the start when he is training the turtles so it doesn’t count and the other time it was just this ball thing on a string that hit the bad guy Leatherhead on his head when he wasn’t looking. This book needed lots more fighting but it was still really good. Let me tell you why!

This book is all about when Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael all discover that Shredder is planning to go into space in a rocket! The turtles decide to chase him and stop him in space! This was a fun thing for the turtles to do in a book! I didn’t like how Mike and Raph did all the cool things and did all the talking. All the turtles are popular and should have got a turn. My favourite is Leonardo who is blue and has really cool swords but he didn’t do anything. Donatello got to use a screwdriver in the space rocket and he is probably the least popular turtle. Leo got to do nothing except say ‘Yes, sensei,’ to Splinter. He didn’t use his cool swords once. None of the turtles used their weapons. Actually, I really like Donatello’s weapon and his colour is purple. Raphael has the worst colour because it is red which is almost a girl’s colour and he did everything in this book. Mikey did a lot too but he is funny so that’s OK.

This is a picture of Leo, Raph, Don and Mikey and Splinter learning about Shredder’s plan.

I don’t have time to tell you all the fun things that happen in this book. I will just tell you some things quickly. It was funny when they order a pizza with chocolate buttons on it. It was good when they flew in the turtle airship. Fighting Leatherhead in the sewer was really good but I don’t know why he was in there. And it was exciting when they sneaked into the spaceship. And it was funny when Mikey fainted but instead of throwing water on his face they threw Coke(TM) in his face!

Now I will tell you some of the bad things in this book. I don’t think Shredder pretending to be an astronaut called Munro was a good thing. I think the other astronauts would have recognised him. Also it was hard to understand how the turtles could be good astronauts and space walkers without training at the space base. Shredder too. Also, the book is called Sky High but they go into space so it should really be called Space High. The worst thing of all was there was almost no fighting and no weapons at all. But it was a good book!

This is a picture of Shredder dressed up as the astronaut called Munroe.

So, did Shredder succeed in his plans? Did the turtles catch him? Read this book and find out!!!!

PS: They don’t get Shredder at the end. He gets away because they didn’t really fight him or use any weapons on him. But it is still a very good book. I give it 10/10.