Tennis Shoes among the Nephites

Author: Chris Heimerdinger
Genre: fiction, young adult, historical fiction
Publication info: Covenant Communications, 1989
Pages: 229

You know, now that I think about it, tennis shoes don't have very much to do with the story. That's a shame.

This was another book that was recommended to me to help me get back into the reading lifestyle I had fallen out of. I admit I was hesitant about this one; I feared it would be too cheesy and unfulfilling. But, heck, I've written about The Two Princesses of Bamarre on this blog, so what did I have to lose?

Turns out that Tennis Shoes is pretty cheesy, but it's also pretty fun when you don't expect too much out of it. The premise is that Jim Hawkins (who bears no apparent connection to the protagonist of Treasure Island), who is initially a jerk, finds an unlikely friend in the "nerd" Garth Plimpton (who is not a country music fan). One day, while they, along with Jim's younger sister, Jennifer, are exploring in a strange cave, they are suddenly taken to a place and a time very different from their own---that of the Nephites.

The Nephites were an ancient American civilization whose history is chronicled in the Book of Mormon. The three children (who, I suppose, are sporting tennis shoes), find themselves in the time of the so-called war chapters in the book of Alma. Before they know it, they are directly involved in a great war between the Nephites and the Lamanites. In the process, they mingle with famous figures who used to be just names on a page.

The fun thing about this book is that it provides a close-up look at some of the great Book of Mormon stories, along with plausible interpretations of certain characters. I admit that Heimerdinger's portrayal of Teancum is quite different from what I imagine, but it is still very interesting. I suppose this book is a good way to get kids more interested in the Book of Mormon. At the beginning, Jim knows virtually nothing about that book of scripture, but by the end he is vitally interested, and hopefully the reader is as well.

Still, the writing has many weaknesses. For one thing, Jim seems too witty for the type of guy he is. He always has a clever thing to say about a situation. Also, the plot is rather predictable, and not just because I am familiar with the Book of Mormon. You can see conflicts from a mile away. And then they are resolved too neatly. It seems that there is always a helpful person in the right place at the right time to keep problems from becoming too serious. I don't think I ever believed that any real harm could come to the main characters. A lot of tension is lost this way.

This is apparently the first book in a series. Each installment depicts a different part of the Book of Mormon. This is all well and good, but I don't think I'll be reading the next book any time soon. One book is a fun ride, and I recommend it to anyone who is curious. As I said before, it might be a good way of getting kids excited about the Book of Mormon. But it is not a replacement. If you want the real thing, read the Book of Mormon. That's where the good stuff is. That's the book that will really change your life. You don't have to go back in time for that.