Elephant Tears: Mask of the Elephant

From the author of CAYMAN GOLD comes the second of three books in the MacGregor Family Adventure Series. Teens who enjoy the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, and young adults who thrive on outdoor adventure and action stories, won't be able to put ELEPHANT TEARS down until they've read it all the way through. At least once. Richard Trout, author, environmental biologist, consultant and college professor, invites us to join the MacGregor family on an East African wildlife adventure. We hit the ground running as the novel opens in the Masai Mara Wildlife Preserve where we join Chris, Heather and Ryan MacGregor, a baby elephant and a handful of angry lions. We're immediately pulled into a world of survival of the fittest. Unfortunately for much of the wildlife, poachers are sometimes the fittest, rifles in hand. Through the eyes of the MacGregor teens and their Kikuyu friend, Rebecca, we cross the Serengeti, hike Mt. Kilimanjaro, camp in the bush with hyenas, and give thanks we aren't having roast agama lizard for dinner. Rebecca and the MacGregor teens encounter the heart-breaking devastation the poachers leave behind, while fighting for their own lives in the African bush. What will happen if the poachers learn they've been exposed? Will the teens' parents find them before it's too late? Trout weaves his extensive knowledge of wild animal conservation and primitive camping and survival skills into a novel rich with action-packed scenes. His informative, entertaining style infuses us with enthusiasm for conservation and environmental issues. By the time we read the last page, we want more. Trout, a passionate advocate of endangered and threatened animals, gives us more, with his heart-felt introduction, glossary, list of library and internet resources, and recipe for Marrakech Stew. It's Clive Cussler for teens. Once you read ELEPHANT TEARS, you'll be eagerly scanning the shelves for copies of the first and third books in the MacGregor Family Adventure Series. 5 out of 5 wildlife preserves Reviewed by True North gottawritenetwork.com May 18, 2005

As a librarian and mother, it is about time an author writes books for young adults that have nothing to do with [love making], drugs, or dysfunction. Mr. Trout brings world issues to the attention of young adults while appealing to their sense of adventure. This particular book uses the written word to describe an area that not a lot of young people have ever seen, and while they read the book, the images of Africa truly come alive.

If you were just trying to decide whether to buy this book or not, I have one comment- BUY IT!!! It is a GREAT book that is fast-paced, often educational in a fun way, and thrilling- I LOOOVE this book series and i'm about to buy the third one, falcon of abydos, buh-bye! PS: BUY IT!!!

Elephant Tears by Richard Trout released by LangMarc Publishing is the second book by this author. It is better than his first--if that it possible. This book will have the Young Adult audience begging to read more. The author's description of the African wilderness and wildlife is wonderful. The suspense he has added to it throughout the book made it a marvelous read. The MacGregor family adventures continued in this action book. I wondered how long it would take the three teenagers to get to safety. The intrigue of animal poachers, high tech equipment, and helicopters galore keep me on the edge of my seat. I can't wait to see where the next book takes this family of adventurers.

Richard Trout's Elephant Tears: Mask Of The Elephant is a thriller adventure novel set in the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro, moves across the wild game parks of East Africa, and ends up at the seaport of exotic Mombasa, when the three MacGregor kids, their mother, and their zoologist father are in search over ivory poachers. Superbly researched and written, Elephant Tears is one of those infrequent novels for young readers that are so easy to pick up, and so hard to put down! Also highly recommended is Trout's first adventure novel featuring the MacGregors, Cayman Gold: Lost Treasure Of Devils Grotto.