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Mammoth Trouble

(Noah Zarc #1)

D. Robert Pease (Goodreads Author)

4.03 · Rating details · 224 ratings · 89 reviews

Noah lives for piloting spaceships through time, dodging killer robots and saving Earth’s animals from extinction. Life couldn’t be better. However, the twelve-year-old time traveler soon learns it could be a whole lot worse. His mom is abducted and taken to thirty-first century Mars; his dad becomes stranded in the Ice Age; and Noah is attacked at every turn by a foe bent ...more

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Paperback, 2nd, 320 pages

Published July 22nd 2013 by Evolved Publishing (first published August 12th 2011)

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Dec 10, 2011 Angie rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviewed

I never thought I would enjoy a book written for children as much as I did “Noah Zarc”. What first caught my eye, is the beautiful and appropriate book cover. If I saw it on a shelf in a bookstore, I would’ve purchased it right there and then.

It’s an adventure-filled book chock full of moral lessons for children of a slightly more advanced reader’s age (middle schoolers), but I would recommend this lovely book to young and old alike. Themes such as not letting your disability hold you back, conc I never thought I would enjoy a book written for children as much as I did “Noah Zarc”. What first caught my eye, is the beautiful and appropriate book cover. If I saw it on a shelf in a bookstore, I would’ve purchased it right there and then.

It’s an adventure-filled book chock full of moral lessons for children of a slightly more advanced reader’s age (middle schoolers), but I would recommend this lovely book to young and old alike. Themes such as not letting your disability hold you back, concerns about how we are destroying our planet and how to respect animals, are explored in a fun way, without being preachy, as a modern take on the theme of Noah’s Ark.

I enjoyed all the places Noah and his family took me – from the Ice Age and medieval Scotland, right through to 30th century Mars and Venus, on a suspense-filled journey to save Noah’s mom and stop the evil Haon from killing all the animals in the past, as well as the ones saved by the Zarc family in the present. The part of the story where they travelled to the Ice Age to save Noah’s father, had me rolling on the floor with laughter when it was described how the cavemen, with their primitive weapons, attacked the spaceship. Seeing the events in the story unfold in my imagination, was like watching a blockbuster movie – it was that much fun!

Time travelling forms a big part of the story, but at times I found it hard to understand the mechanics thereof. I didn’t feel alone though, as some of the characters couldn’t get their heads wrapped around it either! Luckily it is written in such a way, that the reader doesn’t necessarily have to understand it to follow the storyline.

All the characters are well defined and easy to identify with – you even feel sorry for the bad guy. Part of a close-knit family, Noah is a twelve year old boy who pretty much takes life for granted – as kids do at that age. Even though he is a paraplegic, focus is placed on his talents, courage and wit, and how certain responsibilities are placed on his shoulders, even though he is in a “wheel chair”. The characters grow throughout the story, and by the end of the book, these characters have different points of view than they did at the start of the book.

I had loads of fun reading this book. Lots of unpredictable twists; a few family secrets; the true-to-life banter between Noah and his siblings; the honesty and realism of the characters; cool space-age gadgets; vivid and beautiful descriptions of the different environments; the concept and moral lessons of the story; and how it really got me thinking about ecological issues – were the highlights for me.

The only negatives for me was the beginning and ending of the book. Although it is book one in a series, the reader is thrust into the first chapter, not having a clue what’s going on, and it is only explained much later in the chapter. So for a good while there I was confused and felt like putting the book down, although my mind was quickly changed by the time I got to chapter three. Also, I found the ending to be quite blunt. It felt as though the author stopped in the middle of a sentence; and therefore, the 4 star rating.

Overall, I found “Noah Zarc” by D Robert Pease, to be a delightful book and an entertaining, yet also educational read. This book is the perfect excuse to buy it for your kids so you can secretly read it after they’ve gone to bed.
I have high expectations for the next book in this series! ...more

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Nov 14, 2011 Anjana rated it really liked it

Noah Zarc (Mammoth Trouble) by D. Robert Please is a truly exuberant novel about a twelve year old boy's adventures in a post-apocalyptic world. Noah, along with his family, is on a mission (known as Animal Rescue Cruiser Project) to save the animals from the Earth's past - which is headed towards destruction - and bring them to the future to re-populate the Earth of Noah's time.

All goes well until one day, Noah's parents' ship 'Moses' returns from one of their rescue missions without them. Hav Noah Zarc (Mammoth Trouble) by D. Robert Please is a truly exuberant novel about a twelve year old boy's adventures in a post-apocalyptic world. Noah, along with his family, is on a mission (known as Animal Rescue Cruiser Project) to save the animals from the Earth's past - which is headed towards destruction - and bring them to the future to re-populate the Earth of Noah's time.

All goes well until one day, Noah's parents' ship 'Moses' returns from one of their rescue missions without them. Having gathered from Moses that 'Hoan' - the ARC's nemesis - had interfered with the mission and kidnapped their mom, leaving their father trapped in the Ice Age, Noah, along with his brilliant brother - Hamilton - and skillful sister - Sam -, take off to save their parents.

The story's central character Noah, is a paraplegic, who despite his insecurities,is an extremely strong kid with a zest for life. Never letting his legs be a setback, Noah manages to travel across time and space to do right by what he believes in.

I'm a huge sci-fi fan and I loved every second of this book, but what I liked best was the involvement of animals - dogs, elephants, monkeys, dire wolves, the book has it all!- Any animal lover would enjoy this novel! The characters are dynamic and I found Noah's point of view (there's no other way to put it) really cute sometimes! For example, I liked his relationship with his dog, Obadiah. There's a line in the book that made me smile and laugh at the same time - "If there's food to be found, Obadiah's around." Really, is that cute or what?

Filled with excitement & adventure, Noah Zarc had me gripped! Incase you haven't already noticed, Robert Please has used a lot of wordplays and discreet references to the bible. I'm not a Christian and honestly, I don't have to be one to appreciate the morals carried across this story. Noah Zarc tackles social & ethical issues and carries these messages to young adults in a way that appeals to them.

The story's extremely well written and I recommend this book to kids,parents & teachers. It's the perfect novel for middle graders and I believe it would make a great lesson in school! ...more

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Sep 11, 2012 Vickie rated it it was amazing

I really enjoyed this book. It had many themes: time travel, how we define disability, the environment, extinction, family, friendship, our relationship with nature and animals, and choice.

I thought it was interesting that the hero was a paraplegic. We are told: “I was born without the use of both of my legs. The only time I feel free is when I’m piloting a ship.” Our hero finds himself frustrated by his own body, which limits him, but he appears to be a born pilot. Through this he finds confide ...more

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Nov 13, 2011 Christopher Godsoe rated it it was amazing

've decided to do something a little different for my review of Noah Zarc: Mammoth Trouble. As this book is geared towards readers in the Middle School Grade level, I decided to see if my 10 year old son Skyler (Grade 6) would like to offer up his views on it as well. His review is located just after mine, and I can't stress enough how proud I am of what he came up with, he really did an incredible job. But without further ado, here is my review for Noah Zarc: Mammoth Trouble!

Let's start this r ...more

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May 12, 2014 Renee rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kids-books, featured-books, kid-lit-blog-tours

Noah Zarc: Mammoth Trouble is the first book in a science fiction series following the time-traveling, world-hopping adventures of Noah Zarc and his family. Noah is a twelve-year old boy who is part of a family of animal rescuers attempting to re-populate Earth in the 31st century following a natural disaster of epic proportions known as the Great Cataclysm. In the future, we discover that humans are forced to flee Earth and colonize Venus and Mars. When we first meet the “Zarcs” (Noah Sr. and H Noah Zarc: Mammoth Trouble is the first book in a science fiction series following the time-traveling, world-hopping adventures of Noah Zarc and his family. Noah is a twelve-year old boy who is part of a family of animal rescuers attempting to re-populate Earth in the 31st century following a natural disaster of epic proportions known as the Great Cataclysm. In the future, we discover that humans are forced to flee Earth and colonize Venus and Mars. When we first meet the “Zarcs” (Noah Sr. and Hannah Zarc, along with their children Sam, Hamilton, and Noah Jr.), we learn that they are using a large space ship known as the ARC (Animal Rescue Cruiser), to travel back in time to rescue two of every species of animal ever to have lived in an attempt to build and preserve a sanctuary for them on Earth.

But not everyone stands behind this cause. With the Poligarchy in complete control of the colonized worlds, and as Venus grows increasingly over-populated, there is amounting underground resistance with the rogue leader, Haon, intent on stopping the ARC project and re-populating Earth with humans while using a virus to wipe out the fauna. When Haon succeeds in kidnapping Hannah and Noah Sr., it is up to Noah Jr. and his siblings Sam and Hamilton to stay one step ahead of Haon in order to rescue their parents and to prevent another devastating extinction of Earth’s animals. And, there’s still SO MUCH MORE to this well-crafted story!

Noah Zarc: Mammoth Trouble features a complex plot filled with action and intrigue; mind-bending time-travel and world-hopping; and futuristic gadgets and technology that will leave science fiction aficionados drooling with appreciation. The author has accomplished the tall task of immersing readers in both the life of early humans in the Ice Age and in post-apocalyptic times when technological advances have both benefitted humans and contributed to their downfall. One of the highlights of the story for me was the character of Adina, the Ice Age tween who becomes a stowaway on the ARC. I appreciated how she was not depicted as an under-developed and unintelligent person, but rather her unique strengths and perspective were an integral part of the story and were key to rescuing Noah’s parents and preventing Haon from achieving his goal.

In addition to Adina, this book features a well-rounded cast of characters led by Noah Jr., the intelligent, courageous boy who just happens to be in a wheelchair, and the Zarc family’s nemesis, Haon, a formidable foe who will stop at nothing to destroy all that was accomplished through the ARC project. I have endless notes about how well the author integrated Noah’s disability in the story; or rather, how the author focused on Noah’s “abilities”. This story is focused on the empowerment of someone with a disability not the limitations they have. In short, I really appreciated how Noah is portrayed as a role model for other children who may have a disability.

You probably have noticed the play on words with the title: Noah Zarc sounds a lot like “Noah’s Ark” and the main premise of the story is that there is a family led by Noah Sr. and Noah Jr. who rescue two of every species of animals to return to Earth. I loved this play on words and I was tickled pink when an elder from the tribe in the Ice Age told the folk tale of the hunter who was asked by the Creator to gather up the animals in a large boat to keep them safe from the flood of his tears as he wept over the wickedness of mankind. Sound familiar? I thought this was a very clever part of the story – loved it!

My Bottom Line:

Noah Zarc: Mammoth Trouble is the first book in a riveting science fiction series for middle grade readers. The story features non-stop action, mind-bending time-travel and world-hopping, an intricate plot with many surprises, and a solid ensemble cast of characters led by Noah Zarc Jr. who just happens to be in a wheelchair (although that hardly stops him from accomplishing ANYTHING). This is a real page-turner that will appeal to advanced readers who love science fiction and can appreciate the inclusion of multiple sub-plots touching on a number of themes including dis/ability, geopolitics, environmentalism and conservation, and even bioethics. In short, this is not a light and easy read, but rather, it is very thought-provoking. I loved it and highly recommend the series to advanced readers aged 9 and older. ...more

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Nov 18, 2011 Megan rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: teens, boys, pre-teens, ya fans

Shelves: first-reads, reviews-requested

I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.

PS - I love the new cover so much more than the old one.

***There are spoilers in this post***

Noah Zarc is a 12-year-old time-traveling pilot who helps collect two of each species of animal for the future earth, along with his family. The title and character name are not in the least a subtle tribute to the Noah's Ark story, which is essentially what this story is loosely founded on. While I appreciate the pun, I do wish it had been more subtle only because I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.

PS - I love the new cover so much more than the old one.

***There are spoilers in this post***

Noah Zarc is a 12-year-old time-traveling pilot who helps collect two of each species of animal for the future earth, along with his family. The title and character name are not in the least a subtle tribute to the Noah's Ark story, which is essentially what this story is loosely founded on. While I appreciate the pun, I do wish it had been more subtle only because the book was rife with other references to the Biblical story.

Considering I'm a woman in my late 20's, I really enjoyed this book, which was obviously aimed at younger boys around Noah's age. And that's fine - because even if it is a YA SF written for teen boys, I still got a kick out of reading it. There is a lot in here for the "adult" reader, such as the complex ideas of time travel that are explained at the end, and the different worlds that are built up around the characters. What I especially liked was Adina, the cave girl who ends up on Noah's ship and helps rescue his mother from Haon, the antagonist of the story. Adina's smarts are pretty impressive, considering modern humans tend to think that cave people were barely functional.

We also get to grapple with the mind-bending question: Is Haon truly evil? Or is he simply doing what he thinks is best for the human population (read: Venus's citizens)? I do think that a lot of his actions were dictated by desperation - the loss of his wife, giving up his son, his mother's death in a war on Venus, and finally the rejection of every legal thing he tried to get Earth repopulated for those who were barely surviving on Venus. But, like with most tragic characters, he ends up doing the worst possible thing and is then (presumably) punished for it.

The resolution at the end of the book came too quickly. It had a happy ending, which was awesome considering the reader is led to believe that Haon does release the nanobots and Obadiah is dead. But I felt that it was all too easy, and too easily explained. It was also strange to me that a character, Draben, was introduced and dismissed in a few pages, never to be mentioned again, when it seemed that he would play a much larger role. Perhaps his story will come in the second book, due out next year. The assassin bots also played a minimal role in the book, and aren't really explained except to say that Haon left them on Earth when he ran off with Noah's mother. I wish that story line had been fleshed out a little bit, but overall it was not important to the plot. My last gripe is actually with the cover - the boy's half-face is a bit unsettling to me, and would not lead me to pick up the book in the store. However, I was taught a valuable lesson: even while judging the cover, give the book a shot.

4 out of 5 stars because I enjoyed the read even though it was probably a bit "young" for me. Great writing, fast pacing, characters who are mostly developed (Sam and Hamilton kind of get left out of a lot of the story), and an intense climax are all positives for this book. I definitely recommend this to anyone who is struggling to get their kids to read, because it was very easy to get into and kept me hanging on. ...more

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Dec 15, 2011 Ruth Hill rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I have to admit that when I first began this book (2 days ago!), I was somewhat dreading it. I don't honestly know why except that I am not a science fiction enthusiast, and I had hoped that my daughter would be able to read this book in my place. She is the science fiction aficionado, but when I saw the length of the book, I knew it was beyond her years. So I began the book with the intention of just reading it and not fully enjoying it.

I was not instantly smitten with Noah. In fact, he is stil I have to admit that when I first began this book (2 days ago!), I was somewhat dreading it. I don't honestly know why except that I am not a science fiction enthusiast, and I had hoped that my daughter would be able to read this book in my place. She is the science fiction aficionado, but when I saw the length of the book, I knew it was beyond her years. So I began the book with the intention of just reading it and not fully enjoying it.

I was not instantly smitten with Noah. In fact, he is still not my favorite character, but I have come to respect him and understand him to a degree. Adina was definitely my favorite character. But I am getting ahead of myself. It was an intriguing idea to have a paraplegic boy over a thousand years in the future traveling through time. I am not a fan of time traveling books either (and why did I agree to review the book?), but the book was extremely readable--a very fast read as a matter of fact.

By about page 60, I suddenly realized the "name play" in the book. The family in the book are rescuing animals, and the name of the father and son is Noah Zarc. Say it out loud, and it sounds like Noah's Ark. I was kind of intrigued by this point. At least it was clear that the author knew something about Bible stories. Maybe the book wasn't going to be so bad after all.

The moment of truth came today as I got about halfway and the story of Noah's Ark was retold by one of the characters in an imaginative way that brought a new way of looking at this old story. I began to entertain the idea that maybe this author knew more than the stories of the Bible. Perhaps he knew the author of these stories. I did not want to jump to conclusions. And then I realized that there was no profanity or sex in the book--quite a change for a young adult novel. And the message was even one with moral value. And you know what? I was right!

Dr. Pease has written a fun, easy-to-read young adult novel that will appeal to more than just young adults. In many ways, this story is quite reminiscent of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. His book never comes across as "preachy" or "in your face" when it comes to Biblical principles--which I greatly enjoy. It is so nice to read a clean kid's book!

I always find it amazing that often the books I dread the most are the books I truly come to enjoy and appreciate, and this is no exception. The story is well-written, and I only found myself getting lost in all the "time travel talk" at the end of the novel. I would love to read the next book in the series, and I can hardly wait for my daughter to get old enough to read and enjoy this series as well! ...more

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Dec 21, 2011 Lissette rated it it was amazing

Noah Zarc was born without the use of his legs, yet he does not let this fact deter him from enjoying life to the fullest extent. He harbors a passion for piloting spaceships, a reality that his parents have made possible whenever they travel back through time to save Earth's animals from dying out completely. You see, the Earth can no longer sustain human life. At least not yet. Not until it's atmosphere is brought back under control in order to do so, a feat that Noah and his family hope to ac Noah Zarc was born without the use of his legs, yet he does not let this fact deter him from enjoying life to the fullest extent. He harbors a passion for piloting spaceships, a reality that his parents have made possible whenever they travel back through time to save Earth's animals from dying out completely. You see, the Earth can no longer sustain human life. At least not yet. Not until it's atmosphere is brought back under control in order to do so, a feat that Noah and his family hope to achieve.

As they travel through space and time acquiring each animal little by little, the family encounters quite a few obstacles along the way. Noah's mother is kidnapped and taken back in time to Mars by a force they're not yet sure of. His father, on the other hand, is left stranded in the Ice Age.

Determined to save his family and set things right, Noah and his siblings embark on an adventure that leave them wondering whether they'll ever make it back home alive. Dodging killer robots and other treacherous forces, they're able to rescue their father with one tiny glitch. Unbeknownst to the others, they now have a stowaway aboard their ship by the name of Adina, a girl whom Noah met while traveling back to the Ice Age to rescue his father.

Setting that little detail aside, Noah decides to go ahead with his plan. They will rescue his mother no matter the cost. He never once imagined he'd be traveling back in time in hopes of stopping the evil threatening his family. As secrets of the past begin to unravel, Noah realizes that his family is all he's got and he will not give it up so easily.

Using the skills and talents he's acquired over the years, he's able to remain one step ahead. For how long, though, he does not know. The safety of his family and Earth's restoration are all that matters to him. Nothing, and no one, will keep him from achieving that very goal.

This book was totally delightful. While it is a children's book, middle-grade, to be exact, I enjoyed every minute of it. D. was able to tell the story of Noah and the Ark in a very futuristic setting. He was able to create a post-apocalyptic view of what the world would be like if man were to be the cause of its demise. Truthfully, the story left me with a bit of food for thought. All in all, it was beautifully written and I know that others will enjoy the book, too. So looking forward to more of the series soon. ...more

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Oct 09, 2011 Susan Quinn rated it it was amazing

Noah Zarc (Mammoth Trouble) by D. Robert Pease is a rollicking space adventure that jumps through time with the Zarc family as they try to save animals (yes, two by two) from Earth's past to repopulate a planet barren of animal life. Noah Jr. is busy getting in trouble for unscheduled tests of his thermsuit when his parents fail to return from a mission to the Ice Age. Noah and his brainy brother and teenage sister jump through time and space to try to rescue their parents only to find that Hoan Noah Zarc (Mammoth Trouble) by D. Robert Pease is a rollicking space adventure that jumps through time with the Zarc family as they try to save animals (yes, two by two) from Earth's past to repopulate a planet barren of animal life. Noah Jr. is busy getting in trouble for unscheduled tests of his thermsuit when his parents fail to return from a mission to the Ice Age. Noah and his brainy brother and teenage sister jump through time and space to try to rescue their parents only to find that Hoan - arch enemy of the ARC (Animal Rescue Cruiser) project - has kidnapped their mom. And that's just the beginning of adventures that take our young heroes from the moon to Mars to many different space-times on Earth. Pease gives the ancient nature of the story of Noah's Ark a nod, while updating it to the year 3000 in a completely fresh way. I especially like the tender puppy-love story between Noah and Adina, the Ice Age orphan girl who shows ancient people to be a lot smarter than we'd expect.

One of the great things that I love about science fiction has always been the willingness of SF authors to tackle social issues. I would love to see more middle grade science fiction precisely because I believe that middle grade kids are primed and ready to debate the kinds of social issues that SF dives into. Noah Zarc is light and fun, but it is also "serious" science fiction (as opposed to "comedy" focused MG SF, which doesn't usually have the same impact in a philosophical sense). Noah Zarc is chock full of gadgety devices and space-time travel, but Pease also gives a nuanced spin to the political dynamics of repopulating Earth with long-extinct animals while people remain trapped in crowded colonies on Mars and Venus.

Loaded with action and adventure, this story goes easy on the violence. I don't know the reading level of this book, but I'm guessing around 4th or 5th grade. With its light-touch adventure and advanced reading level, this makes it a perfect read for advanced readers as young as 6. And older kids, as well as animal lovers of any age, will love the adventure and time travel conundrums. ...more

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Sep 30, 2011 Karen Toz rated it it was amazing

What do you get when you combine a 12 year old who can time travel through outer space, a family who wants to save Earth’s animals, and a cave girl who has never been to Mars? You get Noah Zarc: Mammoth Trouble – a fun and action packed book that both kids and adults will love.

I have to admit – Science Fiction never really peaked my interest. In fact, I may be the only person who has never seen Star Wars (It’s true!) So, nobody was more surprised than I was, when I found myself not being able to What do you get when you combine a 12 year old who can time travel through outer space, a family who wants to save Earth’s animals, and a cave girl who has never been to Mars? You get Noah Zarc: Mammoth Trouble – a fun and action packed book that both kids and adults will love.

I have to admit – Science Fiction never really peaked my interest. In fact, I may be the only person who has never seen Star Wars (It’s true!) So, nobody was more surprised than I was, when I found myself not being able to put D. Robert Pease’s Middle Grade novel down. In fact, I read it over the course of a single weekend.

Without giving away the plot or the ending, let me highlight a few of the things I loved about this book:

• The main character Noah, is a paraplegic – yet he doesn’t let it get him down. I love how his character’s disability is written – sort of like an afterthought – it’s important, but it doesn’t change who Noah is, proving nothing can slow him down. A great message for kids and adults.
• Noah has to tackle some tough issues regarding his family. D. Robert Pease does a great job of showing the range of emotions a boy this age would go through in this situation – while keeping the writing appropriate for the age of his target readers.
• For the adult readers – there are some great references. For instance there is a reference to one of their old space ships crashing in New Mexico a while back. It sort of reminds me of Shrek in that there are lines for both kids and adults to enjoy – but for different reasons. I’m sure there are many more references in Noah Zarc I didn’t get, since I am not a science fiction aficionado. Hopefully my husband can clue me in once he reads it!

Despite the title and biblical references (Noah’s siblings are named Sam and Hamilton and they live on a spaceship called ARC) this is not a religious story. It is however, a fun space age version of the ancient tale with many twists and turns to keep both you and your young reader wanting more. Definitely a 5 star book for me - I am looking forward to book two!
...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Denae Christine rated it really liked it

Shelves: space-travel, 1st-person-narrative, sci-fi

I wasn't sure what to expect with this one. I was afraid the book would make fun of the Bible and the true account of Noah's Arc. While this book did mention the original Noah, it was respectful and just referred to the story as a historical tale.

The main character, Noah Zarc, Jr., is a 12-year-old troublemaker and paraplegic. He's stubborn and has a big heart for any creature in danger. I loved him.

The time travel was very well done. Often a book with try to explain things away with time travel ...more

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Mar 21, 2014 Jemima Pett rated it really liked it

Shelves: childrens, scifi, environmental, middle-grade, time-travel, tween

This is a really well told story, full of action and excitement. If you love time travel, you’ll enjoy the way Noah jumps forward and backwards, and debates issues like the immutability of time (not in those words!). The context, world-building and plot are beautifully put together, and I can see Middle-Graders or their teachers, getting together to discuss how a Stone Age person would view our world, or ask how would you explain the internet to them.

The problem for me was that, once again, the ...more

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Sep 14, 2011 Tricia Kristufek rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviews

Team Zarc!

Noah Zarc is about a 12 year old paraplegic boy who travels throughout space and time on a mission to repopulate Earth with animals from all suitable time periods. With his family - Mom, Dad, brother Hamilton and sister Sam - Noah pilots the ARC (Animal Rescue Cruiser) while trying to stop Haon from preventing the re-population of all the animals on Earth.

I must admit to judging a book by it's cover but being totally wrong. What I thought was going to be a tad bit cheesy story about a ...more

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Jan 12, 2012 Flora Smith rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, sci-fi

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a wonderful book with so many messages. Noah Zarc is a paraplegic who is part of a family whose mission it is to go back in time to retrieve animals to repopulate an earth that we made uninhabitable. And of course there's a bad guy working against them to make sure they don't succeed. Noah is a very resourceful, very capable 12 yr old that shows that being a paraplegic doesn't make you incapable. Over the course of thi ...more

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Sep 23, 2011 Debbie Smith rated it really liked it

Finding good science fiction books to recommend to my junior high students can be a challenge. So many of the books in this genre are written for a more mature reader and often contain strong language or adult situtations that are just inappropriate for a younger teenage reader. After reading the synopsis I was intrigued and a bit hopeful about this novel "Noah Zarc: Mammoth Trouble" as it had a 12 year old hero and I decided to enter the giveaway. I was excited to hear I was a Goodreads winner ...more

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Jan 31, 2012 Frank rated it it was amazing

An incredible journey of space and time travel from the eyes of a 12 year old. This is fun and excitement at its best. And although he is a wheel chair bound paraplegic he is also a space ship pilot and time traveler. His, and his family's mission is to collect the "ancient" animals of earth, now (3100AD)depleted of all animal life, and return them to the Universe. D. Robert Rease does a marvelous job in bringing the character's and places and action to life; to be lived by the reader. And if yo ...more

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Dec 03, 2011 Donna rated it it was amazing

Personally, I LOVED this story. A fantastic adventure. 12 year old paraplegic Noah Zarc lives in both the future and the past. Being a lover of physics and cosmology, this was fascinating to me. Also fascinating was the way Noah didn't allow his handicap to hold him back. Handicap? No Way!! Noah had a really cool mag chair to help him zip around.
Noah and his family, the Zarc's go through time collecting animals to protect them from extinction, (get it--Noah Zarc---Noah's Arc) They use a space/t ...more

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Jun 19, 2013 Suzanne rated it really liked it

My son and I read this book together and he enjoyed it very much. Looking through my sons perspective he was impressed with a spaceship full of extinct animals and he loved the time travel aspect of the story. We weren't so sure about the whole idea of the cave girl assimilating into Noah's world what seemed to be a little too easy. My son gave me every reason why that was not possible but he said for the sake of Noah he was willing to overlook that. All in all we enjoyed the book and look forwa ...more

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Sep 09, 2011 NicoleE rated it really liked it

Shelves: childrens-books, sci-fi, won-from-giveaway, i-own

This book sucked me in, almost right from the start. Noah is not as bright as his siblings (at least not in the book smarts sense), but still supremely talented in his own ways. He has enough drive and courage for all of them. As much as this book drops you into a futuristic world vastly different from our current one, you never feel lost, which can easily happen in some sci-fi books. There's something for everyone, so it's a good read for young and old alike. ...more

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Feb 16, 2012 Billie rated it liked it

This review is based on a book I got for free from the publisher in a cvontest on Goodreads.

The main character in the book, Noah, just can't tet a break. Something is going on and no one else seems to notice.

In one sense it is a simple bok easily read by mid grade students but the authur does weave a compelling story so kept me entertained.

An easy read but fun none the less ...more

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Nov 19, 2011 Karla BookAddict2 rated it it was amazing

deleting reviews if you want to take a look at them you can do so on my blog, link on my profile

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Jul 05, 2013 Celesta Thiessen rated it it was amazing

I read this with my 10 yr old. This was a great book to read as a family. We really enjoyed the imaginative adventure! I especially liked the interesting technology and believable characters.

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Dec 07, 2011 Jason Beineke rated it really liked it

Noah Zarc: Mammoth Trouble, by D. Robert Pease, proved to be a delightful read overall. The main character, Noah Zarc, is a twelve year old struggling to survive against the oppression of his older siblings. The eldest is his sister, Sam, a gear head who is filling in as the caretaker of her two younger brothers while the Zarc parents are off collecting animals for their modern space arc. Next, is Hamilton, a total egg head who seems to understand physics much better than social interaction. Rou ...more

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Aug 08, 2022 Tina rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2022-me

This book reads well, mostly, in sentence structure and such…but the storyline just has so many elements in it that are just clunky and amateur. I suppose kids won’t care, but I would not call it quality literature.

I’m not going to nitpick all the problems I had with this story…but I will mention the one that jumped out at me immediately. Elephants don’t live in mating pairs. The males live separately from the females. It makes ZERO sense to have people who are supposed to be scientists not kno This book reads well, mostly, in sentence structure and such…but the storyline just has so many elements in it that are just clunky and amateur. I suppose kids won’t care, but I would not call it quality literature.

I’m not going to nitpick all the problems I had with this story…but I will mention the one that jumped out at me immediately. Elephants don’t live in mating pairs. The males live separately from the females. It makes ZERO sense to have people who are supposed to be scientists not know this and pick a pair (one male, one female) and ONLY a pair to further their species. Female elephants and their babies live in herds of up to 12 and help each other raise their offspring. They are literally emotionally attached to their herd members and this is an important way of life for them! And adult males live solitary lives or sometimes in small bachelor groups. But they do not live WITH the females once grown.

And since I mentioned furthering the species…let’s just talk for a second about how problematic the original idea of this from the biblical Noah myth is! You cannot safely recreate an entire species from just one male and one female. The inbreeding problems would be HUGE! Zoos work very hard to bring in other animals to add to the gene pool on a regular basis and avoid inbreeding!

The scientists in this story would know this.

Yes, I know, it’s a fictional children’s story. But come on! When doing a book with scientists as characters, you really should do your research so there aren’t such glaring problems with the science!

Judging by all the biblical references in this book…(though thankfully, no actual religious content) The Ark with a pair of every animal to repopulate the Earth…The names…Noah and Ham, the “DUV” (dove), the whale named Jonah, etc…I’m going to guess the author is Christian. And perhaps he takes the Noah myth literally. In which case, maybe he believes it’s actually possible. But it’s actually not. And it’s ridiculous to further the idea in a poorly written storyline like this.

Overall, the book was fairly enjoyable but just so many issues I couldn’t give it more than 2 stars. Don’t even get me started on the issues of the cave girl. That’s a whole other huge problem I don’t feel like diving into.

I just feel like this book is very amateur and the author really needs to research before writing. Even fiction needs some believability. ...more

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Jul 29, 2017 Susan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Mammoth Trouble is the first book in the Noah Zarc series. This can be read as a standalone. The next book has already been released so why stop with just this one? While this book and series is written for middle schoolers, adults will enjoy it too. At least this adult did. There is some violence.

The book blurb adequately describes the storyline so I'm not going to repeat that all of that info here. The story, and series, is the SciFi version of the Biblical story of Noah and the ark (and the w ...more

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Mar 28, 2018 Robin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

12 yr old boy who can expertly pilot several types of ships. Cave girl who automatically grasps advanced physics. The immaturity often lines up with the stated age. However, there are a great many times when he seems much much older.

The storyline is interesting & different. I'm a big sci fi reader & there were times where it was difficult to understand & follow.

If I don't focus on the inconsistencies, I could certainly feel for Noah & Adena. Good world building. The accent of the narrator is q ...more

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Nov 02, 2017 Linda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

WOW, Talk about the story of Noah's Ark, but somewhere in the future! Noah Zarc is a twelve year old boy with a knack for getting into trouble even though he's a paraplegic! Noah drives his siblings and parents crazy when he gets into his head that he could do anything even without legs! When his parents are abandoned in the past trying to catch a deer to keep it in the ship to one day return the deer to a restored Earth, His mom is abducted by a mad man that kills animals for fun, Noah, an orph ...more

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Jun 23, 2017 Nikki rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, sci-fi, childrens, ya

This is a great book for kids. It has a nice flow of story line. It raises some conflicts but they're readily resolved in a manner appropriate for young audiences. I am not sure that it would sustain the interest of adults over the course of a series. So, while I have not read any others in the series, I would recommend them for children. ...more

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Oct 13, 2017 Elizabeth rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Great Story! Throw together a adventurous young boy, time traveling spaceships, an important mission, & several unexpected surprises, and you have a very entertaining tale! My eleven year-old loved it! I look forward to reading more about Noah and his families adventures. I was lucky enough to receive a free copy of this book.

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Aug 06, 2017 GREGG CORDELL rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Good Read

This was a good book it had all you could ask for . It was like a newer version of Noah's ark with a lot of excitement to go along with it. ...more

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About D. Robert Pease

D. Robert Pease

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D. Robert Pease has been interested in creating worlds since childhood. From building in the sandbox behind his house, to drawing fantastical worlds with paper and pencil, there has hardly been a time he hasn't been off on some adventure in his mind, to the dismay of parents and teachers alike. Also, since the moment he could read, books have consumed vast swaths of his life. From The Mouse and th ...more