A little something for everyone—history, humor, adventure, time travel—but not a patch on the Magic Tree House.
In an effort to rescue their parents, who are lost in time, a pair of adventurous time-traveling twins goes to Menlo Park, N.J., in 1879, where they meet Thomas Edison and try to stay a step ahead of antagonist Mr. Crowe, a fellow time traveler.
The premise of this series, which can be characterized as time-travel adventure with a little history thrown in, is that Gracie and George, 9-year-old twins, must return the various objects their time-traveling parents collected to their rightful places and eras. Their hope is that once all the objects have been returned, their parents can come home. But to do this, the twins have to travel through time themselves, and in a distinctly odd twist, a side effect is that one of them turns into an animal. In this adventure, George and Gracie, now a parrot, learn that Thomas Edison invented the time machine and that there are rules governing time travel. Unfortunately, the rules are not clarified, and with two Mr. Crowes in a time paradox and two time machines, the story becomes somewhat muddled. After a confusing climax and hopeful ending, the book concludes with three nonfiction codas, one about Thomas Edison and two offering facts about New Jersey.
A little something for everyone—history, humor, adventure, time travel—but not a patch on the Magic Tree House. (Adventure. 7-11)Pub Date: May 20, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-938301-77-3
Page Count: 152
Publisher: Familius
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2014
An effort as insubstantial as any spirit.
Eleven-year-old Maria Russo helps her charlatan mother hoodwink customers, but Maria has a spirited secret.
Maria’s mother, the psychic Madame Destine, cons widows out of their valuables with the assistance of their apartment building’s super, Mr. Fox. Madame Destine home-schools Maria, and because Destine is afraid of unwanted attention, she forbids Maria from talking to others. Maria is allowed to go to the library, where new librarian Ms. Madigan takes an interest in Maria that may cause her trouble. Meanwhile, Sebastian, Maria’s new upstairs neighbor, would like to be friends. All this interaction makes it hard for Maria to keep her secret: that she is visited by Edward, a spirit who tells her the actual secrets of Madame Destine’s clients via spirit writing. When Edward urges Maria to help Mrs. Fisher, Madame Destine’s most recent mark, Maria must overcome her shyness and her fear of her mother—helping Mrs. Fisher may be the key to the mysterious past Maria uncovers and a brighter future. Alas, picture-book–creator Ford’s middle-grade debut is a muddled, melodramatic mystery with something of an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink feel: In addition to the premise, there’s a tragically dead father, a mysterious family tree, and the Beat poets. Sluggish pacing; stilted, unrealistic dialogue; cartoonishly stock characters; and unattractive, flat illustrations make this one to miss. Maria and Sebastian are both depicted with brown skin, hers lighter than his; the other principals appear to be white.
An effort as insubstantial as any spirit. (author’s note) (Paranormal mystery. 7-10)Pub Date: July 21, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-20567-4
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Christy Ottaviano/Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
The journey is even gently funny—Omakayas’s brother spends much of the year with a porcupine on his head. Charming and...
This third entry in the Birchbark House series takes Omakayas and her family west from their home on the Island of the Golden-Breasted Woodpecker, away from land the U.S. government has claimed.
Difficulties abound; the unknown landscape is fraught with danger, and they are nearing hostile Bwaanag territory. Omakayas’s family is not only close, but growing: The travelers adopt two young chimookoman (white) orphans along the way. When treachery leaves them starving and alone in a northern Minnesota winter, it will take all of their abilities and love to survive. The heartwarming account of Omakayas’s year of travel explores her changing family relationships and culminates in her first moon, the onset of puberty. It would be understandable if this darkest-yet entry in Erdrich’s response to the Little House books were touched by bitterness, yet this gladdening story details Omakayas’s coming-of-age with appealing optimism.
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-06-029787-9
Page Count: 208
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2008
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
