CULVER'S COVE

Two time-traveling children visit 18th-century Massachusetts in Glover’s middle-grade historical novel.

June 25th, 2024 begins as a normal day. On the first day of summer vacation, 11-year-old Heath and 9-year-old Hadden are forbidden to go to the lake by themselves, but they slip out of their house to go angling anyway. Walking through unfamiliar woods, they discover a cave with a beautiful gemstone inside. When the quarrelsome brothers wrestle for possession of the stone, they strike the cave wall and are transported to an alternate reality where horse-drawn carriages trundle down the roads and children are clad in knickers and buckled shoes. A boy named Johnny relays the information that it is July 2nd, 1776, and that they are in Braintree, Massachusetts—not New Jersey, where the boys live. Johnny brings them home to meet his mother, Mrs. Adams. Heath and Hadden are surprised to discover that bathrooms, called privies, don’t have flushing toilets and that people once churned butter; the Adams family is horrified to learn that two world wars will take place. Heath realizes that on July 2nd, 1776, the American colonies won freedom from Britain. Despite their affection for the Adams family, Heath and Hadden still hope Mrs. Hawk, an exceptionally wise and understanding older woman, can help them return to their own era. Glover tries to instill a sense of pride regarding America’s forward progression: The Adamses are amazed that slavery ended and that there’s currently a female vice president, and they become emotional when the boys sing patriotic songs. Though Heath and Hadden bicker in a realistically childlike way, they can sometimes sound as if they’re reading from a Wikipedia page. Heath informs his new friends that “The flag went through twenty-seven changes through the years,” while Hadden explains that “The eagle symbolizes patriotism and unity during times of war.” The expressions the boys use often sound anachronistic for 2024 (“dipsy doodle,” “Holy fudge muffins,” “Mr. Smarty Pants”). The elements of magic and historical information don’t always smoothly coalesce, but the author’s love of history is apparent, and the importance of family and friends also resonates.

A valiant effort to make American history fun using elements of fantasy.