The Book of Time Paperback – 3 Sept. 2007

Fantastic! This kept my son and I completely enthralled during a 6 hour drive. We're now about to start reading book 2, unfortunately it's not available on CD.

When the reviewers for this book say it is a fast read, what they are really saying is that it is barebones and superficial. Characters are just sketched in. The plot is moved along at a very fast pace through lots of explication by incidental characters who, sometimes in a single paragraph, explain to Sam where he is, what's happening, and what has to be done next. It's almost like an "executive summary" of a longer, better book.That said, there is no reason not to consider this book as a viable option for introducing a young reader to the genre. The hero is a decent enough sort. The time travel is fun, as are the history lessons. The writing is coherent and avoids obvious cliche. The overall plot is fairly engaging, if terribly predictable.And, the length is actually sort of a strong selling point. I've been amazed at how many sci-fi books aimed at the 9 to 12 audience weight at at 375 or 400 pages. That's a huge commitment to demand from a young reader who also has Little League and clarinet practice. Weighing in at 213 pages this is a real book and a satisfying read, but also manageable.So, worth a try, but don't expect to be blown away.

This isn't the first time Sam's dad has disappeared. According to Sam's grandparents, Allan Faulkner was always an odd kid, but he pretty much settled down when he married Sam's mom. In the three years since Sam's mom died, Allan seems to have reverted back to his own little world. One that sometimes involves him disappearing for days at a time. Never for ten days in a row though, and he's NEVER forgotten Sam's birthday. Sam's pretty sure there's more going on then an unexpected business trip.Having escaped a judo tournament due to cancellation, and a beating from his much larger archenemy by feminine intervention, Sam is off to do some investigating. While Sam has lived with his grandparents, and cousin Lily, since the beginning of the year, Allan is still living in the house/bookstore he runs. That seems like the best place for Sam to start looking for clues.Sam finds his way to the basement of the old house. There he finds a hidden room, a strange book, an old coin of some kind, and a strange-shaped stone that seems to be making noise. Sam feels almost drawn to the stone, and when he touches it... Let's just say the adventures truly begin.Sam's dad seems to have found a way to travel through time! And now time has sucked Sam in, too. Sam is beginning to suspect that his dad is caught somewhere in the past. With the help of this crazy stone and some other coins, Sam just might be able to rescue him. That is, if he can figure out how to get out of the random places he keeps getting sent to, and find a way to wherever his dad went. Plus, he'll have to find a way to keep his grandparents from worrying about his disappearances, and keep Lily's nosy mom and her boyfriend out of his way. Oh yeah, and he still has make it through the judo tournament and possibly through the bully who wants to smash his face in.I love time travel books, and this story does not disappoint. For a book that's not too thick, and reads very quickly, there's a whole lot packed in to it! And it's so much more than just a time travel story. These characters seem like real people, with normal problems. It's a recognizable family that's trying to hold itself together, in spite of very strange occurrences.Sam has such great adventures, both in the past and in the present. I wish I could do all of it, except I'm not sure I could think as fast as he does at times!The book ended much sooner than I wanted it to. I wanted to keep reading more and more about Sam, and his family, and his travels. Maybe I can find a time traveling stone to the future, so I can read all of the books that I hope come next! Even if I have to wait, I look forward to as many of these as I can get.Reviewed by: Carrie Spellman

When the reviewers for this book say it is a fast read, what they are really saying is that it is barebones and superficial. Characters are just sketched in. The plot is moved along at a very fast pace through lots of explication by incidental characters who, sometimes in a single paragraph, explain to Sam where he is, what's happening, and what has to be done next. It's almost like an "executive summary" of a longer, better book.That said, there is no reason not to consider this book as a viable option for introducing a young reader to the genre. The hero is a decent enough sort. The time travel is fun, as are the history lessons. The writing is coherent and avoids obvious cliche. The overall plot is fairly engaging, if terribly predictable.And, the length is actually sort of a strong selling point. I've been amazed at how many sci-fi books aimed at the 9 to 12 audience weight at at 375 or 400 pages. That's a huge commitment to demand from a young reader who also has Little League and clarinet practice. Weighing in at 213 pages this is a real book and a satisfying read, but also manageable.So, worth a try, but don't expect to be blown away.

My granddaughter loved it; for me that's all that matters.

The product arrived very quickly, and the book was in a very good shape. My child needed it for school and it served its purpose.

My son loved it.

Bought this book for my daughter. She couldn't put it down.

my kids love it

Excellent condition. My son loves it! He read it in less than a day!! Besides it was the summer reading required. He is anxious to get the second book. Thank you...

Excelent

Thanks! I received item as expected, very satisfied.

This book was awesome. It started off slow but it was really exciting. Just an amazing book as per my son.