mlottermoser's review against another edition
4.0
My oldest has finally started reading chapter books. Some of them are so boring I fall asleep reading them. This book was fun and fast paced. It is similar in style to Magic Tree House, but better in my opinion. There is a antagonist and protagonist, which the Magic Tree House lacks. Ava and her brother Chase complement each other and are more than a one dimensional caricatures. However this is intended for a younger audience and contains fewer facts and more fiction elements. While this is intended for a young reader I felt like Mass put in effort to hook audiences of all ages. I’m actually interested to see how the second one turns out.
ajworkman77's review against another edition
3.0
Good transitional book for 2nd/3rd graders. Similar to the Magic Tree House series
kxc319's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
Great for emerging readers. First book in a series and leaves with a great hook for the sequel. Think Magic Tree House meets Calendar Mysteries.
jbrooxd's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. The latest series starter from Branches. This is Ranger in Time/Magic Tree House-esque with a magic suitcase and artifacts. The villain seems volatile and sinister, which isn't usually a part of those other two series. It adds a nice layer of suspense onto a familiar pattern of characters sent in time to fix something and then work out how to get home.
stephanie_bragg's review against another edition
4.0
Read this to my 6 year old. A fun adventure to start a series.
13eafanti's review against another edition
4.0
I love branches books! Reminded me of Magic Tree House. Easy to read and keep all my kids entertained (10, 7, and 2). Cant wait to read the next books.
mldavisreads's review
3.0
This book is part of the Scholastic branches line, which is aimed at children just starting to transition from easy readers to chapter books. It is the first in a series, and is fairly obviously inspired by the Magic Tree House series (brother and sister who travel back in time).
This book is very simplistic and does not have much depth. I know it is for younger children, but that was still the impression I got. I do like that it has illustrations throughout, as I know that is something that helps transitional readers feel more comfortable with the text.
This would be a good book to introduce time travel to younger readers, or to introduce King Arthur and that time period. Students may be inclined to do further research on their own. I would be curious to see the pacing of the next story as much of this first one was in the set-up-- getting the suitcase, figuring out what was going on.
This book is very simplistic and does not have much depth. I know it is for younger children, but that was still the impression I got. I do like that it has illustrations throughout, as I know that is something that helps transitional readers feel more comfortable with the text.
This would be a good book to introduce time travel to younger readers, or to introduce King Arthur and that time period. Students may be inclined to do further research on their own. I would be curious to see the pacing of the next story as much of this first one was in the set-up-- getting the suitcase, figuring out what was going on.
dylancampbell's review
2.0
This one is pretty typical fare for a beginning chapter book - seems like children will enjoy it.
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