Escape From the Past: The Dukes Wrath by Annette Oppenlander

Genre:  Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction

Source:  I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

From Goodreads:

When fifteen-year-old nerd and gamer Max Anderson thinks he's sneaking a preview of an unpublished video game, he doesn't realize that 1) He's been chosen as a beta, an experimental test player. 2) He’s playing the ultimate history game, transporting him into the actual past: anywhere and anytime. And 3) Survival is optional: to return home he must decipher the game's rules and complete its missions—if he lives long enough. To fail means to stay in the past—forever.

Now Max is trapped in medieval Germany, unprepared and clueless. It is 1471 and he quickly learns that being an outcast may cost him his head. Especially after rescuing a beautiful peasant girl from a deadly infection and thus provoking sinister wannabe Duke Ott. Overnight he is dragged into a hornets' nest of feuding lords who will stop at nothing to bring down the conjuring stranger in their midst. 

My Thoughts:

I love time travel books. This one here was over the top. You have a kid transported to another time through a video game.  Every kid today will be able to identify with that. Imagine going from current time to medieval times. No matter what you have read in books, you would not have everything you need to fit in.

I loved that you were brought into the book and into the time period. This is what great Historical Fiction does. Students will be so enthralled with Max and his situation they won’t even realize they have been learning history until they start talking with each other. Through this book  readers will learn what life was like for everyone during this time from the lowly peasant all the way up to the life of a knight.

My problem with a lot of time travel stories is the manner in which the author chooses to  bring their character back to present time. I’m often left feeling cheated. I can tell you up front you won’t feel that way with this book.  You will love it.  This is a series I can say I will enjoy from beginning to end. I can’t wait for my first student to read it.

Shards of Murder by Cheryl Hollon

Genre: Adult, Mystery

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

From Goodreads:

When a glass-making competition turns deadly, glass shop owner Savannah Webb must search for a window into a criminal's mind…

As the new proprietor of Webb's Glass Shop, Savannah has been appointed to fill her late father's shoes as a judge for the Spinnaker Arts Festival, held in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. With her innovative glass works, the clear winner is Megan Loyola, a student of Savannah's former mentor. 

But when Megan doesn't show up to accept her $25,000 award, rumors start flying. And when Savannah discovers the woman's dead body on festival grounds, the police immediately suspect her of murder. To keep from appearing before a judge herself, Savannah sorts through the broken pieces of glass scattered around the victim for clues as to who took this killer competition too far

My Thoughts:

Cheryl has once again spun a mystery that will grab you and hold you all the way to the end. Her characters are well rounded complete with flaws. The information the reader gleans from the story about stained glasswork makes this so much fun to read. Personally, I prefer books that not only have a mystery (my favorite genre), but has something I can learn.  One thing I loved is that Savannah who made the decision as to who won the competition, becomes the prime suspect. Then she and her friends jump in to find the real killer. This book, like her first one will grab hold of you until you turn the last page. This book, if you haven’t read the first one would be a great stand- alone book. I highly recommend this book.

Youngtimer: Time Flies by G.G. Fulton

Genre: Middle Grades, Science Fiction

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

From Goodreads:

A TIME MACHINE IN THE HANDS OF A 12-YEAR-OLD! WHAT. COULD. POSSIBLY. GO. WRONG?

In this second book in the "Youngtimer: Adventures In Time" Series, best friend's Carly and Patti are happy to have the summer off from school, and are determined to make the most of it.

Carly's time machine is calling their names!

In between saving her "only" brother, Brad, from a difficult situation involving a 6'6", 275 pound linebacker, and a run in with the school drama queen, Carly and Patti are off on more great adventures as they carry out Carly's big plans: I Heart Grampa; Time Flies; Extra Extra Hunger; and De-Bully Lulu.

Come along for the ride to non-stop fun and adventure.

My Thoughts:

This is the second book in this series and it is just as enjoyable as the first. Carly, along with her best friend Patti set off on several adventures.  This time things don’t go quite as smoothly. This series is really enjoyable.  Adults and kids can both relate to the characters. They and their time travel are very believable. This is a series my students will definitely love to read. The adventure of time travel will be enough for some people. The idea of traveling back through time to witness parts of history make this even more worth the read. If you haven’t checked out this series yet then you had better get started, to see what you have been missing.