
DON'T KNOW WHERE, DON'T KNOW WHEN by Annette Laing Category: Science Fiction Age Recommendation: Grades 6+ Release Date: 8/20/07 Publisher: Confusion Press Reviewed by: Allison Fraclose Rating: 5 Stars Although her little brother, Alex, might find their new hometown of Snipesville, Georgia, a welcome change, Hannah Diaz still thinks it’s way more boring than California. To curb her whining, her father signs her up for a creative writing camp at the local college. She’s so reluctant that, when she can’t find the classroom on her first day, she instead finds solace in the student union café. Meanwhile, Alex attends the baseball camp held at the same college. There, he meets Brandon, a local African American kid who only dreams of escaping Snipesville. When baseball camp ends up being a drag, the two boys escape to the student union and run into Hannah. To kill time, the three children head up to the library. An encounter with a woman who calls herself “The Professor” leaves them spooked, and Brandon comes across an old identification card belonging to someone named George Braithwaite. As the kids leave the library, they notice a strange change in their surroundings. They find that they are no longer in present day Snipesville, but in England…in 1940! While the children acclimate to their new lives, The Professor appears, and tells them that they need to find George Braithwaite to go home. This sets them on a long journey through time, one that will familiarize them with events and people that existed long before any of them were born. A fun, educational mystery, this story does a successful job of bringing history within reach. Interesting details—such as the quality of the food and everyday luxuries, such as toilet paper—leave the reader with a clear picture of life in the past, and how people and places change over time. DON'T KNOW WHERE, DON'T KNOW WHEN is the first in a series, and I’ll definitely be looking for more! |