The Book of Time #1: The Book of Time [Hardcover]

Guillaume Prevost (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: The Book Of Time

Scholastic introduces the next name in YA adventure: Guillaume Prevost, whose Book of Time trilogy is one part DA VINCI CODE, one part DRACULA, one part THE TIME-TRAVELER'S WIFE, and all thrilling.

A statue; a coin; an old book. They look as dusty as everything else in the Faulkner Antiquarian Bookstore, where 14-year-old Sam Faulkner seeks his father, who's been missing for days. But when Sam slips the coin into the statue, he's swept back in time -- to Scotland in 800 A.D. -- where he must find both the statue and another coin in order to return to the present. It's the first step in an adventure that will take him to ancient Egypt, World War I, even Dracula's castle -- and a mystery that will end only when Sam saves his father, or loses him in time . . .

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Dramatic cover art will draw readers to this time-travel story, and the fast-paced adventure will hold their interest. Sam's father has been missing for 10 days. Searching a dusty bookstore for clues, Sam discovers a hidden room containing an old book, a strange coin, and an oddly carved stone that send him on a gut-wrenching journey back to medieval Iona, just in time for a Viking invasion. Next, he lands in France during World War I, then in ancient Egypt. After he returns, Sam struggles to understand how the time-travel device works and what it all means. The book ends as he discovers that his father, imprisoned in the castle of Vlad Tepes (a.k.a. Dracula), has sent him a message across six centuries: Help Me, Sam. The appeal of the novel, which is translated from French, comes from both well-drawn characters and a swiftly moving story. With the central mystery as yet unsolved, a villain still unmasked, and Sam's father in peril at the end, readers will be scrambling for the second book of the planned trilogy. Phelan, Carolyn

Review

"Time-travel fans will jump headlong with Sam into his big adventure, and they will be hoping for a sequel to finally resolve the mystery of his father's disappearance." - The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books; 1St Edition edition (September 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 043988375X
• ISBN-13: 978-0439883757
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #803,722 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book for pre-teens, September 27, 2007

By 

C. Gottschall (Maryland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Book of Time #1: The Book of Time (Hardcover)

I picked this up in an airport bookstore, and, even though I am 36, I was not disappointed. It was clearly written to preteens, but it held my interest nonetheless. The story was clever, but what impressed me most was that it was a fun read without any suggestive themes or gratuitous violence. Many books written for this age group make me blush when my 10 year old son is sitting nearby. Also, they are often so scary as to cause nightmares in children. This one I will hand over to him without worrying about either of those issues. Is it the greatest book ever written? No, but it is much better than many I have read for this age group.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars FESTIVE ROMP THROUGH TIME, January 14, 2008

By 

Sandy Rhoad "Insatiable reader" (Branchville, SC United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Book of Time #1: The Book of Time (Hardcover)

When you receive this book - and I URGE you to purchase it for yourself or a teen - remove the dust cover and discover that the book itself is a treasure. The artwork is excellent, both back and front - the text is readible without a problem and the pages of the book are good quality. Do not enter the story expecting the usual time travel. This book was not written by an American and it differs a bit in writing but is a playful read. I am an adult who likes to read about time travel so I will purchase younger books to fill in the spaces between my other reads. Mr. Prevost is an interesting writer, including fact with fiction in an understable (for younger people) way and an amusing and interesting way for older readers. This book is a pleasurable diversion from TV and I would purchase it for any younger reader. I enjoyed it myself and am looking forward to the sequel.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, February 9, 2008

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Book of Time #1: The Book of Time (Hardcover)

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