From Publishers Weekly
In this time-slip variation on the timeless theme of middle-grade friendships, Emma Gibson gets an unusual visitor. The girl has never made friends easily, since she and her family are always moving, but here in historical Middletown, N.Y., she found popular Kim. Still, as Emma is getting ready to move again, Kim drops her. Emma runs to the old Bentley mansion to sulk, wishing for just one friend. Magic enters the picture, bringing with it Abigail Bentley--from the year 1846. Emma is delighted, but Abigail wants only to go home. Emma winds up learning a valuable lesson about other people's feelings and Abigail returns home safe and sound. While the story sounds a single, didactic note that will appeal primarily to fans of the genre, Chetwin ( Collidescope ; Child of the Air ) does a credible job of keeping Emma sympathetic and making her somewhat predictable story move along briskly. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 4-6-- This fast-paced time-travel story features several key elements likely to appeal to children, but it suffers from an overly busy plot. Emma Gibson, a sixth grader, resents the frequent moves forced on her family by her father's occupation. Lonely and angry, she wishes desperately for a friend. Her wish is apparently granted when Abigail Bentley is mysteriously transported from 1846 to the present. Abigail's sudden appearance is tied to the theft of a South American shaman's magical totem by her uncle. The two girls attempt to sort out : this tangled puzzle, only to accidentally transport Emma into the past with Abigail. Unfortunately, by this time they have quarreled seriously and Abigail is thus unwilling to help Emma return to her own time and family. Each girl is forced to confront unpleasant personal characteristics and overcome them during the course of the story, but the flaws are so well drawn as to overshadow their more positive traits. Secondary characters, especially Emma's family, are decidedly flat and Chetwin's plot is so convoluted that it is sometimes less than convincing. The inclusion of so many different elements, such as peer relationships, magic, time travel, South American culture, and a glimpse of the past, makes it impossible to develop all parts of the story fully. Still, Chetwin's writing is clear and smooth, the topics are definitely of interest to young readers, and the positive resolution of the problems raised is satisfying, making this an acceptable if unimpressive choice for budding fantasy fans. --Lisa Dennis, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
