GETTING THE MOST FROM JAN LISTER CALDWELL'S TIME-TRIPPER SERIES
Books One through Four
Level: N
An Adventure Series for Juveniles by Jan Lister Caldwell
Forward
The series is written in graded text, the main characters 'aging' as the series continues. The first two of the series are suggested reading for ages as young as 8 years. The third novel advances the ages of the main characters by a year, making them not quite 12 and 13. The story length and vocabulary reflect this. The fourth is another year ahead for the characters, increased to nearly 13 and 14. The increased vocabulary is easily absorbed, the context giving the meanings so as a reader works their way through the series, their reading level can improve. Also, the spread of the ages makes the series suitable for ages 8 through 14 and even the more advanced reader will still enjoy the first novels. The adventure remains constant throughout.
Book One
Time-Travel Runaway
The world, at least the world of man, has only known about dinosaurs since the last century. It was in 1841 that Richard Owen, later Sir Richard, a famous British anatomist, coined the word 'dinosaur'. The name was taken from the Greek words 'deinos' and 'sauros' and means 'terrible lizard'. The words fall far short of the love, amazement, and fascination that 'dinosaur' has come to mean to millions of children of all ages, even 'us adults'. 'Monsters' that are not only harmless now since they don't exist and were actually real, live creatures is an irresistible combination.
Besides their obvious use in the study of literature, reading the first two novels in The Time-Tripper Series is a chance to discuss science, particularly paleontology, something children can never get enough. You can use that interest to discuss the hard work involved in excavating everything from entire skeletons of giants to the tiny remains to the smallest creatures, including those nearly microscopic. Point out how easy it would be to miss something very important. In the rush to dig bones in the last century, many 'dinosaur hunters' used dynamite to unearth their prizes. Now, once the major layers are lifted away from a find, dentist tools and small brushes would be most likely the tools being used. New tools, those applying the latest technologies are being used now, too, employing ultrasound to find bones beneath the earth. Images of the remains show up on a video monitor. This cannot only help unearth fossils without wasted time and energies; it might find bones where no digging could possibly take place. The bones could be studied without disturbing the surrounding area at all.
Other sciences come into play when discussing dinosaurs, including the thought processes in formulating theories and discussing those theories. You can explain the evidence needed to first come up with a theory, such as one mentioned in the books on the link between dinosaurs and birds. And you can explain the difference between a theory, no matter how popular and how intriguing, and scientific fact. I once heard a paleontologist state that when a theory is widely held, you better look at it again. It might be wrong. Botany, chemistry, and just plain old-fashioned detective work all play a part in discovery. Nothing is written is stone, if you'll pardon the metaphor, and new evidence can set the scientific world on its ear at any time.
Long before 'Jurassic Park', a favorite of mine, and the latest craze with dinosaurs, my husband and I found ourselves with a young son possessing an insatiable appetite for anything to do with dinosaurs. There was little to satisfy him in the way of models and toys and stories. That is why I wrote this for him. It was very different from Time-Travel Runaway in its final form, the novel starting out simply enough and over time evolving into what it is now.
Time-Travel Runaway explores more than dinosaurs, including the popular theories by the most brilliant minds of the day. It explores the mind of a boy not quite 11, one who finds the world he lives in becoming hostile and frustrating and he is unable to deal with the changes and problems in his life. Then he sees a chance to simplify his life by running from his problems and soon he finds he made things worse. He wishes he had thought before making such a drastic change. He realizes he must learn to deal with his frustrations and impatience and channels his energies into survival. It was a great leap toward growing up and it put everything into perspective. What is a bully to deal with after you have faced a hungry dinosaur and lived to tell about it?
Children who have read Time-Travel Runaway, I've found, are as taken with Bill's problems and changes as they are with the dinosaurs. Reading it together gives everyone a chance to see something of themselves, the best and the worst, and see, hopefully, the potential for the hero in us all.
Books One through Four
Level: N
An Adventure Series for Juveniles by Jan Lister Caldwell
Forward
The series is written in graded text, the main characters 'aging' as the series continues. The first two of the series are suggested reading for ages as young as 8 years. The third novel advances the ages of the main characters by a year, making them not quite 12 and 13. The story length and vocabulary reflect this. The fourth is another year ahead for the characters, increased to nearly 13 and 14. The increased vocabulary is easily absorbed, the context giving the meanings so as a reader works their way through the series, their reading level can improve. Also, the spread of the ages makes the series suitable for ages 8 through 14 and even the more advanced reader will still enjoy the first novels. The adventure remains constant throughout.
Book One
Time-Travel Runaway
The world, at least the world of man, has only known about dinosaurs since the last century. It was in 1841 that Richard Owen, later Sir Richard, a famous British anatomist, coined the word 'dinosaur'. The name was taken from the Greek words 'deinos' and 'sauros' and means 'terrible lizard'. The words fall far short of the love, amazement, and fascination that 'dinosaur' has come to mean to millions of children of all ages, even 'us adults'. 'Monsters' that are not only harmless now since they don't exist and were actually real, live creatures is an irresistible combination.
Besides their obvious use in the study of literature, reading the first two novels in The Time-Tripper Series is a chance to discuss science, particularly paleontology, something children can never get enough. You can use that interest to discuss the hard work involved in excavating everything from entire skeletons of giants to the tiny remains to the smallest creatures, including those nearly microscopic. Point out how easy it would be to miss something very important. In the rush to dig bones in the last century, many 'dinosaur hunters' used dynamite to unearth their prizes. Now, once the major layers are lifted away from a find, dentist tools and small brushes would be most likely the tools being used. New tools, those applying the latest technologies are being used now, too, employing ultrasound to find bones beneath the earth. Images of the remains show up on a video monitor. This cannot only help unearth fossils without wasted time and energies; it might find bones where no digging could possibly take place. The bones could be studied without disturbing the surrounding area at all.
Other sciences come into play when discussing dinosaurs, including the thought processes in formulating theories and discussing those theories. You can explain the evidence needed to first come up with a theory, such as one mentioned in the books on the link between dinosaurs and birds. And you can explain the difference between a theory, no matter how popular and how intriguing, and scientific fact. I once heard a paleontologist state that when a theory is widely held, you better look at it again. It might be wrong. Botany, chemistry, and just plain old-fashioned detective work all play a part in discovery. Nothing is written is stone, if you'll pardon the metaphor, and new evidence can set the scientific world on its ear at any time.
Long before 'Jurassic Park', a favorite of mine, and the latest craze with dinosaurs, my husband and I found ourselves with a young son possessing an insatiable appetite for anything to do with dinosaurs. There was little to satisfy him in the way of models and toys and stories. That is why I wrote this for him. It was very different from Time-Travel Runaway in its final form, the novel starting out simply enough and over time evolving into what it is now.
Time-Travel Runaway explores more than dinosaurs, including the popular theories by the most brilliant minds of the day. It explores the mind of a boy not quite 11, one who finds the world he lives in becoming hostile and frustrating and he is unable to deal with the changes and problems in his life. Then he sees a chance to simplify his life by running from his problems and soon he finds he made things worse. He wishes he had thought before making such a drastic change. He realizes he must learn to deal with his frustrations and impatience and channels his energies into survival. It was a great leap toward growing up and it put everything into perspective. What is a bully to deal with after you have faced a hungry dinosaur and lived to tell about it?
Children who have read Time-Travel Runaway, I've found, are as taken with Bill's problems and changes as they are with the dinosaurs. Reading it together gives everyone a chance to see something of themselves, the best and the worst, and see, hopefully, the potential for the hero in us all.
