Customer Reviews

The Time Travelers (The Gideon Trilogy)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is a very good book for both 10-15 years olds and adults who enjoy historical fiction. Well written with entertaining, fresh characters and a fast pace. However, it is the same book as the hardcover "Gideon the Cutpurse". I think the title and the style of the hardcover did not appeal to younger readers so it has been repackaged and retitled for paperback. Do not get confused that this is the second book in the proposed Gideon Trilogy as a few reviewers apparently did. Look closely at the cover of this book and it says "previously published as Gideon the Cutpurse". Also at the end of the hardcover version of this book it says the second of the trilogy will be called "The Tar Man", it is not, so this has apparently been changed as well. Still highly recommended however.

Peter Schock is looking forward to spending the first day of his Christmas holiday with his father and finally getting to enjoy the birthday treat that was originally planned for him months before. But much to Peter's anger and disappointment, his dad has had to cancel yet again because of an important meeting. They get into a bitter argument, and Peter is sent to spend the weekend in Derbyshire with his au pair Margrit on her friends' farm. When they arrive, Peter feels out of place with the countryside compared to the hustle and bustle of city life to which he has grown accustomed. He is introduced to Mr. and Mrs. Dyer and their large family, the oldest being Kate.

After a tour around the farmyard, Peter is invited to ride along with Kate and her father while Dr. Dyer makes a visit to the laboratory where he works. He shows Peter an antigravity machine that is part of a top-secret scientific experiment funded by NASA. Then there is a freak accident, and before they know it, Peter and Kate find themselves in the year 1763. Unfortunately for them, getting back home becomes nearly impossible when the machine is taken by The Tar Man, a monstrous-looking villain with a tragic past.

The children are befriended by a young gentleman named Gideon Seymour --- a reformed cutpurse who is looking for a new start in life --- and are taken on a dramatic, dangerous and at times quite humorous adventure that seems to leap from the pages of a history book. Along the way they meet some famous people and experience life in 18th-century London. Meanwhile, in the 21st century, two families and a cunning detective inspector try to figure out what has happened to the two 12-year-olds as they piece together clues resulting from a strange series of phenomena.

THE TIME TRAVELERS is the first book in a trilogy that promises to be an epic adventure seeped in history. Although intended for children ages 10 and up, I think it would be especially enjoyable to older readers who have had a chance to study some of their World History. Linda Buckley-Archer's debut novel is a must-read!

--- Reviewed by Sarah Sawtelle

My 10-year old and I first listened to this story on Audiobook, then read the book, as we so thoroughly enjoyed the audio version. I must say this is a much better written story than much of what I've read in kid lit these days.

One beef, though it was more apparent in the audiobook than in print. Peter, one of the two child protagonists, enters the story as a fairly unsympathetic character - whiny, spoiled, and tending to jump to (often wrong) conclusions. From the reader's viewpoint, much of what Peter "doesn't get" is fairly transparent. Though his character does develop somewhat over time, he remains somewhat petulant, which gets old, after a while.

For the rest, I thought the historical settings, and sketches of life in London in the 1760's, were really grand. I disagree with the reviewer who felt that descriptions of the historical impact on the children were lacking. I thought Buckley-Archer did a very good job at showing how even the smallest day-to-day details (from weevils in the cakes to the way young ladies were expected to behave) were in marked contrast to the children's 21st century lives. I thought the side stories about meeting Samuel Johnson and King George / Queen Charlotte added verisimilitude, and really helped anchor the story in its time and place. I liked how she wove the parents' search "back home" in the 21st century into the plot. And I almost screamed with frustration at the end.

That ending prompted me to read the second book, which was also a treat - there was something of Funke in it, in terms of the anachronistic villain enjoying his "new time." I also look forward to reading the third book, whenever that might appear.

FWIW, I much preferred the original titles "Gideon the Cutpurse" and "The Tar Man" -- I felt they gave potential readers a better idea of what might lie inside than "the Time Travelers" and "The Time Thief" -- both of which seem to be aimed clearly at either Harry Potter or Inkheart fans, and neither of which are really "that type of book" (i.e., the Buckley-Archer books really are historical fiction with a teensy bit of "speculative sf" thrown in - no magic, no fantastical creatures, just a really good read). From the reviews I've read I'd say this retitling was a mistake.

Boo! This is the same book as Gideon the Cutpurse. Just published under a new title. My son who was enthralled by Gideon the Cutpurse (hence the 5 stars) thought that this was the long awaited sequel. I guess we have to return this one and keep waiting! :(

I bought this book for my 11 year old son for Christmas, but couldn't put it down until I finshed it late last night!

This book is about two 12 year old English children, Kate and Peter, who accidentally get sent back in time to the year 1763. It is a real page-turner, as the children are pursued by a variety of colorful and unsavory characters through the English countryside and into London.

I loved the way the author contrasts what life was really like during 1763 with our present day comforts. She details the smells, foods, sights, animals, odd words and customs of that time icredibly well. There are a wonderful assortment of characters including the Tar Man, Gideon the cut-purse, a group of footpads, the turnkey, the henchman and a boy with scrofula (tuberculosis - I just looked this up!). The dialog between the two main characters and their parents is also very contemporary and believable.

I just ordered the 2nd book in the trilogy, The Time Thief, so I can read it over the holidays and hope the final book is published soon. I recommend this really excellent historical fiction for kids and adults.

I bought this book for my eleven year old son to take on our trip to Finland and Russia. For a good bit of the trip his nose was stuck in his Nintendo DS. My thirtee year old daughter however, finished the books she brought on day three of the trip. While brother was at the hockey game in Helsinki with dad, she picked up this book. She read for about 20 minutes and was hooked. She loved the story line and the jumping back and forth between the time periods. For the rest of the trip the book bounced back and forth between my two and provided great entertainment. Highly recommend!

As a homeschooling mom I have been struggling to find books that will engage my son and provide a meaningful reading experience. I think this one is a winner! Although my son won't read it until school starts, I started it on Saturday and finished it today (Monday). I found it to be fast-past and fun to read. My son is almost 13 and the reading material is age appropriate for his level. I know this book is going to be a hit with him as an entertaining reading assignment, so much so, that I will be purchasing the other two before the start of our school because I know he is going to want them (ok, I admit that the first book leaves you hanging and I want to know what is going to happen next!).

Best of all I ordered this book at 10:30 Thursday night with 2 day free shipping and it was at my door 2:30 Friday afternoon! How I don't know, but I was quite impressed to have it arrived that fast!

I read all three books in a short period of time because I could not put them down. I'm sleep deprived as a result but it is so worth it. The characters are complex, and they have a depth that transcends the typical good guy, bad guy. There is real suffering and the characters respond in different ways to it. I was on the edge of my seat much of the time, and I felt like the characters were so well crafted that I know them. I highly recommend these books for kids and adults alike. I can't wait to read the trilogy again! These books are now among my favorites.

Gold Star Award Winner!

Previously published as GIDEON THE CUTPURSE

Peter feels he has been brushed off by his father yet again--and he has been. He's been waiting for his birthday treat for months, but his father always has business meetings and is too busy to spend time with him. His mother is off working in Los Angeles, far away from Peter and his father in London. The morning Peter and his father fight about it again, Margrit, the Au Pair, takes Peter with her to visit her friends out in the country.

These friends have a daughter, Kate, who is about Peter's age, twelve. Kate's father takes the two of them, plus Kate's dog, Molly, to the lab where he works. Kate and Peter end up chasing Molly through the halls--a small thing that ends up being very important.

One minute, they're running through the halls of the lab. The next minute, Kate and Peter, along with an antigravity machine that one of Kate's father's colleagues has been working on, have been transported back in time to a grassy hillside in 1763.

Before long, they've met two very different men of that time. The first is the Tar Man, who steals the antigravity machine, which could very well be the key to getting back to the present. The second is Gideon, an enemy of the Tar Man, who decides to help the two children from the future.

Before long, Kate and Peter are on an adventure, headed to London to recover the antigravity machine and get back to their homes and families. On their way, they will encounter highwaymen, make friends (including Gideon), and learn a lot about that time in history--the good and the bad.

Back in present-day England, Peter's parents are frantic with worry. Kate's father has figured out that the machine has something to do with their disappearance--but when ghostly images of the children appear dressed in clothing from the eighteenth-century, it becomes clear that this can't be shared with the public; who knows what destruction could result from the misuse of time travel technology?

The parallel storylines--the children's quest to get back to the present and Kate's father's struggle to bring them back--go together quite nicely. The jumping back and forth is not as confusing as it could have been, and both parts of the story are extremely well-written. The characters are realistic, the storylines interesting, the history fascinating, and, well, every aspect of this book brilliant! The cover is very unique and will draw readers right in. The story inside will not disappoint them, either! GIDEON THE CUTPURSE is the first in a trilogy, and I can't wait for the next two books!

Reviewed by: Jocelyn Pearce

This is the first in the Gideon trilogy and a great introduction to the characters of Kate, Peter, Gideon and the Tar Man. It sets up the plot, time travel, and leads us from modern day England to 1763. Reading how life was different long ago will not come as no surprise to teens reading this book, but the author gives a wonderful insight into how hard is might be to adapt to not having the modern conveniences we barely notice in our every day lives. The story is quick paced and leaves the reader with a cliffhanger. Before reading the last chapter, we had already ordered book 2 as we wanted to know about the fate of the characters, not least the Tar Man who seems to be evil through and through. You will not find out until book 3 if your perception of this young man is confirmed, but without giving too much away, I am glad that the author remained true to good storytelling and lets The Good triumph at the end (You will have to wait until the end of the trilogy to read in black & white what you may have deducted yourself half-way through book 2). If you have ever wished to live in another time, or to travel back and forth to change events in your past, this is the book for you. As much appeal as the idea of time travel may hold, Kate and Peter show us that the good intentions are not enough as other people can manipulate and enter into the process for their own ideas.
Comparing this story with Harry Potter is unfair, as true Potter fans will be disappointed with the lack of magic, no private school and no budding romance. However, this story stands on its own with lovable characters, interesting twists and the realization that science belongs in the hands of 'wise' men and women.