Time Slip Tuesday

Time Slip Tuesday is a feature at Charlotte's Library. Some day I am going to post a picture of myself in my time traveling outfit, which I have all assembled except for the appropriate shawl!


Baratz-Logstead, Lauren. Little Women and Me.
Emily March’s language arts teacher assigns a fairly easy project-- students are to discuss three things that they like about their favorite book, as well as just one thing that they would change. After debating many of her favorites, Emily decides that she would pick Little Women, and that she would either stop Beth from dying or make sure that Laurie ended up with Jo instead of Amy. Before she knows it, she is literally sucked into the book and emerges as the middle March sister, on the first page of the story. Her presence is occasionally odd; she is routinely excluded from the sisters’ activities, and has huge lapses of memory as well, especially when the story jumps ahead. Still, she makes a good effort to make a go of it in the 1860s, since there seems to be no way for her to escape. She ends up being in the story for many years, and realizes that while she can change some of the story, other parts of it are best left the way they are.
Strengths: Super twist at the end! Completely didn’t see it coming! Plus, this might be a good way to encourage girls to pick up Little Women, which really was one of my favorites. I was always vaguely annoyed with Jo, and it was good to know I wasn’t the only one.
Weaknesses:Since I desperately wanted to BE Emily and travel back in time to Little Women, I was disappointed that she wasn’t as thrilled to be there as I would have been. Really? Kissing Laurie? Did she know nothing about the book? This is a problem only for people who adore the book, and there are very few girls who do nowadays.


I feel bad that I had trouble understanding the next book; my students ADORE the Quantum Prophecy books; I even had one student reading them who struggles with reading so much I was a little concerned, but when I asked him about the books, he went on for the longest time about the details. Super Human is an interesting prequel,and Michael Carroll is a great guy; I just have a fantasy plot following disability sometimes!


Carroll, Michael. The Ascension.
Abby, Lance, James and Roz are back having gotten rid of Krodin. Instead of being able to enjoy riding around in hover cars, they find themselves in an alternate version of what should be their reality. Krodin is chancellor, and the Praetorians support him because other options are more horrible, but the kids still feel he is supremely evil and needs to be overthrown. This reality was set in place after Daedalus bombed Anchorage, Alaska, killing thousands of people and resulting in the US being placed under military rule. Instead of being lauded for their work in making the world safe, the children are hunted, imprisoned, and generally mistreated. Eventually, after blowing many things up and being chased (really, no one does these things as well as Carroll!), the children manage to stop Krodin and go back to the way reality should be, but we know that this can't possible last for long!
Strengths: Action, adventure, awesome superheroes, and JET PACKS!!! And flying bikes! My readers don't want cartoony super heroes; they want kids with powers who save the world, which is exactly what Carroll delivers.
Weaknesses: There is so much going on that I had trouble following. I have the same trouble with some Rick Riordan books. If I didn't want to post a review, this would be fine-- I would just enjoy the action!