Torn

July 1, 2011

The fourth installment of this enjoyable time-travel series for preteens takes readers to a lesser-known historical event than those in the earlier books: the mutiny on Henry Hudson's ship, the Discovery, in 1611.

Jonah and Katherine land on board the icy ship just when the mutineers cast Hudson and his remaining loyal crewmembers adrift, never to be seen again. However, "Second," the rogue time traveler from the previous episode (Sabotaged, 2010) takes charge again, trying to get the children to fix the damage he's done to time, or so he says. As Katherine remains invisible, Jonah takes on a disguise as Hudson's teenage son, which forces him to climb the rigging on the ship and to deal with the egomaniacal Hudson and treacherous, starving crewmen. When Second allows Hudson to find the elusive Northwest Passage, the children begin to worry that time can't be repaired. Fortunately, Haddix has another sci-fi trick up her sleeve and keeps the story suspenseful and tight. Jonah appears to be maturing a bit, although he still has trouble with his impulse control. Best of all, the story feels like real history, with believable characters and plausible events. It will likely spark interest in young readers, especially with help from the afterword, which directly addresses middle schoolers.

Another action-filled and suspenseful historical thriller. (Science fiction. 8-12)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

September 1, 2011
Grades 5-8 Time-fixing siblings Katherine and Jonah are in the middle of frigid James Bay in 1611, where Jonah is acting as a live stand-in for explorer Henry Hudson's son. This is all treacherous Second's fault: he has so completely destabilized Time that there are no guarantees that Jonah and Katherine can preserve history. If they don't, it means the end of them as well as their friends still trapped in 1600. Hudson's ill-fated explorations provide an excellent opportunity for readers to learn about sailing ships, survival, and mutiny. Plenty of action and an extended author's note sustain this fourth entry in the Missing series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2012
Jonah and Katherine travel to Henry Hudson's ship in 1611. There they must stop unethical time-traveler Second from changing history and thus ending the world. The text makes both history and time logic accessible and exciting. Haddix's usual thorough and engaging backmatter sheds more light on the historical mysteries of Hudson's last voyage.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)