Alex and the Amazing Time Machine

Gr 4-6-Ten-year-old Alex Trumble loves to learn about new ideas through old books, and he frequently contemplates time travel. After two men nearly kidnap him and successfully nab his older brother, Alex builds a time-travel machine to go back in time and foil the villains. He uses equations he finds in an old book at the public library, mirrors, a laser pointer, his iPod, and an acceleration device put together by a street mechanic named Psycho. Alex's first endeavor sends his dog back to prehistoric times, which Alex and his friend Todd discover during their class trip to the Field Museum. Alex returns home and sends himself back in time to the day before Stephen was kidnapped; Todd follows him, and a lively narrative describes their efforts to change the outcome of events. The third-person narrator is revealed to be Alex's father, who is an aspiring author. Early chapters of this book are heavy with descriptions and ruminations about Alex and his life; the story becomes more engaging as the plot advances and characters develop with more action and dialogue. Pencil sketches provide breaks in the text. Science-fiction aficionados who are able to wrap their minds around the logistics of going back in time to alter the present and future may find this book intriguing.

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"A rollicking ride through twisty time with a brainy new hero we need to meet again. Great fun." —Robert Lipsyte, bestselling author of The Contender

"In his first novel for children, Cohen sets the stage for a rollicking time-travel adventure." —Kirkus Reviews

"Readers who like their protagonists to have all the answers . . . will enjoy finding an expert in Alex." —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books