SLIS 5420 The Time Warp Trio 2095

Week Eight: The Time Warp Trio 2095

Book Summary: 

         In a previous book from the series, readers learn that three boys, Fred, Sam, and Joe, have the ability to travel through time by using The Book.  Unfortunately, they tend to not end up where they want to go.  In this volume of the series, the boys are warped one hundred years into the future where they meet their great-granddaughters, Joanie, Samantha, and Frieda.  This was not where the boys thought they would end up while they were on a class field trip.  Of course, a message left in the past allows the girls to know when and where to find their great-grandfathers as children in order to help the boys find The Book and get back to 1995.  

APA Reference:

 

Scieszka, J. (1995). The time warp trio 2095. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

My Impressions: 

         This is a simple story, but since it is the fifth book in the series, it was a bit difficult to follow at first.  There is not much room for introductions, so I had to concentrate a little more than a kid who was reading them in order.  I do remember when this series was on T.V. several years ago, though, so that helped a lot. 

           For a children’s series book, this is a great, silly read that is actually targeted at boys.  It seems there are fewer books and series that boys would enjoy as much, so these are welcome additions.  The artwork by Lane Smith is added at just the right times and the images of the boys next to their own great-granddaughters, who look very much like them, especially adds to the story.  This is not the type of book that will change many readers lives with insight and wisdom, but it just might help some reluctant young readers enjoy a good story. 

Professional Review: 

         The Time Warp Trio is back--to the future, this time, as Joe, Fred, and Sam travel to the year 2095, again courtesy of Uncle Joe's magic book. Launching their trip from the 1920s room in the Natural History Museum, the boys arrive in the future's museum, where they see the 1990s showcased in an exhibit of the past. Such ironies of time travel abound as the three encounter their great-grandchildren, who rightly strive to return their ancestors to the past. Scieszka writes with a kid's perspective at all times, blending a warp-speed pace with humor that ranges from brainy riddles to low-brow upchuck jokes. Although the plot is a bit thin and meandering, readers will find sufficient distraction in the robots and levitation footwear of the future. Smith targets the audience equally well with black pencil illustrations brimming with zany, adolescent hyperbole.

Walton, J. Y. (1995, June 1). The time warp trio 2095 [Review of The Time Warp Trio 2095 by J. Scieszka]. Booklist, 91(19/20). 

Library Uses: 

      Books in The Time Warp Trio series could be used with science teachers to discuss inventions, in 2095 flying disks and talking robots are commonplace, and the probabilities, or not, of time travel.