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Nick of Time

(2008, Fiction - Science Fiction, Written by Ted Bell, Illustrated by Russ Kramer)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 10, age appropriate for kids over 12; suggested age 10.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Riotous, violent adventure with classic virtues.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 10–12

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Nick is brave, stalwart, loyal, honest, true, and utterly dependable.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Battles with swords, guns, and cannons, with much blood, and many deaths and injuries, including amputation without anesthetics. A boy's arm is blown off and hangs by a flap of skin. A sailor is killed by being put in a torpedo tube and fired into the sea. Hints of torture by scalpel, leading to a dream of having a tongue cut out. Several people are eaten by sharks. A man cuts off the tip of his own tongue and eats it. Many children are imprisoned and kept in miserable conditions.

  • Sex:

    Mention of a man "sporting" with his "mistress," and of "lewd advances."

  • Language:

    Some mild swearing: "hell" and "damn."

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Pipe and cigar smoking, drinking of grog, rum, brandy.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Nick of Time

Parents need to know that there is quite a bit of violence here, some rather gruesome, especially a gratuitous scene where a man cuts off and swallows the tip of his own tongue to frighten a boy he is attempting to kill.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the author's intention. He has said that we don't have adventure books for boys anymore, so he decided to write one. Is this true? Is there a lack of adventure books for boys with the old fashioned virtues of courage and honor? Are boys free to be boys in today's books? What about in today's culture?
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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer Age 9
    jojodp
    Lives in California
    I rate this title iffy for age 9 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Drinking, smoking, or drug use

    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages

    amazing storyline great text love it

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate
  2. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    lush123
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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