Common Sense Media Review
By Patricia Tauzer
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Thrilling, chilling time travel for mid-grade fantasy fans.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
Swept away to an orphanage at an early age, three siblings -- Kate, Michael, and Emma -- move from one dismal institution to next, each one worse than the one before. Kate, the eldest, remembers promising her mother to protect the younger two: misfit Michael, a bookworm fascinated by magic, photography, and dwarfs, and feisty Emma, who lacks patience for anyone. When they discover the Emerald Atlas, one of three magical books, they begin to time travel, searching for their parents in a fantastical world that involves wizardry, a wicked countess with magical powers, dwarfs, monsters, and just about anything else you can imagine. Together, they begin to learn why they were put in such distasteful and dangerous institutions in the first place -- and have an adventure that forces them to grow up, depend on each other, and make choices that change history.
Is It Any Good?
Kids ready to delve into time-travelling fantasy will love this fun, fast-paced book. Intriguing and suspenseful, the story is packed with strong characters, sophisticated language, and adventures that force the heroes to grapple with questions of loyalty, honesty, hard choices and, of course, good and evil. Here, author John Stephens uses some familiar fantasy elements -- innocent orphans, an evil witch, a struggle over three valuable books of wisdom -- to pull together a creative story that will have kids breathlessly waiting for the next installment. Younger readers may be confused by the time-travelling sequences, and the violence may be a little too much for them, but for kids who are mature enough, this is a thrilling ride.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about fantasy books. Why are series like this one so popular right now? What does this book have in common with other fantasy novels you've read? How is it different?
What did you think about the cruelty and violence of the evil characters in this book? Or the ferocious battles? Does the fantasy setting make the violence any less intense to read about?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Knopf
- Publication date : April 5, 2011
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 9 - 14
- Number of pages : 417
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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