Skip to main content

Time School: We Will Remember Them by Nikki Young

 


SYNOPSIS

When you're running late for school, then you find your usual train has turned into an old steam train, you know it's not going to be a normal day. What you don't expect is that it will be a 'take you back in time' sort of day. Jess, Nadia, Tomma and Ash find themselves spending the day at Hickley School one hundred yeats in the past. They are told stories of bombings, hunger, and fighting from fellow pupil, Martha, the only person willing to speak to them. After their time travel adventure, they work out the significance of the year, 1918, and plot to go back. They want to experience a significant moment in history and Jess wants to see Martha again. Not knowing why or how, Jess feels a connection to Martha, and an obligation towards her that she can't explain. Going back in time has its risks. Once you go back, there's no way of knowing if you'll be able to make it home.

REVIEW

It is clear from the beginning what the author is trying to plan for the young audience, to introduce them to a part of history that is significant to all of us, even though we have now moved on from that time. That sometimes we all need a little perspective of what happened in order to have a better appreciation for the life we are currently living.

The concept of this book seems like a nice and compelling one, especially targeted to a young audience. I could see many a young child gleefully not only reading all the words off the page in anticipation, but also learn something which is a part of all our histories. Because we have all had that dream of being able to be a part of a major part in history, when we know what is to happen, due to living in the future from the event.

Even though this is a fairly short book, it can serve more as an introduction to a young child and their knowledge of the first world war. Although it is not the most perfect book, there are some positives, such as giving some background to how school was like, how people celebrated the end of the war, to helping people in need because it is the right thing to do. It may seem like because it is a short book not much ground could be covered, but this is not necessarily true for Time School.

However, I feel like despite the book highlighting some aspects of history and how these friends help those who need to be helped, it feels a little flat. There isn't much to do with conflict where instead it feels like a fairly easy journey of the plot going from point A to point B. Obviously this is still a children's book and it is not meant to be too complicated, but I think it would have been a little bit more engaging. 

Ultimately, while I don't particularly feel like this is a great book, I don't think it is a really bad book either. I think maybe this book would be a no-brainer during this particular time when trying to get children to read, yet still learn and be entertained.

RATING: ** (TWO STARS)

BUY LINKS



Disclosure: If you buy books linked to this site, we may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Just the Two of Us (Book 2) by Ryu Hyang

  SYNOPSIS Soohyuk, a pediatric emergency medicine specialist, came to Korea in search of his birth parents, wanting to sort through the muddled darkness of his past. When he met Yuna, an anxious cook, he didn't expect to fall in love. Yuna has struggled all her life to trust men after an incident in her past and spends all her time doting upon her nephew and pursuing her one true love: cooking. The last thing she expected when she met Soohyuk was that she would want to move in with him. Both took a leap of faith and found happiness. Now, it seems certain they were meant for each other. Yet, navigating the twists and turns of a real relationship proves more difficult than either of them expected. Yuna fears what her brother will say when he finds out she's living with Soohyuk. and she grapples with the changes brought on by her young nephew's recent medical diagnosis. Meanwhile, Soohyuk is tied up working hours on end at S University Hospital, fending off the hospital direc...

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

This has been a long time in the making, but here it is. A court of Mist and Fury. I think that there is now the time to definitely say something about this, especially when the next book has already come out in the series. I genuinely do love this book. I think that it is much better than the first one in the series. This is mainly because of that in which the new characters are far more likeable, and those who we had been introduced to previously have been developed. For example, with Rhysand, I have found to be far more complicated than what had already been shown in the first book. In fact, I don't think that the first book did any justice for him. In any sort of perspective. However, it has also identified that Tamlin is not all that he seems, very annoying more than anything. I think however, that it is more due to the fact of that in which it feels like it was a waste to have a whole book with him in, now that the story has developed. In this next instalment, it carr...

The Crown by Kiera Cass

It is sad you know? Seeing this all coming to an end. However, if you think about it, it won't be a complete end until i read the 'Happily Ever After' book, which has some small novellas that focus on the series. Although, i do feel that i don't really want to read it just yet as it means that it would have officially ended then for me, after all of these years. If you had been with me from the very start, my first post was actually a review of the first three books of the series. Everything seems to have changed drastically since then.   If i am being totally honest, when first laying my eyes of the final cover of the selection series, may have been a little bit judgemental. Not only because of the fact that i felt, not only is it very predictable, but it would have been nice to have colours that symbolise both femminity as well as leadership. Which when looking at this at first, it makes me think of 'primary' colours that everyone uses for girls, when...