What do you think?
Rate this book
The Snipesville Chronicles #1
Don't Know Where, Don't Know When
What a nightmare.
Hannah Dias, California Girl with Attitude, and Alex, her laid-back brother, have moved from exciting San Francisco to boring Snipesville, Georgia. Life doesn't improve when they meet Brandon, a dorky kid who is plotting his escape from the Deep South, and the weird Professor, who has a strange secret.
Suddenly, the kids are catapulted thousands of miles and almost seventy years to England during World War Two.
They fall into a world of stinging nettles, dragon ladies, bomb blasts, ugly underwear, stinky sandwiches, painful punishments, and non-absorbing toilet paper. They learn so much more than they could ever learn in a history class. Not that they want to learn it.
But they can't go home unless they find George Braithwaite, whoever he is, and whatever it is that he has to do with Snipesville.
Hannah Dias, California Girl with Attitude, and Alex, her laid-back brother, have moved from exciting San Francisco to boring Snipesville, Georgia. Life doesn't improve when they meet Brandon, a dorky kid who is plotting his escape from the Deep South, and the weird Professor, who has a strange secret.
Suddenly, the kids are catapulted thousands of miles and almost seventy years to England during World War Two.
They fall into a world of stinging nettles, dragon ladies, bomb blasts, ugly underwear, stinky sandwiches, painful punishments, and non-absorbing toilet paper. They learn so much more than they could ever learn in a history class. Not that they want to learn it.
But they can't go home unless they find George Braithwaite, whoever he is, and whatever it is that he has to do with Snipesville.
204 pages, Nook
First published August 18, 2007
5 people are currently reading
338 people want to read
About the author
Annette Laing
4 books34 followersNEW 2021! Join me at Non-Boring History on Substack, where I'm doling out spoonfuls of historical goodness! http://annettelaing.substack.com
You can also visit my site at http://www.AnnetteLaing.com to learn about my life as a novelist and public historian, bringing together people and history.
Praise for The Snipesville Chronicles series:
Don't Know Where Don't Know When "This being the first of a series, let’s hope the next installments continue to infuse historical fiction with the same sense of joy and wonder. A clever and charming time-travel adventure." --Kirkus Reviews
A Different Day A Different Destiny "Laing’s combination of historical detail and sheer sense of fun carry through and help make the story an enjoyable read. . .A mostly engaging and enjoyable sequel."-- Kirkus Reviews
Look Ahead Look Back "Laing’s third volume retains all the charm and originality of the earlier two . . ." --Kirkus Reviews
One Way or Another: The Snipesville Chronicles, Book 4
"Longtime readers of the series will also be pleasantly surprised by the endearing finale."--Kirkus Reviews
You can also visit my site at http://www.AnnetteLaing.com to learn about my life as a novelist and public historian, bringing together people and history.
Praise for The Snipesville Chronicles series:
Don't Know Where Don't Know When "This being the first of a series, let’s hope the next installments continue to infuse historical fiction with the same sense of joy and wonder. A clever and charming time-travel adventure." --Kirkus Reviews
A Different Day A Different Destiny "Laing’s combination of historical detail and sheer sense of fun carry through and help make the story an enjoyable read. . .A mostly engaging and enjoyable sequel."-- Kirkus Reviews
Look Ahead Look Back "Laing’s third volume retains all the charm and originality of the earlier two . . ." --Kirkus Reviews
One Way or Another: The Snipesville Chronicles, Book 4
"Longtime readers of the series will also be pleasantly surprised by the endearing finale."--Kirkus Reviews
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
August 3, 2014
I purchased this book and the next two titles in the series, "Snipesville Chronicles," at a conference. I love historical fiction and had attended a session presented by the author of these books. She reeled me in and made me want to read them. It's a time travel with a sister and brother, and a new friend they've met in their new town. Hannah, who has a bad attitude, did get annoying, but her brother, Alex, and the new friend, Brandon, were quite nice chaps. When they are unknowingly time warped to 1940 in England, Germany was preparing to invade Britain, and thousands of children, known as evacuees, were sent to live with strangers. This book, although a work of fiction, provided historical background information. The kids have many adventures, sometimes scary. At times, this book made me feel like I was there, too. It was a page turner for me. Now, I'm anxious to start book 2.
July 7, 2010
Do you like being immersed in the world of the past and learning about another time and place? Do you like educational fiction that aims to expand your knowledge base as well as entertain? You do! Well, you’re in luck.
Here’s the scoop on Don't Know Where, Don't Know When: Hannah Dias and her brother Alex are moving from California to the most boring place in the world, Snipesville, Georgia, where nothing exciting like time travel ever happens, or does it? It does. Hannah and Alex are having a tough time of things. Not only are they moving, but their mother has died in a car crash and their father is so busy with work he hardly has time for them. Their Grandparents worry that the Georgia schools won’t be up to the standard of California and that it will be the same racist land it was back when Ray Charles had difficulty finding a place where they’d let him sing their state song.
Meanwhile, Snipesville resident Brandon Clark has his own problems to contend with. He’s got an older brother whose trophies fill their house and an overbearing mother who keeps both Brandon and his father under her thumb. What Brandon wants most is to be a college student and to do some traveling, like his cousin Franklin. Brandon is also black and as though to confirm the suspicions of Hannah’s grandparents, Laing writes, “Franklin was a Big Shot, one of many Big Shots who had left black Snipesville to find careers they couldn’t have in town, where white Snipesville controlled most of the jobs.”
If ever there were three children in need of a time travel adventure, Hannah, Alex, and Brandon are surely them. So they fire up the Delorean to 88 mph and disappear into a lightening blast, leaving behind flaming tire tracks, right? Nope, there is no time machine. Okay, we’ll they dress in period clothes and hypnotize themselves until they have traveled through time like Christopher Reeve in Somewhere in Time, right? No, none of that either. In fact, there really isn’t a whole lot of time travel to speak of.
While they’re in a library, the children meet a professor who I am convinced is Annette Laing, though the text never says. Next thing the children know, all of the computers in the library have disappeared and the librarian is asking what the children are doing there, especially Brandon (because he’s black) and that’s how the children learn they are suddenly in the 1940’s. Who is the professor and why is she whisking innocent children through time? How is she doing it? Is she a witch, as the children speculate?
Minor spoiler, Laing never really gives us a concrete reason for the time traveling or the professor’s motivation for sending the children through time other than to teach them about history. The professor later explains, “I find the minute I sum up something, give it a name, and put it in a box, I’ve stopped trying to understand it, and that will never do… Tell me, Hannah, in your view, does everything have to have a creator and a point… Really, isn’t the experience itself the point?” Ka is a wheel, in other words (and if you know that reference, you are awesome).
Some may be disappointed by this explanation of time travel, or rather this lack of explanation. I was okay with it. And a conventional time travel story would not have worked here as lucky for Brandon, the children do not travel to the Georgia of yesteryear, but instead they wind up in England during World War Two. They arrive in “butt ugly” grey uniforms with English money in their pockets and fake identities. There is no conventional time travel device that would account for all of this and so Laing wisely avoids concocting one. Magic is as good an explanation as any.
In this way, Don’t Know Where, Don’t Know When reminded me of A Wrinkle in Time, another famous story in which three children have an amazing adventure without a great deal of explanation for it. Sometimes it’s best just to present a ridiculous premise as is and let the reader take it or leave it. No amount of explanation is likely to convince the reader that children in Georgia randomly travel through time to another country at the whims of a history professor, so why bother with an explanation? If the reader wants to enjoy the story, she accepts the premise, and is she wants to debate the finer points of time travel, she can read Stephen Hawking.
I have to admit, I had motivations for reading this book beyond merely promoting it here. I once had an idea for my own middle grade time travel story that would star two boys, one black and one white. I have yet to write it because I’m not sure how to handle the subject of race. If the boys were traveling back in time here in Indiana, say about forty years back, they would find that my home state was the proud head of Klu Klux Klan at that time. My wife and I wouldn’t have been able to marry and it’s a good thing we haven’t traveled through time as we likely would have been hung. One of my wife’s aunts was left to die by white doctors who wouldn’t admit her to a whites only hospital. When you hear certain politicians crying out for a return to simpler American times and values, do remember that the 1950s weren’t so swell for everybody and they aren’t coming back (thank God).
But I’m getting away from myself. How, then, should a writer deal with the subject of race in a middle grade book about time travel featuring a multi racial cast? I have no doubt this very question keeps you up nights. Does the writer ignore race completely and focus instead on the fun of a good time travel story? That approach might work if the multi racial cast is traveling to caveman times or some other period where race would not be an issue, or if the story itself has little to do with an actual historicaly acurate time. But if the multi racial cast travels to a time and place such as the 1940s and the details of that time are presented accurately in all other respects, the issue of race must be addressed. To do otherwise is to tell a lie and lose credibility. On the other hand, racism is an ugly subject and parents may not want a truly frank addressing of it in a “children’s novel” outside of Huck Finn, which they keep trying to ban from libraries. Maybe it’s best just not to go there, which so far is the approach I have taken.
Laing is not the coward that I am, and she goes there and what she does is to address the subject head on, and then she drops it. A few characters make snide comments to Brandon. He is referred to as colored and a negro and asked to leave the library and then he somehow is separated from Hannah and Alex and travels to 1915 England when race is not as much of an issue. Because Don’t Know Where, Don’t Know When isn’t concerned so much with racism or time travel. Its purpose is to educate and that it does in a fun way. If you’re a history buff or you have children who are eager to learn, this is a book you’ll want to check out. If you’re not a history buff, you might just enjoy checking it out anyway.
For an interview with the author and more reviews, check me out at www.middlegradeninja.blogspot.com
Here’s the scoop on Don't Know Where, Don't Know When: Hannah Dias and her brother Alex are moving from California to the most boring place in the world, Snipesville, Georgia, where nothing exciting like time travel ever happens, or does it? It does. Hannah and Alex are having a tough time of things. Not only are they moving, but their mother has died in a car crash and their father is so busy with work he hardly has time for them. Their Grandparents worry that the Georgia schools won’t be up to the standard of California and that it will be the same racist land it was back when Ray Charles had difficulty finding a place where they’d let him sing their state song.
Meanwhile, Snipesville resident Brandon Clark has his own problems to contend with. He’s got an older brother whose trophies fill their house and an overbearing mother who keeps both Brandon and his father under her thumb. What Brandon wants most is to be a college student and to do some traveling, like his cousin Franklin. Brandon is also black and as though to confirm the suspicions of Hannah’s grandparents, Laing writes, “Franklin was a Big Shot, one of many Big Shots who had left black Snipesville to find careers they couldn’t have in town, where white Snipesville controlled most of the jobs.”
If ever there were three children in need of a time travel adventure, Hannah, Alex, and Brandon are surely them. So they fire up the Delorean to 88 mph and disappear into a lightening blast, leaving behind flaming tire tracks, right? Nope, there is no time machine. Okay, we’ll they dress in period clothes and hypnotize themselves until they have traveled through time like Christopher Reeve in Somewhere in Time, right? No, none of that either. In fact, there really isn’t a whole lot of time travel to speak of.
While they’re in a library, the children meet a professor who I am convinced is Annette Laing, though the text never says. Next thing the children know, all of the computers in the library have disappeared and the librarian is asking what the children are doing there, especially Brandon (because he’s black) and that’s how the children learn they are suddenly in the 1940’s. Who is the professor and why is she whisking innocent children through time? How is she doing it? Is she a witch, as the children speculate?
Minor spoiler, Laing never really gives us a concrete reason for the time traveling or the professor’s motivation for sending the children through time other than to teach them about history. The professor later explains, “I find the minute I sum up something, give it a name, and put it in a box, I’ve stopped trying to understand it, and that will never do… Tell me, Hannah, in your view, does everything have to have a creator and a point… Really, isn’t the experience itself the point?” Ka is a wheel, in other words (and if you know that reference, you are awesome).
Some may be disappointed by this explanation of time travel, or rather this lack of explanation. I was okay with it. And a conventional time travel story would not have worked here as lucky for Brandon, the children do not travel to the Georgia of yesteryear, but instead they wind up in England during World War Two. They arrive in “butt ugly” grey uniforms with English money in their pockets and fake identities. There is no conventional time travel device that would account for all of this and so Laing wisely avoids concocting one. Magic is as good an explanation as any.
In this way, Don’t Know Where, Don’t Know When reminded me of A Wrinkle in Time, another famous story in which three children have an amazing adventure without a great deal of explanation for it. Sometimes it’s best just to present a ridiculous premise as is and let the reader take it or leave it. No amount of explanation is likely to convince the reader that children in Georgia randomly travel through time to another country at the whims of a history professor, so why bother with an explanation? If the reader wants to enjoy the story, she accepts the premise, and is she wants to debate the finer points of time travel, she can read Stephen Hawking.
I have to admit, I had motivations for reading this book beyond merely promoting it here. I once had an idea for my own middle grade time travel story that would star two boys, one black and one white. I have yet to write it because I’m not sure how to handle the subject of race. If the boys were traveling back in time here in Indiana, say about forty years back, they would find that my home state was the proud head of Klu Klux Klan at that time. My wife and I wouldn’t have been able to marry and it’s a good thing we haven’t traveled through time as we likely would have been hung. One of my wife’s aunts was left to die by white doctors who wouldn’t admit her to a whites only hospital. When you hear certain politicians crying out for a return to simpler American times and values, do remember that the 1950s weren’t so swell for everybody and they aren’t coming back (thank God).
But I’m getting away from myself. How, then, should a writer deal with the subject of race in a middle grade book about time travel featuring a multi racial cast? I have no doubt this very question keeps you up nights. Does the writer ignore race completely and focus instead on the fun of a good time travel story? That approach might work if the multi racial cast is traveling to caveman times or some other period where race would not be an issue, or if the story itself has little to do with an actual historicaly acurate time. But if the multi racial cast travels to a time and place such as the 1940s and the details of that time are presented accurately in all other respects, the issue of race must be addressed. To do otherwise is to tell a lie and lose credibility. On the other hand, racism is an ugly subject and parents may not want a truly frank addressing of it in a “children’s novel” outside of Huck Finn, which they keep trying to ban from libraries. Maybe it’s best just not to go there, which so far is the approach I have taken.
Laing is not the coward that I am, and she goes there and what she does is to address the subject head on, and then she drops it. A few characters make snide comments to Brandon. He is referred to as colored and a negro and asked to leave the library and then he somehow is separated from Hannah and Alex and travels to 1915 England when race is not as much of an issue. Because Don’t Know Where, Don’t Know When isn’t concerned so much with racism or time travel. Its purpose is to educate and that it does in a fun way. If you’re a history buff or you have children who are eager to learn, this is a book you’ll want to check out. If you’re not a history buff, you might just enjoy checking it out anyway.
For an interview with the author and more reviews, check me out at www.middlegradeninja.blogspot.com
May 20, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed this historical novel! The youth heroes are realistic--each with strengths and foibles, and the adults also show this real-life duality. I found it educational (in a good way) to learn of the hardships of English people during WW I and WW II--largely the historical settings. Transported back in time, sister and brother Hannah and Alex, along with their friend Brandon, must readjust their attitudes and expectations to fit into a time of great deprivation, physical danger, and extreme emotional stress. Coming from comfortable lives in the modern-day USA, this is easier said than done! Also, there are mysteries to be solved and other children to save from miserable fates. The theme of prejudices based on color, religion, social class, etc., runs throughout. "Lessons" are learned by the children, and also by the reader, but nothing is "drummed into" either. A great read!
August 6, 2012
This is what I like to refer to as a thinking child's literature. Some authors have a tendency to dumb down or go pop crazy with children's lit. as though children will not want to read a book unless is is catastrophically simple or silly, shallow and laced with endless, pointless pop culture references. Child are not stupid nor should they be treated as such. I hope that if given the choice between insipid, brainless reading and smart, challenging reading that children, like adults will choose the latter; I have often been proven wrong. Not that there's anything wrong with reading some light reading, but a steady diet can lead to weight loss, in the brain.
December 1, 2018
I went to a conference and heard Ms. Laing speak about her books and presentations for schools. She was very engaging and I decided to pick up the series to read.
This book is thoroughly enjoyable! It has a great storyline that children will find engaging. At the same time, it gives them amazing historical information in a manner that is meaningful and therefore memorable. She does not shy away from dealing with controversial issues associated with the past. They are handled well and can lead to important discussions with children about them. I can't wait to start the next one.
This book is thoroughly enjoyable! It has a great storyline that children will find engaging. At the same time, it gives them amazing historical information in a manner that is meaningful and therefore memorable. She does not shy away from dealing with controversial issues associated with the past. They are handled well and can lead to important discussions with children about them. I can't wait to start the next one.
October 7, 2018
Sadly the characters nor the story were very engaging so unfortunately I had to stop reading despite it’s interesting premise
May 1, 2022
Sadly the characters nor the story were very engaging so unfortunately I had to stop reading despite it’s interesting premise
August 11, 2014
I'll admit, the opening of this book was a little slow for me. All the time spent with Hannah and Alex before they go back in time (and before they even get to Georgia), didn't really do anything for me. BUT, if you stick it out through Hannah's whining about how unfair her life is (actually, this continues throughout the book), they'll meet up with Brandon and end up in WWII England where things get very cool. In WWII England, Hannah, Alex and Brandon are all evacuees for the London, sent to the English countryside to escape the Blitz. Hannah and Alex are taken in by an almost welcoming couple. Brandon, who is black, is taken back to London. Though black children were also evacuated during the bombings of London, it was much harder to find people to take them in. Also, black people weren't all that common in England during this time, so Brandon spends the entire book being kind of a novelty. Hannah and Alex are left to get used to the British countryside during the war and desperately try to find out what happened to Brandon in a society that doesn't tell unpleasant things to children. Meanwhile, Brandon runs away from the man who took him back to London and is presumed dead after a bombing.
But he's not dead; he's really in WWI England. He's even in the same town as Hannah and Alex, just 25 years earlier! Brandon manages to find friendly people (with some help) and even a job, but being black is a much rarer thing in 1915 than it was in 1940. And the attitudes toward black people weren't all that great either. In her acknowledgments, Laing states that the past is not particularly politically correct, which is true, and neither is her portrayal of it. The scenes set both in 1915 and in 1940 are rich in historical detail, including the attitudes of the people in them. While Alex seems to go along pretty fine throughout the story, Hannah is constantly bristled by the treatment of children (what she considers a beating, everyone else considers a well-deserved spanking) and Brandon is constantly affected by peoples reactions to him as a "colored" young man. Though Brandon makes it through his time traveling experience suffering from nothing more than hateful words, the black people he meets both during The Great War (WWI) and WWII do not fare as well.
I managed to get completely caught up in this book. There is a story inside a story that needs solving in order for Hannah, Alex and Brandon to make it back to 21st century Georgia, and though they don't understand how or why, it is connected to their present day lives. Also, given that he's in the same town, Brandon's experiences in 1915 England have some really close ties to the people he, Hannah and Alex meet in WWII England. There were so many ways that all of these connections and different-name-same-person instances could have been screwed up or over simplified, but Laing manages to make them all make sense and even manages to make some of them surprising. My only disappointment in this area was Peggy, and it totally wasn't Laing's fault. I simply wanted 1915 Peggy to grow up to be a different person, but not everyone can live up to their full potential (I'm still angry about who she grew up to be, but I don't want to ruin the surprise).
In short, this is a great time travel book. I wasn't so caught up in the logistics of the time traveling that I lost the ability to be caught up in the times where they ended up. It's also a great look at the day-to-day lives of some of the people left behind in England during the fighting of each world war.
Book source: Review copy provided by the author
PS - This book has a new cover, not shown here, which is a big improvement!
But he's not dead; he's really in WWI England. He's even in the same town as Hannah and Alex, just 25 years earlier! Brandon manages to find friendly people (with some help) and even a job, but being black is a much rarer thing in 1915 than it was in 1940. And the attitudes toward black people weren't all that great either. In her acknowledgments, Laing states that the past is not particularly politically correct, which is true, and neither is her portrayal of it. The scenes set both in 1915 and in 1940 are rich in historical detail, including the attitudes of the people in them. While Alex seems to go along pretty fine throughout the story, Hannah is constantly bristled by the treatment of children (what she considers a beating, everyone else considers a well-deserved spanking) and Brandon is constantly affected by peoples reactions to him as a "colored" young man. Though Brandon makes it through his time traveling experience suffering from nothing more than hateful words, the black people he meets both during The Great War (WWI) and WWII do not fare as well.
I managed to get completely caught up in this book. There is a story inside a story that needs solving in order for Hannah, Alex and Brandon to make it back to 21st century Georgia, and though they don't understand how or why, it is connected to their present day lives. Also, given that he's in the same town, Brandon's experiences in 1915 England have some really close ties to the people he, Hannah and Alex meet in WWII England. There were so many ways that all of these connections and different-name-same-person instances could have been screwed up or over simplified, but Laing manages to make them all make sense and even manages to make some of them surprising. My only disappointment in this area was Peggy, and it totally wasn't Laing's fault. I simply wanted 1915 Peggy to grow up to be a different person, but not everyone can live up to their full potential (I'm still angry about who she grew up to be, but I don't want to ruin the surprise).
In short, this is a great time travel book. I wasn't so caught up in the logistics of the time traveling that I lost the ability to be caught up in the times where they ended up. It's also a great look at the day-to-day lives of some of the people left behind in England during the fighting of each world war.
Book source: Review copy provided by the author
PS - This book has a new cover, not shown here, which is a big improvement!
July 18, 2010
Hannah is probably one of the most annoying characters I've ever read. She was so frustrating, argh! I understood her initial panic at traveling back through time but gradually as she learned more about why she was there, I grew sick of her attitude. She was completely spoiled, always complaining and refusing to go with the flow. To make matters worse, I don't think she changed that much at the end (maybe she will in the next book?). I felt bad for her because part of her acting out was due to her mother's death but at the same time, some of her actions were just inexcusable. Alex was charming, although I could occasionally understand why Hannah was annoyed with her younger brother (he could be a bit of an unintentional Goody Two Shoes which rubbed us both the wrong way, ha ha).I didn't think Hannah or Alex acted that realistically for their age, but their age is never really specified so I can't be sure.
Time travel can be really confusing but this author makes it pretty easy to follow. She introduces a few major characters and storylines and then managed to connect them all back together, which was impressive to me (the Prologue was completely confusing and when it all started to make sense there was a huge light bulb moment for me :) I also loved how this book looked at the 'little things', everyday life for the English people in the countryside during WWII. It was eye opening because usually you only hear about battles/soldiers and important people, it was refreshing to see how ordinary people lived during these scary times. I also appreciated the look at how Black people were treated in England. Brandon is Black and a rarity in England, many people he meets have never met a Black person before. It was interesting to read about because I never really thought about POC in England during this time but I would have just assumed they were as bad as white Americans. I would say the English treated Black people about the same as Americans did, there were just less Black people so we weren't as much of a "threat." Plus I don't think there was blatant segregation.
Don't Know Where, Don't Know When is an original read that concerns how ordinary people lived in the extraordinary time of WWII. It talks about the children sent to the countryside to get away from the bombing of London, food rationing, pubs and so much more. I learned a lot from this novel. The writing is mostly easy to follow and while it doesn't always flow, it is entertaining. The author has a very fun and engaging way of writing, which helps because while I couldn't relate to her characters due to their immaturity, I laughed at the situations they got in and things that they said. I enjoyed her matter-of-factly hilarious explanations of certain English terms and events during WWII in the Foreword. The mystery aspect kept me turning the pages, eager to find out who George Braithwaite is and his importance to the story (it was a lovely surprise). I would read the sequel, A Different Day, A Different Destiny (set in 1851 in England, Scotland and the U.S. I know what was going on in the U.S. at the time, but have no idea about the other countries.)
Time travel can be really confusing but this author makes it pretty easy to follow. She introduces a few major characters and storylines and then managed to connect them all back together, which was impressive to me (the Prologue was completely confusing and when it all started to make sense there was a huge light bulb moment for me :) I also loved how this book looked at the 'little things', everyday life for the English people in the countryside during WWII. It was eye opening because usually you only hear about battles/soldiers and important people, it was refreshing to see how ordinary people lived during these scary times. I also appreciated the look at how Black people were treated in England. Brandon is Black and a rarity in England, many people he meets have never met a Black person before. It was interesting to read about because I never really thought about POC in England during this time but I would have just assumed they were as bad as white Americans. I would say the English treated Black people about the same as Americans did, there were just less Black people so we weren't as much of a "threat." Plus I don't think there was blatant segregation.
Don't Know Where, Don't Know When is an original read that concerns how ordinary people lived in the extraordinary time of WWII. It talks about the children sent to the countryside to get away from the bombing of London, food rationing, pubs and so much more. I learned a lot from this novel. The writing is mostly easy to follow and while it doesn't always flow, it is entertaining. The author has a very fun and engaging way of writing, which helps because while I couldn't relate to her characters due to their immaturity, I laughed at the situations they got in and things that they said. I enjoyed her matter-of-factly hilarious explanations of certain English terms and events during WWII in the Foreword. The mystery aspect kept me turning the pages, eager to find out who George Braithwaite is and his importance to the story (it was a lovely surprise). I would read the sequel, A Different Day, A Different Destiny (set in 1851 in England, Scotland and the U.S. I know what was going on in the U.S. at the time, but have no idea about the other countries.)
March 3, 2010
When Hannah and Alex move to Snipesville, Georgia from San Francisco with their father they are incredibly bored and somewhat resentful. Their mother has died in a car accident, and when they leave California they also leave their grandparents behind. But their dad says he’s being transferred, so off they go to an area of the country totally alien to them.
To occupy their time, their dad enrolls them in summer camps at the local community college, which is where they meet Brandon. None of the kids really wants to be in the camp they signed up for, so they sneak away and hide out in the library. But something odd happens when they leave to go home. The community college buildings disappear, their clothes change, and they suddenly find themselves outside of London during World War II. Mistaken for children being sent by their parents to the countryside to escape London’s bombings, they find an ally in a woman they recognize as a professor at the community college they just left.
So begins the adventures in Don’t Know Where, Don’t Know When, Book 1 of The Snipesville Chronicles by Annette Laing. Hannah and Alex are billeted with a local couple who don’t seem happy to have them. Brandon, who is black, ends up being singled out and runs away, then taken to London by Mr. Smedley, who is with the Ministry of Health. When London is bombed, Brandon ends up going even further back in time to 1915 and the days of World War I.
These time traveling kids are lucky: their clothes and accents change and they have money in their pockets. So while their sensibilities are modern, they don’t stick out right away. The professor occasionally shows up to check on them, and she gives them clues about tasks they need to complete before they can go home. Don’t Know Where, Don’t Know When is like the Magic Tree House for older readers in some ways. There’s a clue to a former time that shows up in their current lives, and suddenly they are transported back to that time to solve a mystery.
I really liked Alex and Brandon’s characters. They were smart and inquisitive, and while they occasionally slipped up and said things that didn’t fit with their times, they were always aware of their mistakes. Hannah was hard for me to like as a character. She didn’t exhibit much curiosity about the time or place she was in, and she didn’t care if the things she said were out of time and place. But I suspect that kids reading this books wouldn’t have the same concerns about Hannah that I did. I think girls and boys aged 9 to 12 are more likely to see this is an adventure and happily read about what all three kids experienced when they went back in time.
Don’t Know Where, Don’t Know When gives a great sense of the people of wartime England. The kids realize that while they know Hitler eventually loses, the people around them don’t know that. The bombings and shortages and insecurity everyone feels are very real. Mother-daughter book clubs that read this book can talk about the historical time period as well as the fantasy of time travel.
To occupy their time, their dad enrolls them in summer camps at the local community college, which is where they meet Brandon. None of the kids really wants to be in the camp they signed up for, so they sneak away and hide out in the library. But something odd happens when they leave to go home. The community college buildings disappear, their clothes change, and they suddenly find themselves outside of London during World War II. Mistaken for children being sent by their parents to the countryside to escape London’s bombings, they find an ally in a woman they recognize as a professor at the community college they just left.
So begins the adventures in Don’t Know Where, Don’t Know When, Book 1 of The Snipesville Chronicles by Annette Laing. Hannah and Alex are billeted with a local couple who don’t seem happy to have them. Brandon, who is black, ends up being singled out and runs away, then taken to London by Mr. Smedley, who is with the Ministry of Health. When London is bombed, Brandon ends up going even further back in time to 1915 and the days of World War I.
These time traveling kids are lucky: their clothes and accents change and they have money in their pockets. So while their sensibilities are modern, they don’t stick out right away. The professor occasionally shows up to check on them, and she gives them clues about tasks they need to complete before they can go home. Don’t Know Where, Don’t Know When is like the Magic Tree House for older readers in some ways. There’s a clue to a former time that shows up in their current lives, and suddenly they are transported back to that time to solve a mystery.
I really liked Alex and Brandon’s characters. They were smart and inquisitive, and while they occasionally slipped up and said things that didn’t fit with their times, they were always aware of their mistakes. Hannah was hard for me to like as a character. She didn’t exhibit much curiosity about the time or place she was in, and she didn’t care if the things she said were out of time and place. But I suspect that kids reading this books wouldn’t have the same concerns about Hannah that I did. I think girls and boys aged 9 to 12 are more likely to see this is an adventure and happily read about what all three kids experienced when they went back in time.
Don’t Know Where, Don’t Know When gives a great sense of the people of wartime England. The kids realize that while they know Hitler eventually loses, the people around them don’t know that. The bombings and shortages and insecurity everyone feels are very real. Mother-daughter book clubs that read this book can talk about the historical time period as well as the fantasy of time travel.
July 19, 2010
Raise your hand if History was the subject that you groaned over in school. If you're raising your hand right now, you are just like me! When I was younger I abhorred History, and it wasn't because of the subject to be completely honest. It was because each and every one of the teachers I came across treated History like it absolutely had to be this boring and dry curriculum. To me it was most definitely a groan worthy subject.
Enter my college professor, who put my preconceived notions out on their ear! He made things interesting, he dove into the real people instead of skimming the surface with facts. He encouraged us to read real accounts of people's lives during these times. I realized then that learning about the people who lived during these times really helps drive the subject home. Annette Laing and my professor have truly changed my whole notion of History as a subject, and I couldn't be happier.
Don't Know Where, Don't Know When is such a brilliantly written and engaging story that you won't notice you are actually learning something at the same time until you've finished reading. Annette executes a perfect story that will have you thinking, "That really happened back then?" and leave you audibly gasping at times. The pace in the story is excellent, and from the moment the children leave the present there is never a dull moment! I am not exaggerating when I say that if all the books I read when I was younger were like this one, I would have been a much more happy pupil.
The characters are really what make the story come alive. Alex is smart and observant, Hannah is fiery and a bit sassy, and Brandon is a history buff who is quick on his feet. They are each very different, and this allows the reader to connect deeply with at least one of them throughout the story. I was extremely impressed with how these children were able to deal with this new lifestyle they were thrown into despite their young ages. Whether they were hiding from bombing raids in the London subway, or chugging through the streets in a 1940's automobile, everything they did was exciting and engrossing.
As I said, I was never much interested in History, being more of a Literature girl myself. This book takes my favorite subject and a subject I'm just becoming more acquainted with, and melds them into an enjoyable and truly fantastic story. I urge you to give Annette Laing's books a try! You will likely be surprised at how quickly you fall in love with them as well.
Enter my college professor, who put my preconceived notions out on their ear! He made things interesting, he dove into the real people instead of skimming the surface with facts. He encouraged us to read real accounts of people's lives during these times. I realized then that learning about the people who lived during these times really helps drive the subject home. Annette Laing and my professor have truly changed my whole notion of History as a subject, and I couldn't be happier.
Don't Know Where, Don't Know When is such a brilliantly written and engaging story that you won't notice you are actually learning something at the same time until you've finished reading. Annette executes a perfect story that will have you thinking, "That really happened back then?" and leave you audibly gasping at times. The pace in the story is excellent, and from the moment the children leave the present there is never a dull moment! I am not exaggerating when I say that if all the books I read when I was younger were like this one, I would have been a much more happy pupil.
The characters are really what make the story come alive. Alex is smart and observant, Hannah is fiery and a bit sassy, and Brandon is a history buff who is quick on his feet. They are each very different, and this allows the reader to connect deeply with at least one of them throughout the story. I was extremely impressed with how these children were able to deal with this new lifestyle they were thrown into despite their young ages. Whether they were hiding from bombing raids in the London subway, or chugging through the streets in a 1940's automobile, everything they did was exciting and engrossing.
As I said, I was never much interested in History, being more of a Literature girl myself. This book takes my favorite subject and a subject I'm just becoming more acquainted with, and melds them into an enjoyable and truly fantastic story. I urge you to give Annette Laing's books a try! You will likely be surprised at how quickly you fall in love with them as well.
June 7, 2013
To readers who aren't cranky old people like myself, in case the following comments make it sound like this book is nothing but a history lesson, let me say that Hannah, Alex, and Brandon, the three young time travellers, have plenty of interesting adventures, get into some tight scrapes, and act heroically before it's all over. I think you'll enjoy this book *and* maybe learn something along the way.
Now, in case there are any adults reading, who are perhaps trying to pick out a book for younger reader (or someone who, like myself, enjoys good books even when they are written for young readers) -- I'm a sucker for time travel tales, and enjoyed this story aimed at young teen readers, even though I'm old enough to be considered a dinosaur by the target audience. The historical periods covered (First and Second Word Wars) are undoubtedly "ancient history" to the target audience, and the story ably introduces not only historical details that capture the differences between those times and our own, but also draws out themes relevant to those differences -- that is, kids will not only learn about those earlier times, but will get some perspective on how those differences affect the way we view the world. (There is an introduction that helps set out the basic facts of the World War periods, so that young readers won't be too confused.)
This revelation is personified in the lead character, Hannah (or, as I think of her, Miss Bad Attitude) , one of three kids who are mysteriously transported to England during the early days of the Second World War. She has the most to learn, because she embodies all the worst traits of modern, self-involved adolescents who think the world should revolve around them. I would say that the chief flaw of the novel is that Hannah is such an insufferable pill that I nearly put the book down before her eventual transformation began. Happily, though, I persevered and I'm happy to say that Hannah learned from her experience that adults were once young, too, and the way they respond to the troubles of their youth has a powerful affect on the kind of adults they become. Fortunately for Hannah, her family, and us readers, she eventually begins to respect and sympathise with adults more than she did at the beginning of the book. I would happily read more of the adventures of Hannah and her two young companions.
Now, in case there are any adults reading, who are perhaps trying to pick out a book for younger reader (or someone who, like myself, enjoys good books even when they are written for young readers) -- I'm a sucker for time travel tales, and enjoyed this story aimed at young teen readers, even though I'm old enough to be considered a dinosaur by the target audience. The historical periods covered (First and Second Word Wars) are undoubtedly "ancient history" to the target audience, and the story ably introduces not only historical details that capture the differences between those times and our own, but also draws out themes relevant to those differences -- that is, kids will not only learn about those earlier times, but will get some perspective on how those differences affect the way we view the world. (There is an introduction that helps set out the basic facts of the World War periods, so that young readers won't be too confused.)
This revelation is personified in the lead character, Hannah (or, as I think of her, Miss Bad Attitude) , one of three kids who are mysteriously transported to England during the early days of the Second World War. She has the most to learn, because she embodies all the worst traits of modern, self-involved adolescents who think the world should revolve around them. I would say that the chief flaw of the novel is that Hannah is such an insufferable pill that I nearly put the book down before her eventual transformation began. Happily, though, I persevered and I'm happy to say that Hannah learned from her experience that adults were once young, too, and the way they respond to the troubles of their youth has a powerful affect on the kind of adults they become. Fortunately for Hannah, her family, and us readers, she eventually begins to respect and sympathise with adults more than she did at the beginning of the book. I would happily read more of the adventures of Hannah and her two young companions.
July 3, 2010
This was a sweet story about a brother and sister and their friend. The kids unknowingly travel through time from present day Georgia to 1940's England in the middle of World War II. I'm no history buff, but I enjoyed reading about what life was like in that time. We follow the siblings in 1940's England for most of the book, and we also get to read about England during World War I, as one of the kids time travels back an additional 25 years. I like historical fiction, so I found that enjoyable about this story.
The mysteries of time travel were never fully explained, all the kids knew was that it happened with no rhyme or reason. Actually, there was a reason: the kids went back in time to affect changes in certain characters' lives, changes which had impacts reaching into the present day story. The book ends with some closure for Alex, Brandon, and Hannah, but there is also a segue into the sequel, which I found intriguing. The premise is unique and the writing is witty. Annette Laing did a good job with Don't Know Where, Don't Know When.
Just One Gripe:
I enjoyed this a lot, but it was more of a younger book for me. It was written on a maturity level similar to Incarceron, The City of Ember, and The Maze Runner. The writing and attention to detail; however, made up for this.
The Best Thing About This Book:
I liked the attention to detail.
Appropriate for a younger audience:
Yes
As this is more of a children's book, I am scoring it against other children's books. A five star children's book is not equivalent to a five star adult book, in my opinion.
Score:
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 4/5
Setting/Imagery: 5/5
Originality: 5/5
Ending: 5/5
Total Score: 24/25
Don't Know Where Don't Know When was a 3.5 star book for me personally, but I am rating it against other children's lit and it deserves 5 stars for that genre.
*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an impartial review.
Read more of my reviews on my blog:
www.idsoratherbereading.blogspot.com
The mysteries of time travel were never fully explained, all the kids knew was that it happened with no rhyme or reason. Actually, there was a reason: the kids went back in time to affect changes in certain characters' lives, changes which had impacts reaching into the present day story. The book ends with some closure for Alex, Brandon, and Hannah, but there is also a segue into the sequel, which I found intriguing. The premise is unique and the writing is witty. Annette Laing did a good job with Don't Know Where, Don't Know When.
Just One Gripe:
I enjoyed this a lot, but it was more of a younger book for me. It was written on a maturity level similar to Incarceron, The City of Ember, and The Maze Runner. The writing and attention to detail; however, made up for this.
The Best Thing About This Book:
I liked the attention to detail.
Appropriate for a younger audience:
Yes
As this is more of a children's book, I am scoring it against other children's books. A five star children's book is not equivalent to a five star adult book, in my opinion.
Score:
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 4/5
Setting/Imagery: 5/5
Originality: 5/5
Ending: 5/5
Total Score: 24/25
Don't Know Where Don't Know When was a 3.5 star book for me personally, but I am rating it against other children's lit and it deserves 5 stars for that genre.
*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an impartial review.
Read more of my reviews on my blog:
www.idsoratherbereading.blogspot.com
November 15, 2012
Reviewed by Allison Fraclose for TeensReadToo.com
Although her little brother, Alex, might find their new hometown of Snipesville, Georgia, a welcome change, Hannah Diaz still thinks it's way more boring than California.
To curb her whining, her father signs her up for a creative writing camp at the local college. She's so reluctant that, when she can't find the classroom on her first day, she instead finds solace in the student union café. Meanwhile, Alex attends the baseball camp held at the same college. There, he meets Brandon, a local African American kid who only dreams of escaping Snipesville. When baseball camp ends up being a drag, the two boys escape to the student union and run into Hannah.
To kill time, the three children head up to the library.
An encounter with a woman who calls herself "The Professor" leaves them spooked, and Brandon comes across an old identification card belonging to someone named George Braithwaite. As the kids leave the library, they notice a strange change in their surroundings. They find that they are no longer in present day Snipesville, but in England...in 1940!
While the children acclimate to their new lives, The Professor appears, and tells them that they need to find George Braithwaite to go home. This sets them on a long journey through time, one that will familiarize them with events and people that existed long before any of them were born.
A fun, educational mystery, this story does a successful job of bringing history within reach. Interesting details--such as the quality of the food and everyday luxuries, such as toilet paper--leave the reader with a clear picture of life in the past, and how people and places change over time.
DON'T KNOW WHERE, DON'T KNOW WHEN is the first in a series, and I'll definitely be looking for more!
Although her little brother, Alex, might find their new hometown of Snipesville, Georgia, a welcome change, Hannah Diaz still thinks it's way more boring than California.
To curb her whining, her father signs her up for a creative writing camp at the local college. She's so reluctant that, when she can't find the classroom on her first day, she instead finds solace in the student union café. Meanwhile, Alex attends the baseball camp held at the same college. There, he meets Brandon, a local African American kid who only dreams of escaping Snipesville. When baseball camp ends up being a drag, the two boys escape to the student union and run into Hannah.
To kill time, the three children head up to the library.
An encounter with a woman who calls herself "The Professor" leaves them spooked, and Brandon comes across an old identification card belonging to someone named George Braithwaite. As the kids leave the library, they notice a strange change in their surroundings. They find that they are no longer in present day Snipesville, but in England...in 1940!
While the children acclimate to their new lives, The Professor appears, and tells them that they need to find George Braithwaite to go home. This sets them on a long journey through time, one that will familiarize them with events and people that existed long before any of them were born.
A fun, educational mystery, this story does a successful job of bringing history within reach. Interesting details--such as the quality of the food and everyday luxuries, such as toilet paper--leave the reader with a clear picture of life in the past, and how people and places change over time.
DON'T KNOW WHERE, DON'T KNOW WHEN is the first in a series, and I'll definitely be looking for more!
August 7, 2010
Hannah and Alex are not happy about having to leave San Francisco and move to Snipesville, Georgia. They are sure it will be an incredibly boring place to live. However, when they, along with a new friend named Brandon, encounter a strange professor, their lives become anything but boring. Before they even realize what is happening, the kids have traveled back in time to World War II England. Soon after, Brandon is separated from the group and ends up in the same English town, but in 1915! The children cannot go home until they have found someone named George Braithwaite, even though they are not sure who he is or how to find him.
I really enjoyed reading a story set during both World War I and World War II that discussed the everyday details of life during a war. I think a lot of these sort of details are lost when we study only the historical events themselves. The children in this story learned a lot about how people got by during the war and what all they sacrificed. They had to learn it because they experienced it themselves!
I found Hannah's poor attitude annoying at first, but she grew on me as I read further. There were many interesting characters who were introduced during the different time periods, as well. I liked how all the storylines were brought together in a surprising way at the end. Overall, I found this novel to be an entertaining read, and I think it would appeal to young readers even if they think they don't like history!
This is the first book in a series (The Snipesville Chronicles).
I really enjoyed reading a story set during both World War I and World War II that discussed the everyday details of life during a war. I think a lot of these sort of details are lost when we study only the historical events themselves. The children in this story learned a lot about how people got by during the war and what all they sacrificed. They had to learn it because they experienced it themselves!
I found Hannah's poor attitude annoying at first, but she grew on me as I read further. There were many interesting characters who were introduced during the different time periods, as well. I liked how all the storylines were brought together in a surprising way at the end. Overall, I found this novel to be an entertaining read, and I think it would appeal to young readers even if they think they don't like history!
This is the first book in a series (The Snipesville Chronicles).
July 14, 2010
I picked up this book because I won the second in the series in a GoodReads giveaway.
If I were to judge a book by its cover, I might never have picked it up. While the artwork is by no means terrible, it lacks the artistry of some novel covers (and which are the only good thing about those novels). However, the plot synopsis of the sequel drew me in... and I couldn't read the second without reading the first!
Hannah and Alex have recently moved to Snipesville, Georgia, from California. They are not exactly thrilled. When their dad signs them up for writing and baseball camps, respectively, at the local state university, they meet Brandon, a local kid. The three of them ditch their camps, and wind up in the library looking for computers, where they encounter a rather strange professor. Upon leaving the library, they realize that something is amiss. They have unwittingly traveled back in time to 1940 England, and have to find someone named George Braithewaite if they ever hope of returning home.
History? Time travel? Kids with more than a little bit of bad attitude? I'm in!
There is nothing in this book that seems superfluous or gratuitous. Though the author sneaks in an astonishing amount of historical fact and trivia, it all works towards furthering the plot (which, by the way, is quite gripping).
The characters are believable, particularly Hannah, whose snarky attitude reminds me of myself at that age.
I absolutely loved it, and look forward to reading and reviewing the next.
If I were to judge a book by its cover, I might never have picked it up. While the artwork is by no means terrible, it lacks the artistry of some novel covers (and which are the only good thing about those novels). However, the plot synopsis of the sequel drew me in... and I couldn't read the second without reading the first!
Hannah and Alex have recently moved to Snipesville, Georgia, from California. They are not exactly thrilled. When their dad signs them up for writing and baseball camps, respectively, at the local state university, they meet Brandon, a local kid. The three of them ditch their camps, and wind up in the library looking for computers, where they encounter a rather strange professor. Upon leaving the library, they realize that something is amiss. They have unwittingly traveled back in time to 1940 England, and have to find someone named George Braithewaite if they ever hope of returning home.
History? Time travel? Kids with more than a little bit of bad attitude? I'm in!
There is nothing in this book that seems superfluous or gratuitous. Though the author sneaks in an astonishing amount of historical fact and trivia, it all works towards furthering the plot (which, by the way, is quite gripping).
The characters are believable, particularly Hannah, whose snarky attitude reminds me of myself at that age.
I absolutely loved it, and look forward to reading and reviewing the next.
September 15, 2016
This is a fun peek back into history. While the characters are modern and believable, the author's description of how things were in 1940's England is even more real and engaging. It's not just an entertaining history lesson, but an exciting mystery with a twist at the end.
July 3, 2010
Hannah, Alex and Brandon find themselves back in time in war-torn England. It is World War II and the children are being sent to live with families in the country to escape bombs falling on the cities. Shortly after arriving in 1940 Brandon disappears to England 1915! This time the setting of World War I.
The young people are sent back in time to find whatever happened to George Braithwaite. Hannah and Alex find themselves living with Mrs. Devenish, her grand-daughter Verity and Mrs. D’s evacuee Eric. Brandon becomes apprenticed to a dentist named Mr. Gordon in 1915.
Hannah has the most difficult time adjusting to the time period and what their purpose for being there is. She has a huge attitude that needs adjusting!
Throughout the story the kids learn some history about WWI and WWII but mostly they learn about George Braithwaite and what happened to him and why they were sent to the past to help.
I enjoyed the story very much. I became attached to the characters. I think that Hannah still ended up being self-centered and selfish. But I also think that she learned a lot about herself and how to love other people. I will look forward to the next installment of the Snipesville Chronicles to see if she matures as she travels to different centuries and learns that there are other people with problems bigger than hers.
The young people are sent back in time to find whatever happened to George Braithwaite. Hannah and Alex find themselves living with Mrs. Devenish, her grand-daughter Verity and Mrs. D’s evacuee Eric. Brandon becomes apprenticed to a dentist named Mr. Gordon in 1915.
Hannah has the most difficult time adjusting to the time period and what their purpose for being there is. She has a huge attitude that needs adjusting!
Throughout the story the kids learn some history about WWI and WWII but mostly they learn about George Braithwaite and what happened to him and why they were sent to the past to help.
I enjoyed the story very much. I became attached to the characters. I think that Hannah still ended up being self-centered and selfish. But I also think that she learned a lot about herself and how to love other people. I will look forward to the next installment of the Snipesville Chronicles to see if she matures as she travels to different centuries and learns that there are other people with problems bigger than hers.
March 9, 2011
REVIEW
A stuck up girl, a laid back brother, and a dorky friend make for an interesting group of time travelers. I liked that each of the kids had such a unique personality. While Hannah was the main character, Alex and Brandon also had opportunities to tell the story from their point-of-view – especially in the second book of the series.
Everyone knows that I enjoy historical fiction, and this series does a fantastic job of bringing history alive and making it fun. I especially enjoyed the first book and how it portrayed World War Two. I am a bit of war nut! I also liked reading about Hannah’s experiences in the factory in the second book.
These time travelers grabbed my attention and I couldn’t get enough of their adventures. If you are considering trying out historical fiction, you cannot go wrong with The Snipesville Chronicles. I hope there will be a third book set during the times of the Women’s Rights Movement.
Thank you to Annette Laing for providing this series to me to review.
RATING
5 Plot
4 Characters
5 Attention Grabbing
4 Girlie Meter
5 Ending
23 TOTAL
5 STARS
Review can be found at Reading Vacation blog http://tinyurl.com/2akxrc5
A stuck up girl, a laid back brother, and a dorky friend make for an interesting group of time travelers. I liked that each of the kids had such a unique personality. While Hannah was the main character, Alex and Brandon also had opportunities to tell the story from their point-of-view – especially in the second book of the series.
Everyone knows that I enjoy historical fiction, and this series does a fantastic job of bringing history alive and making it fun. I especially enjoyed the first book and how it portrayed World War Two. I am a bit of war nut! I also liked reading about Hannah’s experiences in the factory in the second book.
These time travelers grabbed my attention and I couldn’t get enough of their adventures. If you are considering trying out historical fiction, you cannot go wrong with The Snipesville Chronicles. I hope there will be a third book set during the times of the Women’s Rights Movement.
Thank you to Annette Laing for providing this series to me to review.
RATING
5 Plot
4 Characters
5 Attention Grabbing
4 Girlie Meter
5 Ending
23 TOTAL
5 STARS
Review can be found at Reading Vacation blog http://tinyurl.com/2akxrc5
January 27, 2016
This is the first book in a series of time-travel books written about three children who react differently to the time periods in which they suddenly find themselves thrown. Each child experiences a different part of society - a society that is carefully recreated from historical facts and into which both the characters (and the readers) become immersed. Laing is a historian with a meticulous eye for detail - but don't let that deter you. These books aim to teach, but you will be too caught up in the mystery and fun to notice that you're learning some serious social history. These delightful and clever books are YA fiction but, like the best of that genre, they appeal to all ages. I read 3 books in 2 two weeks and am very much looking forward to the fourth.
August 30, 2010
This book had a fun idea for teaching history. I liked the time traveling to have kids not only learn but experience what it was like to live in a different time. I thought that was the greatest strength of the book - the day-to-day life of people in England during both WWI and WWII. It suffered from a rather slow beginning as well as some awkward parts that stopped the flow of the book for me. But, I'm sure some kids, those who like a little sci-fi with their historical fiction, will devour it. Full review at One Librarian's Book Reviews.
November 26, 2008
Don't Know Where, Don't Know When is a book about three modern American kids who (against their will) time travel to Britain during WWII and WWI. What was so great about this book is Laing's abounding knowledge of Britain during these periods of time. I learned so much while reading, and I must admit, that hardly ever happened in history class. The best characters were the Brits with my top two being Mrs Devenish--a formidable woman with so much history and depth--and Verity. How I adored Verity.
January 14, 2017
This is a terrific time travel book. The time travelers are three kids, Hannah and her brother, Alex and their new friend, Brandon. The story begins in 21st century Snipesville, Georgia but the kids end up traveling to England of long-ago. First they are all in World War II Balesworth, England but then Brandon ends up in World War I. The years for both are before the United States was a part of either war - 1915 and 1940. I really loved the book but grew tired of spoiled Hannah. It is the first of a series which is exciting.
May 13, 2016
This is a YA novel that I found to be generally compelling. If you enjoy reading about the "home front" during world war II, as I do, this book is for you (although the home front in this case is in England). The main female child protagonist was rather annoying most of the time, but provided an interesting perspective on how children behave today compared to the past. This is the first book of the Snipesville Chronicles, and I anticipate reading the following volumes.
July 16, 2011
Great time travel book! It brings together the experiences of the characters at the end to show why each had to have their unique experiences. I appreciated that the author tried to be factual to history.
April 18, 2013
This was a great middle school read. It introduces information from WWI and WWII England. I think the author does a great job with capturing the attitudes of teens today and how time has changed acceptable behavior.
June 8, 2010
Time traveling kids wind up in England during WWII. Find life not quite as easy as it is during modern times. Learn about history with the adventure.
August 20, 2010
3.5 Stars - Please see review on Mundiekids:
http://mundiekids.blogspot.com/2010/0...
Content: a few mild expletives but otherwise clean.
http://mundiekids.blogspot.com/2010/0...
Content: a few mild expletives but otherwise clean.
August 31, 2010
Signed review copy from publisher
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews