Time at the Top / All in Good Time

Time at the Top #1-2

by Edward Ormondroyd, Charles Geer, Jolly Roger Bradfield

"Wait a minute!" Mr. Shaw said. "You want to take me back to the nineteenth century, to marry somebody there?" His daughter Susan must be mad! Only a girl suffering from hallucinations would make a request like that, on top of a wild story about a good witch, an elevator that travels to 1881, a vanquished scoundrel, a dug-up treasure, and a distressed nineteenth-century family named Walker. Better humor her, Mr. Shaw thinks, until I can get her to a doctor.

Susan is not mad. Her story is true. She and her new best friend Victoria Walker just know that when their parents meet it will be love at first sight, and the two families will become one.

But nothing happens the way it should. Their parents meet and don't fall in love. Domineering cousin Jane forbids more meetings. The treasure disappears overnight. The vanquished scoundrel returns, with sinister plans. Everything is spinning out of control!

So why does an old photo show that Susan's and Victoria's dream comes true?

Genres: Time Travel, Childrens, Historical Fiction

379 pages, Paperback

First published October 28, 2011

About the author

Edward Ormondroyd grew up in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, and Ann Arbor, Michigan. During WWII he served onboard a destroyer escort, participating in the invasions of Okinawa and Iwo Jima.

After the war he attended the University of California at Berkeley, where he received a bachelor's degree in English. Later he went back for a master's degree in library science.

He lived in Berkeley for 25 years, working at various jobs while he wrote children's books. He and his wife Joan moved to upstate New York in 1970. They live in the country near Ithaca, in a house designed and partly built by Edward. Their seven children are all grown and independent. They have two grandsons and a granddaughter. Edward's interests include studying piano, gardening, books, birds, flowers (wild and tame), and listening to classical music.

Reviews

[Anna Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, I never read either Time At The Top or its sequel when I was a child, but I had seen the movie that was based on the first book and absolutely loved it beyond measure! I think it probably contributed to my complete obsession with time travel that I still have, even midway through my twenties. The story is all about Susan Shaw, a preteen who is having a horrible time of things. Her Mother has recently died, her Father is always working and at school she's been passed over as the lead in the play, so others can have a "fair chance." Susan is just utterly grumpy about things in general, yet she still stops to help a strange old lady pick up her spilled groceries from the street. The old woman promises her "three" and Susan doesn't know what she could possibly mean. It doesn't mean three wishes, but three trips to 1881 (there and back) in the old elevator in her apartment building! While she's there, she becomes good friends with Victoria Walker whose Mother is being taken in by a fortune-hunter. So Susan helps Victoria get rid of him by making him think they have no money - only for the girls to find out it's suddenly true! Can Victoria, Susan and Vic's brother Robert find a way to save the Walker family? And will Susan find a way to stay in 1881, with her Father, and join the Walker family permanently with her own? Add in a buried treasure and some very interesting things will be happening!

I really loved the story in this one and how it focused on Susan for a decent portion in the beginning, mainly for the chance to show the readers why she would want to live in the past. The most hilarious character in her time period is the housekeeper Mrs. Clutchett who is completely paranoid and extremely nosy! Her commentary on Susan's disappearance is priceless. Considering this book was written in the 1960s, it really wasn't a gigantic time gap when you think about it. Only eighty years or so between Susan and the Walkers. I thought that the way Susan got rid of the fortune-hunter was slightly ridiculous and over the top, but it was also pretty amusing. The whole scenario with the buried treasure definitely appealed to my inner youth. Such a fun plot to unravel along with the children (even if it wasn't difficult at all to figure things out). But my favorite thing about this book was the way the author, Edward Ormondroyd, inserted himself into the narrative as the Shaw's neighbor in their apartment building. He barely interacts with Susan except for one notable time before she disappears. But he desperately wants to know where she's gotten to, almost as much as her Father and the police do!

The sequel, All In Good Time, is just as much fun with Susan finally taking her Father back to 1881 with her. But nothing goes according to plan. Vic and Robert's Mother is wary of accepting anonymous money (i.e. the treasure the children found and sent secretly to her), and therefore is still planning to sell the house. Her horrible Cousin Jane comes to help manage the household, and terrorizes everyone in it. She interferes with Mr. Shaw and Mrs. Walker's first meeting, disapproves of Susan who she sees as trashy, and does everything possible to prevent Victoria and Robert from seeing her. And when the evil fortune-hunter Mr. Sweeney comes back once more, it's up to Susan and Mr. Shaw to find a way to save the Walkers from disaster - especially when the fortune disappears! Overall, I highly enjoyed both of these books. They flowed together beautifully and it felt a lot like one continuous novel. Also, the adventure was fun even as a disbelieving adult. I think that I would have absolutely adored this beyond belief if I had read it between the ages of eight and twelve. As it is, I highly enjoyed it and will probably re-read it sometime. That is a distinction not many kid's books I've read as an adult can boast of! :D

VERDICT: 4.5/5 Stars

**No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.**

[Angela Tuson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute-cute-cute. Reminded me of Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer, only these books are sweeter. I liked that the writer wrote himself into the story. For anyone who longs to live in the Golden Past, here's an optimistic vision of doing it properly. I just felt sorry for the Digger Driver, being deprived of his millions!

[Ruthann · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are reading this aloud as a family over vacation- such a well written book and is perfect for read aloud. Finished Time at the Top and now for the sequel.

[Linda Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is my opinion that one is never too old to read children's books. When I realized that the author of my all-time favorite (David and the Phoenix) had written other stories, I had to have this one. This volume contains two books that should always be read together. In Time at the Top, Susan Walker enters the elevator in her 1960's New York City apartment building and gets off about 80 years in the past in a private home. She is discovered by the young daughter of the widow who owns this property. Susan quickly becomes friends with Victoria and her younger brother, Robert. She falls in love with this version of her city and wants to stay there forever. Since her mother is dead, it appears that some match-making could make this dream come true. Of course, there are many obstacles in the way. But these intrepid young plotters aren't going to give up easily. All in Good Time explains how the mission is accomplished. I particularly loved how the author seems to become a character in his own book. This was a fast, fun read and an excellent time travel story.

[Sheri S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I previously reviewed Time at the Top but bought this book to read All in Good Time. Time at the Top had been a favorite book of mine when I was younger and I hadn't been aware that Ormondroyd had written a sequel. I enjoyed finding out what happened to the characters from Time at the Top in All in Good Time. I will say that some of the language in All in Good Time is dated and might not be completely appropriate in today's world. Still, the story was entertaining, if a bit confusing at times.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read only the first 1963 novel. I may have liked this as a kid, but reading it now, it didn't grab me especially. The main character, Susan, is generally unlikeable and mistreats the cat. The time travel plot seemed fun, which is why I read it, but the suspense is a bit clumsy and unnecessarily drawn out at times. The illustrations are very nice.

[Ashley Lambert-Maberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. I assumed it would be the sort of thing I'd really enjoy, partly because the cover art (I know, I know) appealed, I love New York and the sort of vaguely sophisticated children's books that are often set there, and I'm mad for good time travel books (To Say Nothing Of The Dog is one of my all time fave books ever) ... but the characters weren't particularly interesting, the time travel consisted of going back and forth but there wasn't the fun of how to treat paradoxes, etc., which is all part of my interest in time travel. The plot was inconsequential, and the sequel no better (but with worse illustrations ... I could do better myself, no question--really surprised to see such pedestrian "art" published).

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s).

[Kristine Johnson Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Time at the Top as a youth when it was first published on the recommendation of the librarian. This is the first time travel book that I read and it impressed me then and I chose to reread it as an adult. I was delighted to discover the author wrote a sequel. I still enjoyed it.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never ever forgot this after all these years. and then to first, find the book, then discover that Peggy bach illustrated it--good lord!! What a re-discovery

[Lia Marcoux · Rating 3 out of 5]

These were fun and refreshingly practical (gold WOULD be hard to transport!). Overall, not my favorite book of this type, but I'd read another by Ormondroyd.