The Inverted Cavern: Aaron and Jake Time Travel Adventures

by Todd A. Fonseca

WHEN TRAVELING THROUGH TIME, EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED Aaron and Jake received a message from the Amish boy they had returned a hundred years back in time, proving their experiment had been a success. When they discover the diary containing entries of their own adventures, it gives them the confidence to explore the past and future for themselves. They made careful preparations—thought of every possibility—and took every precaution. So how could everything go so incredibly wrong? BOOKS IN THE AARON AND JAKE TIME TRAVEL SERIES The Time Cavern (The first adventure) The Inverted Cavern (The second adventure) PRAISE FOR THE TIME CAVERN "The Time Cavern will stimulate and captivate the imagination of young readers, girls and boys alike. I urge parents and teachers to add this book to their libraries." -- D. B. Pacini, author of The Loose End of the Rainbow "Todd Fonseca's Time Cavern is filled with adventure, mysteries, and life lessons all crafted into a charming tale. I loved the little fun facts woven throughout the story, which made it an enjoyable read even for someone my age. I highly recommend this fantastic book...well done, sir." -- Michael J. Sullivan, author of The Riyria Revelations "The Time Cavern showcases masterful storytelling that will immediately be passed forward to one of my nephews. I highly recommend picking up a copy for the young explorers that you love." -- Roy L. Pickering, author of Patches of Grey "The Time Cavern introduces us to what might just be the most original time machine concept ever—not to give anything away, but if you're a nut about time-travel, this is worth it for that alone." -- Eric D. Knapp, author of Murder Most Fowl "Charming is the only word I can think of to describe this book. The Amish element, the two cute kids, their families, the old barn, and, of course, what they discover in the woods is a compelling blend." -- Sandy Nathan, author of Numenon "The mystery of The Time Cavern is clever, well-thought out, nicely researched in its details, and leaves me wanting more. I would love to read more of this story, so I hope a sequel will be forthcoming. Very well-written & highly recommended to readers of all ages!" -- Rai Aren, author of Secret of the Sands

Genres: Young Adult, Time Travel

224 pages, Paperback

First published November 18, 2011

About the author

Growing up in the northern Indiana city of Mishawaka, Todd A Fonseca learned of the Amish culture through frequent family Sunday drives to rural Nappanee Indiana. This small town is home to a large Amish community. Those visiting the area experience the Amish through the town’s shops and nearby Amish Acres.
During these early years, Fonseca’s interest in the arts began with music. He became an accomplished accordionist participating in national competitions leading to a #4 placement in 1983. Fonseca has also performed in New York’s Carnegie Recital Hall.
His high school career added drama to his resume. Having the role of curmudgeon Mr. Hassler in The Pajama Game, led to being cast as the lead in the production Jack and the Beanstalk.
At Marquette University, Fonseca received a Biomedical Engineering graduate degree. His professional career includes numerous positions in medical device companies. He is currently a senior clinical research director for a company researching deep brain stimulation for treating conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease.
It is this eclectic mix of experiences with the Amish, the Arts, and Science that Fonseca has drawn upon to create The Time Cavern.
For more information visit Todd A Fonseca’s website www.thetimecavern.com.

Reviews

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sequel to author Todd A, Fonseca's The Time Cavern, Inverted offers more thrills and suspense in the Amish farm country. The series' protagonists, Aaron and Jake, are as charming as they were in the previous volume. Aaron is a brilliant boy recently transplanted from the city, while Jake is his adventurous, tomboy neighbor.

The adventure begins when Jake and Aaron use the time cavern they'd found in Volume 1. When it doesn't work as expected, Aaron is injured and trapped in the past. Jake tries to bring him back, leading her to find another time cavern, the inverse of the one she and Aaron knew. From there, the plot becomes intricate and suspenseful, with more time travelers and unknown perils.

This is reading for intelligent kids. The author seamlessly integrates information about many topics into the text: tree rings and how they measure time, Amish foods, how to siphon, raise a barn, and do woodworking, to name a few. The book provides a nice juxtaposition of the two time periods, showing Amish country in the present vs. one hundred years ago.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great follow-up to the first book in the Time Cavern series. I was glad to see Jake and Aaron finally start to use the cavern to go on their maiden voyage through time. While book one was much more about the discovery of the cavern, this book focuses on learning how it works and using it to travel back and forth through time. And it is not as easy as one might think. While Jake and Aaron get off to a rough start, they soon start to learn the inner workings of the cavern. I hope that as they become more adept at using the cavern that they will engage on even more interesting adventures through time. If you are looking for a quick and entertaining read, or if you are looking for a new book that your kids would enjoy, I would definitely recommend this series.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the first one (Time Cavern--see review if interested). This second one was not on par with the first one. I don't like to give a negative review unless I can give some constructive reasoning, which I'm having trouble doing with this one (I mean, I'm not sure why I did not like it as much as the first). I give three stars unless they're really good or really bad--thus both got the same rating.

I think part of it is the dialog between the two main characters was interesting in the first and almost non-existent in the second. The first had science sprinkled in that worked for the story and educated the youth reading this (I assume it is targeted at 9 to 12 or so), which I took as a positive. I have been assuming that "the Amish Boy" will be giving a name (that reference is getting really irritating), perhaps revealed as a well known historical scientist or inventor, but not yet. This book gave me the same feeling I get when I read a travelogue, which is not a positive comment from me.

I trust the author will do better, if told what was not like. I hope this review is positive in that respect. At this point, I'm not planning on ready any sequels.

[William Alger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book! Looking forward to the third one.