Stealing Time: A Jonah Wiley Adventure

by Anne Dublin

Thrown back in time by a mysterious pocket watch, Jonah and his stepbrother, Toby, are forced to overcome their differences and work together to return to the present. Jonah Wiley is having a tough time. First, his parents divorced, and now his mom is going to a conference and leaving him with his dad and stepmother.But after Jonah steals an antique pocket watch, he and his stepbrother Toby are hurled back in time — to Egypt, China, France, and other places around the world. In order to save themselves and get back to the present, Jonah and Toby must overcome their personal issues and work together to solve the tough problems they encounter.

Genres: Time Travel

144 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good. nice touch on time travel

[Miss Pippi the Librarian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jonah's mother needs to attend a work conference, so he is sent to his father's home for the weekend. His father recently remarried and Jonah is unhappy and angry with the situation. He also has to deal with his new step-brother. When he is at his father's, Jonah tries to avoid the family as much as possible. He finds his Grandfather's heirloom pocket watch and decides to take it...because it will be his eventually. As soon as he winds the watch, it sends him (and his annoying stepbrother Toby) through time!

Within a day, the boys travel through time all over the world. Each day dawns in a new era with new time pieces and technology to discover. The watch history was interesting and the bits of history as servants and apprentices were eyeopening. I think my favorite part was when the boys commented about eating sand in their Egyptian meal. It takes a lot of research about time periods to have historical fiction become real and I applaud authors for digging deep into the past. Opening each chapter with a date and location was very helpful because the book is fast paced.

Beyond the history and Jonah's time piece fascination, the book felt unreal to me. Each day and each chapter brought time travel adventures. Toby was curious, whiny, and hungry. Jonah wanted to find a way home and make sure Toby came along with him. There is a rescue scene at the end that draws them together as brothers and friends. That crucial moment needs to happen so the boys see the need for each other. Upon returning home, Jonah confesses that he took the watch and his father reflects and remembers his own watch adventures. There are no repercussions for his taking the watch because the watch cannot be owned, but just passes down to each generation. The ending left me cold; there were no consequences for Jonah's actions, and therefore no meaningful lesson to be learned. It just didn't connect for me.

Reviewed from a NetGalley copy. Thank you, Dundurn!

[Philippa Dowding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time travel, clocks, an annoying little stepbrother ... Anne Dublin has created a fun and interesting read in her first Jonah Wiley Adventure. Jonah is 12, and upset that his parents have divorced and his father has remarried. Enter Toby, the annoying 10-year-old stepbrother, who idolizes Jonah. On a weekend visit to his father's new home, Jonah, who is fascinated with clocks, watches and all things related to time, steals his grandfather's pocket watch. He and Toby fight over it ... the magical old watch is accidentally wound ... then the fun begins. Jonah and Toby are swept through time, back to ancient Egypt and China, medieval France and Prague, Georgian England, post-colonial America, industrial revolution Ireland and finally to modern day Canada, witnessing major leaps in the development of clock making and timekeeping in each era. The boys sometimes travel together, sometimes apart, as they try to figure out a way to return home, they learn a lot about clocks and the history of time keeping, including the problems of sailors at sea, the need for a global time-keeping system, and the innovation of the 24 hour clock. I really appreciated the amount of careful research that went into this book, and how each time period was accurately created without feeling like a history lesson. To add to the fun, a Stranger in modern clothes follows the boys from period to period ... who is he? Funny, interesting, and well-written (even a bit spooky at times), and slightly reminiscent of Sherman and Peabody, I think young readers in grades 3-5 will enjoy this time-travel tale.

[Monique · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been drawn to books about time-travel since I was a small child.
When I picked up "Stealing Time", I was intrigued by the synopsis. Jonah Wiley is sent to his father's home to spend the weekend with him, his new step-mother and step-brother Toby while his Mom attends a conference. Angry, sad and resentful, he steals an antique pocket watch belonging to his Dad. An ensuing fight over the watch with Toby, hurls the two boys back in time, visiting a number of eras that feature different time-related instruments.

This novel had all the possibilities of being a really great tale but it disappointed in so many ways. Although well-written, the story left too many gaping holes. Every time the boys landed in a new time period, they appeared to be barely there when they were jumping to another time. The storylines were often abrupt. The ideas surrounding the time-related instruments were not always explored or explained. Nor some of the characters - I believe that Sandford Fleming was one of better ones. Also, who was the man in the sweatshirt? Too many questions.

If there is a sequel to this novel, I hope that more attention is spent on fleshing out the story.

[Yapha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jonah feels betrayed by his father, who has remarried in the year since the divorce. He does not want to spend the weekend with his father, step-mother, and step-brother Toby. In his anger, he takes the ancient watch that was once his grandfather's. To his frustration and dismay, Toby sees him with it, and insists on winding. This sends the boys together on an adventure through time, beginning in ancient Egypt, China, Prague, England, and finally back to Canada. Each stop has a historical importance to the evolution of time keepers through the ages. Along the way, Jonah and Toby learn that they must work together to make it home. Recommended for grades 3-6.

eARC provided by publisher via NetGalley

[Katarina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short, but good book for children.

In each chapter the 2 boys end up in a different time and country, and each time they meet someone influential in the development of clocks and timekeeping. This makes the book a great adventure as well as teaching children about different countries, periods of time, and clocks.

The book flows well, it's easy to read and will keep young readers entertained until the end.

[Margaret Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Time-traveling romp through the ages and around the world. Each chapter teaches kids something about the development of time and clocks.