Surprise at Yorktown

The Imagination Station #15

by Marianne Hering, Nancy I. Sanders

Travel two centuries back in time to the final battle of the American Revolution at Yorktown, Virginia. Cousins Patrick and Beth sneak through trenches and race across battlefields to warn General George Washington about a dangerous spy. The spy is stealing his secret plans and giving them to the British. Cannons roar and the ground shakes as the struggle reaches a climax. Washington's ragtag soldiers are up against the most powerful army in the world. Will Patrick and Beth witness the American Revolution come to an end? Or will they be caught in a dangerous trap they can't escape?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens, Fantasy, Christian Fiction, Christian, Adventure, Time Travel

144 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2014

About the author

Marianne Hering is a prolific writer, having written hundreds of articles and a number of books for children and parents. For nine years she worked for several magazines in Focus on the Family’s periodicals department and became the editor of Clubhouse, a Focus on the Family children’s magazine with a circulation of more than 100,000.

As a book developer for Focus on the Family, she and coauthor / creative director Paul McCusker launched the Adventures in Odyssey book series The Imagination Station in 2010. Currently the series includes 19 books, with two more contracted for 2017 release. Paul bowed out of his role in 2015 to pursue other creative avenues. The combined sales are more than 450,000.

Currently Marianne is a freelance writer taking assignments. She and her husband live in Colorado with their twin sons.

Reviews

[GheenGirls · Rating 5 out of 5]

Turtle just re-read this series at her own request. She said: great! Return to library.

[Jordyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one! Love how the kids said they are always stowaway, captives, or slaves bc it's ture they are in most ofbthe books I've read lol. I also liked the extra faith content😊

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

He said, she said, he said...way too many times. Not enough info or action.

[Sarah P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Follows up with "Captured on high seas"

[Laura Langley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprise at Yorktown, number 15 in Focus on the Family’s children’s series “The Imagination Station,” provides children with an exciting, fast-paced look at famous historical events like the American Revolution. This particular book focuses on the battle of Yorktown, along with British General Cornwall and George Washington. My seven-year-old loved it and plans to read the rest of the series.

While it’s definitely historical fiction and I have to make sure my son understands that many of the events and characters are fictional, the book still gives readers a glimpse of what it might have been like to live in the time period of the battle of Yorktown in 1781. It’s a perfect series for a history buff and nonfiction lover like my son because it’s interesting enough and historical enough to keep him interested. Add the idea of kids traveling back in time to be eyewitnesses to historical events and you’ve got a real winner!

Best of all, knowing that the series is from Focus on the Family gives me peace of mind because I don’t have to worry about any inappropriate content that is present in many secular children’s novels today.

There’s also a website, theimaginationstaton.com, that plays host to fun facts, information about upcoming books and more.

This series is great for independent young readers, but they’d also be perfect for family read alouds.

* Note: I received a copy of the book from Tyndale Blog Network for this review. However, the opinions expressed are my own.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series! I was so excited to be able to review this book, not only is it in this great series, but it's focusing on one of my favorite times in history! The Revolutionary War has always interested me and I love reading stories like this. This book takes the cousins back through the Imagination Station and once again they are in the middle of a battle, Yorktown. Unsure about where they are they discover they are on the British side. They really just want to meet George Washington, but they can't seem to get where they want to be. They aren't sure who to trust, and while running they run into some animals that add a twist in their adventure.

This book is great because it really shows how God was faithful and answered prayer.




This is a wonderful book for readers age 7 and up.




Highly recommend!




"I received this book from Tyndale Publishing for free in exchange for an honest review."

[Celena Janton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like the other Imagination Station books, this one is awesome! This is the 3rd in a sub-series revolving around the Revolutionary War. We read this book as part of a homeschool unit study on the American Revolution. Like the other Imagination Station books, this had all of my kids (ages 6, 9, and 10) on the edge of their seats--I read this series aloud to my 6 year old while my 9 and 10 year olds read them silently (mainly b/c they can't wait to see what happens next!) My oldest daughter devoured this book in one day and she can't wait to read the next one! Every time one of these books come in the mail, it's cause for celebration at our house!

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for youngsters!

[Charity Pyles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and all the adventures the characters had!