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The Imagination Station #16
Doomsday in Pompeii
It's the hottest adventure yet! When Patrick takes a trip alone in the Imagination Station for science project research, things get a little explosive. First, his cousin Beth gets angry that she was left behind. Second, Eugene Meltsner sees red when he realizes that Patrick went to Pompeii in 79 A.D. a day before Mount Vesuvius erupts! It doesn't help that the Imagination Station is on the blink and Whit has gone missing.As Beth and Eugene frantically try to find a way fix the machine, Patrick learns a few things about volcanoes: it's not the lava that comes first, it's poisonous gas.Will Eugene be able to reprogram the Imagination Station and send Beth to help Patrick? And what will happen to Patrick's new friends--a preacher, a looter, and a stray dog? Find out in the next adventure, "Doomsday in Pompeii"!
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2015
31 people are currently reading
139 people want to read
About the author
Marianne Hering
97 books39 followersMarianne 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 31, 2025
I'm back, Imagination Station!
This book is about two cousins. One who time-travels to Pompeii by accident, with the other in pursuit of the first. They meet real Pompeiians and help in getting others to safety while trying to survive the dangerous eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
I'm reading this isolated from the rest of the series as part of my Pompeii studies. This review is for this book alone.
Patrick and Beth are such sweet characters and so polite. I hadn't realized of how I've deprived myself of good role model main characters until reaching to read this book. They're still relatable, they're still kids, and they still have flaws... not many but still. They hold themselves to a higher standard of conduct, striving to be more like Christ and it really shows.
There's peril, adventure with high stakes, and deceptive villains. The book has lots of details of the eruption, how volcanoes act and what comes with an eruption. However there is a scene where the author describes the birds during the eruption as uneasy and being loud. I'm paraphrasing but in real life the birds would have flown away days ago since animals can sense these things. This would be my only critique regarding realism, the author did pretty good.
Speaking of animals, there's a dog in the book. That should be enough to convince you to read this.
The dog, Snowy, is fierce but ultimately freaking adorable. Like, so, so, so cute. Though, if you're a dog lover, you must realize that this is a book featuring a volcanic eruption that killed 2,000 people. Like me, you'll probably develop some concern regarding this and I'll tell you a spoiler right now because I will rage quit if the dog dies in a book and... well, I finished the book.
The ending is very abrupt if you're not reading the series as a whole, it gave me a little bit of whiplash but I imagine it really gets the kids reading. This book is great for young Christians who have a love for history and adventure. I enjoyed it, and this adventure was quite some fun!
3 / 5 Stars!
This book is about two cousins. One who time-travels to Pompeii by accident, with the other in pursuit of the first. They meet real Pompeiians and help in getting others to safety while trying to survive the dangerous eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
I'm reading this isolated from the rest of the series as part of my Pompeii studies. This review is for this book alone.
Patrick and Beth are such sweet characters and so polite. I hadn't realized of how I've deprived myself of good role model main characters until reaching to read this book. They're still relatable, they're still kids, and they still have flaws... not many but still. They hold themselves to a higher standard of conduct, striving to be more like Christ and it really shows.
There's peril, adventure with high stakes, and deceptive villains. The book has lots of details of the eruption, how volcanoes act and what comes with an eruption. However there is a scene where the author describes the birds during the eruption as uneasy and being loud. I'm paraphrasing but in real life the birds would have flown away days ago since animals can sense these things. This would be my only critique regarding realism, the author did pretty good.
Speaking of animals, there's a dog in the book. That should be enough to convince you to read this.
The dog, Snowy, is fierce but ultimately freaking adorable. Like, so, so, so cute. Though, if you're a dog lover, you must realize that this is a book featuring a volcanic eruption that killed 2,000 people. Like me, you'll probably develop some concern regarding this and I'll tell you a spoiler right now because I will rage quit if the dog dies in a book and... well, I finished the book.
The ending is very abrupt if you're not reading the series as a whole, it gave me a little bit of whiplash but I imagine it really gets the kids reading. This book is great for young Christians who have a love for history and adventure. I enjoyed it, and this adventure was quite some fun!
3 / 5 Stars!
October 22, 2025
Very good
Awkward writing:
Junius fell to his knees and kissed the hem of Patrick’s tunic.
Patrick jumped back. "Stop that!" he said.
"It's customary for a slave to give thanks this way," Junius said. "You saved me from the dog."
Patrick took a closer look at Junius's tunic. It was plain white, the clothes of a slave.
"Please get up," Patrick said.
Junius obeyed.
"Where is your master?" Patrick asked
"My master has departed," Junius said.
Patrick remembered Junius. The slave said the villa had been "abandoned" by its owners.
Suddenly Patrick saw a familiar face a few yards away. Junius!
The slave was at the blacksmith's forge. He was handing money to the blacksmith.
The blacksmith handed Junius a knife.
Junius looked toward Patrick.
Patrick's and Junius's eyes locked.
The slave smiled slowly. He lifted the knife and pointed it at Patrick. Then he turned and raced away.
"Where is the slave boy?" Valen asked.
"He ran off with his stolen treasure,"
Patrick said with a frown.
Ends on a cliffhanger
Awkward writing:
Junius fell to his knees and kissed the hem of Patrick’s tunic.
Patrick jumped back. "Stop that!" he said.
"It's customary for a slave to give thanks this way," Junius said. "You saved me from the dog."
Patrick took a closer look at Junius's tunic. It was plain white, the clothes of a slave.
"Please get up," Patrick said.
Junius obeyed.
"Where is your master?" Patrick asked
"My master has departed," Junius said.
Patrick remembered Junius. The slave said the villa had been "abandoned" by its owners.
Suddenly Patrick saw a familiar face a few yards away. Junius!
The slave was at the blacksmith's forge. He was handing money to the blacksmith.
The blacksmith handed Junius a knife.
Junius looked toward Patrick.
Patrick's and Junius's eyes locked.
The slave smiled slowly. He lifted the knife and pointed it at Patrick. Then he turned and raced away.
"Where is the slave boy?" Valen asked.
"He ran off with his stolen treasure,"
Patrick said with a frown.
Ends on a cliffhanger
January 20, 2021
Great start to another multi-part saga.
March 10, 2021
Probably not for my age because i got 4 years ago as a gift from my church as i graduated from sunday school
August 3, 2021
Turtle re-read this series. She said: great! Return to library.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews