Athelstan and the Time Tunnel

by Debi Evans, Chantal Bourgonje (Illustrator)

Rolo is a rescued dog with a secret; he time travels, popping up during events in history and sometimes influencing their outcome; he blogs and shares nature notes and countryside wisdom - all unbeknown to his owners! Aimed at 7-11 year olds and anyone with a sense of humour who loves dogs.

182 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2014

About the author

Mother, former Scout Leader and bookseller of Child's Play International books. Co-author of The Secret Society of Dragon Protectors fantasy adventure books. Author of The Secret Adventures of Rolo family adventure stories with historical and nature nots woven in. Rolo is a rescued dog who discovers he has the ability to time travel through a tunnel in an ancient woodland. He is also a dog who blogs. Free primary school visits to KS2 in the UK where practical.

Reviews

[Michelle Lamude · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the beginning of the book we are introduced to Rolo, the Jack Russell Terrier, who has been collected from the Dogs Trust by a smiley lady and her son, the floppy haired boy, and taken to his forever home. Rolo shares his thoughts on his new home, the strange things at the bottom of the garden and something odd under the decking.

Soon Rolo has settled into his new home and is ready for some adventure. Whilst smiley lady and floppy haired boy are asleep, Rolo sneaks out of the house and becomes a secret messenger. He meets Athelstan, a gatekeeper of a time tunnel under a special tree, who assigns Rolo very important tasks back in time. Rolo is sent to discover lots of significant historical events, and delivers important messages to the people of that time. From the English civil war to great fires and the blitz of London.

This book was such a delight to read. Debi’s writing style gives Rolo a chatty, cheeky character which all pet owners will relate to. Although aimed at 8-12 year olds this can also be enjoyed by adults. This would make a great bedtime story book for parents with children. Each chapter is a new adventure, with lots of fascinating facts and historical events. I understand Rolo’s adventure books are a big hit with teachers and is often read as a classroom read.

Rolo is a cheeky, cheerful character that children will love. Perfect for children in the 8-12 year age range. Highly recommend that parents join in too, you’ll learn some interesting facts about history I bet you never knew. Every day’s a school day right.

[L · Rating 1 out of 5]

I came across this series in a secondhand bookstore. Thinking the cover cute, I picked up the first book with semi-high hopes. To my dismay, however, I found the book dull and not very believable (a dog that goes on adventures through a time tunnel and can type on a computer…yeah, very realistic.)

[Emma Sollis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may have been written for older children but I loved it and enjoyed seeing where Rolo would end up next!

[Debi Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Books with lots of interesting adventures.