Time Switch

by Matt Chamings

It is July 1879. In a hillside cemetery a small white coffin is lowered into the ground. Almost 125 years later, Jed Stokes starts to see the figure of a boy hanging around his house. As Jed explores further, his detective work takes him across the generations - and beyond the grave.

Genres: History

288 pages, Paperback

First published May 6, 2004

Reviews

[Monica Fastenau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time Switch is a kids’ book that involves two perspectives: one in 1879 and the other in 2000. In 1879, Edward and his twelve-year-old brother Will are experimenting with a machine that Edward invented (*spoiler alert, I guess, although you can probably guess from the title: it’s a time machine). In 2000, Jed, fourteen, and Lizzie, thirteen, have moved with their family to a new part of town and are trying to make friends and settle in. When their lives intersect, Jed and Lizzie must try to help Will get back to his own time, but long-lost relatives and mysterious authorities make the process a race against time (see what I did there?).

The kids (and Edward) struggle with the ethics of time travel, as they see the consequences of their actions in reshaping the lives of people around them. The way the story was resolved was, in my opinion, one of the best time travel resolutions I’ve ever seen. It mostly made sense, and (*actual spoiler here*) the characters don’t forget everything that happened! I love that.

Read more on my blog: http://newberyandbeyond.com/book-revi...

[Ley Holloway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this a few years ago, Matt is a colleague so was interested to see what he'd written. I enjoyed it and thought it very well written and engaging. It is a children's book but don't dismiss it for that reason. The follow up, The Medici Curse, is equally excellent.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the best books I read. very interesting story, I liked it a lot!! I wasn't bored for a second, it was very well written from my point of view.
I loved the story, the characters, the dialogues, especially between father and children, the fact that two female characters were the ones who solved an important part of the mystery, which rarely happens in books, unfortunately, the heroes are mostly men. I don't know, it was a very interesting book, different from what I have read.

Love it 😍

[Oishiki Das · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book from a second hand book fair. A story about time traveling. After reading it, i can say this is a book , lost in the crowd. It has a solid plotline. The writing is also very good. Though, I think the end could be better , hence 4star.
I wish more people would read this book.

[RJC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written, a page Turner although it did have a few inconsistencies with the alternate histories towards the end. Enjoyed it.

[Belinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read it awhile ago but remember enjoying the book. It was well written and well thought out thematically. I think it is a really good read for 10-13 yr olds, giving some interesting insights into life pre tv etc.

[Mayank Saboo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book long ago when Libraries were still in fashion. The story is really worth telling and Matt Chamings has done a wonderful job constructing the characters, but Time Switch falls short to a dissatisfying end.

[Andrew Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ought to declare that I know Matt ~ he's a great guy. My view of his book is that is a great read but I would've thought mainly for younger readers ~ a good yarn though!