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Time Jumpers #4
Dodging Dinosaurs
A Branches Book
Time Jumpers Chase and Ava are heading to prehistoric times in this newest adventure from New York Times bestselling author, Wendy Mass!
Pick a book. Grow a Reader!
This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line, Branches, aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow!
Get ready for Chase and Ava's newest adventure! When they touch a dinosaur egg inside their magical suitcase, Chase and Ava jump back to prehistoric times! They'll need to work to return the egg to its rightful nesting place before they become dinosaur dinner. But bad guy Randall is still following them... Will they finally get some answers about this mysterious bad guy? Newly independent readers will eat up this time-travel series from New York Times bestselling author, Wendy Mass!
Time Jumpers Chase and Ava are heading to prehistoric times in this newest adventure from New York Times bestselling author, Wendy Mass!
Pick a book. Grow a Reader!
This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line, Branches, aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow!
Get ready for Chase and Ava's newest adventure! When they touch a dinosaur egg inside their magical suitcase, Chase and Ava jump back to prehistoric times! They'll need to work to return the egg to its rightful nesting place before they become dinosaur dinner. But bad guy Randall is still following them... Will they finally get some answers about this mysterious bad guy? Newly independent readers will eat up this time-travel series from New York Times bestselling author, Wendy Mass!
96 pages, Paperback
Published July 30, 2019
About the author
Wendy Mass
93 books3,689 followersWendy Mass is the author of thirty novels for young people, including A Mango-Shaped Space, which was awarded the Schneider Family Book Award, Leap Day, the Twice Upon a Time fairy tale series, Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall, the Willow Falls, Space Taxi and Candymakers series. Wendy wrote the storyline for an episode of the television show Monk, entitled "Mr. Monk Goes to the Theatre," which aired during the show's second season. She tells people her hobbies are hiking and photography, but really they're collecting candy bar wrappers and searching for buried treasure with her metal detector. Wendy lives with her family in New Jersey.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 4, 2020
Such a great series for kids.
July 4, 2020
This time Ava and Chase go way back--to the land of the dinosaurs!. They must return the dinosaur egg back to its nest. It is not without peril either. But what they discover when they go back I hope will start answering the questions I have. Of course, Randall goes back also but decides to quit his job and now I have more questions. When will they be answered?
I enjoy this series. I hope my great nephew does, too. There are a lot of questions I want answered. I want to understand this world better so I can really enjoy their travels.
I enjoy this series. I hope my great nephew does, too. There are a lot of questions I want answered. I want to understand this world better so I can really enjoy their travels.
September 9, 2019
This new series for Scholastic's Branches imprint for newly independent readers fills a niche for preK - Grade 3 students who aren't quite ready for text-only books or chapter books with few images. The Branches imprint has helped several nieces and nephews and students make the leap from beloved picture books to reading by themselves in chapter books.
In this fourth installment, Time Jumpers: Dodging Dinosaurs, a brother and sister use an artifact they pluck from a mysterious suitcase (given to them at a flea market) to travel back in time. Their fourth trip takes them back millions of years to the time of the dinosaurs, with a bad guy who seeks to ruin history hot on their trail. The plot definitely has some major holes, and resolutions of conflict are weird or sudden without proper development and reasoning. Astute readers will notice the inconsistencies, and that may detract from their enjoyment of the book.
This fourth installment does have a major plot advancement to the series's overall story arc, and that makes the series far more compelling for young readers to pursue. Because of the overall story arc, I would recommend readers tackle the series in order, though each book can technically be read as a standalone adventure.
The Time Jumpers series definitely borrows heavily from Magic Treehouse with some minor exceptions, and the narration feels improved over the first couple of books in the Time Jumper serices, though not as well done as the storytelling in the Dragon Masters series, which has become sort of a gold standard for me as far as the Branches books go, so I knocked off a star.
I also don't love series for young children that promote keeping secrets from their parents and going off on adventures on their own when dangerous adults are around and keep following them--I think it sets a bad example and that some children who read the series will get ideas for their own behavior that can jeopardize their safety. I have the same problem with Magic Treehouse. Parents should be aware of that aspect of the storyline and read through these books with their children and discuss those elements with them.
Overall, I like the series, and I think it will appeal to adventuresome boys and girls (precocious preschoolers through 3rd Graders), but I'm not sure how much re-readability it will have, though this book is better than prior installments as far as that goes.
In this fourth installment, Time Jumpers: Dodging Dinosaurs, a brother and sister use an artifact they pluck from a mysterious suitcase (given to them at a flea market) to travel back in time. Their fourth trip takes them back millions of years to the time of the dinosaurs, with a bad guy who seeks to ruin history hot on their trail. The plot definitely has some major holes, and resolutions of conflict are weird or sudden without proper development and reasoning. Astute readers will notice the inconsistencies, and that may detract from their enjoyment of the book.
This fourth installment does have a major plot advancement to the series's overall story arc, and that makes the series far more compelling for young readers to pursue. Because of the overall story arc, I would recommend readers tackle the series in order, though each book can technically be read as a standalone adventure.
The Time Jumpers series definitely borrows heavily from Magic Treehouse with some minor exceptions, and the narration feels improved over the first couple of books in the Time Jumper serices, though not as well done as the storytelling in the Dragon Masters series, which has become sort of a gold standard for me as far as the Branches books go, so I knocked off a star.
I also don't love series for young children that promote keeping secrets from their parents and going off on adventures on their own when dangerous adults are around and keep following them--I think it sets a bad example and that some children who read the series will get ideas for their own behavior that can jeopardize their safety. I have the same problem with Magic Treehouse. Parents should be aware of that aspect of the storyline and read through these books with their children and discuss those elements with them.
Overall, I like the series, and I think it will appeal to adventuresome boys and girls (precocious preschoolers through 3rd Graders), but I'm not sure how much re-readability it will have, though this book is better than prior installments as far as that goes.
July 27, 2019
{My thoughts} – Time Jumpers is such a fun series. It reminds me a lot of the Ranger in Time books. It’s just a little different, due to it’s children and people being sent back in time instead of just an animal.
The illustrations within the pages of this book help to add to the wonderfulness of the story. I love how they go hand and hand and have the ability to help keep the child engaged in what they are reading or being read. It is always fun to have a visual of what you are reading, even if it isn’t quite the same as you’ve imagined yourself.
Chase and Ava get to go back to the time of the dinosaurs. Chase is the most excited. While they are there, they have another encounter with Randall who once again tries to stop them from placing the object back into it’s correct timeline. They however, are able to come to an agreement and then Randall goes on his way.
Both Chase and Ava are hoping this will be the end of Randall stopping or trying to stop them from replacing objects. However, only time will tell if that is or is not the case. I look forward to seeing what their next adventure is going to be, as this was a fun book to read and so far I have really enjoyed the series in a whole. I cannot wait until my little ones are ready to read these or have them read to them!
The illustrations within the pages of this book help to add to the wonderfulness of the story. I love how they go hand and hand and have the ability to help keep the child engaged in what they are reading or being read. It is always fun to have a visual of what you are reading, even if it isn’t quite the same as you’ve imagined yourself.
Chase and Ava get to go back to the time of the dinosaurs. Chase is the most excited. While they are there, they have another encounter with Randall who once again tries to stop them from placing the object back into it’s correct timeline. They however, are able to come to an agreement and then Randall goes on his way.
Both Chase and Ava are hoping this will be the end of Randall stopping or trying to stop them from replacing objects. However, only time will tell if that is or is not the case. I look forward to seeing what their next adventure is going to be, as this was a fun book to read and so far I have really enjoyed the series in a whole. I cannot wait until my little ones are ready to read these or have them read to them!
March 5, 2024
From book 1 to book 4. I’m a series traveler, haha. I’m trying to imagine myself as a parent. I’ve got nephews so I gauge when I’d slip this in for them to read. The problem is timing. By the time it would feel appropriate for them to start on this I can think of several other novels to waste their time instead. On the other hand this would work well as introducing the idea of chapter novels.
You never can tell what will grab one’s attention so who am I to judge. The art is still simple and clean. And I guess dinos are a great way to go. It’s been a short stay Time Jumpers, good luck on those adventures my dudes.
You never can tell what will grab one’s attention so who am I to judge. The art is still simple and clean. And I guess dinos are a great way to go. It’s been a short stay Time Jumpers, good luck on those adventures my dudes.
April 2, 2020
Per my 6 year old:
“I like this book because the baby brontosaurus was SOOO cute. I liked that I could see a REAL brontosaurus. One more thing, that I was happy that Randall was a little bit of a bad guy, but not too much of a bad guy.”
This was a great series to read to my son. Kept him invested in a way that the Magic Treehouse books have stopped doing. Fun to read.
“I like this book because the baby brontosaurus was SOOO cute. I liked that I could see a REAL brontosaurus. One more thing, that I was happy that Randall was a little bit of a bad guy, but not too much of a bad guy.”
This was a great series to read to my son. Kept him invested in a way that the Magic Treehouse books have stopped doing. Fun to read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2019
Loved it! In this book, our main characters go back in time to the prehistoric era with dinosaurs which makes for quite an adventure! Can’t wait for this series to continue !
August 17, 2020
4 1/2 stars. Wrapped up the series well, but also left room if Ms. Mass decides to write more (which I hope will happen because my son loves these books).
October 11, 2020
I find the continual plot more interesting than in the Magic Treehouse series, but it lacks the Magic Treehouse series’ educational value.
August 17, 2021
My son and I really want there to be more in this series!
January 29, 2023
Dinosaur lovers will enjoy this book! Time jumpers takes kids on fun adventures.
Read
August 2, 2022Lexile®: 640L, 6207W, 90%, 6y5m
September 2, 2023
From my 6-year old:
It was a great book. I don't know what I liked about it, but it was great.
It was a great book. I don't know what I liked about it, but it was great.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews