On the Run in Ancient China

The Time Travel Guides

by Linda Bailey, Bill Slavin (Illustrator)

It's the tantalizing smell of Chinese food that's enticed the Binkerton children back into the creepy Good Times Travel Agency. Sure, the fried noodles are delicious, but then the shop owner pulls another one of his mysterious guidebooks off his shelf and before they can stop him, he's sent the children hurtling back in time once again. This time they land in first-century China, where little Libby quickly manages to slip away from Josh and Emma in an official carriage headed to the capital city. But while she's living the ancient China high life with nobility, the twins get mistaken for barbarian spies and soon they're being chased by imperial guards! Will the twins manage to find Libby, and their way back home, before the guards catch up to them?

This graphic novel from the critically acclaimed time-travel series by award-winning duo Linda Bailey and Bill Slavin offers a fun read with a terrific historical overview of ancient China. Bailey's fast-paced narrative is quirky and funny. The fun device of featuring excerpts from an engagingly-written guidebook on every page keeps the key historical facts and figures easy to digest. Slavin's detailed and humorous illustrations are pitch perfect for the story. Thoroughly researched, this book would be an excellent companion to social studies and history lessons, encompassing politics and government, philosophy, science and technology, travel and trade, civic rights and responsibilities, community and traditions. The back matter includes an index, further resources and six pages of additional information about ancient China.

Genres: China, History, Childrens, World History, Historical

56 pages, Paperback

Published May 7, 2019

About the author

I was born and grew up in Winnipeg —a daydreamer with her nose in a book. In my twenties, I traveled around the world, mostly by ship. Later, I moved to Vancouver, where I earned a B.A. and M.Ed. at the University of British Columbia. Among my jobs were travel agent, college teacher, instructional designer and editor.

For years, I dabbled with writing. But I didn't begin to write in earnest until I had two young daughters. My first book was published in 1992, and I have since written more than thirty others, including novels, picture books and non-fiction.

I live in Vancouver, a short walk from the sea. I write full-time and still love to travel, read and daydream.
- Source

Series:
* Stanley
* Stevie Diamond Mystery
* Good Times Travel Agency

Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Juvenile (1997): How Can a Frozen Detective Stay Hot on the Trail?
◊ Best Juvenile (2000): How Can a Brilliant Detective Shine in the Dark?

Reviews

[Amit Verma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is great informative and enjoyable story which has Bikerstones as main protaganists, who accidentally enter a noodle shop and end up being caught in the magic of a travel book.
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This book takes them to ancient China of times of Han dynasty and their epic run stsrts to find their sister Libby who seperates from them and reaches in emperor's palace.
Illustrations are gorgeous and captions are very interesting and enjoyable. Book details fascinating facts about ancient china, its rulers, its inventions, countrylife, its farming, palace, king, officials, families and many other facts about society.

It also depicts contribution of china like paper, silk route, kite, painting etc.
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Description of nomads who attacked from north side is very informative and so is description of the great wall.
Art work is excellent and reader never gets bored with captions.
Interesting, captivating and informative book for any history enthusiast and good graphic novel lover.
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Thanks to #edelweissplus and author for review copy in exchange of honest review.

[Rick Silva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short educational graphic novel for kids, part of the Time Travel Guides series. The general format has the fictional comic story at the top of each page, while the bottom half has a writeup of the relevant historical and cultural facts.

In terms of plot, this resembles Mary Pope Osborne's Magic Tree House series. Three kids, Emma, Josh, and Libby, enter a magical (time-) travel agency and are transported back in time to Han-dynasty China. Mayhem ensues when the youngest is found by a traveling nobleman and taken to the Emperor's court. Meanwhile, the two older siblings accidentally stumble on the secret of silk-making and quickly become wanted fugitives.

The story whisks the kids through an array of scenes, showing life and culture during the time period, while the kids get into more and more trouble as they go.

The illustrations looked good, but the story was mostly about the older two siblings trying to reunite with Libby and escape, and the frantic pace of it loses some of the sense of wonder. The story comes to its expected reset, without much more than superficial character development, and some of the historical prose felt a bit dry. Libby, who actually enjoys most of her adventures, is the highlight of the story, but her plotline gets excessively silly at times.

[Laura Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the Run in Ancient China combines fiction and nonfiction elements, as well as illustrations in a fun, entertaining way. The Binkerton children are visiting a travel agency together when all three unexpectedly travel through a travel guide to Ancient China. Once there, the older twins lose their little sister Libby. In trying to find her (she's safe with a government official and having a much easier time of things), they of course learn about many different aspects of life in Ancient China, including food, Chinese inventions, Chinese medicine and more. When they accidentally see some women working with silk worms (top secret information!), they are chased to the Emperor's palace where they find Libby. They must try to escape back to their own time period without losing their heads!

With a funny, conversational tone throughout and slapstick comedy, this is a quick, fun read. Includes a short (but useful) index, resources for further research and some additional information that helps explain Ancient China and the adventure.

[Susan]

Three siblings wander into a mysterious shop, open a book, and fall in...sounds familiar, but this series (I'm assuming it's a series) is really aimed at educating kids on the history involved. It has lots of sidebars about life in ancient China (or wherever the book is set for the rest of the series...I'm guessing) but enough of a plot for it to read very similarly to Magic Tree House.

Recommended, except I really hated the way it talked about girls and women in ancient China...

"If you're a girl in ancient China, you'll be expected to be obedient. When you're young, you'll have to obey your parents. When you get married, you'll have to obey your husband and *his* parents. You won't get to do much thinking and choosing for yourself. But cheer up! Things will improve when you get old."

Because filial piety, they go on to explain...but how does that make it any better? It doesn't. You're still property. Ugh. Don't try to make it *better* or dismiss the very real issues there, it sucked, just state it how it is.

[Amanda Sanders · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fiction/nonfiction combination book about Ancient China. There is a fiction story about siblings time traveling and there are facts about Ancient China on every page. The fiction story is too similar to the other book in the series. I don't like the fact that the author doesn't explain how the characters from different times and different countries can understand each other. I understand magic, but I think the language barrier needs to be addressed. The facts about Ancient China interfere with the flow of the story instead of helping it along. I wasn't impressed with any facts until I got to the one about kites near the end. That was great. I also feel like the author may be insulting the intelligence of the intended audience occasionally. The readers probably don't need to be told which part is fiction and which is nonfiction.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Magic Treehouse type of book written for older readers tells the stories of siblings who get whisked back in time to the Han Dynasty in Ancient China through a mysterious book they open inside an old travel agency. The book is in a comic format and tells the fictional tale of the siblings trying to get back home while also telling the factual history of Ancient China. Some of the topics covered are farming, medicine, and inventions as well as famous places such as the Silk Road and the Great Wall. Would be a fun complement to a unit of study on Ancient China.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars means I liked it, but I think that's pushing it. I didn't hate it, but it really doesn't work well for me. I appreciated some of the facts, but it doesn't make sense that there aren't language issues and the fictional storyline is so far fetched that it was interfering with my reading. Some helpful information though.

[Barbra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again Linda Bailey hits the learning target right in the centre. I love all the time travel with the Binkertons. Illustrations are fun and lively and the information is concise and easy to read. Great for non fiction lovers and students studying Ancient times.

[Lisa Day · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will like the seris by Linda Bailey. There is a mix of fact and fiction told through kids who travel back in time and can't return to the present until they have read an entire book about the time period.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.