The Magic Tunnel

by Caroline D. Emerson

Two children ride the subway to Battery Park to see the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. They somehow enter a magic tunnel-and find themselves in the year 1664, in old New Amsterdam.

The children experience history at first hand and have exciting adventures. But will they ever find their way back home?

Genres: Time Travel, Historical Fiction, New York, Fantasy, Childrens, Middle Grade, Historical

123 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1940

Reviews

[Cfc Fc · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book as a child. I grew up in NYC and I think this also was one of the main things thatbegan my love affair with history and re-enactment and historical fiction. Love this book.

[Mike Polsky]

Very good book. I learnt a lot from this book.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I enjoyed it just as much as I did when I read it in 5 th grade. Found my scholastic book copy just 45 cents on the shelf.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading this in grade school. I wasn't old enough to take the subway on my own, but took it with my family. What sticks in my mind is the train going through the tunnel, passing the existing subway stops with the street numbers and then passing the years until they reach the 1600s when New York is New Amsterdam. I don't remember what happens in New Amsterdam even though that was most of the story, but am rating 4 stars since if I remember that much after 40+ years it must have been good to make this much of an impression.

[Sheherazahde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah and John make a wish while in a subway train under New York City and are transported to New Amsterdam in 1664.

I loved this book as a child. The details stuck with me: not having forks and sleeping in cupboards in the wall. It's a great way to learn about early colonial history.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as a fifth grader and loved it. I hope everyone enjoys this book. It is for kids, but I think it would be great for adults to read for an adventure also.

[Myra Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a childhood favorite of mine. I have kept it on my bookshelf for over 35 years now because I love it so much. I have read it multiple times over the years.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two children travel back in time to New Amsterdam (before it was New York City) and discover what life was like in the new colony.

This was the kind of book I loved as a child. Written in the 1940s, this particular book surprised me in still being relevant today - the children are dissatisfied and bickering and then are just...children, sometimes thoughtless and irresponsible in their new location back in time.

I liked how this story was told, perhaps in part because it brought back fond memories of when I was a child, but also because it was fun and interesting to see life in this portion of history. They even managed somehow to get aboard a ship, which I thought was a neat trick.

If you stumble across this little treasure, it's worth a quick read if you love children's books that take you back in time. Sure it's a little too much of the 'good' aspect to the time period, but as children this is the kind of book we wanted, that made us want to embrace the past, and not be filled with a smug superiority that today is better, which so much historical fiction has now.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book in my grandmother's basement and read it in one afternoon. It's a fun little story, really pings my nostalgic love of adventure-especially cousin adventures! The plot was fairly simplistic and straightforward, but I liked how it showed the duality of such an adventure: the kids lived it up and had all the fun in the world until the first day ended, forcing them to deal with the very Puritanical and strict mores of the time period. And of course going back home wasn't going to be easy, considering which PART of the 1600s they were in!

The characters were pretty adorable, too, even for 1940s gender stereotypes. And even Sarah didn't live up to hers for that long, after she got into the spirit of things. My favorite part will always be their adventure in the wilderness, with the clams and everything.

I definitely recommend this for anyone who likes old lit, or wants a good magical adventure story.

[Penn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well done! Older book that I must have purchased used when my children were young, but never read. Really quite good.

[Rachel Armington · Rating 5 out of 5]

My thirty year old son and I were discussing books that mattered to us as children. There were two for me, and I couldn't remember the titles of either of them! Eventually, through many Google searches, I tracked this down. I bought a copy on eBay that was probably printed the same year as the one I read back in 1967 (yes, the binding was falling apart as I turned the pages).
Truly, I wasn't expecting much rereading it 57 years later, but I still love it. There was one awkwardly written part (John's wampum could've been mentioned at an earlier point) but that certainly didn't stand out to me when I was a child.
Now I just have to find the other book...

[MaryAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eureka! I'm adding this here so that I'll never lose it again. For years I have wracked my brain to try to remember the title of this book that I loved as a child. I have done multiple searches, but without enough to enter, I always came up empty, but tonight, I found it on Goodreads! I wish I could have had it when I had kids in the house or to read it in the classroom. I might just buy it to read it again for myself--my very first book about time travel.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun book about time traveling to the past to when New York was New Amsterdam. The tale told through the eyes of two children reveals a lot about the cities past and the way of life for the Dutch who settled here.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet, good, historical fiction that has sat on my shelf for years and I just now read. So glad I did. Wonderful story on the start on New York City

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun (and slightly silly) way to learn a little history from an adolescent perspective.

[Kristin]

Super cute, quick read. History of New York

[Regine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming introduction to children’s life in New Amsterdam.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite books as a child. It was one of the first time travel stories I read and it stuck with me through the years. It was wonderful to learn more about New Amsterdam!

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mom used to read this book to us kids in hotels when we were little! I adore this book.

[Sheherazahde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah and John make a wish while in a subway train under New York City and are transported to New Amsterdam in 1664.

I loved this book as a child. The details stuck with me: not having forks and sleep

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this to read for our New York trip. It was a great book to read if you are going to New York. It took you back to the beginning of New York and gave a good overview. I liked hearing of places I'd seen and been and could imagine.

[Joe Pfeiler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still enjoy this one.

[Sharon Buxton · Rating 3 out of 5]

B-. children's fiction, historical fiction, New Amsterdam. mom's stash, discard