Hey Kid, Want to Buy a Bridge?

Time Warp Trio #11

by Jon Scieszka, Adam McCauley (Illustrator)

The Time Warp Trio is staying home for once, and Joe's got a perfect way to keep The Book from getting lost. But when the guys find themselves stuck on top of the half-finished Brooklyn Bridge, they realize that Joe's foolproof Book Tracker wasn't so foolproof after all. Now the guys have to make their way through 1877 Brooklyn and find The Book before they un-invent the lightbulb, the phonograph and&150oh, no!&150baseball!

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Fantasy, Humor, Adventure, Chapter Books, Historical Fiction

74 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Jon Scieszka is an American children's writer, best known for picture books created with the illustrator Lane Smith. He is also a nationally recognized reading advocate, and the founder of Guys Read – a web-based literacy program for boys whose mission is "to help boys become self-motivated, lifelong readers."

Reviews

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because I liked the part when they escaped the bridge guard and Mr.Mug.😆 I didn't like this book because I do not like bridge guards.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is also part of a series, The Time Warp Trio, has elements of Historical Fiction and Fantasy. But mostly it struck me as funny and quirky, and I especially like it because the series is literally about how a book (The Book, in this case) can take you anywhere. I've usually enjoyed Jon Scieszka's odd sense of humor, beginning with the Stinky Cheese man when I was in Middle School myself. And this was no disappointment.
I think this would appeal cross-genders, but the fact that the main trio is a group of boys might make it especially appealing to boys. In this particular book, the boys are joined by their great-granddaughters. Readers interested in laughing, in time-travel, or in exploring new lands might like this book. This is probably more appealing to the upper elementary end of our reading spectrum for this class.
Nothing noticeably objectionable.

[Children's Literature · Rating 4 out of 5]

What would life be like if Thomas Edison never invented the light bulb? Sam, Fred, and Joe find out when The Book transports them to New York City in 1877. The only problem is that New York City in 1877 looks totally different than New York City now, and Thomas Edison is so confused that he can barely say three sentences, much less invent the light bulb! The Trio team up with their great-granddaughters to find The Book and help Edison get back to normal. Will they succeed, or will we be left in the dark? What other important inventions can you think of? What would life today be like without them? If you could invent something that would change the world, what would it be and how would it work?

[Jenny Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of the better books in the series. The trio goes back to the victorian period while the Brooklyn Bridge is being built. While historical details are still rather sparse, this is still fun.

Check out my YouTube channel for bookish videos and monthly wrap ups!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joe, Fred, and Sam are attempting to visit their great-granddaughters again, but instead they wind up in New York before the Brooklyn Bridge is completed. Another fun one where we learn a little bit more about the mystery of the book.

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't see kids enjoying this book unless they have some connection to NYC, then... maybe. The addition of the three main character great granddaughters is weird and confusing.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one. The granddaughters jump in time and meet the main characters in this book. It’s about the San Francisco bridge

[Teresa Bowman · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot is strange and disjointed in this one, probably the worst TWT book I've read.

[Marion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun idea and history mixed in.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the eleventh book in the Time Warp Trio series by Jon Scieszka. We've been slowly working our way through the series and we really enjoy these stories.

This tale takes us to the boys' hometown of Brooklyn in the 1800s to witness the design and initial construction of the Brooklyn bridge and meet Thomas Alva Edison. I love that their great-granddaughters are part of the adventure, too.

Overall, it's a fairly typical book for the series, filled with silliness and a little dangerous drama. We really enjoyed reading it together and look forward to the next book in the series.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing thrills me more than reading a book that loves my hometown of Brooklyn. This book is a quick fun romp through time back to the late 1870s when the Brooklyn Bridge was under construction. There are fun facts peppered throughout the book, like who Thomas Alva Edison was and some of his famous inventions, who created the Brooklyn Bridge, and about Brooklyn itself.

This was my first experience with a Time Warp Trio book, and I really enjoyed it. I do think I'll be reading all the others.

Why did I read a kids book? I was hoping to entice my son into reading it with me, so I read the first three chapters aloud to him. He wasn't interested so he was sent to his room. I finished the book. ;-D

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Time Warp Trio travels back in time to 1877 Brooklyn. As they travel through their neighborhood they see how things were then. It bring the history to life for the reader when being seen by a similar perspective.
It's a good suppliment to the industrial revolution or inventors/inventions. An activity to go along with this book would be for the students to design their own inventions.

[Jenny Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun story in the Time Warp Trio series about 3 boys that accidentally travel back in time to 1877, yet remain in their Brooklyn neighborhood. They also accidentally suck their 3 great-granddaughters into their adventure, whom they met before in the series book 2095.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

AR 3.9 -- 1.0

Enjoyed the book. Helps one to understand how different New York was 100 years ago.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time warp trio and the Brooklyn Bridge. Kids end up with their ggranddaughters. Play a baseball game and get home.

[Christine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm confused with it.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

2/8/14 3.5