Time Spies Series
By Candice Ransom
There is a new intermediate series by Candice Ransom that I believe will appeal to fans of The Magic Tree House books. The series is called Time Spies, so far there are 7 books available (the library has the first three so far). As I read these books I was reminded somewhat of the classic Ruth Chew books; kids find a magic something and begin their adventures. To summarize the series: Mattie, Alex and Sophie Chapman and their parents move to an inn in the Virginia countryside. As the new owners of the Gray Horse Inn, the Chapman kids have a lot of exploring to do. They are immediately drawn into adventure when they discover a secret door in a the only room on the third floor. On the other side of the door is an ancient desk also with secret compartment. Here they find a brass spyglass. When all three kids are touching the spyglass they are transported to a different place and time where they must figure out their mission and complete it before returning home. At the end of each book there is a Time Spy Mission, an activity that the readers can do at home. In the first book, Secret in the Tower, they visit a Revolutionary War battlefront. The reader learns how to make invisible ink with lemon juice. In the second book, Bones in the Badlands, they visit Wyoming in the late 1800's when paleontologists were uncovering numerous fossils. The associated activity is how to make plaster casts of tracks. The third book, Giant in the Garden, the kids visit the fairy tale world of a Blue Ridge Mountain version of Jack and the Beanstalk. This is followed by an activity involving growing mystery seeds. A fun series that the kids will probably like a lot more than adults simply because they are rather formulaic, though they are well-written.
By Candice Ransom
There is a new intermediate series by Candice Ransom that I believe will appeal to fans of The Magic Tree House books. The series is called Time Spies, so far there are 7 books available (the library has the first three so far). As I read these books I was reminded somewhat of the classic Ruth Chew books; kids find a magic something and begin their adventures. To summarize the series: Mattie, Alex and Sophie Chapman and their parents move to an inn in the Virginia countryside. As the new owners of the Gray Horse Inn, the Chapman kids have a lot of exploring to do. They are immediately drawn into adventure when they discover a secret door in a the only room on the third floor. On the other side of the door is an ancient desk also with secret compartment. Here they find a brass spyglass. When all three kids are touching the spyglass they are transported to a different place and time where they must figure out their mission and complete it before returning home. At the end of each book there is a Time Spy Mission, an activity that the readers can do at home. In the first book, Secret in the Tower, they visit a Revolutionary War battlefront. The reader learns how to make invisible ink with lemon juice. In the second book, Bones in the Badlands, they visit Wyoming in the late 1800's when paleontologists were uncovering numerous fossils. The associated activity is how to make plaster casts of tracks. The third book, Giant in the Garden, the kids visit the fairy tale world of a Blue Ridge Mountain version of Jack and the Beanstalk. This is followed by an activity involving growing mystery seeds. A fun series that the kids will probably like a lot more than adults simply because they are rather formulaic, though they are well-written.
Comments
You won't be disappointed!
Candice Ransom
You may be interested in my blog for the series called Ellsworth's Journal. It's told from the point of view of Ellsworth, the stuffed elephant, and Winchester the cat. They discuss books, history, food, and life. The photos are very cute! http://ellsworthsjournal.blogspot.com.
Candice Ransom