Stuck in the Stone Age

Stuck in the Stone Age
Written by Geoff Rodkey
Illustrated by Hatem Aly
Rodale Kids, 2018. Fiction, 268 p.

This book is presented by "The Story Pirates" who believe that children have the best ideas. They decided to have a contest for children to submit ideas that Rodkey would turn into a full-length story. Vince Boberski won the contest! An illustrated Pirate Captain and Vince Boberski appear throughout the story referring to writing tips with page references that guide the reader to a writing handbook in the back. Kids everywhere are encouraged to use the tips and turn their own awesome ideas into stories to share with others.

The main story follows Tom Edison (not the inventor of the light bulb!) who loves science, as he tries to get a job at CEASE (the Center for Extremely Advanced Science Experiments). Not really gifted in the area of science at all, he is promised if he takes the job of janitor (which has been impossible to fill due to its dangerous nature) he will be able to become a scientist with time. He meets Dr. Marisa Morice, and together, in a strange turn of events, they end up in 10,000 B. C. in a time machine created by another scientist. After the time machine disappears, without them in it, they go on the the adventure of figuring out how they will get back to the present time alive!

A fun little adventure with great tips for kids who want to be writers. It inspires everyone that a simple idea can be turned into a story, it doesn't matter how old you are or how much experience you have.

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