Flashback Four, #1
Written by Dan Gutman
Due to the great success of the Magic Tree House books, it isn’t a surprise that a similar series would be created. Gutman attempts this with the Flashback Four – four kids from the present sent back to time to take a picture of famous moments in the past . Miss Z is a billionaire who is fascinated with history. She pays scientists to create the technology to send people back in time. She chooses Luke, David, Julia, and Isabel, all twelve-year olds, to be her guinea pig helpers. The kids agree to Miss Z’s scheme and go back to witness Lincoln’s Gettysburg address. They accidentally go a day too early and then the problems start. One kid gets lost, they get arrested, and more. Some of it is hokey: Miss Z’s assistant is Ella Vader. Ya, I know. The story feels a bit forced (without the wrong day mishap, the story would be over in a few pages). It takes 100 pages to set the scene, so readers will have to be patient. The story itself is okay and it is another way for students to learn about history, so it has its place in a school library. Hopefully the books will improve as Gutman hits his stride.
Review by Teresa Edmunds, Westbrook Elementary Media Center
Rating: ★★★✩✩ (3 stars)
Interest Level: Grades 3-6
Flashback Four, #1
The Lincoln Project
Written by Dan Gutman
Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
224 pages
Release Date: February 23, 2016
A review copy was provided by the publisher.
