Carpe Librum

I was in need of a light read, so I grabbed this from my kids' shelf. For middle grade readers, it may be a 4-star, for me a 3.

This is the second book in Haddix's series that features endangered children from history who are kidnapped by time travelers in order to protect them from their fate. Being taken by time traveling children is as plausible of a theory as some I've heard regarding the Princes in the Tower, so why not?

Having not read the first novel, in which a group of children discover that this is what has happened to them, I was missing a little bit of background. It seems that these children are slowly being told who they really are because their 21st century parents have raised them as normal kids.

Therefore, instead of Edward and Richard, we have Chip and Alex. Once they travel back to the 15th century, they begin remembering who they really are and have to battle with their desire to go "back to the future" or take their chances in the circumstances that didn't go so well the first time.

Though Richard III is originally portrayed as a villain, the author does something different with this story than anything I have read before. It is unique, if not much more plausible than time travelling children.

What is great about this book and the remainder of the series that follows it is that it gets kids interested in history. Obviously, this book does not give substantial detail about the Wars of the Roses, but it is a teaser that could get kids looking for more.

A good, quick read that I would definitely recommend for kids 10-13 who are interested in history....or Doctor Who ;-)