Risked

Gr 5–8—Jonah and his sister Katherine are time travelers who seem to have finally gotten a chance to stay in one place for a little while. Jonah decides to take the opportunity to research his background and see what he can find out his true identity. In the process, he comes across information about the Romanov children, and barely has time to wonder if he is actually Alexei Romanov before he, Katherine, and their friend Chip are sent back in time to 1918 to the very house where the Romanov family are hiding after the Russian Revolution. Will Jonah and Katherine be able to change the course of history and save them? Chris Sorensen's pace and emotion help to bring the story to life for his audience, and he easily conveys the excitement in certain parts of the story. Haddix discusses her research into the actual Romanov family and how she created characters based on real people in the author's note at the end of the work (S & S, 2013). This gem will intrigue and captivate historical fiction fans or any readers who love adventure, excitement, and edge-of-your-seat suspense.—Katy Charles, Virgil Elementary School, Cortland, NY