The Dining and Social Club for Time Travellers

Gr 4–6—The lofty title and lush cover of this novel, which imply a steampunk-themed adventure, with maybe a bit of Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" thrown in, are a bit of a mismatch for the story that lies within. Instead, this is the story of a young, newly orphaned girl, Louisa, set in modern-day (or at least close to modern-day) France. Louisa has been sent to live with her Grandpa George, whom readers meet as a child during the first chapters. Grandpa George and Louisa make the difficult decision to send her to school in Paris, where she will live with George's distant cousin Hignard. On the train to Paris, Louisa discovers a strange object in her coat pocket and experiences her first bit of time travel. This is where the narrative becomes confusing. Characters with difficult names pop in and out, and several story lines go on at once but never truly connect. The dining and social club in the title makes a brief appearance midway through the book but does not figure back into the story until the very end. The book is illustrated with line drawings that are bit too cartoonish for the language and tone.