The Absolutely Amazing Adventures of Agent Auggie Spinoza

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The Absolutely Amazing Adventures of Agent Auggie Spinoza

by Steven Stickler (Goodreads Author)

3.73 of 5 stars 3.73 · rating details · 40 ratings · 20 reviews

Auggie Spinoza is a ten-year-old boy with a secret: he is a special agent who can travel through time. Now, he finds himself locked in a desperate battle against evil forces trying to change the course of history. To defeat them, Auggie must pursue a dangerous quest to find a set of mysterious clues hidden in the past.

With the help of a clever new friend and advice from a...more

Paperback, 184 pages

Published March 21st 2012 by CreateSpace (first published January 3rd 2012)

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Mar 08, 2012 The Cheap Reader rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review-requests-netgalley, self-published-indie

Wow, talk about a fun book. The best way I can describe the book is it’s kind of like Spy Kids mixed with time travel. I don’t know about you but I think that sounds awesome. It takes my favorite aspects of MG books and mixes them all together. It’s got kids who have to save the world. It’s got a secret organization that keeps the world moving smoothly. It’s got riddles that you need to solve to save everything. Bonus fun: Auggie and Emily have to travel through time to do all of it.

Sure the ide...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 04, 2012 Erik This Kid Reviews Books rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Not every almost-ten-year old gets to be a secret agent. Auggie Spinoza discovers he is not only a secret agent, but he’s a Time Watcher. Time Watchers travel through time to keep bad guys from changing history. Auggie went back in time and met Emily Nicole Emerson, another Time Watcher who apparently was there for the same reason as Auggie - to stop the evil Time Vultures from taking over the world! Emily and Auggie need to go back in time to stop the Time Vultures from taking over. They will h...more

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Apr 14, 2012 Melanie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I received a copy of The Absolutely Amazing Adventures of Agent Auggie Spinoza in exchange for a review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and find myself itching to recommend it to people from the ages of 8 to 78. The fact that it is a kid's book means nothing to me because it is well written and enjoyable. E-N-J-O-Y-A-B-L-E. As an adult, I do have some issues with the storyline, the villainous characters, and some of the time traveling aspects. However, if you look at this story for what it is, a...more

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May 10, 2012 Charina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: y-a

Clever.

I love this book! I don’t know if it is because my inner child is a nerd, just like I was as a child, but I love this book. I was a little nervous when I started reading it. The author told me that the book was aimed at kids in the 10-11 yr. old age range. After I started reading, I couldn’t put the book down.

CHARACTERS: I love the characters! Talk about creativity; they pulled me in. I also like how the villains had a tangible distinctive trait. It was not just the fact that they were e...more

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Mar 31, 2012 Clare Ashton rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This young adult book by Steven Stickler has the best beginning to a book that I’ve read in a long time and I think it would capture the interest of anyone of any age. It starts with a letter that takes the reader into the author’s confidence and starts to relate a story that has been kept under wraps – who can resist someone telling them a secret?

This book is very clearly written, funny and has a good pace, ideal for its intended audience and making it a quick enjoyable read for adults. There’s...more

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Mar 07, 2012 Heidi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-grade-fantasy, 2012-middle-grade, 2012-ya-mg-fantasy-reading-challeng

Time travel stories are difficult to write well. In addition to needing to write an interesting story, one has to think about things such as: how will the character react to the journey and the new environment, how will the environment (and people) react to the main character(s), will the main character try to blend in, if so, how? How might people in the chosen time and place realistically react to the character and the changes he/she/they bring with them? What about cultural differences such a...more Time travel stories are difficult to write well. In addition to needing to write an interesting story, one has to think about things such as: how will the character react to the journey and the new environment, how will the environment (and people) react to the main character(s), will the main character try to blend in, if so, how? How might people in the chosen time and place realistically react to the character and the changes he/she/they bring with them? What about cultural differences such as food, clothing, speech, and language spoken.

Stickler does a pretty good job of creating an interesting story while still explaining how the time/space 'holes' allow certain people, Time Watchers like Auggie and Time Vultures like Mr. Coyote, to travel to different times and places. I liked the imagery of the time train that intermittently folds back on itself allowing people to cross into different places and times. Auggie is a pleasant and likeable main character as is Emily, although the story moves so quickly that I didn't feel like I truly got to know either one. His parents came through as fascinating people who'd had a lot of adventures themselves, which I would have liked to here more about. The secondary characters though were rather typical villains with no real dimensionality. Mr. Coyote for example ends up chasing Auggie three different times. One would have thought that he would have realized after the first time that he couldn't catch him. Not a lot of imagination among the villains. I found that the plot moved along quite well and was interesting enough to keep me reading the book. The book was well-written and enjoyable.

The only issue that caused me to pause while reading the book was the interactions between Auggie and Emily and the historical figures of Charles Darwin, Thomas Jefferson, and Plato. I don't know a lot about Darwin, but I have a hard time imagining that he would hand over his manuscript to two unknown chidlren only hours after meeting them. I also have a hard time believing that Jefferson would chat with two children the way he does in the book. Jefferson was known to be rather introverted, much of the communication he had with people was through writing. Also, during that time children were expected to be 'seen and not heard' so would he have heeded a warning from two strange children? As for Plato, I assume he spoke Greek and not English which would have prevented Auggie and Emily from communicating with him at all. The language barrier was never explained, but Darwin, Jefferson, and Plato were presented as being Time Watchers themselves and so able to recognize and accept the two anachronistic children. This helps with the believability of the story.

Still, despite the issues and the challenges of writing about time travel, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to those who enjoy a good adventure story and visiting times and places different than one's own.(less)

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May 14, 2012 Brianna Kilcrease rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First Line: "Dear Reader, what is revealed in these pages is of the utmost importance. It is not something to be skimmed over or considered lightly."

This book can be described in one word. O-r-i-g-i-n-a-l. As Emily would say.

This book is actually a middle grade fiction. I usually don't read very many MG because most of the time it seems too childish or uninteresting. But then again, look at some of the famous MG out there.

Harry Potter was for middle graders when it first began releasing, and th...more First Line: "Dear Reader, what is revealed in these pages is of the utmost importance. It is not something to be skimmed over or considered lightly."

This book can be described in one word. O-r-i-g-i-n-a-l. As Emily would say.

This book is actually a middle grade fiction. I usually don't read very many MG because most of the time it seems too childish or uninteresting. But then again, look at some of the famous MG out there.

Harry Potter was for middle graders when it first began releasing, and then there's the Percy Jackson series. Both of these didn't seem very childish. And neither did The Absolutely Amazing Adventures of Agent Auggie Spinoza. Just look at that name, it's original within itself! Quite a mouthful I must say.

In this novel, it starts off with Auggie finding a strange hole in the curtain of his parents living room. But it's not any normal hole. After making it bigger (and hiding it from his parents) he sticks a finger through and when he looks on the other side, it isn't there! Well he's a headstrong little guy and he wakes up after his parents go to sleep each night to investigate the hole further. Personally, if I found a strange hole I would be afraid of it. But that's just because Im a wimp.

After the second night, he makes the hole big enough to get through entirely. On the other side, he meets Emily, a funny girl who spells out words all the time and who tells him exactly who he is. An agent of time. Their job is to stop the time vultures from taking over the world. Auggie and Emily jump through time meeting several famous people including Charles Darwin and Plato. But that's all I can tell you, the rest is top secret.

I found this book cute and funny. I loved Auggie and Emily and reading from their young point of view was very refreshing. I actually was surprised at how smart they both were, and I can't say that I was that smart when I was a ten year old. This was a classic good novel for young adults and middle graders. Maybe even adults would like it. It's written in an aspiring way that makes you feel adventurous, and you even learn a bit of history from it. What more can a parent ask when their kid reads a book?(less)

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Mar 07, 2012 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"The Absolutely Amazing Adventures of Agent Auggie Spinoza" is about a time-traveling 10 year old.

The good: It's a basically easy read that will be really accessible to its targeted audience. Auggie is very normal and very relatable character. I especially love the early references to him liking Star Wars and Lord of the Rings and those sort of epics. He's a normal kid, everyone knows someone like him, but he is a defined character too. I really enjoyed Stickler's method for description as it f...more "The Absolutely Amazing Adventures of Agent Auggie Spinoza" is about a time-traveling 10 year old.

The good: It's a basically easy read that will be really accessible to its targeted audience. Auggie is very normal and very relatable character. I especially love the early references to him liking Star Wars and Lord of the Rings and those sort of epics. He's a normal kid, everyone knows someone like him, but he is a defined character too. I really enjoyed Stickler's method for description as it felt very natural to how kids around that age think. Everything is based on comparisons of what they know, and it kept the feel of the book very cohesive. It's interesting to see Auggie meet extremely important historical figures and portray them as accessible human beings, rather than just caricatures, even if, as another reviewer pointed out, they may not be entirely historically accurate. I think their accessibility to the reader is more important, in that aspect than historical accuracy.

The not as good: I had two major plot holes, but they were closely related. Even if, as they are portrayed, the important historical figures are also Time Watchers, that doesn't negate the fact that Emily and Auggie's modern clothing, especially Auggie's parka and snow pants are massively anachronistic and would draw massive amounts of attention. If the only people Auggie and Emily met were other Time Watchers or Time Vultures (the bad guys), that fact *might* slide by. As it is, they meet Jefferson in a group and run around town in Darwin's time. The second is related to it--if the clothing wouldn't draw attention, a modern American accent certainly will. Think about how much even just hearing a British accent catches your attention, now imagine a jarring accent you've never heard. And neither of these kids are going to be able speak ancient Greek. I think middle schoolers may more readily dismiss the plot holes, but just because your target audience may ignore it, doesn't mean it shouldn't be addressed. The villains were fairly two-dimensional, which was a bit of a shame since I thought their names were very creative. Mrs. Peppersnell was the most fleshed out, but aside from chasing the protagonists, they didn't do much. I also had a few minor editing hang-ups, most notably some really long sentences early in the book.

Overall, I think it's an fun read for middle school students that allows them to have the fantasy of time travel, yet still gets some history in there without it being too overt. For creativity, easy flow, good protagonist development, and historical ties, a strong 3 stars.

(less)

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Jun 18, 2012 Sally rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Absolutely Amazing Adventures of Agent Auggie Spinoza is a time travelling tale that involves a ten year old secret agent. This story starts with a hole in Auggie's parents carpet that leads to an adventure of a lifetime. On the other side of the hole is a girl called Emily who reveals to Auggie that he is a time traveller and they set off on a journey to prevent the world being taken over by some time vultures.

This story is aimed at young adults but if you are an adult that is a child at he...more

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Mar 15, 2012 Rachel Cotterill rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, adventure, indie-and-small-press, read-in-2012

Auggie is a perfectly normal ten-year-old boy, who finds a hole in the curtain one day and discovers that he can crawl through time. From this, a series of adventures naturally result.

As it's aimed at children about the protagonist's age, this was a very quick read with simple language. There are little bits that don't quite ring true - like why no-one in the past is remotely perturbed by Auggie's modern ski clothes - but this is really a minor niggle. It would be hard to write a time travel boo...more

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Mar 16, 2012 Donald Armfield rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, ebooks-kindle, science-fiction, from-author

History class was not one of my favorite subjects in school. It was actually the least favorite. I know it may repeat some day but I will adapt.

Auggie Spinoza loves History class. After finding a small hole in his curtain he begins to pick at. Crawling through brings him into the past. To fix what The Time Vultures are trying to destroy.

He meets a few famous people. Darwin & Thomas Jefferson. With the help of Emily the spelling fanatic he digs, climbs and fights his way back to his home. Jus...more

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Feb 22, 2012 S.W. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-grade, adventure, time-travel, owned

As soon as I read the Prologue of this book I was hooked and I decided that I wanted to read it.
This is a story about an everyday kid who finds himself on an adventure that he had never imagined. Just before his 10th birthday Auggie finds a hole in time which allows him to travel back to the past, which in turn leads him to discover some truly amazing family secrets. He meets a fellow (more seasoned) time traveller called Emily who spills the news that they are in fact Agents and that they have...more

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Feb 15, 2012 S. Oberhansley rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

From the first chapter, I was instantly in love with this book! The writing is solid, and very relatable for children without talking down to them. The concept is original, and adventurous, while encouraging children to use their minds to solve problems instead of violence. The details of history shine through, and the characters are very believable.

I would recommend this book for any child seeking adventure, but adults may enjoy it as well. It would be the perfect story to read together!

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Jul 02, 2012 Deborah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Steven Stickler's middle grade book is a great adventure, time travel, solve the code, book.Auggie Spinoza is a ten-year-old boy who becomes a special agent who can travel through time. To defeat the evil forces out to change history Auggie must take on a dangerous quest to solve the mystery.This book is well written and fantastic adventure book for readers of all ages.

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Feb 17, 2012 happyhiker rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is an interesting read with plenty of suspense, non-violet action, adventure, intrigue, as well as exposure to several historical sites and events integrated into the story. I can imagine even a normally reluctant reader being "grabbed" by this book!!Highly recommend!

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Apr 24, 2012 Karen (Kew) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: forum-authors-read

This is aimed at children between the ages of 8 and 12, but I read this as an adult and enjoyed it! It's a gripping adventure with two young children meeting famous people from time and battling the baddies, "time vultures" to save their families and history itself.

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Feb 03, 2013 Susan rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: children-s-books

I thought I would really like this book, but when the author started telling how wonderful Darwin's theories were, I lost interest. Only read about a fourth of it.

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Feb 07, 2013 Rachael rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Great book for a middle-school aged kid who loves history, spy novels, action, adventure or just good reading! Wish it was an AR book :(

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Jul 10, 2012 Maya Wade rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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Jul 03, 2012 Fyrekatz rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: not-reading

Couldn't get into the story at all!

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Shelves: loanable, unread-own-kindle

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Mar 25, 2013 Amy marked it as to-read

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About Steven Stickler

Steven Stickler is no rocket scientist. He will never be confused with a professional athlete. He is not (despite widespread rumors) the actor who played Cousin Oliver in The Brady Bunch, nor was he a guest drummer for the Beatles during a brief period in the mid-1960s.

He is something completely different: a writer. He began writing when he was five years of age and, perhaps due to an oversight by...more

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