The Time-Tripping Faradays

The Time-Tripping Faradays #1

by John Seven, Craig Phillips (Illustrations)

The Faraday family may be temporally from the 25th century, but their work sends them tripping through time in this science fiction series packed with adventure and action.

Genres: Science Fiction, Time Travel, Middle Grade, Fantasy, Juvenile, Childrens, Action

320 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2013

About the author

"John & Jana are les enfants terrible of picture books today." - School Library Journal

John Seven is a writer living in Western Massachusetts. He began his career with the legendary '90s indie comic, Very Vicky, which he created with his wife, children's book illustrator Jana Christy.
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Reviews

[Benjamin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Alchemist War by John Seven (The Time-Tripping Faradays #1) is a fast-paced, 160-page middle-grade sci-fi adventure perfect for fans of Magic Tree House or Time Warp Trio. It follows Dawk and Hype Faraday, who travel from the 25th century to 1648 Prague to investigate a mysterious alchemist, providing an action-packed, humorous tale.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes I am just in the mood for a cute little time travel book to read in a day and this one was a fun read. I see there are four more and am looking forward to reading the next four.

[Kimberly (Book Swoon) · Rating 4 out of 5]

FIRST SENTENCE: “How could Dawk have possibly known that one mouse could break down an entire army?”

WHY I WANTED TO READ THE BOOK: It’s been awhile since I’ve read a time-travel book, and The Alchemist War sounded like a fun and fascinating story. The premise of the book reminded me a little of The Magic Tree house series, and would be a perfecting next-step into the middle age reading group. What makes The Alchemist War such a great read is the use of time travel to incorporate the learning of history, all the while the humor, action, and mystery keeps you turning the pages. The author John Seven’s includes plenty of techno talk and cool gadgets to please even the most savvy of young readers, and the illustrations by Craig Phillips add to the books great visual appeal.

SETTING AND SUMMARY: The madcap twenty-fifth century, time-traveling Faraday family find themselves assigned to 17th century Prague after one of their temporal (time-travel) researches goes awry. Teenagers Dawk and Hype are punished for the near disastrous consequences to history, involving the Carthaginian leader Hannibal, some elephants, a bet involving mice, and the sacking of Rome. The teen’s parents, both devoted Professors, have dedicated their lives to gathering knowledge, and compiling it onto the NeuroNet. When the Faraday family is assigned to Prague, during the negotiations to end The Thirty Years War, the Faraday teens fear the worst: an uneventful and boring trip. But Dawk and Hype are in for a big surprise when they come across an Alchemist with the ability to turn metal into gold, and together they begin an adventure unlike any other.

CHARACTERS: The Faraday family starts of this new series with a bang. The parents, as professors, give the story a sense of direction and historical detail. Dawk and Hype, as teens, provide ample amounts of comic relief and excitement as they dash off to solve mysteries.

WHAT MADE THE STORY GREAT: I liked how the author John Seven was sneaky and incorporated some unique historical details and facts, all the while entertaining me with a madcap adventure. This is going to be a fun and exciting new series, and great way to introduce bits of history to early readers.

MY RATING: 4 Stars. I really liked it!

RECOMMENDATION: The Alchemist War should please children looking for a fun and adventures new series to dive into, and parents will be happy that there’s more than “fluff” and techno gadgets between the covers.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: Thank you to Capstone Children's/NetGalley for the review opportunity.

[Mehsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC received from Publisher on Netgalley.

First of all, thanks to the Publisher for letting me read this and review it. :)

First some things I didn't like.

1. The fact that I felt like I was kicked in a whirlpool at the beginning. It was utterly confusing, I had no clue what happened, who was who and where I was. Luckily, that is later solved, but it would be better if we got some explanations first or the situation that happens according to the blurb.

2. Switching characters is totally ok. I support it, as long as it is clearly defined where it switches. I missed that with this book. Sometimes we were reading from Dawk's perspective, then Hype's and then suddenly both of them. It was quite confusing, especially in the beginning when you aren't sure who was who.

3. I felt the long explanations were ok, but sometimes a bit overdone. I can imagine that explaining things is needed, but 3 or so pages about one topic is just overkill. It ruins the story.

Now to the things I loved:

1. TIME TRAVEL!!! I love books featuring time travelling, and all that happens during that time. I especially liked this book, since it also showed what happens when you mess up an event happening. Like the mouse, and the elephant.

2. The names, Hype and Dawk, but also the name Faraday, it is a nice nudge to the person who contributed to the fields of Electromagnetism and chemistry. It totally fits the book too.

3 Alchemy. I love reading about alchemy and the things you can make with it. :)

4. I really liked, that although the book was short, it ended on a good note, the story was wrapped up, everything that happened was solved/fixed. And the next mission is waiting for them.

5. Yes, I am a girl who loves her covers, and I must say, this one gets bonus points for a good cover. I like the colour and the characters on it.

In overall, I must say this book is great. Time travel, Alchemy wars, 2 kids on the loose. What more do you want in a kids book? I am sure kids will love this. Especially the ones who love science or science-fiction. It is a great imaginative story and I really loved it.

So I would say to everyone, if you have kids aged 11 to 15 years, and they love time travel, science, different worlds and don't mind some long explanations, give this book to your kids when it comes out. They willl love it.

And me? I will be hoping for more of this series. Hopefully it will span many books.

[Sharon Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Alchemist War is the first book in the middle grade series the Time-Tripping Faradays written by John Seven and illustrated by Craig Phillips. A wager involving Hannibal’s elephants and a mouse lands the Faradays in hot water with their employer, the Cosmos Institute. They are punished with a trip to 1648 Prague to educate Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III about fashions in footwear. Teenage siblings Dawkins and Hypatia fall in with alchemist Jan Richthausen. Somebody is meddling with technology that is beyond even the Faradays. Dawk and Hype traipse along on a multi-century chase that loops back around to close with tantalizing hints of adventures to come.

The Alchemist War seems to have less to do with the actual alchemists and much more about setting up an exciting and plausible set of adventures for the Faraday family. I loved the characters, and the technology, that sets the stage for the story. Dawk and Hype are well done, as are their slightly too trusting parents and the electronic guardian that seems eager to lead them into adventure and allow them some freedom to explore which might not be the best idea since they are on probation due to Hawk's previous adventure. The set up with the alchemist is good, as is the very plausible connection of personalities, technology, and rules that make the time travel that the entire series hinges on work. I think the history and factual bits woven into the story just might capture the attention of some readers and encourage further research. Since I had a galley version, I did have a few editing issues, certain letters seemed to be missing regularly through out the copy, but I am going to assume (I know, usually a bad idea) that those were fixed in the final edits. All in all, and fun and interesting read that should capture the attention of many readers.

The Alchemist War was a well done and intriguing start to a new series. I think that it will be well received, particularly by those that grew up reading books like the Magic Tree House series when facts about history and science are delivered in adventure and excitement. I look forward to seeing just where Dawk, Hype, and their family end up next.

[Sheena-kay Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Source: Netgalley, Rating: 3.5 Stars

The Good: A family of professional time travelers in the 25th century get demoted after a stampede almost ruins their assignment as researchers who document history. The technology is well detailed and keeps readers informed on amazing possibilities of the future despite some distinct disadvantages that exists within this book's time period. A rich story line and a very manageable reading length helps lend credence to a book tweens and early teens will be able enjoy without being overwhelmed. The family gets reassigned from the Temporal History Time Division to the Historical Footwear Division. A boring job as punishment for Dawk's mistakes is at first seen by the two teens as torture (though for Hype less so) but opens a new adventure when Hype bucks into a man who turns out to be an alchemist who is able to'create' gold. The kids are taken through time yet again by another device along with a very shocked 17th Century tag along. Discovering a machine even more powerful than technology from their own time. How will they get back to their parents and solve this mystery? You have to get a copy to find out.

The Bad: The book gets super technical for more than half the book. Making an already shorter read heavy and pushes out parts of a really good story. It's great to know about the 25th century but do we really need to get the most difficult to follow details of the NeuroNet as if the reader plans to create it? Especially in a short book. Seems the author forgot a compact book needs compact writing. If the book was twice as long it would be more forgivable. But when it cuts into adventure and story line, that's not a good thing.

My Verdict: A must for kids who are into sci-fi, even though it gets very technical. Teens should definitely be able to read through this quickly and those age ten and over can get through it if the story holds their interest. Especially recommend to young boys who'll connect with a daring adventurer like Dawk. A really good start for a brand new series.

Targeted Age Group: 10-14

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

After 25th century time traveler Dawkins Faraday accidentally causes an elephant rampage while traveling with Hannibal, he and his family are relegated to researching shoes in 1648 Prague. It's not as bad as it might be; the past is full of things the future lacks, like clean air, sunshine, and animals. In the 25th century, people live in an enclosed world and live mostly on the worldwide neural net, which extends even to the past--helpful for Dawk and his sister Hype to get information and contact with their 25th century friends. Their shoe research gets interrupted with the arrival of Richthausen, an alchemist who has somehow truly managed to create gold. Suspecting future technology getting involved with the past, Dawk and Hype get permission to investigate, which leads them into a mad chase through time.

This is a workmanlike entry in the pseudo-steampunk genre, and reminded me mostly of Choose Your Own Adventure books--it would have made a good one. The world is sketchily built, and there are logic holes you could drive Hannibal's elephants through, and the tech never really makes sense. I feel that this book doesn't really know if it wants to be serious time travel fiction, or humorous caper fiction, which doesn't require a believable premise for the time travel. It didn't make me laugh, anyway. If you want a brilliant example of the type of book I think this is trying to be, read Philip Reeve's ‘Larklight’ series, which is hilarious, creative, adventurous, and even oddly touching. This book is fine in a direct-to-video way, and there are kids who will lap it up and not mind all the logic issues and the thin characterizations. Another good example of what this book is trying to be is Connie Willis' hilarious ‘To Say Nothing of the Dog,’ which also involves time travel but doesn't bother much with the logic, because that's not the point of the book. Sorry to ramble! I just wish this book had been better.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. If the rest of the series is this good, it may be one of the most exciting children’s series I have read in a while. Time traveling series have become popular and when something becomes popular everyone wants to jump on the band wagon. When that happens you are guaranteed to get some good and some bad and this was well into the good side. I felt the description of the 25th century was interesting without being bogged down in technical jargon. The past times visited were exciting and well thought out. John Seven seems to have set up a good time travel s possible world without tripping himself up, but more than that he has created intriguing and likeable characters.

Dawk and Hype’s parents are temporal researchers. The travel in time and learn what they can for the future society they live in. Unfortunately, due to a not so small mishap during one assignment, they have been punished by being sent to the Holy Roman Empire to research, of all things, footwear. While there, Dawk and Hype stumble onto a temporal mystery and an alchemist who actually seems to turn lead into gold, a curiosity if nothing else. Little do they know what they have found is so much bigger than they even think.

I had a blast reading this book. It was funny and thrilling all at the same time. And unlike many series I have read, Seven manages to conclude the story while still making me anxious for the next book. I cannot wait to read The Dragon of Rome. 5/5 stars
The Dragon of Rome

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a terrible book. It was too short and went no where. If books could be diagnosed with ADHD this book would have needed meds! These two 25th century time traveling siblings end up in Renaissance Prague to help their parents research the shoes of that era. They meet an incompetent alchemist who for some strange reason can turn lead into gold. This is something all alchemists wanted to do but never achieved. To find out how he can make gold they become his apprentices and the craziness begins.

So for one thing you never really find out how he can make the gold. Most of the book is them running around with him flitting through time trying to escape bad guys that just want him to pay for a goat he lost. They are also time travelers that come from a time when you are not suppose to be able to travel through time on your own, but they somehow find a small device from time travelers that are more technologically advanced then them.You never find out where this device came from or from who. The characters are one dimensional and do not grow at all. It also bugged me that their little adventure didn't really effect them. The siblings didn't seem to care that they almost where lost in time and brushed the whole event off. Also their little escapade didn't effect the future at all. Come on with them being so careless it should have impacted something! If the story would have been longer and more explanation to events given this wouldn't have been a bad book. I know it is meant as a first book in a series but it didn't make me want to read to other ones. One star and two big thumbs down!

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate writing reviews like this so this is going to be short.

Maybe it was just me, I am not saying if you read it you will not like it, but when I started the book I actually thought the book was missing the first 5 chapters like it started in the middle. The terminology was so confusing and I feel like I missed an entire back story. Have you ever told a story to someone and they kind of looked at you like what the hell are you talking about but you understood since you know the whole story. Well this was sort of like the Author knew what was going on and just figured you did too.

The characters were just there and the actually story had good potential if it didn't have so many wholes in it. When it came to the end I was like WHAT!!!! It just ended

But please believe me when I say it might be me, maybe Time Travel books just aren’t my thing. Maybe if I read a lot more I would have understood this a lot better.

It upsets me when I read something that sounds awesome but just isn’t for me. Why did I give it 2 stars and not 1? because I really feel it wouldn’t be fair since this is my first Time Travel book I have ever read and it could possibly just not be my kind of read.

Recommendation? Try it and see. I may just not have connected with the story/characters but you might.

[K.L. Bernard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dawk and Hype Faraday, along with their parents, who happen to be researchers for the Temporal History Research Division of the Cosmos Institute, are time travelers. What this family does is gather knowledge. What they do with it once they've retrieved it is put it into a NeuroNet of the 25th century. The difficult task of all of this is to try not to alter history. The NeuroNet is kind of like the Facebook or Twitter of its time.

The Faraday's latest adventure takes them to Prague Castle in 1648. When Dawk and Hype tour the city they stumble, literally, into a man who claims to be able to turn any precious metal into gold. The job of an alchemist during this period was to find and use a fabled ingredient known as Anima Murdi. Of course, this ingredient has never existed and most alchemists were swindlers, or were they? It will be up to the Faraday's to solve the mystery of Anima Murdi.

Seven pulls readers into a fantastical what if world that will not only engage readers but teach them a bit about history. Interesting characters along with detailed imagery puts readers right into the story. Boys and girls will like the humor and mystery of this tale of time travel. This quick read will get those non-readers interested in picking up a book.

[Cathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Alchemist War by John Seven,targeted for middle school readers, will certainly appeal to the "digital natives" of that age group. I found myself a little bogged down in the technical lingo of the first few chapters, but once I wrapped my mind around the concepts, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Dawk and Hype Faraday are part of a time traveling family. The high tech gadgetry allows them to become well cloaked in the time period they visit and provides them with perfect lessons in real living history. Middle school readers will have an easier time immersing themselves in the story than adults who did not grow up with digital gadgets and constant feeds of data. I would recommend this book to students in 4-8 grade who love mysteries and technology. I reviewed this book as a NetGalley first read.

[Kim McGee · Rating 2 out of 5]

The idea behind this new series of books is a good one - time traveling parents and kids from the future who are sent on missions to collect facts. Not a new concept but it works to interest kids in history. What I didn't understand nor appreciate was the interruptions from the virtual friend network whenever something happened. The book starts out with Dawk and his sister Hype watching Hannibal cross the Alps on Elephant and Dawk gets goaded into a bet with his link friends and almost messes up history. The parents are layed out on the carpet and the family is given a less than desirable assignment which involves an alchemist who is trying to turn metal into gold for the king in Prague.

[Liviania · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll admit to being very disappointed that there wasn't an actual war between alchemists in THE ALCHEMIST WAR. The title and cover promise more action than the book delivers. The beginning, with Dawk and Hype causing accidental mayhem, is fairly lively. Then it settles into a simple mystery about alchemy, with several time jumps that don't last long enough to actually add interest.

THE ALCHEMIST WAR isn't terrible, but it's very much aimed at beginning readers. I think the subject would've been better served with a bit more depth. Author John Seven does set up a villain for future entries in the series, which might add more conflict to the story.

(Side note: I found it very out that the chat-type communication the future people engage in has identifying names at the end.)

[Emueller · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fairly entertaining, quick read. It really jumps into the action without any explanation or background information, which is confusing. The characters can communicate via a mind link, which is distinguished with text in italics and the speaker's name in parentheses at the end, which is sometimes really difficult to follow and figure out who is speaking to whom. The conflict isn't fully resolved in the end, since it is setting up for the rest of the series. If you can overlook these flaws, it's not a bad read. I found the character of Fizzbin to be particulary amusing, and I kept reading his lines in the voice of Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory. I would recommend this book to reluctant readers with an interest in science fiction.

[Cornmaven · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute time travel book for middle grade which takes kids from the 25th century back in time to help their society "research" history and things that don't exist anymore. Starts out with Dawk Faraday almost changing history by causing a stampede of Hannibal's elephants as they make their way through the Alps, which I thought was both quirky and funny.

Makes you think about how just a little change of circumstance could alter EVERYTHING. Lots of action and cheeky dialogue, which I loved. Boys may like this one.

The kids have neuro implants which allow them to communicate without speaking. Unlike M.T. Anderson's Feed, these implants are seen as beneficial.

[Sarita · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually like these short books for a break while reading and I usually enjoy them. The plot was good, the characters were not identifiable and I didn't really immerse myself in the story. Dawk and Hype were a bit two dimensional as were their parents, which contributed to the unsatisfactory read. This should have been a one night read but it turned into two (and not longer because then I would have been ashamed of myself for leaving it ongoing). I finished it just to get it off my tbr shelf. Now to pass it along to someone much younger who would hopefully enjoy it.

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from netgalley.

I like to think that the author and editors though that throwing readers right into the action would simulate the confusion of time travel. The introduction was exciting and I was instantly hooked. Unfortunately, the book proceeded at a breakneck pace without every slowing down and I never seemed to get my bearings. It was still entertaining, but it is disappointing to see such a promising concept fall so short of the potential.

[Lacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a very odd book to me. It was really hard for me to get into this book. I never really felt interested, but made it to the end since it was such a short book. I felt like the author just tried to use too many big words and ideas because it is so far in the future. It was just too hard to feel interested in.

[Tabs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read two kids from the future and their parents travel back to review historical events. To short to create any attachments to any of the characters. Will not be going out of my way to find other books, if I happen on them I will read.

[Paula Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Faradays are time travelers from the 25th Century. In the Alchemist Wars the family is sent back to Prague during the Renaissance.

Great book for YA as they learn a little about Prague and the Reenaissance through the interaction of the teens, Dawk and Hype.

[LibraryDanielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up as a pre-pub at BEA 13.

I thought this was a fun

[Laura Phelps · Rating 2 out of 5]

Time travel “lite.” Solid choice for reluctant readers, but otherwise not a stand out in this genre.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot was convoluted at times but I think middle school readers will like this new series about time-traveling kids from the 25th century.

[Michele Scheffe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure I would consider this story a stand alone. There was a resolution to the sequence of events in time travel but set the stage for more books to come.

[hhertzof · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gets an extra star for Doctor Who references