Marco? Polo!

Time Warp Trio #16

by Jon Scieszka, Adam McCauley (Illustrator)

Did you ever wonder what might happen if someone had a time-warping book they got from their uncle who was a magician and they took it to the local YMCA pool while they played Marco? Polo! with their two best friends? Well, wonder no more.

In the sixteenth adventure of the Time Warp Trio, it happens to Joe (and Fred and Sam). And what happens is: sandstorms, desert bandits, a smelly camel, strange horoscopes, the emperor of all China, hungry hunting dogs, attack leopards, killer hawks, and one very famous (if he doesn't get lost) explorer. If the explorer is Marco Polo, this must be 13th century China. And the Time Warp Trio's horoscope says, "Beware of mean cats, mad dogs, and even madder Chinese astrologers.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens, Humor, Fiction, Science Fiction, Chapter Books, Time Travel

96 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Jon Scieszka is an American children's writer, best known for picture books created with the illustrator Lane Smith. He is also a nationally recognized reading advocate, and the founder of Guys Read – a web-based literacy program for boys whose mission is "to help boys become self-motivated, lifelong readers."

Reviews

[Kendra · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Time Warp Trio is three boys from Brooklyn who since finding "The Book" have been spontaneously warping to different times and places. Once warped they must locate "The Book" in order to get back home. In the first of the series the boys are warped to the time of Marco Polo and ride with the explorer to Xanadu, the great palace of Kublai Khan. There they narrowly avoid death by Royal Astrologist to locate the book and there way back to Brooklyn. Great series to recommend to young reluctant readers, especially boys. The plot isn't amazingly gripping for adults, but fun nonetheless with a little history speckled throughout.

[Bridget · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hadn't read any of the Time Warp Trio. I was comparing it as I read to the Tree House Mysteries and found it not as enjoyable. Tough historical setting due to the lack of description given, I thought.

[Kira Dickson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Copyright: 2006
Number of Pages: 90
Format: Hardcover
Reading Level: Grades 3-5; GR-L
Genre: fantasy
Lit requirement: transitional #1

Summary:
Three friends got a book from one of their uncles that could warp them through time and different places if you speak about a person, group, or place. The book normally warps them into situations. They have seen vikings and samurais. In this book they go to 13th century China and meet Marco Polo before his 24 year voyage of discovery. They have to get the book back and without changing history.

Response:
I liked this book as it reminded me about a cartoon I use to watch called the Time Warp Trio. I think the cartoon was inspired by the books. I also liked how there were small pictures in the book that showed what was happening. I would recommend this book to children, though I suggest they read the first 15 books before they read this one.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been a Time Warp Trio fan since I was a kid, and I'm excited to be collecting them again to read to my son. Unfortunately this particular installment pales in comparison to the brilliant and hilarious earlier books. It's neither as amusing nor as well-structured, though the topic is still interesting and spending time with the trio is never unpleasant.

[Checkthebook · Rating 2 out of 5]

The "Time Warp Trio" series is a time travel series which is less refined - and more confusing - than the "Magic Treehouse" books. This one, volume #16, contains "nincompoop" "stupid" "doofus" "what the heck." Parents: if you prefer a somewhat more refined tone stick with Tree House. If you don't mind some sass, and/or you are desperate for reading material, then go with Time Warp also.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so sad at how abruptly this series just ended, without really having a close of series feeling. 😭😭😭 I wish Scieszka would write a few more, and maybe the boys would actually learn how the Book works. But I enjoyed this one. The boys convince Marco Polo to keep exploring and have to evade a bag guy.

[Jessica Randlett · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 8 year old gave me this for Christmas and said I had to read it. So I did. I actually enjoyed it. Super short and interesting read. I really don’t know anything about the time period. (History is not my best subject. lol)

[QuantiFIRE · Rating 3 out of 5]

it's ok becouse its repeated

[Hector Barrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey guys and girls this is the kind of book that will make you want to read about Marco Polo and his adventures of what he did because he discovered a lot of things. My opinion about this book is that it made me laugh a lot and be surprised because of the beginning and the ending parts. I will also may be giving ***Spoil Alerts*** so if you don't like that I'm sorry. This book is a fiction and adventure book because they go to other places in camels and in the desert. Also when they go through the sand storm.


This book setting is in the desert and in a palace. The book is about how three kids were playing in a pool (Marco polo) and they have a magic book that if you say something from history it will teleport you over there like saying Marco Polo. When they teleported one of the characters told Marco that he was an astrologer and he was surprised. Then later they went to the Kings palace so they can talk and get the book to teleport back home. My book type of conflict is person vs person because the three kids fight at the end with the bad guy to get the book. The mane character are Joe, Sam, Fred, Marco Polo, Marco's dad and uncle, Kublai Khan, and the Royal Astrologer.


One of the thinks I like is how the chapters numbers look like because they are not English numbers like 123 but they were Japan's or chines writing which is cool. The number for the chapter confused me a lot because I forgot what chapter it was so I had to count the symbols to know what chapter it was and it took me a lot of time. Also another part that I liked was the ending because something happens that shocked me. I will see why the bad guy would do that but I might do it two so if you want to know you have to read it.


Another part that I liked was when the booked is done at the end because it shows you your Chinese Zodiac Animal which I read and was really cool for me and I know the animal I'am. Like the one I'm is a horse if you were born in 1990 or 2002. And if you were born in 1991 or 2003 you are a ram which I don't know what it is. Also I didn't know what was a boar the year is 1995 or 2007 but that is why I googled what they are. The ram something that looks like a goat but it has horns that are used to hit things and boar are like wild pigs.


I would rate this book a five out of five stars because I like the ending about the book and at the end of the book the Chinese Zodiac Animal. I will also recommend this book for people like Marco Polo and like to go on funny and crazy adventures like me. Also remember that this book is about kid teleported to a place where Marco Polo lives and they are trying to find the book to teleport themselves back home and save.

[Jenna Scurto · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Time Warp Trio: Marco? Polo! follows three friends as they are time warped by a magical blue book into the adventures of Marco Polo. The three boys are in a quest to find the blue book, which they know will quickly send them back to modern time. Things become complicated when the Emperor of China’s astrologist starts to smell something fishy about the three boys. This texts combines humor, adventure, and a history lesson about thirteenth century Chine and the explorer Marco Polo. This book is best suited for beginning to middle elementary readers. It is an easy read with pictures every couple pages supplementing the text. The Time Warp Trio is a series of books that teach history through three young boys and would fit best in a social studies lesson. The different books take place mainly in the past, but there is a futuristic book in the series as well. The book was silly and entertaining, which would attract many reluctant readers, but I would have liked to see more historical content intertwined in the story. The book describes the Emperors banquets and Marco Polo’s achievements, but it left wanting for more facts.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the sixteenth book in the Time Warp Trio series by Jon Scieszka. We've been slowly working our way through the series and we really enjoy these stories. We've skipped around a bit, but it doesn't seem to matter too much.

This tale takes us to the middle of a desert as the trio join Marco Polo on the Silk Road in China. Our youngest studied Marco Polo last year and we've been reading additional books about his life and travels. This is the most outrageous of the stories we've read, but it still reinforces the information she learned in school.

Overall, it's a fairly typical book for the series, filled with silliness and a little dangerous drama. We really enjoyed reading it together and look forward to reading other books in the series.

[Children's Literature · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joe finds himself alone in the desert and wondering what happened to the game of Marco Polo he and his friends had been playing in the Brooklyn YMCA pool. He is rescued by none other than… Marco Polo then led on an adventure to find The Book in Kublai Khan's Xanadu. Joe, Sam, and Fred must outwit Court Astrologer Ding Dong to make it home. Luckily, their horoscopes gave them some hints and Sam’s knowledge of the Chinese zodiac seal the deal. Do you know what your zodiac sign is?

[Kalen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series frustrated me. It's fairly well-written, but very formulaic. The book's do play off this formula, but the character's never try to learn anything about the time-traveling magic of the book, and the end of the series just leaves me with a lot of questions. I know I'm not exactly the target audience for this series, but I think I'd have a hard time recommending this to younger readers.

[Michellle sekafetz · Rating 3 out of 5]

summary:Marco Polo is about learning about Marco Polo.

character Trait: Joe is funny and brave

M.I.E: When joe met Marco Polo and saved the slaves from a sandstorm.

I would recremend this book to anyone who likes history and science fiction.

[Bridget · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read it outloud to my 8 year old son. He loved it! As a huge fan of the Magic Tree House series this was a good "step-up" in terms of language and humor. Will definitely read more in the series. (He wants me to add that he gives it 5 stars)

[Christy Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved so many things about this book--as I love the series. Picking your own chinese zodiac at the end was a treat as was each of the chapters being numbered in chinese. This one integrated a real adventure.

[Amanda Wel]

Under 100 pages

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

AR 3.5 -- 1.0

Time Warp Trio sets Marco Polo back on track.

[Cana]

Mommy says: Cana started to read it on her own 8/2009 but was not interested. Maybe later.

[Miss Manekofsky · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are great for early readers - Scieszka has a really quirky sense of humor - plus I just heard him speak and so like his writing even more now!

[Kasuranna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great. I loved Kubla Khan!

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one I read with my 10-year old, and it was OK at best. Scieszka can be a very funny guy, but this was a pretty pedestrian effort, in my opinion.

[Armatstorage]

for juveniles, but was kind of fun, read to John.

[Tanja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious time-traveling with the Time Warp Trio in the typical laugh-out-loud type of writing of Jon Scieszka.

[Anne Meester · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light-hearted and easy read, with just enough nods to actual history to make it "count" in our history studies.

[Beckett Geary · Rating 4 out of 5]

never bring a book with silver writing on it to a swimming pool