April 1, 2014
Gr 3-5-A promising premise yields mixed results in this time-travel series. Without warning or explanation, 15-year-old Nickolas Flux is swept back in time to various pivotal moments in American history. Once on the scene, Nickolas learns about the specific situation at hand, such as the Boston Tea Party or the Battle of the Alamo. The illustrations suggest cartoon realism, while the panels are packed with action. A switch from full color to sepia tones help shift the reader from the present to the past and back again. However, the time-travel aspect comes across as contrived and artificial; Nickolas meets all the key players and asks all of the right questions from the get-go, and major historical figures such as Sam Adams have no problem revealing sensitive information to a teenager clad in blue jeans and a sweatshirt whom they have just met. Appropriate for educators seeking supplemental materials for reluctant readers.
Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
July 1, 2014
History-loving teen Nickolas has the ability to go back in time to important events. Mixing real figures with fiction, the graphic novels convey the gist of the Boston Tea Party and the Salem Witch Trials (Witchcraft relies on stereotypes a bit); sidebars and appended information provide more context. Although vocabulary levels are uneven, these are suited to reluctant readers. Reading list. Glos., ind.
(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
April 15, 2014
Grades 4-7 Nickolas Flux has the blessing (or curse) of unpredictable time-travel powers. Minding his own business at school, he could touch any object and be transported back in time to a moment in history relating to that touchstone. In this entry in the Nickolas Flux History Chronicles, Nickolas heads to the pantry to fetch some tea and is instantly sent to Boston in 1773, where revolutionaries plan the Boston Tea Party and helpfully take time to explain to Nick the taxes and grievances that led to their rebellion. Nick gets caught up in the action, tossing crates full of tea into Boston Harbor until he falls overboard and zips back to the present just in time. Direct quotes from major figures are written in red, and regular inset boxes list helpful nuggets of information. Ginevra's serviceable art on varied panel layouts adds a bit of drama and should make the bookpublished simultaneously with Arrested for Witchcraft!, wherein Nick travels to the Salem witch trialsappealing to reluctant readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)