A group of young friends travel back in time to key periods in history in this new chapter book adventure series, making learning fun!
A normal day of hide-and-seek turns into a discovery of a lifetime when five young friends are transported back in time after finding a secret clubhouse at the top of a sycamore tree. Dubbing themselves the Tree House Club, Ashley, Emma, Keith, Aaron, and Harry learn that events of the past didn’t necessarily unfold the way they learned in school.
The treehouse has magical abilities that take Ashley and her friends to Guanahani in 1492, a time the kids requested to witness Christopher Columbus’s first arrival on his voyage to the New World. There, the friends—dubbed the Tree House Club—meet the kind and generous Taino Lukku-Cairo tribespeople who welcome their new visitors with food and gifts.
It isn’t long before the Taino chief, Tiburon, and the Tree House Club friends see three sailing ships approaching. With history on their side, the kids realize it is the famed explorer, Christopher Columbus, who quickly makes his claim for the Taino’s native land for the Queen of Spain. The kids soon learn that what their history books did not teach them was some of the lesser-known facts about Columbus, his greedy intentions in Guanahani—or San Salvador, as he named it—and his poor treatment of the humble Taino people. But the children’s friendships with the Taino put their own lives in danger from the European colonists. Will the treehouse save them in time?
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
Imagine, if you will, casually playing hide-and-seek with your best chums when the unexplainable, the imaginable, occur. One moment, you’re seeking a prime hiding spot; the next, a ladder appears out of nowhere, leading to an extraordinary treehouse. Five best friends entered the treehouse and noticed that the interior didn’t measure up to its exterior. Looks were truly deceiving. While that alone would boggle anyone’s mind, what happened next shook them— literally. As if the treehouse comprehended Harry’s question of who built this home, it answered him by transporting all five friends into the past. Floor shaking. Lights flashing. The experience was disorienting, but it didn’t negate they were, in fact, in the past. They were observers of the events unfolding, frozen and scared about what they witnessed. Their first trip to the past was short-lived, but they did manage to time travel again and again.
The group chose many points in history to visit. Their brief time at the Alamo in 1936 was frightening. War is never a pleasant experience for any age. But, a bright spot came out of the adventure; they met Davy Crockett. Since their second trip was quite jarring, they decided to do more research before they haphazardly asked the treehouse to work its magic. Great idea. Their next trip had them setting sail to the time of the infamous Christopher Columbus. Young readers will learn interesting information about the explorer as the group discloses what they learned during their research.
Readers will enjoy how this journey differed from the other voyages. This time, the five friends were active participants in the past. They looked like they belonged. They walked around the village. They could smell the flowers and food. They had the fortunate opportunity to touch hand-crafted objects displayed in modern-day museums behind touchless glass. They also spoke to the Native Americans and bore witness to the arrival of Christopher Columbus.
Many revere Christopher Columbus, but they shouldn’t. Find Me In Time: Meeting Columbus shows the truth about the explorer. He did not respect the natives or their land. He devastated their land, destroyed the natives’ way of life, and was a brute. When the children revisited the Taino tribe, they were stunned by what Christopher Columbus and the colonists did to the tribespeople and their home. The children can’t fathom why we still celebrate this man, and I don’t either.
While the truth of Christoper Columbus and his mark on his history isn’t pleasant, children must know the truth about him and his actions.
The story concludes with possible more journeys ahead, even to outer space. I can’t wait to read that one!
I concur with Amazon’s recommended reading age of 6-11 years.
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Meet the Author
Children’s book author L.T. Caton knew early in her teaching career that she wanted to be a writer. When she was a young student, history was her least favorite subject. She found it boring and often questioned why the delivery of historical facts presented in school only provided one perspective.
As a teacher and writer, her goal is to provide students with an entertaining opportunity to learn about people in history who are often not mentioned in textbooks, and to explore the many conflicting versions of history that exist. She hopes to achieve this goal through her new chapter book series, Find Me in Time, a collection of chapter books covering significant events or periods in history.
L.T. thinks a great book has relatable characters, an engaging plot, and a lesson learned that can be applied to real life long after the book is closed. She hopes her books inspire a love of reading, and in particular, inspires children of color and young girls to learn about people in history who look like them.
Hailing from New York, when she’s not writing fascinating historical fiction stories for young readers, L.T. enjoys being near the ocean—fishing, walking on the beach, sailing, and cycling. She also enjoys baking, cooking, traveling, community service, and being with family and friends. Her family has been supportive in her professional journey, including her parents, sister, and late grandmother.
Find Me in Time’s debut title is Meeting Columbus, about the famed explorer’s first landing in the New World.
