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Book Review By Susan Coffey
The Time Bike by Jane Langton

Eddy Hall is devastated when his shiny brand new bike is stolen. A few days later, he receives an old beat-up bike from distant relatives in India. After his initial disappointment, he finds the bike can travel through time. He experiments with it with some disappointing results. He travels ahead a week to miss exams, and ends up in summer school. He sees the boy who stole his new bike, but can't do anything about it. His sister Eleanor takes a trip as well, and both teens are disappointed that they cannot change the past.


Plot & Themes
Tone of book - humorous or laughable
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy story on current Earth
Time Travel: - largely backwards/past
Is this an adult or child's book? - Kid's book (ages 7-14)
Time Travel story? Yes
Family relations Yes
Descript. of chases or violence - 10 %
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40 %
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10 %
Story largely takes place in - Present (early 21st century)

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status:
Age: - a teen

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - a teen
Profession/status:
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a little/some
How sensitive is this character?
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Dumb

Setting
Earth setting: - 20th century - current (early 21st century)
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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