Jeffery L. Schatzer

What if you could travel back in time to experience major events in history first hand? Hold onto your hat because that's exactly what Professor Tuesday, Tamika and Jesse will do in the Tuesday Teleporter. This cool contraption can only go back in time on a Tuesday. Follow along as this awesome trio encounter some of histories best known heroes of the Underground Railroad.

Tamika wants to go back in time to learn about the Underground Railroad. Her family escaped slavery in the south and traveled through Ohio, Indian and Michigan to eventually find freedom in Canada. The first stop through the time machine was to meet with Fredrick Douglas in London. The trio learn about Fredrick's courage, bravery and how he became an educated fighter for freedom, all while they were sipping tea. The Professor expresses his concern to Tamika and Jesse in regards to the dangers of going back in time to study the actual occurrences of the Underground Railroad. Professor Tuesday gets an idea on how his young friends can watch history unfold and be safe at the same time. He assembles a remote control monster truck with a video camera, microphone and a small speaker. With the help of Professor Brown, they are able to cloak their new history traveling device.

The Professor, Tamika and Jesse send their new device back in time. The history of the Underground Railroad slowly begins to unfold. They soon learn that the people who participated were from many different professions. Not all were black. Many whites helped too. It's not all fun and games for Tamika. It's necessary for her to hit the books for additional learning. She doesn't necessarily want to make the time, but finds that reading about the events of the Underground Railroad and its participants proved to be very interesting. Tamika experiences the sadness and fear of those who traveled the web of trails for the Underground Railroad. The run for freedom and knowledge gained has opened a door to many questions and answers about this amazing piece of American history.

Schatzer has done an excellent job of teaching history to readers of all ages. This middle grade series is engaging and informative while creating an adventure that kids can sink their teeth in. Teachers will especially love this series because it offers true facts about American history. Readers will find the characters fun, inquisitive and very likeable. Boys and girls will not only learn about history but are invited to create their own maps and routes of the Underground Railroad, as well as, view other sources and create an ending of their won as suggested by the Author's Notebook in the back of the book.… (altro)