140. Newton and the Time Machine by Michael McGowan

Newton and the Time Machine by Michael McGowan
Illustrated by Shelagh McNulty

Pages: 211
Finished: Aug. 12, 2008
First Published: May 13, 2008
Genre: Children's fantasy
Rating: 3/5

Reason for Reading: Review Copy sent to me by Harper Collins Canada. Qualifies for the Canadian Challenge.

First sentence:

Newton was having serious, serious doubts that his latest invention - a time
machine - was ready to be field-tested.

Comments: This is a sequel to Newton and the Giant, which I haven't read. Newton needs someone to test out his new time machine and his friends, the giant King and Queen of Merriwart, volunteer. The machine seems to be a success until suddenly there is a smoky explosion and it disappears leaving nothing behind but a 4 leaf clover. Sure that the treacherous Leprechauns are involved Newton, his best friend Max, Commander Joe (his talking plastic soldier) and Witch Hazel all help to recover the missing King and Queen, not to mention the time machine.

A fun romp that the younger set, 8-11 yo, are sure to enjoy. With non-stop action and humour of the toilet variety, this is definitely going to be enjoyed by boys mostly. The plot and action are fun but the characters are flat and one-dimensional. Newton's quintuplet soccer-fiend brothers are simply a nasty nemesis for Newton possessing no other human qualities. But sometimes a book is just meant to be silly and fun and this fits the bill.