Caught

August 1, 2012
Grades 5-8 When an anomaly causes time to freeze, middle-school siblings and seasoned time-travelers Jonah and Katherine are sucked back to 1903 and into the lives of Albert Einstein and his first wife, Mileva, who is torn between knowing about technology that will save her sick child and revealing too much of the future to the man whose theories eventually make time travel imaginable. This fifth entry in the Missing series brings back the familiar main characters and concerns about fixing time, but definitely includes more science (a plus for STEM book lists). It also includes a plotline about the social stigma of a child born out of wedlock in the early twentieth century, which creates some confusion about the author's intended audience. Haddix provides fascinating information about Mileva Einstein and the as-yet-unresolved mysteries surrounding her first child, while her author's note responsibly distinguishes historical fact from fiction.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2013
After time freezes in the present day, Jonah and Katherine travel to 1903 to return Albert Einstein's daughter Lieserl to her proper place in time. But Einstein's wife Mileva catches onto the time-travel principles and uses them to manipulate history. As usual, this series humanizes historical figures while providing plenty of action. Haddix elucidates the historical background in her author's note.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)