Time Voyage

In the first of four titles launching the Return to Titanic time-travel series, spring break takes an unexpected turn for seventh-graders Tucker Paulsen and Maya Cho. While helping Tucker’s museum curator mother process artifacts from the Titanic for an exhibit, the two friends discover a crate marked “Special Collection,” and one of the objects inside, a ticket aboard the ship, sends them back to 1912 Queenstown, where the final group of passengers is boarding the ship before it sets out to sea; Tucker and Maya attempt (unsuccessfully) to warn passengers of the impending danger. Though entertaining, this series launch mainly sets up the later books—most of the action takes place on the Queenstown harbor; character development and historical detail are on the light side, though appended materials provide further information. Murphy’s impressively detailed monochromatic illustrations (not all seen by PW) appear throughout and do a nice job of bringing to life the characters and setting. Simultaneously available: Stowaways, Overboard and An Unsinkable Ship. Ages 8–11. (Jan.)