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Jump to navigationJump to searchThe Time Traveller and the Tiger by Tania Unsworth (view source)
Revision as of 09:37, 9 August 2020
, 09:37, 9 August 2020no edit summary
This story has the feel of an old, classic story, of a child who is sent away to the country, living with an elderly relative, and going on an adventure! I really liked all the different adventure aspects to the book, with the time travel, an adventure in another country, a family mystery to solve, and lots of moments of peril throughout! Elsie is an appealing character, and it's interesting to see her transported both in time and place.
In her free time, Elsie enjoys writing stories about a girl she calls Kelsie Corvette. When she's writing Kelsie's life, she's able to give her the exciting, successful life that she herself aspires to have. So when she finds herself in India, and she meets her Great Uncle John as a boy, she doesn't want to give him her real name, so she tells him her name is Kelsie Corvette, finally living out her fantasies of an adventurous life! Elsie gets to know John, as they try to find their way out of the forest, and during their travels , they also meet up with John's friend Mandeep. Elsie knows that something had happened between John and Mandeep in the past that had meant they hadn't seen each other for a very long time, but she isn't sure what. The mystery surrounding the shooting of the tiger somehow also involves Mandeep.
As the children try to get back to John's family home, they find themselves captured by some hunters, and the mystery develops even further as they try to discover what is going on, and whether they can rescue not just one tiger, but lots of tigers who are all destined to be shot. There are horrible adults galore, and lots of creeping around to investigate, and listening in on conversations - all those aspects of children's adventures that we love!
This was a really engaging and enjoyable story to read. I liked Elsie, and the interplay of her character with John's works very well. He is very stubborn, and awkward, and yet Elsie also knows, from knowing him in her own time, that he's nice, and gentle, and kind. I particularly liked how Elsie is unable to convince him that she is from a different time. His reaction to the things she tries to tell him about the future is funny! It's also interesting to see his relationship with Mandeep when they meet him, and to see the skillsets of the two boys, and how Elsie works with them to uncover what is happening at the hunter's house.
You can imagine the backdrop of India as you read, and the elements of danger with the tigers and the hunters feels feel very real (but not too scary for bedtime reading!) Time travel can sometimes be tricky, with things being changed and ripple effects, but everything was explained easily, and it made sense! Even with the huge impact that Elsie's actions end up having on her Great Uncle's life. The chapters are nice and short, so although it's probably aimed at confident readers around 9 to 12 years old, I think more reluctant readers might be persuaded to give it a try as the chapters are very manageable. I found myself reading just a bit more, and then just a bit more again, wanting to see what would happen - definitely recommended as an exciting, fun read!
Further reading: You might also enjoy reading [[Lost by Ele Fountain]]. You might also enjoy [[A Small Free Kiss in the Dark by Glenda Millard]].-
