Author: Steve Sheinkin
Illustrator: Neil Swaab
© Date: 2018
Publisher: Roaring Book Press
Pages: 145
Chapters: Yes
Illustrations: Yes, nearly all page layouts have an illustration
Publisher Recommended Age: 7-10 years
Bonus Activities at End of Book: No, but it does have a section that discusses the actual history in the story.
Summary from Book: Warning: Do not believe the story you’re about to read.
Well, you can believe some of it. There is some real history. But also hijinks. Time travel. And famous figures setting off on adventures that definitely never happened—till now. Time is getting twisted, and it’s up to two kids to straighten things out.
When Abraham Lincoln overhears a classroom full of kids say “history is boring,” he decides to teach them a lesson. Lincoln escapes from 1860—to pursue his dream of becoming a professional wrestler! Now, siblings Doc and Abby have to convince Lincoln to go back to Springfield, Illinois, and accept the presidency. . . before everything spins out of control!
Page Pig Thoughts: Page Pup may have enjoyed this one more than I did, but I appreciated fun, historical facts woven throughout a story. I particularly enjoyed the Untwisting History section at the end that discusses the fact from the fiction. Although I am not sure how many child readers would take the time to read that section, it might be deemed boring and skipped over. The illustration style was not our favorite, but illustrations help the story. Overall, I found the story itself just okay, but Page Pup quite enjoyed it, so that makes it a good book in my eyes.
Use caution with younger or sensitive readers, the end of the Untwisting History mentions that Lincoln was shot and died.
Family Unit: Abby and Doc are step siblings and live at home with their mother and father
Conflict/Social Issues:
- Abraham Lincoln is upset that children think history is boring, so he refuses to do anything interesting.
- The principal and teachers at school do not believe that the real Abraham Lincoln is at school (understandable), so they keep kicking him out of school and foiling Doc and Abby’s plans to save history.
Positive Items:
- This is a story silly enough to keep kids reading and inadvertently learn some history, hopefully they even realize there is some truth in the tale.
- Finding out that learning about history doesn’t have to be boring, the people and events were actually interesting.
Items of Interest:
- Doc and Abby spend extra time at school because their parents are teachers.
- Doc and Abby discover that a cardboard box in the library storage area is a portal that time travels people from 1860 Springfield Illinois to present day at their school.
- Doc and Abby time travel back to Springfield and get a feel for life in 1860 and Lincoln’s bad jokes.
- History books and shows keep showing Abraham Lincoln sitting around reading books because he doesn’t want to do anything now that he hears children say that history, including him, is boring.
- Abraham Lincoln comes to Doc and Abby’s school and winds up taking part in the professional wrestling show at their school. Lincoln doesn’t realize that professional wrestling is just pretend. So Lincoln is upset that the guy winning the match is not sportsmanlike, so he takes the wrestler on himself. Lincoln winds up discovering that he may be a little old to be a pro wrestler.
- Abraham Lincoln likes the beverages of the future, he is drinking a large soda at one point.
- Doc and Abby push/lift their gym teacher all the way into the time travel cardboard box. The gym teacher doesn’t know what is happening, but Doc goes along to put part of the history saving plan in action.
- The gym teacher dressed up as Abraham Lincoln for a school presentation, and everyone, including him, thinks that he makes a great Lincoln. Doc time travels him back to 1860 Springfield when the announcement is made that Lincoln wins the presidency. The gym teacher is supposed to make a speech, but is not actually good at giving speeches, so he tries to get everyone to do jumping jacks and squat thrusts instead.
- Thankfully the real Lincoln decides to go home and the gym teacher goes back to teaching gym.
Other Books in Series (At Time of Posting):
- Book 2 – Abigail Adams, Pirate of the Caribbean
- Book 3 – Neil Armstrong and Nat Love, Space Cowboys
- Book 4 – Amelia Earhart and the Flying Chariot