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linneahedvig's review against another edition
3.0
I decided to read more of the books in my collection that fall into this "books I always wanted to read as a kid but they were not available through my library" category. I've found quite a few of these at McKay and I don't want to just look at them on my shelf (although that is also nice). I wanted to read this book because [b:The Fragile Flag|248778|The Fragile Flag (Hall Family Chronicles #5)|Jane Langton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1227404260l/248778._SY75_.jpg|241054], another book in the series, was one of my favorite books as a kid. I also read [b:The Fledgling|186457|The Fledgling (Hall Family Chronicles #4)|Jane Langton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1574288697l/186457._SX50_.jpg|1074142], so I'm two books into what was at the time a five-book series and the titles of these books are all pretty intruiging.
Yes, this book actually is about a time traveling bike that Eddy gets from some relative(?). It comes from India and the whole circumstance of its arrival is full of cringy Orientalism (the book was written and set in 2000, but feels like it's from the sixties). Unfortunately, that bike can only travel in time, so the traveler is bound to Concord, Massachusetts. You're probably imagining how this could go and yes, Eddy does go visit Henry David Thoreau, but he is not good at dates and just travels to HDT's birth year. Baby Thoreau is not very insightful.
Eddy also learns a little about the rules of time travel in this book when he time travels to skip exam week at school, only to find that he has failed all of his exams (but somehow not because he was absent--apparently he was there but he has no memory of the experience. It's weird.). Then he can't travel back in time to pass the exams because then there would be two of him. He also time travels to repeat a really fun day, but finds he can't participate in the fun because of the two-Eddys problem again.
The time-travel device is on the whole completely unsatisfying with one exception. Eddy's sister takes the bike for a spin and manages to have both a good time travel time and finds and brings back(!) an important artifact. We don't find out what kinds of things can travel in time or whether or not history can be changed, but the story does end well for everyone.
Yes, this book actually is about a time traveling bike that Eddy gets from some relative(?). It comes from India and the whole circumstance of its arrival is full of cringy Orientalism (the book was written and set in 2000, but feels like it's from the sixties). Unfortunately, that bike can only travel in time, so the traveler is bound to Concord, Massachusetts. You're probably imagining how this could go and yes, Eddy does go visit Henry David Thoreau, but he is not good at dates and just travels to HDT's birth year. Baby Thoreau is not very insightful.
Eddy also learns a little about the rules of time travel in this book when he time travels to skip exam week at school, only to find that he has failed all of his exams (but somehow not because he was absent--apparently he was there but he has no memory of the experience. It's weird.). Then he can't travel back in time to pass the exams because then there would be two of him. He also time travels to repeat a really fun day, but finds he can't participate in the fun because of the two-Eddys problem again.
The time-travel device is on the whole completely unsatisfying with one exception. Eddy's sister takes the bike for a spin and manages to have both a good time travel time and finds and brings back(!) an important artifact. We don't find out what kinds of things can travel in time or whether or not history can be changed, but the story does end well for everyone.
roshk99's review against another edition
2.0
Children's time travel fantasy, good for about mid-elementary school
lsquared's review against another edition
1.0
Extremely boring. I couldn't be bothered to finish a book that the author didn't bother to put a real plot into.
melanietownsend's review
4.0
I think we would have enjoyed this book more if we'd read earlier books in the series. Also, it had a few loose ends/willing suspension of disbelief moments that just didn't quite satisfy me.
iceangel9's review
3.0
The first book in the Hall Family Chronicles. Eddy wants a fancy expensive bike for his birthday. He is so excited when he gets it, until it is stolen. Then his Indian uncle sends him an old beat up model. Eddy is crushed until he discovers the old bike is really a time machine. He uses the bike to time travel into the past to find a vanished deed to their house or face eviction. His sister Eleanor tries to travel into the past in a vain effort to save the life of a movie star. A very cute story.
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