Laughing Wolf

December 1, 2009
Gr 6-8-It's 2213, and a deadly plague has broken out. Fifteen-year-old Felix, who never expected his rare knowledge of Latin and Italian history to come in handy, finds himself traveling to the Rome of 71 B.C. to harvest a now-extinct flower that will cure the deadly disease. Along with Carolyn, a girl from his own time, he meets Pompey, Cicero, and many other great statesmen and warriors of the era. Maes is at his best when describing Roman culture, and Felix's interactions with these great historical figures are fun. Unfortunately, the narrative thread begins to break down during a side trip to New York in September 2001. Felix is inexplicably prepared for every situation, easily hot-wiring a car despite the fact that cars no longer exist in his own time. The rules for time travel recede as well; Felix and Carolyn have been instructed to tread lightly in the past, but they become internationally suspected as the masterminds of 9/11 with no apparent consequences for the future. Maes's central message"that those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it"is a good one, but it is hammered home a bit too hard. The book has an interesting premise, but lack of consistency and character development limit its appeal."Hayden Bass, Seattle Public Library, WA"

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