ARC (Advance Reading Copy). The Missing series, Book #5. Simon & Schuster. Published September 4, 2012. 343 pp. (includes Author’s Note).
In this 5th book of Haddix’s time traveling series, Jonah and Katherine are once again sent to the past when time in the 21st century suddenly freezes. Sent to 1903, they frantically try to find out why Albert Einstein’s daughter is missing. Time is changing faster than they can stop it, with no explanation. If they don’t find out what’s going on, the 21st century will be changed more than they will ever know.
Without meaning to do so, they are discovered by Einstein’s wife Mileva, who takes away their Elucidator. She demands that they save her daughter Lieserl who is about to die from scarlet fever, and insists on knowing the truth about time travel. Without their Elucidator to travel back to their own time, they are trapped. Jonah and Katherine have to decide how much to tell her, how to keep time from freezing and changing, and how to keep Einstein and his work intact and unchangeable. It’s a tall task, but they have no more choices.
Using historical facts about Lieserl’s disappearance in 1903, along with the hidden story of Mileva’s genius abilities, Haddix weaves fiction with non-fiction. Students ages 9-13 will enjoy learning more about history and Einstein scientific theories through Jonah and Katherine’s adventures. They’ll learn even more when they read the Author Notes at the end of the book.
You Decide: Should I Read it or Not? 