Synopsis
Book by Perrin, Randy
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From School Library Journal
Grade 5-7?Until her 13th birthday celebration, Margie Belzer's biggest worry is preparing for her upcoming Bat Mitzvah. Then her veterinarian mother begins displaying some alarming medical symptoms. Over the next few days, her condition deteriorates even more. It is while working on a history assignment that Margie and her friend Isabel discover a diary written by Lee Chau Wing, an early California immigrant and herbalist. In it, Mr. Lee documents the illness that eventually kills him. Since his symptoms so closely resemble her mother's, and modern doctors have no answers, Margie travels back in time to convince Lee's son to perform an autopsy on his father. Once she understands the nature of Lee's sickness, she is able to relate it to her mother's condition, and doctors are able to treat Mrs. Belzer. This tries to be a time-travel novel, a mystery, and the story of a brave teenager facing a life-threatening situation, and the subsequent pace robs all three of their immediacy and emotional impact. Margie's journey through time is too easily accepted by the people she encounters, and she rather easily overrides the Lee family's concerns about an autopsy. There are brief nods to the mysteries of time and the concept of life in balance, but no discussion that asks, or answers, the questions that such mysteries pose. Readers who are accustomed to lightweight commercial fare will find this an acceptable read and perhaps a bridge to stories with more depth, such as Jean Marzollo's Halfway Down Paddy Lane (Dial, 1981; o.p.) for time travel or Cynthia Rylant's Kindness (Orchard, 1988; o.p.) for a life-altering crisis.?Patricia A. Dollisch, DeKalb County Public Library, Decatur, GA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
"Unforgettable" is the word best used to describe Time Like a River by Randy Perrin and his young daughters, Hannah and Tova. This book has several themes. The first illustrates the friendship between 13-year-old Margie, who is Jewish, and her best friend, Isabel, who is Catholic. The second is about Margie's mom, a vet, who has become dangerously ill with an unknown disease. The third is about a school history project the girls are working on which takes them to an historical archive where they find a diary written by a Chinese man 100 years before. The book then takes an eerie turn when Margie travels back in time to visit the Chinese man who recently lost his father to a mysterious malady. Through this experience Margie figures out the disease her mother has and helps the doctors save her life. The characters in this well-written novel have depth and sensitivity. The book also teaches children that history is fascinating. Social Studies teachers can also learn how much more important it is to emphasize how people lived, thought, and felt in the past, rather than make children memorize isolated facts. I recommend this book for everyone 4th grade level and above. -- From Independent Publisher
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Time Like a River
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RDR Books, Victoria, BC, 1997
ISBN 10: 1571430679
ISBN 13: 9781571430670
Used
Soft cover
Seller: Werdz Quality Used Books, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Soft cover. Condition: Very Good. Clean, tight, unmarked; very light wear to inside corners; otherwise very minimal wear; appears unread; A compelling story of a young adult facing the possibility of her mother's death. Sometimes a good teacher and a touch of fantasy can make history come alive and offer not only hope and inspiration, but also important insights. Seller Inventory # 003135
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