April 1, 1991
Gr 3-5- -An adaptation of a major portion of H. G. Wells's classic. Rapid-fire short sentences and sentence fragments set the pace and add to the intensity of the action. The Time Traveler and several of his friends are quickly introduced, and then readers are immediately drawn into the future world. The protagonist narrowly survives his initial travels, returning to tell his friends about his harrowing adventures. He sets off once again, leaving the story's end in question-possibly motivating readers to turn to the original for further exploration. Eden's numerous black-and-white drawings are effective in enhancing the narrative. While certainly not a substitute or replacement for the depth and perspectives offered by the real thing, this version lends itself to presentation and discussion with young readers about the genre and about Wells's creative genius in an era long before Steven Spielberg. -Janie Schomberg, Leal Elementary School, Urbana, IL
January 1, 1990
The series title is a terrible misnomer. These books should be called butchered classics.
(Copyright 1990 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
January 1, 2006
In both of these dumbed-down versions, short choppy sentences don't do Wells's language justice. The adapted ending of "Time" is more optimistic, with the Time Traveler returning to the future as a new Prometheus. Despite the linguistic vandalism in "War", the story of a Martian invasion in Britain gets a brief but effective telling. Black-and-white illustrations break up the texts.
(Copyright 2006 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)