There may be minor spoilers as I try to give an accurate picture of the book.
(The discussion questions will have spoilers, since they are supposed to be used after reading the book.)
Minor spoilers may also be included in the interview.
Title: The Great Historic Mystery
Author: Jordyn Hadden
Series: This book is the first in an ongoing trilogy called The Time Travel Team.
Targeted Age Range: 12-14
Synopsis: When Tyme Newton, an intelligent teenager with a knack for science, finds an enigmatic book left by her ancestor, the great physicist Isaac Newton, she discovers a centuries-old mystery and a secret that will change her life as well as the lives of her three best friends. Aided by their recently discovered superpowers, the newly formed Time Travel Team must travel back and forth in time in order to collect and decipher clues from each of their famous historical ancestors. As blackouts and earthquakes shake the Village of Chagrin Falls, they encounter a nemesis with a dark power, a fascinating other dimension, and a secret society. But if the Time Travel Team fails to solve the Great Historic Mystery in time, then the world will be destroyed--and with it, the legacy of four historical geniuses.
Language: No swearing here! A "God bless you" is spoken after a sneeze. A "Thank God" is spoken, and "Gosh" is used twice. The antagonist of the book, Zina, calls Tyme "Fig Newton", a nickname she dislikes. A friend of Tyme's, Olympia, has an older brother whose friends mock the girls for their interest in science. When Tyme figures out that Olympia's ancestor is able to send emails, Olympia ridicules her at first because she doesn't believe it.
Violence: Electricity is a main part of this book, and several people get electrocuted. Two of those people enter a different dimension called Intelligentsia, and for a while it is believed they are dead. While adventuring, Tyme falls off a cliff and during a different time falls into a lake, almost drowning (she is rescued both times). She gets a deep cut on her leg while doing this. During a fire, Tyme crawls back inside a burning building to rescue her friend Luna. In the conclusion of the story, Tyme is hit with a hard blast of electricity, which gives her such a shock that she is believed to have died. Isaac Newton, Vincent Van Gogh, Thomas Edison, and Orville Wright barely escape from a crashing monorail in Intelligentsia. In a bad dream, Zina creates threatening, deadly robots which creep up on Tyme
Romance/Sexual Stuff: The romance between Tyme's grandfather, Henry, and her late grandmother, Isabelle, is mentioned, and Tyme reads about how Henry met Isabelle in a special journal. Due to the technology of Intelligentsia, Tyme watches a younger Henry ask Isabelle to a winter dance.
Spiritual Elements: While trying to crack a code, the Time Travel Team references the story of Noah's Ark in the Bible. Tyme's grandfather references 1 Corinthians 12:14-17.
Magic: There's no real magic here, but some of the elements of Intelligentsia and the type of time travel the characters use may be considered "magical".
References: There are references to Newton's three laws of motion, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, science fairs, England, France, Greece, Menlo Park (New Jersey), Kitty Hawk (North Carolina), Halloween, Newton's Principia, Van Gogh's Starry Night, Albert Einstein and his theories of relativity, the Apollo moon missions, the Black Plague, Romeo and Juliet, Homer, Aristotle, Pythagoras, the French Revolution, Columbus stepping foot in America, the first Thanksgiving in America, various advanced science and physics properties, and the Declaration of Independence. The author decided to put part of the story in her hometown, Chagrin Falls, and mentions of places in that town are often there.
Other Issues: Believing the secrets of Intelligentsia are for herself only, Tyme lies to her friends about what she's discovered, going so far as to delete an important email sent to her friend. She also struggles with the death of her grandmother, who died of brain cancer, and her wish to say "I love you" to her before her death. The members of the Time Travel Team also express half-truths to their parents due to the secret mission they're on. Hoping to get rid of the Time Travel Team, Zina starts a fire in a historical library, endangering their lives. When they travel back and time and Vincent Van Gogh speaks cryptically, Olympia mouths "he's crazy" and makes the "screw loose" sign. Due to the stressful nature of the Great Historic Mystery, Isaac Newton and Thomas Edison get into a fierce argument, which leads to Newton shouting that he may want Intelligentsia to be destroyed, an exclamation he doesn't mean and apologizes for later.
Though not an issue in and of itself, The Time Travel Team may appeal the most to girls, since five of its leading characters (Tyme, Luna, Olympia, Avia, and Zina) are also girls. However, guys may find The Great Historic Mystery just as interesting, relating to the Time Travel Team's ancestors (Isaac Newton, Vincent Van Gogh, Orville Wright, and Thomas Edison) more than the characters in the modern world.
Where To Buy: Like Phillip and Erin Ulrich's Begin, The Great Historic Mystery is self-published, so it may or may not be available at local libraries or bookstores. You can buy a copy on Amazon, eBay, Walmart, or Barnes and Noble.
My Age Range: Due to the more complicated storyline, concepts, and vocabulary, as well as the ages of the main characters, I think this would be best enjoyed by kids age 12 and up. However, I'd encourage any younger kids who are exceptionally smart to try it out, too!
Read Aloud: I think it has potential for a good read aloud, but based on whether or not you have little ones that won't understand the plot, you may or may not think it is better read alone.
My Opinion: I first learned about this book by personal recommendation of the author. I looked at the excerpt on Amazon, and thought it looked interesting, so I got a copy.
Reading through The Great Historic Mystery was an exciting experience. Tyme Newton, the main character of the story, was very relatable and real. I enjoyed learning about her friends, too, and noting the similarities I found between them and their ancestors. Zina O'Connell was the type of antagonist I love to read about...a smart and devious foe but understandable in her actions. The setting of Intelligentsia was also a favorite for me in the novel, and it made me want to become an "idea person"! Hadden has obviously paid attention to every little detail and has given each reader a kind of ride that's hard to get off of. I am super excited for the next installment, because I know it'll be just as good. When I received the answers to the interview questions, I wanted to jump up and down after learning more about what she plans to put in the next book!
The Great Historic Mystery isn't just a good story. It's also a way to learn a little more about history, take a brief look at the wonders of time, and become invested in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) properties. This book is best enjoyed by kids and teens who love learning, or who just want to find reading that's worth their time this summer. I strongly recommend it to everyone who hasn't read it yet!
Discussion Questions:
-While reading The Great Historic Mystery, did you find yourself relating to Tyme, Luna, Avia, or Olympia the most? Why? Which member of the Time Travel Team did you admire the most?
-Zina has double motives for fighting against Tyme and her friends. How much of her motives do you think was based on her jealousy of Tyme, and how much was based on her need to get her parents back? Do you agree or disagree with the actions she took?
-One of Tyme's motivations while time traveling was to travel back to when Isabelle was alive and apologize. Do you think she made the right decision in the end? Why or why not?
-Tyme struggles with the idea that she can solve the Great Historic Mystery herself. If you were Tyme, how would you have felt? Do you think that this idea was understandable, or just wasted time?
-If you were a member of the Time Travel Team, which superpower would you want and why? How would you use your newfound power?
-If you could travel to Intelligentsia, which "idea person" would you want to meet? (If you want, you can choose more than one!) What do you think you would gain from meeting him or her?
Some of the idea people mentioned in The Time Travel Team are Isaac Newton, Vincent Van Gogh, Orville Wright, Wilbur Wright, Thomas Edison, Grace Hopper, Ada Lovelace, Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Marco Polo, Alexander Graham Bell, Samuel Morse, P.T. Barnum, Walt Disney, Leonardo Da Vinci, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Nikola Tesla, Benjamin Franklin, and Noah Webster. If you want, pick a person you don't know (or you don't know much about) from this list and find out more about them!
Writing The Great Historic Mystery: An Interview With Jordyn Hadden
May 30, 2020
What inspired you to write The Time Travel Team?
When I was in seventh grade, my literature teacher taught a unit about tall tales. She explained that superhero stories are like modern-day tall tales. She gave us an assignment to create our own superhero and write their origin story. I created Luna Edison, who received the superpower of electricity after touching a lightbulb that belonged to her ancestor, Thomas Alva Edison. That was the end of the assignment, but I took it a step further. I also created three other characters — the other three members of the Time Travel Team. I started writing the story in seventh grade, but I stopped because life got busy. In eighth grade, I pulled the story out again and started over. I spent four months outlining the book, six months writing it, two months editing it, and in the fall of my freshman year of high school, The Time Travel Team got published.
Interestingly enough, when my seventh-grade teacher told us to write the superhero’s origin story, she told us to make it “one page, front and back. Don’t write a novel!” After The Time Travel Team got published, we gave a copy to her, and I told her, “Remember when you told us not to write a novel? Well, I did!”
How did you create the character of Tyme? Any inspiration you got from the real world?
All the characters, to some extent, are partly based on myself, but Tyme is the most prominent of them. She and I both enjoy science and prefer working independently. Tyme’s love of engineering is based on my brother’s knack for figuring out how machines work.
What were your inspirations for Tyme's friends?
Tyme, Luna, Avia, and Olympia are all descended from famous historical figures. Tyme is related to Isaac Newton, Luna is related to Thomas Edison, Avia to Orville Wright, and Olympia to Vincent van Gogh. To develop the four girls, I looked at the personalities of their ancestors. For instance, Isaac Newton was brilliant, independent, and perfectionistic — and so is Tyme. For another example, Thomas Edison was energetic, persistent, and inventive. These traits carried over into Luna’s personality.
How did you come up with Intelligentsia?
Because Tyme and her friends are all descended from famous historical figures who did not live at the same time, I created another world where all four of the historical figures could meet together — Intelligentsia. The word “intelligentsia” means “the class of exceptionally intelligent people.” In Intelligentsia, time bends, and people from all periods of history can meet there and share ideas. Originally, Intelligentsia was not a big part of the book, but as the story developed, Intelligentsia progressed to become Tyme’s family secret.
Zina O'Connell is a complicated character and a main antagonist for Tyme in your story. What inspired her creation?
Because Tyme is so intelligent and persistent, I needed a villain who was just as smart and persevering. I also needed the character to have a motivation to solve the same mystery that Tyme and her friends are trying to solve. In the story, Zina gets the superpower to put out light, also referred to as “the superpower of darkness.” Her dark hair and black outfit reflect this.
Do you have any future plans for The Time Travel Team series? Anything you can spoil for us?
There will be two more books in the series. The second book will likely involve many more scenes in Intelligentsia, a new member of the Time Travel Team, and a love interest for Tyme.
How did you get published? Why did you choose to self publish?
My family worked with a local self-publisher, who formatted the pages of my book using a computer program. I directed him as to which fonts to use and where to add page breaks. In October 2018, we went to a binding company to watch the huge press print 115 copies of my book. I chose to self-publish because I was more interested in holding a physical copy of my book than in making lots of money. It was an extremely unique experience.
When you're not writing, what are you doing?
Besides writing, I enjoy reading, learning about science and history, drawing, singing, playing piano, theater, and spending time with my family.
The main setting of your book, Chagrin Falls, is based on your hometown. Was it easy or hard to write your characters into that setting?
The Time Travel Team is set in Chagrin Falls, where I lived while I wrote the book. In the story, the characters visit real places such as the Fireside Bookshop, the Popcorn Shop, and the waterfall after which the town is named. I found it easy and fun to write the characters into that setting because my family traveled to Chagrin Falls often, so I know the village well. With all the scenes in the book that take place in the past or in Intelligentsia, I especially enjoyed writing scenes set in Chagrin Falls because my family made countless fun memories there.
Do you have any writing plans in the works?
Yes, I am currently working on a science fiction novel focusing on astronomy. I also have plans for a novel involving humanoid robots. Additionally, The Time Travel Team is written in third-person point of view, and I am planning to rewrite it in first person because that will make the sequels easier to write.
What advice would you give to your younger writing self?
I would tell her to have fun and not worry about writing badly. If writing is not fun, then it becomes pointless.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Write what makes you happy; don’t just write what you think will sell. Don’t write something just because it’s “popular,” because forcing yourself to write something that doesn’t excite you will take the joy out of writing.
Do you relate to any of your characters in The Time Travel Team? If so, in what way?
Yes, I relate to all of them in some way. I relate to Tyme’s tendency to work independently, Luna’s enthusiasm and love for history, Avia’s passion for science, and Olympia’s enjoyment of art.
Who would you like to thank for your writing?
I would like to thank God for giving me the gift of writing, and my family and friends for supporting me. Also, thank you so much for interviewing me!
Thanks for joining me for this special post! I had a blast reviewing this book and getting to ask the author questions, too. I personally enjoyed reading her answers as much as sharing them with you. I hope you'll join me next week for a look at another great science fiction series which is sure to get imaginations active.
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