Time Shifters, written by Chris Grine, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Summary: Luke and his brother, Kyle, are exploring the woods by their house. There is a watering hole they are heading too, but some bullies show up and push Kyle into the water. Kyle ends up drowning and Luke is left feeling guilty and wracked with grief as he suffers through his loss. One day he hears something in the woods and goes to investigate. He finds a futuristic time travel device and accidentally turns it on as he was trying to get away from the bad guys looking for the same device. The story then turns into a space opera with multiverses, bug-like monsters and a bumbling group of bad guys. Luke’s new friends include a ghost named Artemis; a robot version of Abraham Lincoln; grumpy inventor Doc; and a beaked tyrannosaur named Zinc. Luke wants to get back home and that is his ultimate destination as they embark on their adventure.

Straight Talk for Librarians: This graphic novel is a good choice for upper elementary and middle-grade readers. There is a lot of action and adventure. Time travel always makes for good storytelling. All readers will be able to identify with the elements of family, friendship, and loss. Readers will be rooting for Luke and the rest of the good guys. The line art is clean and the colors of the panels convey the mood of the characters and whether or not the setting is scary. There is slapstick humor throughout the story. If you were to try to retell this story, it would sound a bit crazy and far-fetched, but I think that is the appeal of the book. It’s sure to be popular with readers who like this genre and format. It might even attract some new readers looking for action and adventure. A good choice for a school library.