15 Minutes by Steve Young Ages 9-12 176 pages HarperCollins August 2006 Hardcover     15 Minutes is time travel with a burp. Casey Little is always late, but not by much. Nevertheless, as these seconds and minutes add up, his reliability level goes down. His parents want him to "get on the ball," and his teachers want him to get out of the hall and into class quicker. Everything looks bleak until Casey finds an old watch from his late (and also frequently tardy) grandfather. One press of the button propells Casey back in time—for all of 15 minutes. This gives Casey a chance for some "do-overs" that put him out on top. Everyone wants a second chance now and then, and this story shows both the highs and the lows of going back in time. Written from Casey's perspective, readers get an up close and personal look at the issues that result from his bad habit of being late. Yet when he discovers that a little extra time can do more than make things right, he starts to use his newfound powers to do everything from impressing girls to figuring out the football plays. These pages take readers on a different kind of journey as the more serious topic of honesty is creatively examined. Casey's normal reaction to the amazing power of time travel will be immediately understood, but his increasing use of this ability will cause some serious thinking. But not too serious. There is a laugh on every page, and the style of writing is fun and friendly. Blasting off into time with this boy sure has its moments.   web reviews   Joyce Handzo/2008 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)