Blast to the Past #1: Lincoln's Legacy by Stacia Deutsch & Rhody Cohon, illustrated by David Wenzel Grades 3-4 80 pages Aladdin January 2005 Paperback     Third grade just got more exciting! Unplug the Xbox and get ready to experience life in a new dimension. The past, that is. Mr. Caruthers’ class loves Mondays for the “What if?” questions he poses. Abigail and her friends enjoy the challenge of figuring out an answer, but on this particular Monday, they get the chance to actually change history. “What if Abraham Lincoln had never freed the slaves?” Armed with a time-travel device and given two hours, the children journey to Pennsylvania Avenue in search of the President. As the years scroll backward, the students se the one-dimensional facts in their history books come to life. Names and places that before were just words now take on new meanings as they meet famous people and travel through the city. These pages don’t stop there. Readers see the emotions that lay behind Lincoln’s reluctance to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. They will better understand the political climate and the many reasons why people didn’t respect the President. The authors do an outstanding job of making the complex and controversial issue of slavery relevant to today’s students. The best part of this book is watching the children convince Lincoln to free the slaves. They know what the future holds, but how can they tell the President? The students have to limit their arguments to the current time period while at the same time encouraging the President to make the best possible decision for the country. The knowledge they have gleaned from their history lessons sure come in handy. Time travel is always a lot of fun, as small details take on new significance. Sharp readers will giggle at the problems caused by a group of modern children traveling back in time. The authors wrote this book with their audience in mind, and they are to be applauded for making history come alive in such an exciting way. The concept is clever, but most importantly, it’s a fun way to learn.       web reviews   Joyce Handzo/2005 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)