Beyond the Attic Door, by Tracy Del Campo, is set in the
year 1925, the year of "the Scopes' Trial." John Scopes, a school
teacher, is on trial for teaching about evolution in the classroom. The topics
of God and the Bible, and of course evolution, are being hotly debated
throughout the land. Many people think the outcome of the trial will be the
death of religion.
But for Lulu
and her 7-year-old brother, Buddy, who were raised in a family with a firm
belief in God, their beliefs are not being shaken by the trial. Actually, their
faith is still very strong. They do believe in science but they don't believe
in evolution; their beliefs are based on Bible truths.
When the
children visit their grandmother for the summer, they come across a machine
their uncle made. He has it hidden in Grandma's attic. Not knowing what it
does, they accidentally trip the device and end up in the past, all the way
back to Biblical times. Their uncle invented the machine so he could go back in
time to witness a major Biblical event. With his camera in hand, he could then
take pictures and bring them back with him to the present, so he could prove
the Bible is true. Of course, his plans don't work out so well.
What
I Like: I like
how the author combines the ideas of evolution, the Scopes trial, and a time
machine in one story.
What
I Dislike: However,
although the premise is a good one, the storytelling part falls short. It feels
like the author is trying to do too much in the story in such a short format.
Perhaps, if the book were longer, the ideas would have worked better. The way
it is written, the story is a choppy and not quite believable.
Overall
Rating: Good.
Age
Appeal: 8-12.
Publisher Info: Westbow Press, 2014; ISBN: 9781490837079; Paperback, 90
pages, $11.95.
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