Assessment:
In Roche's fast paced historical time travel novel, a trio of step-siblings find themselves in medieval England. Along their journey to find their way back home, they stumble upon interesting characters -- e.g. Merlin -- many of whom are sadly underdeveloped. And while the story does come together well in the end, and the author provides fascinating factual information about medieval times, the novel fails to captivate or stand out from similar books in the genre.
Date Submitted: June 03, 2016
Roche (Making It Home, 2015, etc.) capitalizes on a successful formula from her first novel: likable protagonists, an entertaining story, and historical facts presented in an accessible and age-appropriate way. The setting is a superb choice. While Roche delivers fairy-tale aspects such as dragons and knights that are sure to engage her audience, she also incorporates factual information, such as the definition of a feudal society or the ransom of King Richard. Roche also addresses real-world problems as Peri and Henry continue to reconcile their new relationship as stepsiblings. They bicker incessantly over events in the past and present, exemplifying the potential challenges of blending two families. In addition to the narrative, Roche again provides an appendix packed with activities and projects related to the Middle Ages, including trivia, recipes, and a 3,000-year-old game.
A successful sequel that delivers appealing time travelers thrust into a society filled with knights and dragons.
Books for middle school readers about the middle ages are too often dry affairs that favor historical fact over captivating magical scenes. This is far from the case in Stumbling on a Tale... which decorates its facts with the compellingly colorful embellishment of fiction... Quizzes, puzzles, riddles and games, activities, and even recipes at the conclusion of the story add value to this tale, which ends in a manner that paves the way for more time-traveling history explorations; but its real meat and protein lie in chapters packed with a vivid blend of adventure quest and historical insights... A rollicking good adventure story spiced with real insights on past and present make Stumbling on a Tale a lively read highly recommended for any middle-grade fan of time travel action stories. - D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, MBR
Roche capitalizes on a successful formula from her first novel: likable protagonists, an entertaining story, and historical facts presented in an accessible and age-appropriate way. The setting is a superb choice - Kirkus Reviews
