Review: I SMILED THE ENTIRE TIME I WAS READING THIS BOOK!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 13, 2012
What a delightful, fun read!  Who could imagine that a punishment could turn into high adventure for five adolescents and two adults - one an unemployed professor and the other said to be a witch - or in the words of the locals: "a bona fide, true-blue hex-machine from England"?  From a garden in America they are drawn through the Arch of Atlantis, into an Atlantean temple to be told what they are and what their purpose is.  Then they are propelled into medieval England on the eve of the May Day celebrations at Nottingham.  The seven discover that the sheriff of Nottingham had vanished and been replaced by somebody from their own time and that history is on the brink of going horribly astray.  So, how about creating some chaos to restore the natural order and ensure that history runs its course?"The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis" is a wonderfully humorous and highly exciting read.  Between laughing out loud at the extremely lively, witty dialogue and smiling at the bickering of the characters, I found it difficult to be serious even when disaster seemed imminent.The marvelously realistic and unique characters endeared themselves to me in the very first couple of chapters.  It was fascinating to see how each of them developed and discovered their unique talents during the course of the story.  An artificial hand that becomes a magical artifact, and a slingshot made from a forked branch and a jockstrap, are just some of the highly unusual things that can happen when your mission requires you to use what you have on your person, and only that.  Although the story in itself is really outstanding, the dialogue and interaction of the children, liberally spiced with hilarious wordplay, makes it a truly unforgettable read.This is the kind of book you would want to keep and reread whenever you need to laugh and relax.  Suitable for readers of all ages, I wish I could give this book more than the five stars it most definitely deserves. (Ellen Fritz)