School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-"Most people don't believe in time travel," begins this work of fantasy/sci-fi set in 1940s wartime London. Ten-year-old Lottie and her best friend, the anagram-obsessed Kitty, certainly do. Lottie's dad is engaged in top-secret scientific research that may help win the war. Sales's story takes an abrupt detour as Lottie travels to suburban Wisconsin in the year 2013, without any clothes, without any clues, and, worst of all, without Kitty. With the help of a friendly librarian, some clueless but kind foster parents, and a geeky outcast artist, Lottie finds a new life, but she can't forget her dearest friend. She's determined to find her again, though time and space themselves stand in the way. Packed with literary allusions, meditations on friendship, and historical/geographical tidbits, this book is a bit of an unwieldy read, and its never-ending stream of coincidence, luck, and nice people can get a little wearing (has any Child Protective Services interview ever gone so well with so little paperwork?). The science is fluff, but the book shines in its portrayal of friendship, both the intense bond between Lottie and Kitty and the blossoming trust between Lottie and her new friend, Jake. VERDICT This genre mash-up will appeal to fans of Rebecca Stead's When You Reach Me (Random, 2009) and Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time.-Katya Schapiro, Brooklyn Public Library © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Ten-year-old Charlotte "Lottie" Bromley lives near war-torn London in 1940, which means food rationing, blackouts, and seeing little of her preoccupied father, a renowned scientist who is determined to discover the existence of time travel. Lottie finds enjoyment with her best friend Kitty, but when Lottie's father goes missing, Lottie and Kitty are thrust into a dangerous situation that finds Lottie journeying to 2013 Wisconsin, where she discovers that she will never see her best friend-or anyone else she loves-again. Like many time-travel stories, Lottie's adjustment to an unfamiliar era provides opportunities for lighthearted moments, such as using the Internet for the first time or eating at a diner with a 12-page menu. Lottie's fortitude and resolve make her an admirable and sympathetic protagonist, but the real heart of this story lies in her friendship with Kitty. It's a relationship that haunts Lottie (and will haunt readers, as well) until Sales (Tonight the Streets Are Ours) brings Lottie's journey to an unexpected but satisfying end. Ages 10-up. Agent: Stephen Barbara, Inkwell Management. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
On October 18, 1940, Lottie Bromley celebrated her tenth birthday in Bristol, England. In 2013, however, she is still 10. Explanation: at the onset of WWII, Lottie's father, physics professor Robert Bromley, believes he is on the verge of unveiling a key component in the development of time-travel portals. Lottie and her dearest friend, Kitty, are huge proponents of Bromley's theories. Unfortunately, so too is the British government, and when Bromley can't deliver anything more than years of research, all of their lives are put on the line. Miraculously, Lottie escapes a fatal encounter by hurdling through an extraordinarily coincidental time portal. Orphaned in the financially strapped town of Sutton, Wisconsin, in 2013, Lottie is determined to understand her impossible past and, more important, find the now elderly Kitty. Young readers will relish Sales' subtle clues and humor throughout, and though a handful of characters feel static, the bond between Lottie and Kitty and eventually Lottie and her new pal, Jake proves to be both tender and unstoppable.--Shemroske, Briana Copyright 2016 Booklist
