DUEL ACROSS TIME

Four tweens travel through time to preserve key moments in American history.

In 1961, the History Twister attempts to reroute Freedom 7’s angle of entry and thwart the American space program at Cape Canaveral. The History Club says “Eat globe!” to that, disconnecting the villain’s device just in time. Rewind to the club’s origins at a middle school history competition, when time first stops for classmates Cam, Zack, Becca, and Thomas. The mysterious Adviser appears and gives the team a dire directive: An immense evil is waging war against the past that only the History Club can thwart. The main showdown in this series opener takes the History Club to 1804’s famous duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. But can they stop another of the History Twister’s “crimes against history” before it’s too late? Sianipar’s full-color art and engaging, varied paneling keep the plot moving. While many characters appear white, Zack is Black, the History Twister is tan-skinned, and a last name cues Cam as Latine. This first children’s book from Fox News host Baier brings history to life—and aligns it with the Adviser’s “one rule” that “once what can happen has happened, it must remain so for all time.” While the overarching story will appeal to kids, it mostly serves to further the didactic premise, which adults will recognize as a transparent attempt to justify a monolithic version of U.S. history.

A flashy tale with a clear political agenda.