The Trolley to Yesterday (Johnny Dixon, 6) (original 1989; édition 2014)

A change of scene that turned out rather fun. No evil magic, but just an old-fashioned, time-traveling trolley. A bit of steampunk, and some European history thrown in. ( )

One of my favorite Bellairs books, this and 'Eyes of the Killer Robot' were what finally got me to pay attention to whiney ol' Johnny Dixon and his curmudgeonly friends 'Prof' and Fergie, who never chooses not to use the phrase "Johnny-baby". Even in 50s Michigan that wouldn't fly.

...anyway, the Professor has been acting unusual, because he's found a time-traveling trolley-car that goes to, among other uninteresting places, Constantinople! In the year 1453! Wikipedia this information.

Veerry interesting, hmm?

Well, for those of you reading this book past the age of ten there isn't much about that there, there's more about evil Inquisition monks, penitent crusader ghosts and euro-centrism. But, I got very interested in history in part because of this book, so I'm willing to cut it a lot of slack.

Johnny Dixon

Next: 'The Chessmen of Doom'

Previous 'The Eyes of the Killer Robot' ( )

Oh my lord this was stupid. I didn't much like the first Johnny Dixon book, but I thought it might get better - it got worse instead. I could spend a few thousand words dissecting all the stuff that was wrong, but I'll sum it up by - the "plot" was a collection of dei ex machina, random events coming out of nowhere and sending them off on another weird angle. Gods and ghosts, and half a dozen magical items with no continuity or explanation for them. The putative plan was to alter events of the past - and the professor didn't see anything wrong with that. nor with bringing (and losing) various technologically advanced stuff (from a lighter to an inflatable raft). And to top it off, the "protagonist", Johnny, was a whiny wimp. The only thing he actually did on his own, not pushed or pulled by someone else, was worry about the professor - not do anything about it, but worry. He's also supposed to be claustrophobic...which is mentioned as they enter the _second_ dark underground tunnel they pass through, but not referred to at the first, or the _third_ tunnel, though it talks about how cramped it is. Sheesh! The book is copyrighted by "the estate of John Bellairs" - maybe it didn't get fully edited before it was released? Really really bad. I won't be reading any more Bellairs. ( )