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Summary
Summary
You probably know that Leonardo da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa. Did you know that he also invented an early version of a helicopter and a tank, and that he planned to execute the Time Warp Trio for spying on his inventions? Sam's bright idea to look for the inventor of the Book takes the guys to 15th century Italy to meet up with Leonardo. But it's going to take at least three more bright ideas, two magic tricks, and one great invention to get them out of trouble and safely back home. If not, it could be a lifetime of Italian army toilet-cleaning detail for Joe, Sam, and Fred.
Author Notes
Jon Scieszka was born September 8, 1954 in Flint , Michigan. After he graduated from Culver Military Academy where he was a Lieutenant, he studied to be a doctor at Albion College. He changed career directions and attended Columbia University where he received a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1980. Before he became a full time writer, Scieszka was a lifeguard, painted factories, houses, and apartments and also wrote for magazines. He taught elementary school in New York for ten years as a 1st grade assistant, a 2nd grade homeroom teacher, and a computer, math, science and history teacher in 3rd - 8th grade.
He decided to take off a year from teaching in order to work with Lane Smith, an illustrator, to develop ideas for children's books. His book, The Stinky Cheese Man received the 1994 Rhode Island Children's Book Award. Scieszka's Math Curse, illustrated by Lane Smith, was an American Library Association Notable Book in 1996; a Blue Ribbon Book from the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books in 1995; and a Publisher's Weekly Best Children's Book in 1995. The Stinky Cheese Man received Georgia's 1997 Children's Choice Award and Wisconsin's The Golden Archer Award. Math Curse received Maine's Student Book Award, The Texas Bluebonnet Award and New Hampshire's The Great Stone Face Book Award in 1997. He was appointed the first National Ambassador for Young People's Literature by the Library of Congress in 2008. In 2014 his title, Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor made The New York Times Best Seller List. Frank Einstein and the Electro-Finger made the list in 2015.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-5-In this 14th title in the series, Sam decides that Leonardo da Vinci invented The Book that sent the Trio into different eras in past adventures. Sam, Fred, and Joe wind up in front of Leonardo and a new weapon that he decides to test on them. It seems that he is just as much of a prankster as Joe as the guns shoot flags that say, "Rombo!" (purported to be Italian for "Bang!"). Leonardo has a deadline to fulfill Lord Borgia's demand for a weapon of mass destruction, and Fred comes up with the idea of building a dam, forcing the town of Urbo to surrender peacefully without a water source. Numerous black-and-white, cartoon illustrations are sprinkled throughout the text, enticing a transitional-reader audience. One large, double-page picture shows Da Vinci's studio. Text and art make reference to his fascination with geometry, to the Mona Lisa, and to his backward writing style. (Mirror writing is used in chapter headings.) Fans will relish this new installment.-Debbie Whitbeck, West Ottawa Public Schools, Holland, MI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Narrator Joe and friends Fred and Sam time-travel to Renaissance Italy where they meet Leonardo. The central conflict+the boys must create an invention for the Italian army or face conscription+seems like a pro forma plot device in this short novel whose primary appeal is its fast pace, silly humor, and constant action. Arch, cartoony black-and-white art appears throughout. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Gr. 3-6. In the Time Warp Trio's fourteenth heart-pounding escapade, the three young Brooklyn friends set out to discover who invented the Book, the magic catalyst to their time-travel adventures. Their quest projects them to sixteenth-century Italy, where they meet Leonardo da Vinci, outwit Machiavelli, and learn something about famous inventors and their discoveries (the discussion of Thomas Crapper will be a particular hit). This adventure feels a bit less substantial than some of the others in the series, and a few of the specifics of the team's escapes may leave readers a bit confused. But the encounter with da Vinci, who is portrayed as a goofy practical joker, is thrilling, and as usual, the fast action and spot-on humor carry the plot. Illustrations, including new interpretations of da Vinci's work, were not available in galley. --Gillian Engberg Copyright 2004 Booklist
