Reader Profile

Daniel Darrigan and Michael Tunnel suggest that time travel books have almost universal appeal because of readers' natural curiosity about the future, the past, and their own histories. As well, the protagonists in these works are often typical kids, lacking any superpowers or specialized gifts, so are easy to relate to.^[56]

Computers as portals to other times

In the Time Hackers by Gary Paulsen, special computer chips allow hackers to break into the time line and bring characters and objects from the past into the present. Dorso and Frank get drawn into the chaos and must find out how the program works before they get sent out of their own time. ^[57]

Richard Peck's Lost in Cyberspace ^[58] and The Great Interactive Dream Machine ^[59] follow Josh and Aaron, sixth graders who find their way into cyberspace, in this case a portal to different times. In the latter book, Aaron turns his computer into a wish-granting machine that gets beyond their control, causing many problems. Though there are antagonists in these works, the overall tone is light and comical.

The Night Room, by E.M. Goldman, features a virtual reality program that simulates the future. It takes students ahead in time to their ten year high school reunion. Things seem idyllic at first, until a hacker's virus turns the game into a dangerous program that will kill one of the characters unless the others can reverse the damage.^[60]