Kids can explore the world of the Pilgrims in Problems in Plymouth, the sixth Imagination Station book by Marianne Hering and Marshal Younger. The Imagination Station helps kids learn about history by using their imagination, but lately it has malfunctioned. Cousins Patrick and Beth are the only two it will allow inside. The two go to Plymouth, Massachusetts, to find the villain Hugh, who has been traveling through time, causing trouble. But, before they can do anything, they are captured by Native Americans along with another Pilgrim boy.
When released, Patrick and Beth meet the Pilgrims and spend the first Thanksgiving with them. Even then, they must keep watching for Hugh, whom they fear will try to start a war between the Pilgrims and Native Americans. As the story progresses, they learn the value of taking risks for the sake of peace as instructed in Romans 12:18.
This chapter book is the last in a mini-series about Hugh and the ring he stole that allows him to travel through time, so its ending is resolved. But more books in the series are coming. The books echo the style of the Magic Tree House series, but, instead of magic, a quirky machine built by Mr. Whittaker ferries the children through time. Fans of the audio drama Adventures in Odyssey will enjoy the Imagination Stations antics, but readers do not have to be familiar with the show in order to understand the books.
The series is geared for early elementary readers, and its website, www.theimaginationstation.com, provides a vocabulary list of harder words in the book. It also reveals a prize when the secret word from the books puzzle is typed in.
Besides making great beginner reading material, these books are perfect for family reading time. Patrick and Beths adventures kept me quickly turning pages, and I regretted reaching the end so soon. Alexandra Mellen, www.ChristianBookPreviews.com
