Cooney, C. B. (1995). Both sides of time. New York: Delacorte Press.
Age: 12 and up
Genre: Modern Fantasy
Summary: Annie
Lockwood is girl who wants true romance. She wants the kind of romance she isn’t
able to find in the year 1995, with her current boyfriend Sean. Lost in her thoughts
and hopes, she visits an old mansion that is about to be torn down and is
whisked away to another time. In the year 1895, Annie experiences true romance,
gets caught up in a murder mystery, and finds out what it’s like to be adored,
courted, and loved by a man all at the same time. All the while, back in 1995,
her family needs her desperately, with big changes on the horizon for her mom
and dad.
Reflection: I was
swept away in this suspenseful,
romance novel. Although the bittersweet love story was enough to keep the
reader intrigued, Caroline B. Cooney added the phenomenon of time travel to
make this fantasy book a must-read. I have read many different Caroline B. Cooney
books, but somehow missed this time traveling series in my young adult years. The
main character, Annie Lockwood, is a relatable character for students in middle
and high school. Students at this age are beginning to truly experience
relationships for the first time, and many girls yearn for the type of romance
they read about in books and see in movies.
The captivating plot
draws the reader in with the romance of Annie Lockwood and Strat, but continues
to add suspense to the story with
the murder of a servant in Strat’s family mansion. The setting of this part of the story is integral to the plot, because
the courting of woman, the expectations of a gentleman, and the money-first
view of marriage was prevalent during this time period. Annie wouldn’t have likely found this type of
romance had she traveled to the future, because Annie alluded to the fact that romance
is somewhat pitiful in the current century. The author truly helps the reader
know and understand a few of the characters
through their thoughts and actions, although the story was told in a third-person-sympathetic (or limited) omniscient point of view.
The cliffhanger of an
ending leaves the reader on the edge of their seats wondering where Annie will
travel next. The rest of the series should be an easy and necessary read. I would
definitely recommend this book to a young adult who loves mystery, suspense, time
travel, and romance!
With students, using
the Mark My Word comprehension strategy, I would point out the words “forthwith”,
“precariously”, and “reproachful” and challenge the students to use them at
least once throughout the week.
Here are some great questions as ask
students after reading this book:
Would you rather live
in 1895 or 1995? Why?
What do you think the
consequences would have been if Annie stayed in 1895?
After reading the
last paragraph of the book, to what point in time do you think Annie will travel?
Read the other captivating stories in The Time Travelers series: Out of Time, For All Time and Prisoner of Time
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