No Ordinary Thing

Schmidt's complex, tightly constructed middle grade debut explores time travel and fantasies about altering the past for the better. Ever since his parents--"international aid workers and avid travelers"--died in a plane crash when he was five, Adam Lee Tripp, who is biracial (Chinese and white), has lived over--and helped at--his Uncle Henry's bakery on New York City's Lower East Side. The book opens in 1999, when Adam, now 12, discovers a snow globe in the attic, containing "only a layer of confetti snow--nothing else," that transports him back in time to New York City and a small town just north in 1922, 1935, and the 1960s. In both locations and multiple timelines, he becomes involved with characters whose lives turn out to interweave with each other and with three treasures that possess different magical powers: the snow globe, a chestnut music box, and a gold pendulum. The objects' histories are revealed through the story of a young magician at the beginning of the 20th century, an arc that is interspersed with Henry's travels through time and place. Told in a confident narrative voice, the novel adroitly traces the characters' and objects' journeys and connections, encouraging close reading and keen speculation as the suspense builds to a most satisfying conclusion. Ages 8-12. (Oct.)

Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 4-7--Twelve-year-old Chinese American Adam Lee Tripp lives in 1999 New York City with his Uncle Henry, who owns Biscuit Basket Bakery. A loner, Adam connects with the past when a chance visitor, J.C. Walsh, gives him a prophetic message about attics and adventures. In the attic, Adam finds his late parents' snow globe that time travels. By time traveling, Adam learns that three artifacts control time: Past, present, and future. As he meets people connected to a candle factory fire, Adam yearns to use time travel to unravel tragedy, perhaps even bring back his parents. Schmidt uses a third-person direct address style. As she tells Adam's story, she provides hints and sentiments that provide a warm, comforting backdrop, as do her narrative metaphors and sensory details of the bakery. Adam is sympathetic, both because of his lonely childhood and his empathy for everyone he meets. The people Adam encounters and those connected with the three artifacts are all intriguing, and a greedy time thief adds a dangerous element to the last few chapters. While Schmidt makes connections between everyone Adam meets and his future, there's a curious, incomplete feeling to the story. Adam sees and learns many things, but he is an observer to much of the action, and the story lacks forward propulsion. VERDICT Elegant writing and an imaginative conceit may compensate for a passive story. Purchase where Kathryn Littlewood's Bliss or Rebecca Stead's When You Reach Me are popular.--Caitlin Augusta, Stratford Lib. Assoc., CT

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Resolving mysteries and featuring glimpses into its hero's future, No Ordinary Thing is no ordinary time travel story; it contains timeless lessons on friendship, bravery, and letting go. —Foreword Reviews

Schmidt's complex, tightly constructed middle grade debut explores time travel and fantasies about altering the past for the better. . . . Told in a confident narrative voice, the novel adroitly traces the characters' and objects' journeys and connections, encouraging close reading and keen speculation as the suspense builds to a most satisfying conclusion. —Publishers Weekly

The people Adam encounters and those connected with the three artifacts are all intriguing, and a greedy time thief adds a dangerous element to the last few chapters. . . . Elegant writing and an imaginative conceit.—School Library Journal

[will] leave readers thoughtfully making connections and drawing conclusions. —Booklist

A magical New York journey through time and the grieving process.—Kirkus Reviews