Lincoln's Legacy
Book 1 of Blast to the Past series
by Stacia Deutsch and Rhody Cohon

Reviewed by Marci G. Baun © 2005

Wild Child Publishing.com © 2005

Grade: A

Just like I gobbled up Island of the Blue Dolphins, Little House on the Prairie, A Wrinkle in Time when I was young, I would have devoured Lincoln's Legacy too and been eager for more.

Every Monday, Mr. C asks his students a "what if" question. For instance, what if Woodrow Wilson refused to sign the 20th Amendment giving women the right to vote? Or what if Paul Revere and the Minutemen decided against alerting the colonists that the British were coming? What would the world be like now?

What Mr. C's students don't know is that he isn't asking hypothetical questions, that he actually possesses a time machine which he uses to go back in time and convince these different people to go through with the actions we read about in our history books. But this time, when Mr. C returns to his class and asks, "What if President Lincoln never issued the Emancipation Proclamation?" he is desperate. This trip, Mr. C couldn't convince President Lincoln to make the proclamation. In desperation, Mr. C enlists four of his students, Abigail, Bo, Jacob, and Zack, to go back in time and speak to President Lincoln. Each student is chosen for the different qualities he or she possesses. They have exactly two hours to convince Lincoln and return or be stuck in the past forever.

The entire book is written through Abigail's point of view. The authors obviously understand the workings of a young girl's mind. She is a strong character, smart, sassy, and eager to please, but, like anyone, she is not without her faults This combination creates an endearing character that is easy to relate to for both adults and children.

One of the things I like about Lincoln's Legacy is the blend of history with fiction. The authors do an excellent job of telling the story while imparting information about the past. In another lifetime, I wrote and performed historical one-woman shows. Because these shows were meant to be educational, I worked hard to keep them as accurate as possible without being boring. It's not an easy thing to do, but Deutsch and Cohon do this very successfully. Hopefully, these books will infuse their target audience with a desire to learn more about President Lincoln, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the time period in which all of these events happened.

I also like how the book challenges the readers to think. The question "what if" encourages people to consider other possibilities. In this case, it also shows kids how relevant historical events and people are to the present. Nothing can compare to that.

If you have a child between seven and ten years old, I would highly recommend that you buy Lincoln's Legacy, as well as the other books in this series scheduled for release, for her. You will not regret it!