Amie Rose Rotruck (Children's Literature)
When Martin Conway inherits an antique radio from his grandmother, he soon finds that the radio connects him with a boy. Through the radio, Martin begins to experience this boy's life during the Blitz in London. At first, Martin is sure he is imagining things. After some research, however, he realizes that the things he sees at night are true historic facts. When an encounter with a bully at school strengthens Martin's determination to leave the exclusive prep school his mother insists he attend, he asks to use this radio as a springboard for a school project. The project culminates in a visit to London with Martin's father, an alcoholic on tense terms with Martin. That trip allows many ill feelings in Martin's family and others to be put to rest. Once again, Edward Bloor creates a masterful tale of human emotion. He expertly weaves fantasy, historical fiction, and coming-of-age pains into a touching and thought-provoking story that also explores how history is made and sometimes unmade. 2006, Alfred A. Knopf, $16.95. Ages 12 up.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, September 1, 2006 (Vol. 74, No. 17))
John hates All Souls Preparatory School, where he's tormented by Hank Lowery, great-grandson of General "Hollerin' Hank" Lowery, a WWII hero. Or was he? John's older sister, revising the article on Lowery for her job at an encyclopedia, suspects otherwise. John holds the answer-in a radio bequeathed to him by his grandmother that turns out to be a time-travel device that takes him to the home of a boy named Jimmy in 1940s London. With Jimmy, John observes Lowery at the U.S. Embassy, during the events that precede and follow Jimmy's death. Then he can answer the question Jimmy puts to him: "What did you do to help?" Helping involves a lot of research on Lowery and the Blitz, and a trip to London to find Jimmy's aging father. Sound complicated and unwieldy? Just add overtones of religion (Is Jimmy an angel? What does God want of John?) and alcoholism (John's father) and you've got an ungainly mess. The history and ethics are fascinating but are treated to a shallow ending, and though the characters are compelling, the dropped threads will make readers tune out. 2006, Knopf, 304p, $16.95. Category: Fiction. Ages 9 to 13. © 2006 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Paula Rohrlick (KLIATT Review, September 2006 (Vol. 40, No. 5))
Martin is an unhappy 8th-grade student at a snobbish New Jersey prep school that reveres the memory of such famous graduates as General "Hollerin' Hank" Lowery. When Martin inherits an old radio from his grandmother, he starts having weirdly realistic dreams set in London in 1940, where he meets a boy named Jimmy. With the help of his older sister, Martin researches historical details from his dreams. When they turn out to be true, he realizes that he is really traveling through time, and what he learns ends up changing the historical record on General Lowery, bringing peace to an old man's life, and altering a number of lives for the better, including his own. Bloor, author of Tangerine, Story Time, and other offbeat tales for YAs, neatly ties up all the strands in this tale of historical intrigue and wrongs righted. Martin's determination and the vivid scenes of London during the Blitz are sure to appeal. Category: Hardcover Fiction. KLIATT Codes: J--Recommended for junior high school students. 2006, Random House, 304p., $16.95.. Ages 12 to 15.

Lee Gordon (Library Media Connection, January 2007)
Martin, a seventh grader, unhappily attends a prestigious Catholic school on a scholarship. When Henry and his buddies bully him and his friends, they are suspended because the head of the school chooses to believe Henry whose father is a benefactor. Martin spends his summer in his basement, uninterested in coming out. When his grandmother dies, Martin inherits an old radio, which transports him back to 1940 London during the Blitz. He meets Jimmy, who asks for his help. Martin researches what he sees and discovers that what he saw actually happened. On his last time travel to London, Martin discovers that Jimmy needed him to witness a murder so that he could alleviate someone's guilt. Martin now has the information he needs to discredit Gen. Lowery, great-grandfather of his nemesis at school. This is a combination historical fiction, mystery, and time-travel novel. The idea of a main character who is consumed by research is certainly refreshing and welcome. Martin's family is very supportive of his quest. There is a definite "Catholic" bent to the story in regard to angels and judgment day, but it doesn't interfere with the story. A tie-in to history classes is possible. Recommended. 2006, Alfred A. Knopf (Random House), 304pp., $16.95 hc. Ages 12 to 16.

Deborah Stevenson (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, November 2006 (Vol. 60, No. 3))
Legacies have been the bane of thirteen-year-old Martin’s life: he’s called Martin (his middle name) after his grandfather, whose achievements are the family benchmark and his personal curse, and he’s bullied at school by Hank Lowery, great-grandson of the school’s founder, General “Hollerin’” Hank Lowery. Martin learns more about both scions when an antique radio left him by his late grandmother proves to open a time portal, allowing Martin to go back to London during the Battle of Britain; there he roams the street with an East End boy named Jimmy and overhears information that suggests the heroes of the past were not so heroic, information that Martin is determined to bring to light in the present. This is an interesting and complex concept, but its parts never really come together: Martin’s home dramas are foggily depicted, with little emotional impact, and the shift of focus to Jimmy’s story squanders the energy the school story needs for its conclusion without bringing in any suspense of its own. The London plot heedlessly and implausibly throws together West End and East End developments, and Jimmy is more an expository device for history and geography than a believable East End kid. Martin’s travels and growing closeness with his alcoholic father offer some genuine human development, but it’s largely overshadowed by the dull overarching plots. Readers will be better off with the author's classic Tangerine (BCCB 3/97). Review Code: M -- Marginal book that is so slight in content or has so many weaknesses in style or format that it should be given careful consideration before purchase. (c) Copyright 2006, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2006, Knopf, 304p.; Reviewed from galleys, $18.99 and $16.95. Grades 7-10.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Spring 2007)
A World War IIûera radio serves as the conduit between present-day New Jersey and London during the Blitz for seventh-grader Martin Conway. Slipping back and forth in time, Martin uncovers information about his war hero grandfather and mends his relationship with his alcoholic father. Tinged with Catholic spirituality, the story is a provocative but not wholly successful mix of history and fantasy. Category: Intermediate Fiction. 2006, Knopf, 289pp, 16.95, 18.99. Ages 9 to 12. Rating: 4: Recommended, with minor flaws.

Jan Chapman (VOYA, December 2006 (Vol. 29, No. 5))
John Martin Conway despises his exclusive prep school. A lowly scholarship student, he clashes with the obnoxious great grandson of "Hollerin' Hank Lowery," a famous World War II general and the school's founder. The confrontation results in damage to a statue of the famous general that is being erected at the school. Until things cool down, Martin elects to study at home. He is fascinated by a vintage 1940s Philco radio that once belonged to his grandmother, and falling asleep in front of the radio one night, he travels back in time to London during the Blitz. He meets Jimmy, a young boy whose life has a curious connection with Martin's own ancestor, his grandfather who was an aide to "Hollerin' Hank." Through Jimmy, he learns that the general and his grandfather were not quite the American heroes that they were cracked up to be. Yet the story is more than just a time-travel journey; it is also a journey of personal growth for Martin. Not only does he put to rest a mystery surrounding Jimmy's death, but Martin also comes to terms with his feelings of depression and the sorrow of an absent, alcoholic father. This time-travel fantasy has two deftly woven, parallel story lines that occasionally intersect in intriguing ways. Observant teens will appreciate the contrast between Martin's and Jimmy's lives, particularly with the personal problems that they both strive to overcome. There is a bit of something for everyone in this novel, with its elegant blend of contemporary teen angst, time travel, and history. VOYA CODES: 5Q 4P M J S (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2006, Knopf, 304p., $16.95 and PLB $18.99. Ages 11 to 18.