Miss Trimble’s Trapdoor

From the publisher: A former elementary school teacher, Lori Jordan-Rice set out to create a children’s book series that was entertaining and educational, with a back-to-basics approach to U.S. history. Her two new books, Miss Trimble’s Trapdoor and Miss Trimble’s Trapdoor: The Perseverance of Christopher Columbus usher in an imaginative new series featuring a fictional classroom full of memorable modern day characters alongside historical figures such as the pilgrims, the founding fathers of the United States and, of course, Christopher Columbus.

Miss Trimble’s Trapdoor: Book 1

by: Lori Jordan-Rice
List Price: $12.95
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 64 pages
Publisher: Synergy Books (October 1, 2009)
Language: English

Miss Trimble’s Trapdoor (book one) follows Tyler, a boy who hates school—that is, until he unlocks a secret trapdoor beneath his desk in Miss Trimble’s classroom. Tyler unexpectedly falls into a mysterious basement filled with old books and guarded by a magical talking dog named Barnabas Bailey. His new companion takes him back in time, guiding him through American history firsthand and teaching him life lessons along the way.

Miss Trimble’s Trapdoor: The Perseverance of Christopher Columbus: Book 2

by: Lori Jordan-Rice
List Price: $12.95
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 88 pages
Publisher: Synergy Books (October 1, 2009)
Language: English

In the second book of the series, Miss Trimble’s Trapdoor: The Perseverance of Christopher Columbus, Tyler continues his travels through time with his trusted canine companion, Barney. As they witness Columbus as a boy, a young man, and finally sail aboard the Santa Maria with Columbus himself, Tyler realizes that even a great explorer can face setbacks before reaching his dream He learns he has to believe in himself to achieve his goals of playing on the school basketball team and delivering an oral report on Columbus in front of the whole class.

Bonus: Kids can visit http://www.misstrimblestrapdoor.com/ to write to main characters Tyler and Barney, as well as for helpful educational links, crosswords and word searches. The books are perfect for kids ages 6-12.

My take: History was always my favorite subject. In fact, I thought seriously about majoring in history when I went to college. A desire to make an actual living that didn’t involve teaching moved me on to an accounting major instead but I never lost my interest in the past. It’s a love that my husband shares and we hope to pass on to our children. How to do that without the usual barriers (”history is boring! Who cares what happened 200 years ago!?”)? Have you been wondering too how to get your child interested in history? Well, Miss Trimble’s Trapdoor series just might be the answer we’ve been looking for!

Each book joins the young boy Tyler on a trip (or two or more!) to the past. Tyler is a bit of a misfit / nerd in school and is bullied and picked on by his peers (really, is there any group alive more cruel than middle schoolers?). It doesn’t help that he seems to have special needs as well (he has a special quiet area in his classroom just for him for when he needs time alone to work on is assignment). It was during one of those times that he discovers the trapdoor to the past. What I like about these books is not only their obvious appeal as living history books with a character kids can relate too, there is also a moral lesson weaved in (learning from the past, being true to yourself, persevering). I really enjoyed these books myself (and relearned a bit of history along the way) and can’t wait for my 5 and 7 year old to be old enough to read them too. In the meantime, I think we’ll read them together and wait anxiously for the next installments!

About the Author: Lori Jordan-Rice has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of North Texas and a decade of teaching experience. She hopes to cure historical illiteracy by helping children learn in a fun, engaging way.

This post was written for Synergy Books who provided the books for review. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary books.