We love reading historical fiction as a family and have discovered some really great time travel history books. Every night, I read to each of the kids individually. They pick a book and we read a chapter and I choose a book and we read a chapter. In the case of my eight-year-old, chapter books are a very recent thing that he has begun to enjoy but we still read a ton of picture books – whatever he chooses. His love for the last book we read is what inspired me to share these books about time travel with you.
First, let’s talk about why. Why do we love time travel history books? They are such a fun and exciting way to get a glimpse into the differences between then and now. This one really got us thinking about some amazing differences in our lives now versus then. It’s also a great way for us to visit some new place in the world while following our “friends” on another adventure. The great part of a series is that you feel like you really get to know the characters.
We are on our third chapter book now – our first was Wild Robot. Our second was The Wild Robot Escapes. It is killing us to wait for The Wild Robot Protects – September is a long way away!!! We just – and I mean just tonight – finished reading The Imagination Station Sled Run for Survival. I wish we had read this a few months ago when we went dogsledding! After finishing the book, I asked my son if he wanted to read another book from this series or find something else and he definitely wants another Imagination Station book. For the record – I wrote this months ago. We now have The Wild Robot Protects.
This isn’t just about one book though, I thought I would share a few different time travel adventure series that we have enjoyed reading. Here you go!
The Imagination Station – In this particular book, Patrick and Beth head back to Nome, Alaska in 1925. Their mission – help deliver the medicine to the children suffering from Diphtheria. Will they get there in time? I love that there’s an added Christian perspective in these stories.
Magic Tree House – I have to be honest – these have never been a hit with my kids. I know kids everywhere seem to love them, not sure what my youngest thinks yet, we haven’t read one of them. These books take Jack and Annie on an adventure every time the magic tree house appears in the woods. Where will they go next?
The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls. You may have heard of these, I’ve mentioned them a few times before. We really enjoyed this series. Peter, Mary and their dog, Hank discover ancient scrolls that transport them back to periods of time in biblical history. Each book takes readers on a journey through different Bible stories. There is also a dark force in each book trying to stop them. I’ve loved everything about this series! Want to read a more in depth review, we have written about them twice. 
Ranger in Time. Ranger is a time-traveling golden retriever who transports back in time to some great adventure. We discovered this series when a friend’s kid was reading one for a school assignment. You had us at the word dog! Anything animal related will always sit well with my kids and these stories are no exception. Wherever Ranger goes, there ends up being trouble but Ranger is there to save the day!
These time-travel history chapter books are so fun for kids to read {or listen to you read} because they are about kids around their age going on these super exciting adventures! I KNOW that I haven’t discovered all of the amazing books that we need to so please – let me know if you have discovered a time-travel book that we need to check out! Looking for more great books to read? Check out weekly books we love feature. What should we read next?
