On the Run to Ancient China

The Binkerton twins knew better than to go into the Good Times Travel Agency. After all, they’d been there before and had been swept into the past when the owner, Julian T. Pettigrew, opened one of his travel guides. Unfortunately, their little sister Libby smelled the irresistible scent of Chinese fried noodles wafting down the street, and she followed the smell into the shop before her siblings, Josh and Emma, could stop her. Once inside, it was inevitable that one of the guidebooks was opened resulting in the children being stranded in ancient China.

Then the mishaps truly began. While the twins argued about their next steps, Libby wandered away and climbed onto a passing carriage. Now, while Libby travels comfortably with a government official who is captivated by the “charming little barbarian”, the twins experience how the peasants and other workers live as the siblings use the information in the guidebook to help them navigate through ancient China on the trail of their lost sister. Hopefully, they will find Libby and get to the end of the guide before disaster strikes.

On the Run in Ancient China is the third installment in the “Time Travel Guides” series. In each book, the Binkerton twins are transported to a location in the past when one of the travel guides in the Good Times Travel Agency is opened. Once the book opens, the twins and the book remain in the past until the twins read the entire guidebook. Only then are they transported back to the present. Between the covers is a fun romp through an ancient civilization, the romp being broken into digestible, easily understood pieces.

The format of the book is very appealing. The story of the twins’ misadventures unfolds in graphic novel style above the opened pages of the guidebook which provides information about the historical time the twins are experiencing. The guide covers topics such as farming, travel, inventions, and societal and family structures. Teachers will appreciate the many tie-ins to the Social Studies curriculum. Bill Slavin’s humorous illustrations that follow the plot of the story bring to life the chatty informational guide below. An index and additional factual information are included after the story.

On the Run in Ancient China is an updated publication of the 2003 book, Adventures in Ancient China. (https://umanitoba.ca/outreach/cm/vol11/no1/adventuresinancientchina.html )