Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix, Dan Craig (Illustrator), Dan Craig (Illustrator), Margaret Peterson Haddix

From the Publisher

Run For Your Life

Jessie lives with her family in the frontier village of Clifton, Indiana, in 1840 — or so she believes. When diphtheria strikes the village and the children of Clifton start dying, Jessie's mother reveals a shocking secret — it's actually 1996, and they are living in a reconstructed village that serves as a tourist site. In the world outside, medicine exists that can cure the dread disease, and Jessie's mother is sending her on a dangerous mission to bring back help.

But beyond the walls of Clifton, Jessie discovers a world even more alien and threatening than she could have imagined, and soon she finds her own life in jeopardy. Can she get help before the children of Clifton, and Jessie herself, run out of time?

Children's Literature

In an isolated village in 1840, the children are dying of diphtheria when Jessie's mother entrusts her with an important secret. The village is really an experiment, and it's really 1996. But something has gone terribly wrong, and if Jessie doesn't succeed, the villagers will die of diseases that were conquered over one hundred years ago. Haddix has made the experiment seem very real and very terrible. Without modern experiences, Jessie must try to save the only home she has ever known. A gripping story.

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-This absorbing novel develops an unusual premise into the gripping story of a young girl's efforts to save her family and friends from a deadly disease. Jessie Keyser, 13, believes that the year is 1840. In truth, she and her family, along with a small group of others, live in a reconstructed village viewed by unseen modern tourists and used as an experimental site by unethical scientists. Jessie discovers the truth when her mother asks her to leave the village and seek medical help for the diptheria epidemic that has struck the children of the community. Jessie must cope with the shock of her discovery; her unfamiliarity with everyday phenomena such as cars, telephones, and television; and the unscrupulous men who are manipulating the villagers. The action moves swiftly, with plenty of suspense, and readers will be eager to discover how Jessie overcomes the obstacles that stand in her way. While she is ultimately successful, the ending is not entirely a happy one, for several children have died and others are placed in foster care to await resolution of the complex situation. This realistically ambiguous ending reflects the author's overall success in making her story, however far-fetched, convincing and compelling. Haddix also handles characterization well; even secondary characters who are somewhat sketchily drawn never descend into stereotype. This book will appeal to fans of time-travel or historical novels as well as those who prefer realistic contemporary fiction, all of whom will look forward to more stories from this intriguing new author.-Lisa Dennis, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

School Library Journal

Gr 4-7-By Margaret Peterson Haddix. Jesse's mother asks her to take a daring journey outside of the only world she knows to help save the children of 1840 Clifton. Jesse realizes it is really 1996 and the life she has known is a cleverly reconstructed tourist site.

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