Lost in the Tunnel of Time (Clubhouse Mysteries Series #2)

by Sharon M. Draper, Jesse Joshua Watson (Illustrator)

Overview

In this second book of the classic chapter book series by award-winning author Sharon M. Draper, four boys who call themselves the Black Dinosaurs explore an old tunnel that once was part of the Underground Railroad.

Ziggy, Rico, Rashawn, and Jerome discover their hometown used to be a stop on the Underground Railroad and set out to explore the part of the tunnel right under their school. When a trapdoor slams behind them, locking them in the tunnel, there’s only one thing they can do—plunge deeper and deeper into the darkness. Where will the tunnel lead them? And will the old, crumbling walls hold until they find their way to the end?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442431539
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster
Publication date:	02/13/2024
Series:	Clubhouse Mysteries Series , #2
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	72
Sales rank:	953,603
File size:	4 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Sharon M. Draper is a three-time New York Times bestselling author and a recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring her significant and lasting contribution to writing for teens. She has received the Coretta Scott King Award for both Copper Sun and Forged by Fire and was awarded the Charlotte Huck Award for Stella by Starlight. Her novel Out of My Mind has won multiple awards and was a New York Times bestseller for over three years, and its sequel, Out of My Heart and Blended were also New York Times bestsellers. Sharon taught high school English for twenty-five years and was named National Teacher of the Year. She now lives in Florida. Visit her at SharonDraper.com.

Read an Excerpt

Lost in the Tunnel of Time

Editorial Reviews

An inaugural release in the Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs series, this tale focuses on four African American boys who make up the Black Dinosaurs Club. On a class field trip to the Ohio River, the friends are captivated by two stories. A raconteur describes his grandfather's arrival in Cincinnati via the Underground Railroad and also explains that tunnels used in that operation are located under the school the kids attend. And their teacher relates a local legend about a Shawnee woman who helped slaves escape to freedom and whose ghost allegedly haunts the area. When Ziggy and pals attempt to explore the underground tunnels, the walls collapse. The trapped boys are comforted by a breeze they attribute to the ghost's presence. Draper's (Tears of a Tiger) well-meaning attempts to combine fiction, folklore and history lead to some significant credibility gaps, among them the unlikely circumstances that middle class African American middle-schoolers have never heard of the Underground Railroad; and that Ziggy's dog manages to dig through the collapsed tunnel to rescue them. The result is a contrived, disappointingly meager novel. Ages 8-up. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Gr 3-6Rico, his friend Ziggy, and their classmates have been looking forward to a field trip to the Ohio River. Accompanied by old Mr. Greene, they welcome the break from school, but also find themselves fascinated by the man's stories about the Underground Railroad. Intrigued by the fact that runaway slaves hid in tunnels under their school, the boys (all members of the Black Dinosaurs Club) get a map of the tunnels and plan a search. All goes well until one of the tunnels collapses and they are trapped deep below the deserted school. Inspired by the bravery of the escaped slaves who survived similar ordeals, the boys cope with their fear until rescued. This is the first entry in a projected series about a likable group of African American friends. The characters are realistically portrayed, and the history lessons are interestingly conveyed. Full- and double-page pencil sketches appear throughout.Anne Connor, Los Angeles Public Library

School Library Journal