“My dad died twice. Once when he was thirty-nine, and again four years later when he was twelve. (He’s going to die a third time as well, which seems a bit rough on him, but I can’t help that.)”

Al Chaudhury is a nerdy 12-year-old growing up in the North of England who is off Indian and Welsh heritage. He lives with his mom, her boyfriend Steve with whom he doesn't connect well, his goth half-sister Carly with whom he does not get along, and his genius Grandpa Byron. On his twelfth birthday, Al is given a letter written by his father Pye before his death four years earlier.

Al is tasked with finding his father's time machine and traveling back to 1984 when the young Pye suffered an accident that would contribute to his early death decades later. Pye was unable to do it himself because the rules of time travel prevent the same person from appearing twice at the same time. In this very sweet story, Al makes several attempts to figure out the time machine and how to fix the past, while forming a bond with his father as a boy his own age. And yes, he travels with Alan Shearer, a pet hamster that was also a birthday gift.

I love time travel stories and really enjoyed this messy, heartfelt adventure even if it makes me feel old that traveling to 1984 is treated as the distant past. Grandpa Byron is a great character and reminds me of my own grandfather who tried to get me to read a book about learning memorization skills. And this is a light spoiler but I love that this is the only time travel story other than Back to the Future where changes in the past lead to a more positive future for the protagonist. ( )

middlegrade children's fiction (time travel to save deceased dad with unforeseen repercussions; incidental ethnicity--grandpa Chaudhury is from India, and though Al's grandmother was Welsh and Al's mother is English, Al identifies quite a bit with his grandfather' heritage). ( )

A time travelling wonder

I know this is a children’s book and I’m some years beyond childhood myself, but still I loved it. I admit that I’ve had a bit of a thing about time travel since reading ‘A Traveller in Time’ by Alison Uttley as a teenager. Much as I love (and recommend) that book, this book has so much more to offer the 21st Century reader. The hero, twelve year old Al, received a letter from his late father asking him to use a time machine to travel back in time to change an event that later lead to his (Dad’s) early death. Simple, thinks Al, but in the tradition of all quests everything that can go wrong does, and Al jeopardises more than his own future. I can’t say much more about the plot without spoiling a story that everyone who enjoys a good story, with great characters, real fun and true empathy should read. Give yourself a treat and try a bit of time travelling. ( )

This book feels like an achievement.

I fell in love with Al, a British-Indian nerd who's dealing with bullies at school and the death of his dad. Welford makes so many big, messy topics really accessible and I'm grateful to him for that.

Al Chaudhry is an incredibly well-developed character. He's intelligent, sensitive and knows when adults are talking about him and talking down to him. That's perhaps one of my favourite aspects of Welford's writing -- he acknowledges how perceptive children are much like Roald Dahl did to me when I was little.

The character development and arcs was probably my favourite aspect of this book. I loved its tone but the plot fell a little in the middle -- there were lots of logistics to time travel that I don't think always had to be revisited but I liked that there was a lot at stake and it felt like a really well-paced book.

Time Traveling with a Hamster is cheeky and facetious and speaks to all of us. This chunky novel is meant for middle grade but I think it's totally readable no matter how old you are. I feel like I'll miss this book. ( )

Okay, color me impressed! You've heard me praise the wonders of Middle Grade fiction and its wonderful authors many a time, and yet it never fails to stun me how much goodness comes out of the books written for this age group. Ross Welford has penned a gem here. Time Traveling With A Hamster simultaneously pulls together the importance of family, the grey areas we face when making hard decisions, the beauty (and issues) associated with being passionate about something, and even owning up to ones own mistakes. I am so thrilled to have read this, and can't recommend it enough!

Now, let me put out there that there are actually a fair amount of high end concepts in this book. As a reader who believes fully in not talking down to young readers, I was smitten with this. Al Chadhury's father was a brilliant man. One who wasn't afraid to dabble in science and theory, ultimately leading to his discovery of time travel. Through Al's travels in time, and the letters his father left behind, he learns so much about everything his dad was passionate about. There are brilliant descriptions of the theory of relativity, and examples that actually make it palatable for young minds. There's even discussions of memory devices. Suffice it to say, I was blown away by the sheer amount of lessons in here.

Better still, none of those lessons seemed to slow down the overall pace of the story. I admit that it took a few chapters to really get going, as some books do, but once I was immersed that was it. Al's quest to save his dad flew by. His brushes with danger, his quick thinking to get out of hairy situations, his realizations that he might not be as clever as the thought he was, all of it just blurred together into this gorgeous story that wouldn't let me go. The ending is perfection, especially for an MG read, and I couldn't have been happier.

Long story short? This is a must have for reading lists of all ages, but specifically I think this would be a wonderful book to share as a family. There are just so many good ideas caught up in here, I feel like it would be an amazing read to share between parents and their children. Ross Welford has written the type of story that transcends age groups, and that's no easy feat! Add this to your reading list. You won't regret it.
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