REVIEWS
"With this book, Jack has offered us a work which is impeccably
written, quintessentially splendid, deeply moving, and with a genuinely
bright, beautiful, healthful, and meaningful message...so much so that I
believe it is important to say that he has truly made the world a
better place through his splendid effort and insight." – Dr. Glen Hepker
(Author, “A Glimpse of Heaven: The Philosophy of True Health) "A delightful story about young. Rev. David MacDougall journey
to China. David is an amazing young man totally devoted to his faith. He
remains strong in his beliefs even when he faces heartache, temptation,
and danger on his mission to reach China. The story takes you on
amazing adventure full of action, romance, passion, and perils." – Love 2
Read (Book Reviewer-Blogger) "Jack King may be the only author to have The Boxer Rebellion
and the beginning of basketball in one book, all tied up with lots of
romance... and do it so well that readers are pulled in so quickly that
you realize that you are reading a very satisfactory ending! The trip to
China was a great adventure, full of surprises and fun; this was my
favorite part for excitement! I enjoyed this historical novel
immensely!" – GABixlerReviews (Book Reviewer-Blogger) "Born in the Highlands of Scotland in 1882, David Adam MacDougall is destined to do great things. While in school, he vows to go to preach the gospel to the Chinese (losing his fiance by that choice). He embarks on a journey not only physically but mentally and emotionally, to mend his broken heart. He encounters pirates, bandits, and countless women who are vying for his attentions. David not only preaches the gospel but has made it his mission to spread Basket Ball to everyone he meets. Along the way he meets Xiu Li, a fiesty young girl who has no problem standing up to him or giving her opinions. Can she mend his heart? This author leaves nothing out of this book. You feel like you
are inside with him living it instead of just being told what's
happening. You ride along with him on the steamer ship, stopping at
every port and meeting all the new people. Even the crew of the ship
mean something in this story. No one is left out, no one is forgotten.
It's filled with little tidbits of information. This was a very
coming-of-age, learning your worth book. Definitely recommend for anyone
who enjoys historical, christian, love stories." – Books and Beyond
Fifty Shades ('Top 1000 Reviewer' on Amazon) "This is both a thrilling adventure tale and a romance that tugs at the heart strings. The writing to it (is) a high quality throughout and if this sounds like your thing, you are pretty much guaranteed to love it." – eBook Fanatic (Book Reviewer-Blogger)
"A delightful story about young Rev. David MacDougall's journey to China. David is an amazing young man totally devoted to his faith. He remains strong in his beliefs even when he faces heartache, temptation, and danger on his mission to reach China. The story takes you on amazing adventure full of action, romance, passion, and perils." – Love 2 Read (Book Reviewer-Blogger)
TIME RIDER WILDERTREK "Time Rider Wildertrek by author Jack King is an amazing
exciting adventure of a young man named Thomas James Cockrell, called
TJ. He has the typical issues at school of being harassed and bullied by the bigger and more popular kids. His misery is compounded by his parents' divorce, and his beloved sister, Natalie moving away to another city with his mother. TJ feels lost. The adventure and life changing experience transpires when TJ discovers a green mystical book in his father's desk. His father's desk drawers are usually locked up, but on that special day, the drawer was unlocked. TJ's curiosity wins out and he opens the drawer to look inside. This is a very entertaining, exciting and enlightening story of
the rite of passage of a young man. The amazing learning experiences
and maturity gained by TJ in his adventure. This is a great book for
young adults. A good read." – Love 2 Read (Book Reviewer-Blogger) "Imagine being fourteen and unpopular at school. Many have had to go through that torture, the abuse, the ridicule, and the daily troubles. T.J. is a struggling 14-year-old. He's upset about his parents' divorce and the fact that him mom and sister--his best friend--moved away. He's doing poorly in school and gets bullied. Then finding the green book in his historian father's home office changes his life. T.J.'s dad was once just an average historian until something strange happened and propelled him into great success. His knowledge of history became more detailed, from personal experience. T.J., a nice kid, is about to experience the thrill of going back to the past, as his father did. He goes back to early nineteenth century Tennessee and experiences the wild times and people of that era. Danger is everywhere. T.J. faces wild animals and people out to hurt the innocent. Then he meets a kind man who takes him in and allows him to stay with him and his family. At their homestead, T.J. becomes one of the family and learns lessons about hard work, survival, and true familial and community closeness. He even has a romance with a girl who is down-to-earth. His experiences change him. He can no longer take the coward's way out, not when others are depending on him. When he goes back to his present, two killers have broken into his home. It's interesting what he does, how he faces them. It's also interesting how he faces his bully at school and the new girl. This is a book about personal growth, but it's presented in an
entertaining, adventure-filled way. It's an emotional read (and) T.J.'s
character is well developed. The world of the past is drawn well.
Readers of time travels and historical or coming of age books will
probably like this one." – LAS Reviewer (Book Reviewer-Blogger) "This is an excellent novel that is not only great historical fiction but actually has meaning. It seems like bullying has been a huge topic in America this year, and rightly so. It's a problem; an epidemic, if you will. It's not new but finally getting the attention it deserves. TJ, like many kids nowadays, is the unfortunate victim of parental divorce. His sister now lives far away with his mother, and TJ lives with his Pulitzer Prize nominated father. His father is distant and so engrossed in his work that, at times, it seems his father forgets that a child lives with him. TJ is having issues at school: he's being bullied, not doing well academically, isn't a social butterfly, and not successful in sports. One day TJ sneaks into his father's office and locates a mysterious book inside his father's desk. When he opens the book up, as curious people do, TJ is instantly transported to a different land in a different time. Gone is the 21st Century Knoxville, and instead TN circa 1802 - The pioneer days. In this time frame, TJ becomes Jeb and the boy with low self-esteem evolves into a more mature teenager with a heck of a lot more self-confidence. We learn a lot about 1802 Tennessee as the author, describes it in fantastic detail. And the adventures....oh boy, does TJ/Jeb get involved in some. This is a book that pulls you in and keeps you engaged. It
would be perfect for any middle grade child but is equally great for
adults. The story line is consistent and the details that the author
provides gives such good imagery that I thought I was actually in
Tennessee. I love it when a book comes together like that. The
historical aspect is expertly interwoven through the pages. This is a
very fun, enjoyable read." – Sapphyria's Book Reviews (Book
Reviewer-Blogger) "TJ's just an ordinary fourteen-year-old kid with extraordinary problems at home and school...and then that mysterious little green book had to go and throw him into the past. And not just any past, but into the untamed forbidding forests of 1802 eastern Tennessee along with the savage Indians, wild beasts, bloodthirsty robbers, backwoods ruffians, and log cabin living!" Mr. Keene's novel is a refreshing twist on time travel - the
main character is relatable and realistic, and struggles in high school
like many kids his age. But his nosiness and boredom lead to an
incredible discovery, a life-changing moment if you will, and the ending
is just, well, too cool for words!" – Robin L. Tidwell (Book
Reviewer-Blogger, Owner, All on the Same Page Bookstore and Rocking
Horse Publishing) "This was a fairly unchartered foray for me. Time Rider is a YA novel aimed at 11-16-year-olds, but it's one that adults can enjoy too. At least, this adult did. It's more than just a story about a bullied 14-year-old--it's also a bit of a history lesson about nineteenth-century Tennessee frontier life. TJ is a rather unhappy teenager: his parents are divorced, and his younger sister, Natalie, of whom he's so very fond, lives with his mother, while he lives with his successful historian father. He's lonely, hates everything about school, has few close friends, doesn't have much luck with girls, and the school bully just about tops off his misery. One day he stumbles across an unlocked drawer (usually firmly locked) in his father's desk. Curiosity gets the better of him: a locked drawer means there's something important in it. He finds a green book. A very plain, very ordinary little book: ordinary that is, until he opens it up and finds himself transported into the past in frontier-land, where he spends four days. In that time, he not only makes friends, but his adventure brings him into contact with robbers, killers, and beasts he would normally see in a zoo. Most importantly, TJ finds himself gaining confidence and maturity. The sharpened mental reflexes and survival instincts he is gaining from his extraordinary experiences will, he knows, help him cope with the unhappy twenty-first-century existence when he returns...if he returns. How on earth is he going to get back? The author is obviously interested in and knowledgeable about the era; the authentic dialogue of frontier-living folk was a nice touch. I would have loved to have been able to press a button to hear it as well as read it! The historical aspect was interesting and aptly woven into the story. It was easy to feel desperately sorry for TJ--bullying in schools is an unpleasant, sometimes tragic feature of modern life--but it was also satisfying to accompany him on his journey to an improved strength of character and assertiveness. An entertaining and fun story." – Beeshon (Book Reviewer-Blogger) "I found this to be a very good book! I especially enjoyed the way that the book took the many challanges that young people face today and showed them that even if they don't think they are able to meet the challanges they face, deep inside them they do have the strength to face any situation that comes their way. I enjoyed the author's writing style, and I think that it will
appeal to kids too. Most of all, I love the new found interest in
history!" – Jennifer Bright Reich (Book Reviewer-Blogger) "I love reading books like this that have great meanings behind them. This one has one that is close to me, which is bullying. I like how the author takes a sensitive subject and writes it to where kids and adults can understand it and may relate. This book is not all about bullying. It's really a story about the evolution of TJ. He goes from being forgotten, picked on and having low self esteem to being confident and standing up for himself. TJ gets picked on and pushed around by some of the jocks at school. TJ is not one to play sports but he isn't exactly a bookworm either. His home life isn't the best. His parents are divorced and his dad works long hours. He is at a time in his life when he needs his family especially his dad. Things changed the night he found the green book in his father's desk. Opening that book takes him from the present to 1802 frontier life. In this time TJ is now Jeb and he is a new person. Gone is the shy and timid boy from Knoxville and in his place is this confident and maturing teenager. The people he meets and the adventures that he goes on brings out a part of him that was lost. TJ's relationship with his father is not the best. His dad Vern is engrossed in work and tends to forget his son. I don't think that it is on purpose but after his divorce maybe work was his only outlet. This could be a factor in TJ personality. His dad is a big history buff, even nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. TJ isn't into history that much, until the day he opened the green book. Being placed into frontier life allows him to see it in a different perceptive, thus giving his relationship with his dad a new lease. Overall this is a great book to read especially if you love
action. Books like this one are a fun way to get kids to read because
the characters and subject are easily relatable to them. There is action
in this book but not overly violent nor is it in graphic detail. I
think that the author did a wonderful job in conveying his story." –
Avid Reader Amy's Reviews (Book Reviewer-Blogger)
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