The Extraordinary eTab of Julian Newcomber by Michael Seese

My name is Julian, and my father creates semi-successful inventions, if they don't blow up first. He gave me a cool one called the eTab. It looks like a black piece of paper, but it can email, make phone calls, and browse the Internet. However, I figured out that it can also let me travel through time. I was trying to figure out the best way to use it when my future self showed up! I guess he (or is it I?) dropped a cellphone during the Battle of Gettysburg, and now he/I need help going back to that time. Future-me's eTab doesn't have enough power to complete the trip, and I don't know how to charge it without telling my dad. My future self will be stuck here if we don't figure out something by tomorrow.

I received an advance copy of the book from NetGalley. It offered an unexpected twist to the plot due to my expectations from other novels involving time travel. I figured the cellphone would be the major conflict, and it kind of was, but the real problem was trying to find a way to charge Future-Julian's eTab. The answer to that issue was strange but fit the tone for the rest of the book. The author created humor using science and language. Julian's father had inventions for all kinds of weird uses (a cream used to stop floors from creaking), and explosions were a definite possibility. Julian was always the new kid in school, since home destruction caused the family to frequently move. His dad tended to translate things he said to Julian, and Future-Julian kept trying to tell Young-Julian about future events. His motives seemed pure, but Young-Julian worried about disturbing the time continuum. The author included the typical school bully to torment Julian, but he was inadvertently helpful in resolving the big conflict. Overall, the book was fun to read, and I recommend you give it a shot. Although the characters were older middle school students, younger readers can easily enjoy it too.