The Gideon Trilogy #1: The Time Travelers by Linda Buckley-Archer

My name is Peter, and Kate and I are slowly discovering what must have happened to us. We're not exactly sure how, but  we've been transported over two hundred years back in time. The Tar Man took the machine responsible for our predicament, so we're forced to find some way to track him down in London. To complicate matters, something is happening to Kate and I that is hard to hide. Kate has been fading from time to time, and she says she's able to see friends back in the present. I've done it after falling asleep, so both of us feel like it's dangerous to doze off. Gideon has been helping us, but he's being hunted by the Tin Man's boss. I'm desperate to find some way back to the future, but I don't know how to convince Kate that I'll never leave her behind. Alone. 

As you can see from the graphic, this book also goes by the title Gideon the Cutpurse. It's always fun to see how author's handle time travel. Can characters in the past change future events? This author adds a unique twist, as she has Peter and Kate fade back to the present at times. An uncertainty is created with the characters existing in limbo between the present and past. They are learning to control it, but it usually arises when they're asleep or very tired. Their ghostly appearances provide hope and a clue for their parents and the detective trying to solve the mystery. Relationship issues are addressed, as Kate comes from a close-knit family but Peter's busy parents live thousands of miles apart. Peter's last words to his father are "I hate you." Gideon's situation is a little complicated, since his past is unclear. There's something he's not saying about his relationship with the people hunting him. This mystery adds an additional conflict to the plot. It seems like there's a slim chance of the kids returning to the present, but then something unexpected happens late in the book. I didn't like that part. The plot was moving toward a happy conclusion, but the author dropped a huge surprise near the end. It leads right into a sequel.