The Camelot Code #1: The Once and Future Geek by Mari Mancusi

My name is Sophie, and Merlin has pulled me back in time to help save King Arthur. However, I found out Arthur is back in the 21st century with his magical scabbard. Things are getting all mixed up! My best friend Stu is impersonating Arthur after pulling the sword from the stone. Arthur has joined the middle school football team and may not want to return to Camelot. If he doesn't, the whole time continuum may get screwed up and change the world's history. I'm already noticing some disturbing changes. My worst enemy now thinks we're best friends, and no one has ever heard of pepperoni pizza! In addition, Morgana has plans of her own to kill Arthur. I must find a way to correct history before it's beyond fixing, and Stu is burned at the stake.

The beginning of the book sounded like a familiar story of a character traveling through time, but other characters started going back and forth. Then, Arthur considered not returning to the throne and that really twisted things around. His lack of confidence was a huge factor and should resonate with many young readers. Emerging emotions of middle grade readers are also addressed through Arthur and Guinevere's relationship, as well as the friendship between Stu and Sophie. The author added creativity to the plot with Stu's efforts to rule Camelot, including challenges to his new-found fame. She also complicated the story through the changes to history. These changes made it more difficult for Sophie to communicate with Merlin and brought into question her ability to return Arthur to the past. I wasn't sure how the author would make this book into a series until a secret about Sophie's past was revealed. Overall, I enjoyed this book more than expected, and I already plan to check out the sequel Geeks and the Holy Grail. I recommend you give it a shot.