Caught by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Caught by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Science Fiction, Adventure

Age -10-13

Grade - 6-8

343 pages, hardcover

c. 2012

     “Jonah Skidmore was in science class when time stopped.” Thus begins Caught, the 5^th book in The Missing Series. Everyone, everywhere in the twenty first century is frozen in time except for time travelers. This is a complicated book, both in terms of the time travel concepts presented, and the development and interactions of the characters, both historic and fictional. Regarding time travel there are episodes where the future changes the past and the past meets the future. The historic character Mileva Einstein, Albert Einstein’s wife, is a fascinating person and her relationship with Katheryn and Jonah, but especially with Jonah is complex.

            Jonah and Katheryn find themselves suddenly and without warning or preparations in 1903. Their task is to return Einstein’s daughter, Lieserl to history. Additional challenges are involved due to the fact that Albert Einstein seems to know that time split in 1611 and he is thinking about that instead of what he should be thinking about in 1903. As JB communicates to Jonah and Katheryn, “He is not thinking about the right things. He could ruin everything.” Perhaps their biggest problem is that Mileva becomes aware of their presence, figures out they are time travelers and manages to capture their Elucidator. She then learns all about time travel, as well as her future and that of Albert, Lieserl and the two sons she will have in the future.

            At one point Jonah, Katherine, Emily, who is the modern Lieserl, Mileva, JB and another time agent are all trapped in a time hallow, a space outside of time. JB and the other agent are frozen and when Jonah and Kathryn frighten Mileva by running toward her she uses the Elucidator to freeze them as well. It is during this time that Mileva learns about time travel and the future by exploring the Elucidator. She sees much pain and suffering in her future. Eventually she realizes that she needs to trust Jonah and that together they can repair time, which is frozen. Mileva shows herself to be not only a brilliant scientist but a woman capable of great courage and self-sacrifice. Jonah comes to realize this and in the end, when he realizes she plans to stay in 1903 and go through all the suffering she saw in the time hallow, he offers her the Elucidator as a means to escape if she chooses. Many years pass before she chooses to use it. She is well aware of the potential damage she could cause to time so she does it in a way that is both wise and very loving. There will be no spoiler alert here but I do encourage you to read this thought provoking and inspiring book.