Walker of Time

September 1, 1993
Gr. 6-10. Fifteen-year-old Walker has come from his Hopi village to the sacred cave in Walnut Canyon, Arizona, because his beloved uncle, N aat, made a mysterious death-bed request. Twelve-year-old Tag, son of a field archaeologist, simply climbs into the cave to get out of the rain. In a flash of blue lightning, they are both thrown back 750 years in time to the Sinagua Indian settlement. With courage, humor, and ingenuity Walker and Tag attempt to resolve the problems that threaten to destroy the ancient culture. As the mystery of this well-plotted time-travel adventure story unfolds, Walker discovers that he is really of the Sinagua and destined to lead his endangered cliff-dwelling people to the fertile mesa of the Hopi. Both Walker and Tag are thoroughly likable characters with rich backgrounds that provide complex and believable motivations for their actions. Even the minor characters are extremely well drawn. The dialogue is clever, the pacing suspenseful, and the style smooth, though the imagery is a little heavy-handed in spots. Tag's trip back to the future leaves a loose end, hinting at a sequel; but considering that historians have yet to determine the fate of the Sinagua, there is sufficient resolution. Both the ancient Sinagua and the contemporary Hopi cultures are sensitively presented, making the novel good supplemental reading material for units on Native Americans as well as an all-around enjoyable read. ((Reviewed Sept. 1, 1993))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1993, American Library Association.)