There are lots of boys who love war games and would love to meet a real warrior from the past, and a book like this balances respect for those who fight with an awareness for the realities of war. I loved the idea that a laundromat would be humid enough to provide some sort of bridge between worlds! Both boys were very creative, smart kids.

The Romanii video game, the plot to meet a real-live Celt, and the time-travel theories involving a connection to the Celtic Otherworld were all loads of fun ('Operation Getaceltorix!'). This was a really fresh middle grade story that blended past and present in thought-provoking ways. They will not only benefit from a stellar good read, but will gain insights to realms close and far from home. This is a gem I'll share with all of the children I know in this age group. By the final page, I was shouting 'Cuchulain!' with the boys and their new buddy, a comrade in arms in the battle on PTSD. From the opening paragraph, I was immediately inside Mikey's head, subversively playing 'Romanii: Northern Borders' with Kyler. As an educator whose clients mirror the main characters, this book is a dream come true. What they learn is that the mind can travel through time, but like all time travel, it may not work as intended.Ĭeltic heroic tales are interwoven like a flashing glint of a short sword, leaving the reader unaware that they have just been touched with a wee history lesson. In Hardy Boys fashion, Mikey and his brilliant best bud, Kyler, set-off to solve the mystery of a man clearly operating outside of time and space. A veteran's hospital provides the looming backdrop, akin to having a castle down the block.

From the opening chapter, I knew that my inner ten-year-old boy was in for a very real adventure! An adventure that takes place in the daily life of most kids this age, yet travels thousands of years through the minds of warriors.Ĭonran's protagonist, Mikey, is an average kid with average issues and a soldier's legacy.

The Lost Celt by A.E. Conran