What’s The Best Way to Learn about Black History? Time Travel.
Book Review of Time Tub Travellers and The Silk Thief by Claire Linney
Published: March 21st, 2024
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 (4.5 Stars)
Genres: Middle-Grade (7-12 years), Sci-Fi, Historical Fiction, Adventure
Series: Time Tub Travellers (Book 1 of 3)
CW/TW: Mentions of kidnapping, brief systematic racism (at the beginning and is a critically plot point).
Welcome to The World of Time Travelling Bathtubs
Zula is crushed when she receives the grade for her history project. No math team for her. But when she asks why, her teacher explains that there were no Black people in Tudor London. But that can’t be true, can it?
Determined to find out the truth, Zula’s dad takes her and her best friend, Milo, to visit Zula’s aunt. As the owner of an antique shop, her aunt was the only history expert Zula knew.
But when Zula and Milo start playing around in a Victorian bathtub in the attic, they get more than they bargained for. Reading a poem and accidentally knocking on the taps is all it took. Suddenly, Zula, Milo, and the bathtub are transported back in time to the period they’ve been studying in school. Tudor London. 400 years in the past.
Unfortunately, getting back to the present isn’t easy. On their journey, they encounter child catchers, the silk thief, and a giant snake. Plus, they learn about Tudor London and its Black history first-hand.
Let’s Meet Our Characters
I liked both Zula and Milo. I appreciated the subtle way in which Claire included flaws for Zula and other external conflicts that both characters had. This definitely brought a more realistic aspect to the characters and was done so in a way that didn’t take away from the main story.
The character dynamics throughout Time Tub Travellers and The Silk Thief varied. The main dynamic was the friendship between Zula and Milo. I loved that, although they are young (11 years old), Claire chose to not only showcase disagreements within their friendship dynamic, but she did so in a way that allowed Zula and Milo to discuss it and take steps to fix it in a healthy way.
I also loved the father-daughter dynamic between Zula and her dad. It was beautiful to see such a supportive relationship. While he is her parent, he also allows for Zula to think for herself and supports her decisions. How he would feel about her time travelling without supervision and going on crazy adventures is a whole other story.
Fast-Paced for Young Minds
Time Tub Travellers and The Silk Thief is a fast-paced book that will captivate its readers. I finished it within an afternoon. Any middle-grade (7-12-year-old) reader will be so engrossed in the story that they won’t want to put it down.
Not only was the plot engaging with multiple obstacles that the characters had to overcome to reach their goal. But, it was also fun and educational. Claire subtly teaches the reader about Black history during Tudor London in a way that is enjoyable.
Black History in The UK
As an Australian, I haven’t delved into the history of the UK. However, I take the chance to expand my worldview and learn more about other countries and cultures whenever possible. Before reading this book, I didn’t realise the lack of information on Black history within the UK. I understand that being able to not actively think about or have it affect me and my identity is a privilege.
Claire has done a beautiful job of weaving together a story that explores how this lack of information, education, and representation affects all those within the offended community. By writing this book for a middle-grade (7-12 year-olds) audience, she also highlights that these issues not only affect kids but actually start in childhood. Without accurate information, education, and representation, these issues can and will deepen and worsen with age.
This book provides a great example of how far people, especially kids, will go when they receive that education and representation.
Although Time Tub Travellers and The Silk Thief is a fiction book, Reasonable Blackman is a real historical figure who lived during Tudor London. Claire has done extensive research into this time period, and it shows throughout the story. Again, as this is fiction, there are some ‘guesses’ or ‘possibilities’ that we will most likely never know if they truly occurred. However, they make for a great story.
Favourite Quotes
“It’s a poem. About a time tub? What’s a time tub?” “It sounds like a cross between a bathtub and a clock,” Milo replied.
“I need to be heading off anyway. I’m meeting a new playwright this evening. William Shaker or something like that.” Zula and Milo exchanged glances. “Do you mean William Shakespeare?” Zula asked incredulously. “Yes, that was his name. Have you heard of him?” “Oh yes,” replied Zula, trying to keep a straight face. “People say… he has potential.”
“It’s not just about the mark, although I do still really want to get into the maths team,” Zula explained. “Reasonable Blackman’s life and his family turned out to be really interesting. Seeing Black people, like me, living in Tudor times was really amazing, so I wanted to learn more. I thought it was an important story to tell and I thought you might like to read about it.”
Final Thoughts
I enjoyed reading Time Tub Travellers and The Silk Thief. It was fun, fast-paced, educational and engaging. Although I am not the intended audience regarding age, I strongly believe that everyone, including adults, should read middle-grade books. I will be continuing the series and seeing where or, more specifically, when Zula and Milo end up on their next adventure and who they’ll meet along the way.
I highly recommend Time Tub Travellers and The Silk Thief to school-aged kids who are interested in history or who are starting to learn about it at school. If you’re an adult who enjoys fast-paced adventure stories or you also have an interest in history, I recommend this book to you too.
Author’s Website | Amazon AU | Amazon US
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Available on Kindle Unlimited.
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