The Infinity Ring series from Scholastic is one of the biggest new ventures unfolding for Middle Grade books. With such a fantastic line up of authors behind these books, I was instantly curious to see how this series would turn out. I'm a bit of a sucker for exciting, epic adventures as part of the Middle Grade genre, and I quickly devoured A Mutiny in Time one morning. It's a great start to a new series, with an exciting pace held throughout the book, likeable characters and a world in danger to set the stakes high. REASONS TO READ: 1. Action-packed from start to finish: I love a good book that can immediately draw me in, and I was amazed at how quickly I was sucked into the story in A Mutiny in Time. It ended up being a VERY fast read, particularly because of just how much action was going on and all the different events taking place. And I definitely have the feeling that this is something that will continue in the upcoming books in the series, as well. 2. A "save the world" premise: I have no idea why, but there's something that really appeals to me about having kids and/or teens on a mission to save the world. I'm well aware of how implausible it is, but I just love it - maybe it's the underdog factor, or the idea that amazing things can come from some of the most surprising and unexpected people. I found the world created in this book fascinating because of how familiar it was in most ways, and yet different as it takes place in (what seems to be) the future with some very different past events. Time ninjas?: Admittedly, that sounds crazy - but it works REALLY well and that's basically what we see a lot of. Secret organizations fighting against each other THROUGHOUT TIME on missions to try and prevent the other side from suceeding and altering the present/future. And time travel just always seems to add an extra mysterious, exciting element to a story. And I LOVED the adventures through history, because I'm kind of a history geek myself. A mutiny in Time reminded me of most other Middle Grade books I've read, as they often feature a number of similar elements including anything from globetrotting to misfit geniuses, missing parents, and a serious underestimation of the damage kids can do. So while this book didn't stand out as much as I had HOPED it would, I am definitely interested in seeing how the books progress especially given that each book features a different prominent author. On top of that, there are definitely some plot holes that I definitely felt could have been dealt with instead of being glossed over. Middle Grade shouldn't mean there's a lazy plot; if your characters are geniuses, keep in mind that your readers are intelligent too even if they are younger readers. It's okay to have slightly more complex storylines. However, it is possible that some of my problems will be addressed in later books. ARC received from Scholastic Canada for my honest review; no other compensation was received.

A Mutiny in Time is the debut novel in a new multi-authored series about three kids who must fix the breaks in time. Reminiscent of The 39 Clues series, Infinity Ring is a great way to entice reluctant readers to give books a whirl by inserting them into a world that's not quite right. Readers will join Dak, Sera, and Riq as they travel back in time on a mission by the secret society known as the Hystorians. With quirky banter and witty one-liners, readers will find themselves flipping through pages as quickly as the trio fights to make sure that the Amancio brothers do not succeed in their mutinous plot. I love this new series, and it's a great way to pass the time until the next installment of the Cahills vs. Vespers book comes out. Scholastic has found a formula that works and is sticking to it, and YA lovers like me are thankful for it. There are moments where Dak and Sera's friendship seem a bit contrived (to get along as well as they do at the age when boys and girls are supposed to avoid each other is rather unusual) and Riq's abilities seem to be an easy way to get the kids out of trouble when needed, but Scholastic and Dashner have begun an intriguing new series to give young readers a dose of history as they enjoy an action-packed adventure. POTENTIAL TEACHABLES: story surrounding Christopher Columbus' voyage to the Americas, including reasons for going and circumstances in Spain at his departure; trip across the Atlantic and/or life on a ship; Columbus' relationship with the indigenous people; Columbus as hero or villain; predicting future plot lines and other potential history breaks; characterization and comparing/contrasting the trio with Amy & Dan Cahill and Nellie Gomez; write-your-own history break.