This book wraps up the series and brings in a few more dilemmas for the children to solve before their magical adventures come to a close.

Jack and Ruthie have realized the time traveling magic is more dangerous than they thought and that their actions have consequences. I liked that Ruthie's thoughts on their adventures were maturing. We get to explore more of the rooms with them as well.

Per usual I found their dealings with adults overly simplified and the resolutions to conflicts rather convenient. There's a reunion in this book (spoiler? maybe? idk), siblings who haven't seen each other for 40+ years and after a 5 min convo they go their own ways, possibly never to see each other again. No catch up, no tearful goodbyes...sorry, not buying it.

An interesting, if rushed, conclusion to the series.

This is a solid series overall. My main issues are a lack of detail/realism when it comes to the two kids solving crimes, wandering mostly unscathed through the past and convincing adults to do whatever they need/adults aware of the situation letting the kids handle everything alone.

Were I younger, the series might rank higher with me. I also think the illustrations were too few and typically didn't highlight useful scenes or enrich the book all that much.

The chapters area pretty short and it makes for easy reading for a younger audience. This would be a great intro to history for some kids and could also add some appeal to museums. I would love to see the rooms after having read this series and should I ever find myself in Chicago, a trip to the Thorne Rooms is certainly in order! ( )