11,000 Years Lost

11,000 Years Lost by Peni R. Griffin is a wonderfully written book for kids (and adults!). A girl finds an arrow head and soon there is an archaeological dig going and she gets to be there during the summer. The last day they are going to be there, she is looking for anything else so the team will stay and dig more. What she finds is a portal. She finds herself 11,000 years in the past. The story is awesome. The people think she is a star-child and has magic or good luck. She learns first hand how the Clovis people really lived and what life back then was like. The whole time she is looking for another portal back. This book keeps you on your toes. There are surprises constantly, great interactions between the characters, great plot and show more written so well you feel you are back with her experiencing these things. Great job! I would say this book if for kids about seventh grade or so. It is a long book but worth every page, you don't want it to end. Loved it! show less

As a huge fan of time travel books, I needed to read this one, especially since it's pretty original. I've never read a time travel book where the main character travels as far back as around 10,000 B.C.

The one thing I wasn't a fan of was the ending. There isn't much of the way in resolution, and I felt like it was rushed. It was never explained why Esther, the main character, went back in time, which I really wanted to know. Also, the pre-historic age and its characters seemed more realistic than the time and the characters from the present. That itself was a little disappointing. I wanted more from the present-day characters.

Regardless, the main story is fantastic. Griffin has obviously done her research, turning vague facts and show more little-known data about this era in time into an entire civilization and society. And she makes it work! I completely believed the situations and the reactions of the characters. Esther is especially likeable and made it easy for me to put myself in her place. If you're a time travel fan looking to learn a little bit about history, this is the book for you. It's fast-paced, adventurous, and entertaining. show less

An enchanting and very well researched time-travel story.

Griffin clearly did a lot of research. Her description of the daily life of Ice Age hunter-gatherers is quite believable.

An 11-year old girl goes back in time 11,000 years to prehistoric Texas, where there’s a climate change and food shortage. The people there either love or fear her. She immerses herself in the clan and falls in love with the people, but she wants to go back home. This is such a great book for children to look back on the prehistoric Texas and see the different lifestyles back then.