Charlie Stone and His Greatest Adventure by Charles Reece

In Charles Reece’s debut sci-fi adventure, Charlie Stone straddles the past, present, and future. The novel chronicles Charlie sharing stories with his son, Curtis, in the present day, incidents in Charlie’s boyhood in 1969, and his subsequent time-travel to the year 2269. The past comes alive for young readers, especially the fervor surrounding the first man on the moon. For an audience likely accustomed to modern-day technology, Reece’s descriptive language captures the excitement that eleven-year-old Charlie and his best friend, Danny, share as they watch the moon-walk on a small black-and-white TV. While the events of 1969 are far removed from today’s generation of young readers, they nonetheless will be able to relate to the main character who, with his best friend at his side, waits in great anticipation on a momentous event.