Time at the Top

Susan Shaw is a 13-year-old girl living in New York City who discovers she can travel through time using her apartment building's elevator. After meeting a mysterious woman who gives her three opportunities for time travel, Susan finds herself transported to the year 1881. In Victorian-era New York, Susan befriends Victoria and Robert Walker, two children dealing with their father's financial troubles and their mother's disappearance. She must navigate the customs and challenges of life in the past while trying to determine why she was sent to this specific time and place. The story combines elements of mystery and historical fiction as Susan attempts to make the most of her limited chances to travel through time. Her modern perspective and knowledge create both advantages and complications as she interacts with people from the past. Time at the Top explores themes of friendship across boundaries, the universal nature of family bonds, and the impact that one person's actions can have across different time periods.

Readers consider this a beloved children's time travel story that has stayed with them since first reading it in the 1960s and 70s. Many tracked down copies as adults to share with their own children. Readers highlight: - Fast-paced adventure that respects young readers' intelligence - Memorable characters, especially Susan and Victoria - Historical details of 1881 New York - Clean, age-appropriate romance elements - Strong father-daughter relationship themes Common criticisms: - Hard to find copies (out of print for many years) - Sequel not as strong as original - Some find the ending too neat Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (438 ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (58 ratings) Multiple reviews note they reread it multiple times as children. One reader wrote: "I checked this out of the library so many times, the librarian finally gave me the card from inside the book when they took it out of circulation."

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Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer A boarding school student switches places with a girl from 1918 each night when she sleeps in a particular bed, leading to a complex navigation of two timelines.

The Children of Green Knowe by Lucy M. Boston A young boy visits his great-grandmother's manor house and encounters the spirits of children who lived there centuries ago.

Half Magic by Edward Eager Four siblings find a coin that grants wishes by halves and embark on time-traveling adventures through different historical periods.

The House in Norham Gardens by Penelope Lively A fourteen-year-old girl living in a Victorian house experiences connections to the past through a mysterious shield from New Guinea.

🕰️ Edward Ormondroyd wrote Time at the Top in 1963, during a period when time travel stories were becoming increasingly popular in children's literature. 📚 The book received a sequel in 1975 called All in Good Time, continuing Susan Shaw's adventures between modern New York and the 1880s. 🏰 The story's time travel mechanism—a magical elevator in an apartment building—was unique for its era, when most time travel stories relied on machines or magical objects like rings or amulets. 🎬 Time at the Top was adapted into a made-for-TV movie in 1999, starring Tara Lipinski as Susan Shaw. 🗽 The book captures detailed descriptions of New York City in two distinct time periods: the modern era (1960s) and the Victorian period (1880s), providing young readers with an engaging comparison of life in different eras.