Carol Kerney Books

Some students hate social studies. It’s just forgettable dates and dull facts. Who cares when the Whiskey Rebellion happened, even if it has an interesting name? Think back to when you were in school. Were you bored to tears? That’s a shame. History is storytelling about real events and real people.

Or maybe you liked history and all those stories of the past? If so, what made the difference? Did you come from a family that encouraged history, even included historical events in family discussions? Did you have a great teacher who loved history and made the past come alive? Did you stumble onto exciting novels that made the past seem real and convinced you that history was interesting?

All three happened to me! So…confession time. I love history! And when I became a writer, I combined my love of history with my love of teaching, resulting in a number of novels that feature people and events of the past. I have four series of middle grade novels that star history: The Triplet Adventures, The Ancient World Alive, The Young Benjamin Franklin, and Time Flies. By the way, that last one isn’t “time flies” as in “Time sure flies when you’re having a good time.” Rather it’s time flies, as in “I’d like to have been a fly on the wall at the signing of the Declaration of Independence.”

Since I’ve explained the title to you already, let me tell you who these time flies are. Drum roll! Enter Klax and Zia. The first thing you notice about these time-traveling twins is that they are tiny. That’s because they’re from a very small planet. Burgos is the library planet for their part of the galaxy. It’s also technologically advanced. They have time travel and the ability to search out unusual documents from other planets. Their job is to time travel to other planets and take pictures of original ideas. 

They’ve just discovered a new planet, Earth. It has some very original thinking, especially coming out of a place called the American colonies. Burjos is a colony, too, so the Burjans are very interested in what the Americans do.

They follow the Americans. When they discover the Mayflower Compact, they start to wonder if they too can think and act independently from their king. When Zia and Klax bring back colonial charters, the Burjans want the rights like trial by jury and freedom of religion that the Americans had. Burjans start making demands, and their king and parliament don’t take it well.

Then what happens? After another time trip to the American colonies, Klax and Zia bring back the Declaration of Independence. We see that powerful document in action, as the Burjans declare their independence from their home planet. Calling yourself independent and becoming independent are two different things. Like the King of England, the King of Burjos’ home planet sends troops—and the War of Independence kicks into high gear. Our time-traveling twins fly back to find out what the new Americans did next. They bring back the Articles of Confederation to serve as a model as Burjos struggles to establish a government that will hold them together during their fight for freedom.

Independence comes for Burjos and its sister colony-planets! Soon they discover that their government based on the Articles of Confederation needs some adjustments. Zia and Klax head back to the fledgling United States, and discover a constitutional convention in progress. Not only do they find the constitutional convention, but they are shipwrecked and observe the entire process of writing the Constitution. Finally rescued, the twins are excited to bring the Constitution back to their planet.

The Constitution is great for the new United Planets. Soon, though, the twins feel the lack of written human rights. Perhaps the same thing happened to the new Americans? Back they go, in the sixth and final book of the Time Flies series, and after nearly getting captured, they fly home triumphantly with the Bill of Rights.

Besides seeing the founding documents in action as planet Burjos and its sister colony-planets decide to do what the Americans did, each of the six Time Flies books “translates” the old-fashioned language into modern language. Here’s a page from “Time Flies: The Declaration of Independence.”

“Colonel Nixon cleared his throat and began to read loudly:

“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another…”

That old-fashioned language again! Oh, my aching head, thought Zia. 

Zia started translating to make sense out of the words. When it’s necessary for a group of people to end their connection with another country…

The colonel read on, “and to assume among the powers of the earth the separate and equal station …” 

Zia translated the words to mean and become an equal and separate nation among other nations.

Wait! To become a separate nation? To become independent!
She quickly radioed Klax. “This is it! This is the Declaration of Independence! Let’s get our photos.”

Flying just above the man’s head, Zia flew left to right across the document, snapping pictures.

Klax started taking pictures from top to bottom.

The man read more, “… to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them…”

Zia’s pod jerked and stopped. She was shocked. These people thought that God gave them the right to do what they were doing! A God-given right?

“We’re here to do a job, remember?” Klax radioed.

Zia resumed photographing the Declaration of Independence and listening to the astonishing words.

“A decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”
They wanted to explain to other nations their reasons for declaring independence. Fair enough, thought Zia.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…”

Okay, Zia knew that the word “men” used this way meant “all people.” Then the words hit her brain. It’s obvious that these things are true: All people are created equal.

Zia stopped again and her pod hung in mid-air. No! They couldn’t mean the words that he just read! 

All people are created equal? Everybody is equal?

Impossible! That meant Kiran was Zia’s equal. 

Kiran was her servant and Zia was the daughter of the governor, but according to the Declaration of Independence the two of them were equal. And not just that somebody said they were equal. No, these Americans believed that God created them to be equal!

And this extraordinary idea wasn’t even shocking to these people. It was obvious, it was “self-evident.”

This Declaration of Independence was the most alarming document Zia had ever heard about!

Each of the six Time Flies novels includes the entire text of its founding document so that students can read the original primary documents from the Mayflower Compact to a colonial charter to the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, Constitution, and Bill of Rights. In other words, not only do students get a “translation” of the founding document, they have the whole document at their fingertips to read all the way through.

Finally, every Time Flies book contains a study guide with learning objectives, teaching hints/resources, creative activities, student assessments, and answer keys.

Here are the titles of the six novels:

• “Time Flies: The Mayflower Compact”
• “Time Flies: Colonial Charters”
• “Time Flies: The Declaration of Independence”
• “Time Flies: The Articles of Confederation”
• “Time Flies: The Constitution”
• “Time Flies: The Bill of Rights.”

Carol Kerney
Carol Kerney Books
carolkerneybooks@gmail.com