By Margaret Peterson Haddix Running Out of Time (Paperback) February 1

My daughter's 4th grade class was reading this novel, and I was so intrigued by the premise that I bought it for my Kindle so I could read it with her. And oh my, what a waste of money it turned out to be.

The writing was so amateurish I could barely stand it. The time spent describing every little detail and every word of a conversation could put you into a coma, while so many other aspects of the story were skipped entirely.

And the worst is how it ended. There are pages and pages and pages each for describing Jessie walking out of Clifton, climbing out of a window, etc, but when she saves the day, we hardly receive any plausible explanation for the Diphtheria experiment. It's sort of glossed over. And the reunion with her parents, along with the aftermath, barely rate more than a footnote. What the heck?!

My 10 year-old was equally disappointed. And now her class has started The Missing series. We both sincerely hope it's an improvement, though what I've seen of the writing so far indicates her writing didn't improve much in the years between.

This book was a complete waste of time! The author spent so much time describing unimportant scenes, and not enough time on the parts that really matter. This book was such a disappointment. I'm sorry to sound harsh, but the truth hurts!

Review by Savannah, age 8. I recently read Running Out Of Time. After I read it I thought I would never read another book besides that one again. But of course I did. I think this book is wonderful because it is exciting, suspenseful and interesting. I felt like I was with Jessie, or even her. It also has a great plot, which starts it off well. This is the plot: Jessie Keyser lives with her family in a town named Clifton in 1849- she thinks, until her mother tells her the truth. They live in a reconstructed town made to look old fashioned. And it is really 1996, and the town they live in is a tourist sight! Jessie's mother shared this surprising secret because the children in their town are getting a deadly disease and Jessie is expected to go out into the real world and bring back help and medicine. With a mix of finding out a man is planning a murder, and a child calling a press conference, this book is definitely one of the best books in the world. I give this book 5 stars and it sure deserves it! P.S. Warning! This is a Scary book! But it is so good! If you do not read it you are missing out.

Jessie is growing up in 1840 in Clifton, Indiana. She spends her days like all the other kids in the frontier village; she goes to school and does chores. Lately a lot of kids have been missing from school because of illness. One night, Jessie's mother takes her along to help a nearby child who is sick. Her mom seems distressed when they leave, and she asks Jessie to meet her in the woods the next day after school and not to say anything about the meeting. To Jessie’s surprise, her mother tells her that although she thinks it's 1840, it's really 1996. She quickly explains that the adults in the village agreed to live like it's the 1840s, and people come from all over to watch their town through special mirrors and viewing stations. None of this makes sense to Jessie, but she listens carefully as questions fill her brain. Her mom explains that a terrible illness is making the children of Clifton Village sick, and they need medicine from the outside world. Jessie is sent from the village on a dangerous mission to get the medicine, and she must hurry. There will be many obstacles on the way, and her mom doesn’t have time to tell her everything. Although it will be extremely risky, Jessie agrees to try to find help. How different will life be in 1996 from the life she has known? How will she find the man her mom asked her to contact? She can’t let anyone know that she's from Clifton Village, but will she be able to blend in with the jeans and t-shirt her mother gave her? You will have to read this thriller to find out what awaits Jessie outside the Clifton Village Tourist Center and how she deals with a world where everything is foreign and most definitely frightening.

I have long been a fan of Margaret Peterson Haddix and her books. I was excited to read Running Out of Time, which came out in 1994. My heart went out to Jessie as she came to the conclusion that she had been living a lie. I could not even imagine finding out that I was living in a world in which tourists were paying to watch me! All the times she thought she was alone and she wasn’t! Plus, it would be hard to adjust to a world that was over 100 years away from the life you are currently living. The book really got me thinking about the past, the present, and the future. Jessie is definitely someone that I would want to be friends with because she is caring and brave. I think this is a great book for kids who enjoy stories that take them by surprise, because Jessie has a lot to learn when she enters the 1990s. I recommend this book to kids in fourth grade and up, especially those who have an interest in either historical fiction for dystopian books because it is a mix of both. This book will have you hoping for more time!

I really wanted to dislike this book because the plot is rather preposterous. On the other hand, "Running Out of Time" is imaginative and entertaining. While entertaining for the target audience, adults can certainly appreciate this wild ride.

Jessie lives on the artificial frontier. Believing she lives in the 1840's, she actually lives in 1996 on an isolated tourist attraction. Circumstances emerge which force Jessie to be emerged in the present. Long forgotten by the modern world, diphtheria is making the children of the village sick. Those that manage the tourist attraction are refusing to provide medical assistance and allowing the children to die. It is through these amazingly unethical circumstances that Jessie is force into the world of 1996 to find help.

As I read this book, I kept thinking about the psychological adjustment of Jessie and any other children to a modern world. In some respects, such a drastic adjustment seems impossible. Further, to allow the children of this village to grow up with total ignorance of the time period or the outside world seems to border on child abuse. At the very least, it is dishonest.

This is certainly an interesting concept for a thriller. I can not help but wonder what this book would look like if it were written as an adult book.

Thirteen year old Jessie lives in a frontier town, Clifton Indiana in the year 1840. It is a nice comfortable town. Her father is a blacksmith which is indispensible and her mother looked after sick people at night when the local Doc was asleep. One day her mother discovered that the town was plagued with diphtheria. People were going to die without proper medicine. So due to circumstances Jessie was sent out of town to bring back help. This trip could prove deadly for Jessie as she is about to find her world turned up-side-down and we are also in for a shock as we discover a cabal behind a deadly plot.

They say that the people that write best are those people that write about what they know and Margaret Peterson Haddix actually knew of a tourist place similar to where our story starts. Yet the strength in Haddix's story is not as much the intriguing plot as it is her description of people and things. She makes you wonder what you would do.

I knew or thought I pretty much knew the story before reading the book as I saw the movie "The Village" (2004). However the movie was readjusted to match M. Night Shyamalan's standard formula including the standard ending twist. The book was more complex and did not need the minute twist.

The Village (Widescreen Vista Series)

I really enjoyed M. Night Shyamalan's film, "The Village", and later read that there was controversy over where the idea for the film had originated. It had been suggested that the premise of the film had been taken from this book. My curiosity having been peaked, I decided to check for myself. I was surprised that the book was one that had been written for the young adult market. Still, I did not let that deter me from buying the book, though it had been decades since I had been a young adult. I was pleased, however, to note that the book had been designated an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, so all was not lost.

The book is an easy and pleasant read with a very compelling storyline. It tells the story of thirteen year old Jessie Keyser, who all her life has believed that she lives in the nineteenth century frontier village of Clifton, Indiana. When diphtheria starts claiming the lives of the village children, her mother tells her that it is not really 1840, as Jessie has been led to believe, but 1996. It appears that the village in which Jessie has grown up is actually a historical preserve, which its inhabitants are forbidden to leave. Jessie, however, is entrusted with a very important mission. She is to leave the preserve and seek help for their village in the outside world, avoiding capture by those who would seek to silence her in order to maintain the status quo and the secret that they are harboring in Clifton.

This is a very imaginative debut novel with a strong storyline that will appeal to those who are fond of historical fiction or time travel tales. It is most definitely a plot driven, rather than character driven, story. While it is simply written so as to appeal to the young adult market and teens, the story is so compelling that adults will also enjoy it, as long as they keep in mind the targeted audience. As for its similarity to the film, "The Village", there can be little doubt as to why someone would suggest comparison between the two.

Running Out of Time
By Margaret Peterson Haddix

Thirteen-year-old Jessie Keyser is growing up in 1844, or so she believed, until an epidemic of diphtheria broke out in her community. Jessie's mother makes a confession that their village, set in the 1800's is in reality, an experiment set up in a modern world. The villagers were asked to live in Clifton Village. They were told they could leave at any time. They were also told that their families would always be provided with modern medicine. Now things have changed, and Clifton has become a prison; without medication people will die of diphtheria.

Jessie is needed to help her village and save the lives of her sister and many other children. Jessie's mother gives her a set of clothing, including jeans and a tee shirt and helps her escape into the night.

After spending the night in a brightly lit bathroom, she joins a school group who are actually watching her village perform their usual duties. She sees her father working in his blacksmith shop, and watches her classmates recite. It is all Jessie can do to keep the shock out of her voice, as she asks, "Why are there so many empty seats in the classroom?"

Jessie faces a scary world, of automobiles, traffic lights, telephones, radios and televisions, as she escapes into the unknown world of 1996. Her mission is to find a payphone and call a man who can help the village. Her mother told her that this man will call a press conference and contact the health department.

Will Jessie get caught, escaping from what has become her family's prison? Can she survive in an unknown world? Can she get help for her village? Will anyone believe her story?

At first, I thought this story was like so many other stories, but I was wrong. Running Out of Time is a fast paced story with mystery and danger at every turn.

Jill Ammon Vanderwood
author:Through the Rug
Through The Rug: Follow That Dog (Through the Rug)

Margaret Peterson Haddix did it again. I love her books for one main reason, she presents topics and situations that really get kids thinking. With this book, Jesse is a modern time young lady living in a village that was set up to be in the early 1830s. The issue is that Jesse and the other young people in the village have no idea that it is not 1836. Their parents chose to live there as a living museum for the modern world but agreed to never tell the children. Everything seems to be going okay until diphtheria breaks outs. The adults know that there is a cure in the modern world but the kids don't as they think it is 1836. It is not as easy as you think to get help. Haddix's books provide an excellent springboard for classroom or small group discussions not just about the book but the subject matter. It has kids thinking not only is this possible but what would they do in that situation? To me this (along with her other books) is a must have book for all classroom libraries.

In 1996, one of the top vacation and "school-trip" attractions in the US is Clifton Village, hidden away in forests outside Indianapolis. A well-made road carries yellow school busses to the entrance station, and barbed wire fences keep the "wild animals" of an authentic 1840s environment safely separate from local farmers. They also make it hard for young Jessie, wild human rather than wild animal, to escape on her quest to find help and medicine for her family and friends.

Running out of Time, by Margaret Peterson Haddix, tells the story of a young teenager with a very big quest. When Jessie learns that her parents have lived a lie, and forced her to live one too, for most of her life, she struggles to decide who to trust. But she knows who she loves and cares for and bravely sets forth on their behalf. The mysteries of 1996 America are viewed delightfully through Jessie's 1840s eyes. Braving the phone to call for help, Jessie wonders why a stranger's voice asks for money but refuses to wait for an answer. Radios make sounds out of thin air. Cars move like magic carriages propelled without horses.

A naturally brave and adventurous girl, Jessie conquers numerous obstacles in her quest to both save her friends and find the truth about her home. The result is a fast-paced story, with convincing characters, fascinating ethical dilemmas, and realistic excitement, making a really good read for middle-grade students and adults.

Running out of Time, by Margaret Peterson Haddix, makes this book Fantastic, because it has incredible suspense and has a fabulous setting. This book is historical fiction. The story is set in 1840 in Clifton, and in 1996. Jessie is the main character. Jessie is a thirteen year old girl and lives in Clifton Village in 1840 (so she thinks). She lives in a small town and goes to a school where all the kids go. She has been punished for doing normal things, for example, she was climbing a tree and saw a shining box up on a branch. Her dad punished her for being up there. Jessie's town has a sickness going around. People are going to die if some one didn't do any thing. One day Jessie's mom told her to go into the woods and meet her there. Jessie did it and saw her mother with some clothes. She didn't recognize the clothes ever before. The pants were blue, and the shirt had a smiley face on it. It was like nothing she has ever seen before in her life. The next thing she new, she was on an adventure to save the town she loved. That is all I should tell you about the story because I don't want to ruin it for you.

This book has a gripping suspense because you never know what's going to happen next. For example, you don't know if she is going to get caught or not. You always want to read the next chapter. For example, Jessie says, "terrible problems at Clifton Village." She then says, "and an evil man who's planning a murder." That is the ending of chapter twenty. The book dragged me in so much I read it in a week. Even though Jessie comes close to getting caught often, some how she gets around it.

This has an interesting setting because first it takes place in 1840, but then in 1996. For example, Jessie thinks she's been living in the 1800's for 13 years. Later on in the book, though, she finds out that she is actually living in 1996. She has to save her town from a sickness, because there are no modern day medicines at her town.

If you like mysteries and historical fiction then this is the book for you.

I really enjoyed M. Night Shyamalan's film, "The Village", and later read that there was controversy over where the idea for the film had originated. It had been suggested that the premise of the film had been taken from this book. My curiosity having been peaked, I decided to check for myself. I was surprised that the book was one that had been written for the young adult market. Still, I did not let that deter me from buying the book, though it had been decades since I had been a young adult. I was pleased, however, to note that the book had been designated an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, so all was not lost.

The book is an easy and pleasant read with a very compelling storyline. It tells the story of thirteen year old Jessie Keyser, who all her life has believed that she lives in the nineteenth century frontier village of Clifton, Indiana. When diphtheria starts claiming the lives of the village children, her mother tells her that it is not really 1840, as Jessie has been led to believe, but 1996. It appears that the village in which Jessie has grown up is actually a historical preserve, which its inhabitants are forbidden to leave. Jessie, however, is entrusted with a very important mission. She is to leave the preserve and seek help for their village in the outside world, avoiding capture by those who would seek to silence her in order to maintain the status quo and the secret that they are harboring in Clifton.

This is a very imaginative debut novel with a strong storyline that will appeal to those who are fond of historical fiction or time travel tales. It is most definitely a plot driven, rather than character driven, story. While it is simply written so as to appeal to the young adult market and teens, the story is so compelling that adults will also enjoy it, as long as they keep in mind the targeted audience. As for its similarity to the film, "The Village", there can be little doubt as to why someone would suggest comparison between the two.

Margaret Peterson Haddix has become one of my favorite authors. This novel is her first and you can see the direction in which writing and creativity takes place. The story of people who live in 1840 and who believe they are living in 1840 in a Clifton Village community are mislead about the real world. Well except for a few adults who know the truth about the real world, life in 1840 is rough and a diptheria epidemic could claim the loss of the children's lives.

Jessie and her sister Katie are sent out under darkness on a mission first to leave their world behind and find help in the actual year of 1996. To go from a year like 1840 and jump into 1996 without a time machine is pretty strange, the writer here makes it believable at times. Her first novel shows her themes like children fighting back to change the world in which they live in. Haddix is a great writer who prefers to write about such situations. I have already read 5 of her Shadow Children series books which I highly recommend for reading materials.

Haddix has such an amazing imagination of going into a dark place and returning without it effecting her attitude for a better, optimistic world in which we live during these serious times.

Jessie is thirteen years old and living in the tiny frontier village of Clifton, Indiana, in the 1840s. Her life is sometimes hard, but she's happy with where and how she lives. Then a deadly diphtheria outbreak happens, making some of the children in the village very sick. Jessie's mother, who has a way with curing sickness, tells Jessie an unbelievable secret.

In actuality, the year is 1996. Clifton is not a real village, but an authentic wilderness preserve. Years and years ago a businessman wanted to create the ultimate tourist attraction, so he asked for families to volunteer to live the life of pioneers for twenty-four hours a day and to bring their children up to believe it is really the eighteen-forties. One-way mirrors and video cameras allow tourists to look into their lives to see what it might really have been like in pioneer days. Twenty-five families agreed to be part of the project.

However, since then things have change. The original agreement was that people could leave if they decided this was not the life for them. Now all ways out are blocked and heavily guarded. Parents were supposed to be able to tell their children the truth at the age of twelve,but now they are forbidden. And these people were supposed to have access to modern medicine. Now, with this outbreak of diphtheria being left untreated by those outside Clifton, it is obvious that medical care has been cut off.

Jessie must escape to a world she has never known--the world of 1996--to get help for her sick friends. They will die if someone doesn't help. But will Jessie be killed for trying to help them?

I loved the idea of this book, the thought that a whole group of people could be living a lie. I liked that there was motivation for the actions of the villains in this book; you could almost see the logic behind their arguments. I didn't think Jessie would adjust as well as she did to living in a modern-day society, though. Her reactions to the real world were pretty far fetched.

This book begins with Jessie, a thirteen year old girl that lives in a small village called Clifton in the year 1840. Clifton just became infected with a disease called diphtheria. Her mother sends her on a mission to the outside world to get medicine for the dying people of Clifton. Her mom says only can complete this mission and it has to be done by herself because the year is really 1996. The reason Jessie and everyone in Clifton, except the adults, don't know that it is really 1996 is because the adults decided to join a project called Clifton Village. This is where the people in Clifton grow up pretending it is the 1800s so that people can come to see what is was like during the 1800s. Jessie's mother tells her everything knows about the world outside of Clifton. She also tells her what she must do. Jessie leaves the village to find a world unlike her own. Will she risk her life in order to save the dying people of Clifton or will she back out of her mission? Find out in this exciting tale of heroism and courage.

I recommend this book to all people, especially ones who love adventure. This book is also for people that are into mysteries. This book is full of twists and turns, so you never know what is going to happen. This book also has a little bit of sci-fi in it. Even if you don't like any of these genres of books you will love Running out of Time.

Katie Geisler

4-8-06

Pd. 6

Running Out of Time
written by Margaret Peterson Haddix

The last time I read this book was in the 4th grade upon entering the Gateway program. I loved it then, although I found some of the terminology hard to get through. Reading it when I'm older, it's still as good as ever plotwise, and gave me the additional depth of knowing exactly what I was reading, as well as picking up some things I missed the first time around. Reading the second time around, I also noticed lots and lots of hints that I missed the first time (ex: her teacher constantly asking the class what the current year is). The book, despite the fact that I knew exactly what was going to happen, still read as a really heart-thumping, suspenseful adventure, albeit with some laggy places (still as interesting, just not really adding to the plot). Jessie's story and well-created character is really an inspiration to kids, letting them know they can do wacky things they'd never even dream of doing, like holding a press conference! I think it would have been really nice to see a 5 years later, whether in the form of a sequel or just a quick epilogue, letting us know how they've adjusted to society, what they're still missing, what becomes of everything.

Rating: 4.5/5

Running out of time

This book is a great mystery book for elementary students because interesting. The main characters of the book are Jessie who is very nice and helpful and Mr. Neeley is also a main character but he is not the real Mr. Neeley. The real Mr. Neeley is nice but he is not. In the beginning Jessie thinks she lives in the 1840 but she really lives in the 2000's. She lives in Clifton a historic city.

Clifton needed medicine for the kids because they were getting sick but they didn't have any. Jessie's sister is also getting sick so Jessie's mom sends her out of Clifton in search of medicine and help. The bad thing is that in Clifton a man has cameras in the city and if one of the cameras sees Jessie escape from Clifton they will all have to pay for it. Her mom gives her some jeans and a shirt that we use now so nobody will know she's from Clifton. Will someone catch Jessie? Will Jessie be able to get help? Will Clifton be a normal city? Read this great book and find out.

What the author did well was describing the characters actions. The best thing I liked about the author's writing is how he described the characters feelings.

This is a great book. You should read it.

Living in two different time periods? How can it be? Imagine one day you wake up thinking it is a normal day in Clifton, but your mom tells you the children of Clifton are dieing. She also tells you it's the 20th century and you have to go into a totally different universe to save them. Jesse from the book Running out of Time has to travel into the 20th century after thinking she lived in the 1800s for 13 years, and people have been watching her every move. She is confused at the technology she finds and scared by the dangerous missions she has to face, but when she over hears a conversation with Mr. Clifton the founder and enemy of the town of Clifton she is faced with death.

The critics of School Library journal said it is "absorbing......gripping ........convincing and compelling. Fans of time travel of historical novels.....will look forward to more stories from this intriguing new author." Margaret Peterson Haddix wrote this thrilling book that will put you on the edge of your seat. So do you think will save the lives of the children of Clifton? Will she come back dead or alive? The only way to find out is to read this exciting and thrilling book.

Margaret Peterson Haddix began her authorial career with the small unobtrusive science fiction story, "Running Out of Time". In this amusing novel, a child raised in a tourism site circa 1840, discovers that in the real world it is actually 1996 and she must find a way to save the children of the town dying of diphtheria. Reading it, I was reminded of an old Reading Rainbow where Levar Burton visits such a town as this and enjoys his stay. I always wanted to live in such a situation and this book captures that feeling. Yet as it is, this isn't a grand sweeping tale. At 184 pages it amuses and entertains while remaining true to the ideas it presents. It is not, however, particularly stunning. There is nothing in this book to say that it is "great" or that greatness will come of it. Haddix likes grand ideas more than details. The idea that the creators of this tourism site wanted to create a new race of (white) humans with the ability to withstand all forms of disease is amusing. But the execution rings sour. If the evil leader of this town meant to eventually phase out the adults but keep the town going, how was he planning on keeping the citizens in it? If the tour guide gives regular showings of the children in school, why doesn't she recognize our heroine in modern dress? Other small details such as this keep the book from being quite as fine as it might be. Though nothing spectacular, this is a droll little read and kids that enjoy the idea of living in the past may take especially to this tale of realistic time traveling. Extra points to Haddix for drawing influence from Conner Prairie and setting the book in Indiana.

This book I have been reading is called Running Out Of Time, by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Jessie is a 13 year old that helps her mom with the sick.

Jessie is a talented girl who has a lot of friends and loves her family very much. Jessie also has three brothers and sisters. Jessie is a dare devil cause she does any kind of dare.

One day her life changes and her mom tells her something she has kept hidden for many years. She is sending Jessie on a mission into the 1900s to get medicine for the sick. All of Jessie's life, Jessie has believed that they were living in the 1800s. Jessie's mom tells her to be careful and not get caught by guards or not to talk to strangers.

Jessie is afraid and is trying to act brave.

Go to a bookstore and get this book. Then, sit down and read and don't stop because you won't know what's going to happen next. So start reading.

I thought this was a breath taking adventure that will inspire young readers of all ages. I thought that this was a very interesting book. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Running Out of Time by: Margaret Peterson Haddix
Only you can save us now... Jessie Keyser lives in the "authentic historical preserve" of Clifton Village. That means that she thinks it is still 1840. Part of the promise to the citizens of Clifton is that they will get modern health care, food during famine, and that every child will get to know the truth by the time they are 12. Jessie is 13 and she still doesn't know the truth but all that is about to change.
When a diphtheria epidemic spreads over Clifton, Jessie must get help from the outside world. She must deal with the unknown and escape the unimaginable. This is a story of adventure, conflicts, and resolutions. A tale of cliff hanging chapters.
I would recommend this book to grades 5-7. A younger child may not understand some of the complicated details. I enjoyed this book for the most part, but I found some of the plot hard to follow and some details a little bit unrealistic. It wasn't great literature, but it sure held your attention. If you like books packed with action, and not much depth this is good for you.

This book I have been reading is called Running Out Of Time, by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Jessie is a 13 year old that helps her mom with the sick.

Jessie is a talented girl who has a lot of friends and loves her family very much. Jessie also has three brothers and sisters. Jessie is a dare devil cause she does any kind of dare.

One day her life changes and her mom tells her something she has kept hidden for many years. She is sending Jessie on a mission into the 1900s to get medicine for the sick. All of Jessie's life, Jessie has believed that they were living in the 1800s. Jessie's mom tells her to be careful and not get caught by guards or not to talk to strangers.

Jessie is afraid and is trying to act brave.

Go to a bookstore and get this book. Then, sit down and read and don't stop because you won't know what's going to happen next. So start reading.

I thought this was a breath taking adventure that will inspire young readers of all ages. I thought that this was a very interesting book. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Running Out of Time by: Margaret Peterson Haddix
Only you can save us now... Jessie Keyser lives in the "authentic historical preserve" of Clifton Village. That means that she thinks it is still 1840. Part of the promise to the citizens of Clifton is that they will get modern health care, food during famine, and that every child will get to know the truth by the time they are 12. Jessie is 13 and she still doesn't know the truth but all that is about to change.
When a diphtheria epidemic spreads over Clifton, Jessie must get help from the outside world. She must deal with the unknown and escape the unimaginable. This is a story of adventure, conflicts, and resolutions. A tale of cliff hanging chapters.
I would recommend this book to grades 5-7. A younger child may not understand some of the complicated details. I enjoyed this book for the most part, but I found some of the plot hard to follow and some details a little bit unrealistic. It wasn't great literature, but it sure held your attention. If you like books packed with action, and not much depth this is good for you.

Thirteen-year-old Jessie lives in a frontier town, Clifton Indiana in the year 1840. It is a nice comfortable town. Her father is a blacksmith which is indispensible and her mother looked after sick people at night when the local Doc was asleep. One day her mother discovered that the town was plagued with diphtheria. People were going to die without proper medicine. So, it due to circumstances Jessie was sent out of town to bring back help. This trip could prove deadly for Jessie as she is about to find her world turned up-side-down and we are also in for a chock as we discover a cabal behind a deadly plot.

They say that the people that write best are those people that write about what they know and Margaret Peterson Haddix actually knew of a tourist place similar to where our story starts. Yet the strength in Haddix's story is not as much the intriguing plot as it is her description of people and things. She makes you wonder what you would do.

I knew or thought I pretty much knew the story before reading the book as I saw the movie "The Village" (2004). However, the movie was readjusted to match M. Night Shyamalan's standard formula including the standard ending twist. The book was more complex and did not need the minute twist.

This book is about a girl " Jessie Keyser", that lives in a village called " Cliffton." Jessie's Mom is the midwife and kind of a nurse. Jessie notices her mom has been called out alot more then usual, and there are alot of empty seats at school.Finally Jessies mom tells her to go to the woods after school by herself to meet her. Then Jessie learns a big secret Cliffton is not really a village, and a man name Miles Cliffton founded it. It is a hisitorical preserve, insted of being the 1800's its actually 1996, and Miles Cliffton has stopped sending in modern medicine. All of the children are getting very ill, with Diptheria. Ma sends Jessie out of Cliffton in some clothing ma kept from before they moved to Cliffton.

TO FIND OUT THE REST OF JESSIES ADVENTURE READ THE BOOK!!!!!!!!

I really like this book not only because its good, this author Margret Peterson Haddix writes books so you can picture every bit in your mind!!!!!!!!

Jessie believes she is being raised in the 1840s, but the year is actually 1996. You see, Jessie lives in a tourist site made to look like a real village of 150 years ago. Her classmates have begun dropping out of her small, one-room classroom, and the medicines they are given don't seem to work. Jessie's mother finally tells her the truth about their community, and it's up to Jessie to escape from Clifton and seek help from the "real world." Although the plot is quite serious and suspenseful, I had to laugh at the scene where Jessie sees cars for the first time and thinks they move by witchcraft. My favorite part of this well written story is when she calls a press conference and reveals the "shocking secret" of Clifton. I haven't read many books with female protagonists, so it was neat to see a young girl making things happen - it's usually a boy.
Now imagine this: We're moving along, thinking it's the year 2000 when a terrible disease spreads through our city. Eventually we learn that the year is really 2150 and people have been paying money to watch our EVERY move since we were born. Get the idea? Read this book!
-- JFS

This debut novel by Maragaret Peterson Haddix is a compelling story that will have students begging their teachers to keep on reading. The premise seems simple: in 1840 the children of Clifton Village are hit by an epidemic of diptheria, and many are dying. To save the villagers, one of the mothers confides to her daughter that it is really 1996, and that the daughter will have to venture out into modern day America in order to save her family and friends.

This is like the Truman Show in that the people of the village are largely ignorant that their every move is being watched by tourists, and filmed by closed circuit TV cameras. It is exciting to read about the escape, and reading about the girl's encounters with KFC, cars, and indoor plumbing is humorous. There is a lot of suspense, and an ending that will have you wishing for more.

I really enjoyed reading Running Out of Time. To see the world from the point of view of a girl who believed her self to be living in the 1840's. Her world was viewed through one way mirrors by tourists. They got modern antibiotics for illness's, but suddenly, when a diptheria epidemic strikes, the medicine dries up. Is it a coincidence? Most adults still remeber the modern world, and they choose a messenger to go out and call help. Jessie is frightened. In her town you could trust people, but she has stumbled into a strange new world of deception where she could be killed at a wrong move. The diptheria was introduced by a scientist, who wants the human genes to build resistances to diseases. He says that the diseases are building resistances to antibiotics. I agree with him that we should try to build up our imune system, but on people who agree to it. Not on innocent children who's only crime was being born at the wrong place in the wrong time.

If you want an adventurous book, you should read Running Out Of Time. The author of Running Out Of Time is Margaret Peterson Haddix. It was published in 1995.
In this story a girl named Jesse lives in a village called clifton. Some people in Clifton get a disease.This causes Jesse's mom to send her out in the real world. Before Jesse left her mom gave her a phone number, some food, and some water. After Jesse finished packing her knapsack she started on her way to Indanappolis. On her way to Indianappolis she meets a few characters.
I don't know how to get past the camera or the guard. If I was in Jesse's place I would scream. Jesse is a very brave girl unlike me.
This is a very realistic story. I think this book will make people cry in the end.Action is the one of the main verbs in this book.Margaret describes how the way Jesse feels very well. Also Margaret describes the other characters and what they do well also.
On a scale from one to ten I would give this book a ten. I gave this book a ten because it was realistic. On a thumbs up or a thumbs down scale I would give it a thumbs up.

This book may have inspired the movie "The Village." A group of people fed up with modern day living set up an isolated town where they pretend it is 1840. They raise their families, keeping up the 1840 charade so that a whole generation has begun to grow up with no idea that they are really not in 1840. Jessie is a teen girl who fits this profile.

The town is beset by diphtheria and supplies that were coming from the outside world seem to be getting cut off. Jessie's mother reveals the town's secret to Jessie and tells her she needs to travel to the "outside" world to get medicine for the sick children. She tries her best to explain some of the things Jessie may encounter but it is impossible to explain the future to someone without a concept of it.

Several tense moments ensue as Jessie is racing through an alien world as time is running out for some of her sick friends. With scenes reminiscent of Cliff Robertson's episode of the Twilight Zone, Jessie is overawed by futuristic things that she can't understand.

Excellent writing by Ms. Haddix!

I loved this exciting young adult book about 14-year-old Jessie Keyser, whose life is changed irrevocably when she learns her frontier village is actually part of a living history museum. While she and her family wore homemade clothing, emptied chamber pots and rode in horse-drawn wagons, the world around them was watching tv, using electric lights and typing on computers. Jessie was never supposed to learn the truth, but her mother has to tell her when a diptheria epidemic hits the town. The museum's directors refuse to help the sick children, so Jessie must escape and find help in the terrifying world of 1996. What ensues is a thrilling adventure that will have you turning pages as fast as you can.

I gave it a 4 rating, because I thought there were some plot holes, but still, it was a great read.

I thought this was a great book! Margaret Peterson Haddix has a way of always making you want to read more. The last sentance is usually the most exciting so you'll want to read more. The girl in the story I think probably relates to a lot of us. She thinks that she is brave, and she is, but going in to a whole new world where nothing is the same made her realize that she is not as brave as she thought. This book made me look at things a lot harder. It shows how we take things for granted. For example we have electricity. Jessie had never even heard of electricity. There are a lot of things that Jessie had to do that we have Machines for now. Jessie was also lied to for thirteen years. She really thought that it was 1840. If you ever get the chance to read this book you should go for it. It is wonderful!

Thirteen year old Jessie Keyser lives in a village in Clifton, Indiana with her family. She lives in the year 1840, but outside of Clifton there's a much larger world. It's 1996.
In the village of Clifton, diphtheria begins to grow. Her mother wants her to go outside of Clifton to get help, but she doesn't think it's right because it's dangerous. Her mother tells her to go outside of Clifton, so Jessie does. She's supposed to call a man named Mr.Neely. There are a lot of things she doesn't know.
I thought the book Running Out Of Time was a very enjoyable book because it was cool to try and see what Jessie would do in the modern world. The writing was very descriptive. I would recommend this book to people who like adventure and people between the ages of 9 through 14.

I read running out of time by Margaret Peterson Haddix. In this book there is a girl named Jessie. She lives in a small time named Clifton. There is a disease going around and Jessie's two friends Abby and Jefferson are sick with the disease. She needs to get medicine for them or t hey will die!

I liked the idea, action, story, and the characters. There were exciting and suprising moments. It is a great book. The ideas make you wanna keep reading this book. I don't reccomend this book for people who don't.

I thought this book was great! It had adventures and they were the best part of the book!

by tianna chapple

I think that Running Out of Time was an excellent book it is by one of my favorite writers and I hope many people get the chance to read it

In my Running out of time a girl named Jessie lives just like it was 1840 there are a few strange things there but to her they were just the grown-ups' secrets. Slowly the people of Clifton are getting sick and no one is giving the secret real medicine as a last resort Jessie's mother tells her all about the grown-up's secrets. Jessie finds out that it is 1996 and her only hope to help her friends and family is to call a person who apposed Clifton from the beginning on the unknown thing called a telephone racing to his house she goes to the real town she evens sees her town from a tourists point of view!

What is everything you knew suddenly turned out to be false? That?s what Jessie, the main character of this fast-paced novel has to deal with when her mother reveals that the year is 1996, instead of 1840. Jessie and her family live inside a tourist attraction, where everything is kept ?authentic? and only the adults know the truth. However, a diphtheria epidemic has hit the town, and the owners of the tourist attraction are refusing to give the children modern medical care. Jessie?s mother says Jessie is their only hope that one of them can escape to the outside and get the children the medicine they need. Jessie?s escape and reaction to the ?outside world? make for captivating reading, as she rushes against the clock in her mission to save of the children of Clifton who have fallen ill, including her younger sister.

Jessie Keyser lives in the historical preserve in Clifton, Indiana where it is 1840. When Jessie's friends and siblings catch diphtheria, her mom sends her on a dangerous mission to save her friends and siblings. Her mission is to leave Clifton where it is 1996 and get modern medicine. She also must go through the guards that are trying to keep her inside Clifton.
I liked the book a lot. The book was very intriguing. If you like time travel, you would probably like Running Out of Time. At the end, the book slows down just a little bit. I think that most people would like to read Running Out of Time. It was very hard to put the book down. If you read the book, I hope you enjoy it.

Finally M. Night Shyamalan is uncovered for the second-rate hack that he is. This was an awesome book but M. Night Shyamalan stole it, added a retarded man and some lame looking monsters, and turned it into one of the most atrocious movies ever to hit the big screen. Perhaps we shouldn't have such a sense of shock, since this isn't the first time 'ole "Sham"-alan has plagiarized the basic storyline of a young adult novel. Remember the Sixth Sense? That was a good movie, but it was even BETTER as a book called The Ghost Next Door by R.L. Stine, Goosebumps #10, in which a girl suspects her next door neighbor of being a ghost, only to discover in the end that it was actually her all along who had been dead.

Shyamalan is stealing "his" "ideas" for these movies from these young adult novels, or else he is just so completely unoriginal and unimaginative that they coincidentally share an uncanny resemblance to one another. Either way, READ these books and SKIP the lameness that Shyamalan likes to call "movies."

I really enjoyed the concept behind this book. A teenager living in 1996 who thinks it's 1840? Intriguing. Haddix had a great idea, and creates a lot of suspense by providing elements of surprise, wonder, and danger. There were a few weak points, though. The plot provides some twists towards the end that require some serious suspension of disbelief, and the ending is a little bit pat for my taste. But this book stands apart from a lot of the other young readers titles out there, and I think it offers a fairly interesting comparison/contrast between life today and life in the 1840s. If you liked this book, you'll want to check out Lois Lowery's The Giver.

I read running out of time by Margaret Peterson Haddix. In this book there is a girl named Jessie. She lives in a small time named Clifton. There is a disease going around and Jessie's two friends Abby and Jefferson are sick with the disease. She needs to get medicine for them or t hey will die!

I liked the idea, action, story, and the characters. There were exciting and suprising moments. It is a great book. The ideas make you wanna keep reading this book. I don't reccomend this book for people who don't.

I thought this book was great! It had adventures and they were the best part of the book!

by tianna chapple

RUNNING OUT OF TIME
BY: KYLIE KLAPS
The book running out time talks about about a girl named Jessie and her mom sends her on a quest. That quest involves a lot of twists and turns. Jessie is trying to save the lives of many kids. She also had to stay at a man's house and that man also tried to kill her. By then she knew something was wrong. She had to get some help for the kids. She asked reporters and then went to the hospital. When she went to the hospital she saw all the kids in her class. I would recommend reading this book and give it 5 stars!

I read Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix. In this book there is a girl named Jessie. She lives in a small town named Clifton. There is a disease going around and Jessie's two friends Abby and Jefferson are sick with the disaease. Jessie needs to get medicine for them or they will die!

I liked the idea, action, story, and the characters. There were exciting and suprising moments. It is a great book. The ideas make you wanna keep reading this book.

If you like sad, suprising, and exciting books, then this is the book for you! If you don't then i wouldn't read this book.

I thought this book was great! It had adventures and that was the best part of the book.

by Tianna Chapple

Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix is one of the best books I have read in a long time. It follows the story of Jessie, a teenage girl who finds that her whole life has been a lie. She believes that she lives in the 1800s, in a village called Clifton. However, she discovers the shocking truth when a diptheria epidemic strikes the village, and Jessie is flung into the outside world, searching for the medicine that will save the ill children. An action-packed story, Running Out of Time has been a favorite of all that have read it. I highly reccommend it to young adults and adults alike.

In my opinion Running Out of Time is fascinating book! In Running Out of Time Jessie, the main character, is very brave. Her problem is she has to go back in time to get medicine for the sick kids in Clifton. I really liked this book because it was like an adventure. It's really cool how Jessie goes back in time and almost gets caught. She finally gets to where she wants to go, but does she really want to be there? At the end of the book Jessie finds her own life in jeopardy, but can she get medicine for the sick and dieing kids and save herself before time runs out?