Author: Jon Scieszka
Illustrator: Adam McCauley
Format: Paperback
Published: Penguin Books, 2001

From the publisher: Stuck writing haikus for English class, Joe, Sam, and Fred take one little break from doing their homework and - BAM! - they land smack-dab in the middle of seventeenth-century Japan. But how ill the boys search out The Book and find their way back home when they're too busy dealing with grumpy samurai warriors with really big swords?

In each book in the series, a magic book whisks the Time Warp Trio back in time, where they invariably find themselves embrolied in an outrageous adventure. More challenging than early chapter book series like The Magic Treehouse, The Time Warp Trio books are slim and packed with action and Scieszka's particular brand of irreverent humor. They are the perfect bridge into longer novels and an excellent choice for reluctant readers. Best of all, the immensely popular anti-heroes will have kids laughing out loud as they learn a lot.