Nicholas McIver's life is about to get a lot more interesting. During the eve of World War II, his life will finally become like those in the books he has read. Ted Bell creates a world where Nick experiences time traveling, "birdwatching', and sets him up for a lifetime of heroism.

Since the book has a tag line that says, "An Adventure through Time" I assumed that the time traveling would happen a lot sooner than it did. It took over 150 pages for the actual time travel to start. Before that, we get to know a lot about all the characters and their life on Graybeard Island, as well as the specifics of time traveling.

Although I was intrigued by the McIvers' birdwatching, codeword for watching the Nazis, I was more than ready for the actual time travel to begin. The book really took off during the middle portion. It alternates between Nick's adventure through time and Kate's (his little sister) adventure with the Nazis.

My favorite character in this book was Hobbes. He reminded me of a butler, even though he was one of the most important men in the British Royal Navy Intelligence. His manners and the way he carried himself made me smile.

With both an epilogue and a postscript I felt that the ending was too long. Although I enjoyed parts of this book, it wasn't quite for me. However, I believe that Nick of Time would appeal to older children and tweens looking for an adventure story.