JumpMan Rule #1: Don't Touch Anything

by James Valentine

Book Overview

The Adventure Begins.... When Theodore Pine Four suddenly appears in the bedroom of Genevieve Corrigan just as her friend Jules Santorini is about to ask her out on a date, the only thing they can all... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0689868723
• ISBN13: 9780689868726
• Release Date: May 2004
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
• Length: 268 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.8" x 8.8"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

In the early Fifteenth Billenium, everyone has the ability to "jump" to any time in history they please, but with one rule: don't touch anything. When Theodore Pine Four wins a worldwide contest, he is thrilled! He is the first person ever to try the new JumpMan and jump to the winners' secret location. When Theodore jumps with the new JumpMan, he leaves the Fifteenth Billenium...and never returns! Over to do his homework with his crush, Gen, Jules Santorini is very nervous. He is going to ask Gen out on a date. Just as he is ready and summons enough courage, another boy appears in the bedroom! This boy has multicolored hair, wears weird clothes, and has strange items along with him such as a silver sphere and a red remote. When TimeJumpers jump they usually appear invisible to the people at that time. This time, however, Theodore goes to Mil 3 (aka The Present), a place where he is not invisible. He has jumped into Gen's bedroom right when Jules has decided to ask the question. Theodore's JumpMan is malfunctioning and cannot return him to his own time. After convincing Jules and Gen he is from the future and can jump through time, they begin an adventure. The three travel through time from when the first word was spoken up until the present. No one knows how to fix the JumpMan and no one is looking for Theodore in the future. Not being invisible while in a different time is against the first rule. Will time slowly unravel? I enjoyed reading the authors, "Before we Begin..." which was in the front of the book. James Valentine brings up many good points about time and how it functions. It made me think about what would happen if I did a certain thing and the consequences. This was a good book, and others who read it will want to get the second one in the series, The Present Never Happens (Timejumpers). Reviewed by: Jeremey

Danielle's book review on Jumpman

*****Danielle's book review on Jumpman I read the book Jumpman by James Valentine. This book was set in modern times, as well as the future and the past, starting from three seconds after the Big Bang. Cool, huh? This book is a scientific fiction and also part fantasy. The main characters in this book are Theodore, Genevieve, and Jules. Theodore is from the future, and he's visible! He was the winner of a contest in the future so he could travel back in time with the new Jumpman Pro. He lands in Genevieve's bedroom just as Jules is going to ask her to the movies. Jules is kind of shy and is the "new" kid in the school, although he's only been away for two years. He is old friends with Gen who is one of the most popular girls in school. But Theo wants to be more than friends with Gen, just like Jules. Will their adventures turn into a ring of jealousy and hatred? Will Gen and Jules ever go on that date? What if Theo decides to never go back to the future because of Gen? Can Jules convince him to go back to the future before it's too late? And worst of all, is Theo's new disease contagious to the people of the past who might not find a cure? The main problem in this book kind of spans through the entire book. The problem starts when Theo shows up in Gen's bedroom and is visible to them when he's not supposed to be. His Jumpman is broken, so he can't get back home! Jules, Gen, and Theo time jump to fight with cavemen, see the making of the Great Pyramids, and even to see the future! But the only pace they can't get Theo to go is home.... My favorite part of the book was when Theo actually shows up in Gen's bedroom because the sheer surprise that I could picture on their faces was just too funny. Also, it was just at the big moment when Jules asks Gen out on a date and you don't know whether or not they actually go on in unless you read the book!; ) I really enjoyed this fast-paced, humorous book which includes running away from Franklin Nixon and many more highly un-explainable journeys through the wrinkles of time. I would recommend this book to readers of all ages because it has enough magic for all of them. The characters have enough jokes and bad come backs that it will have all ages laughing. I would give this book a 5 star rating because it was really awesome!

Michael's book review

I read an incredible book titled Jumpman by James Valentine. It is mainly science fiction book set in...well, every when. The main characters in the story are Jules, the shy child of divorced parents; Gen, one of the most popular girls in school; and Theo, an outgoing boy from fifteen billion and seventy three. In the future, time travel is a child's toy and Theo just won a new model through a raffle and makes a jump, but the jump doesn't go as expected. Will everything be ok? Will everywhere be ok? Will every when be ok? My favorite part of this book is when Theo first shows up and Jules' brain "locks himself in his office and hides under a blanket". The description of Theo that takes place at the same time is also very interesting. This is my favorite part because it is hilarious and shows what I think is a pretty accurate depiction of Gen and Jules' reactions. I really enjoyed this book because it had intricate descriptions and the author included every detail you can think of. I would recommend this book to nearly every audience because it includes ideas that could be classified in every genre.

Quick action and unpredictable twists of plot

Playstation and X-box have nothing over the toy of the future: a time-travel device which allows for visits to the past. There's only one problem with Theo's enjoyment of the latest model: it appears to be defective, and his interactions with peoples of the past increasingly holds dangers of changing the future. The debut titles in the newe "Jump-Man Rule" series by James Valentine, Don't Touch Anything provides quick action and unpredictable twists of plot, including romance, making it a most unusual, satisfying adventure story recommended for ages 8-12.

One of my favorite books

I have just finished one of the best books I've ever read - JumpMan Rule #1. Honestly, I cannot say enough about this fantastic book. Theo is a teenager from the year 15,000,073, where TimeJumping (time traveling) is not only possible, but the most popular form of entertainment for the people of the future. Of course, to avoid messing up all of history, everyone who TimeJumps is rendered invisible, and has to follow one rule: DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING. Theo has just won the opportunity to be the first kid to try out the new JumpMan, but instead of going to some cool place in history, he lands in a regular bedroom in the year 2004, just as one kid from our time, Jules, is about to ask his friend Gen out on a date. And to top things off, Theo's JumpMan won't send him back to where he came from. While this sounds like a typical sci-fi/adventure novel, it is so much more than that. It presents enough awesome visions of future technology for science fiction fans, but the author also concentrates on what really matters in the book - the characters of Jules, Gen, and Theo. The level of detail the author has in his world is amazing. For instance, Theo's futuristic Coat, which can change color, length, and style, while simultaneously measuring the temperature, translating foreign languages, and monitoring the fat content of the food you're eating. But then there is the story of Jules just trying to be a regular teenager, which is hard enough without time travelers dropping in when you're trying to ask a girl out on a date.This is just a really great book, and I can't wait for the other books in the series. I highly recommend it if you are looking for a good science fiction book, or just a good book.