The Imagination Station series is connected to the Adventures in Odyssey stories. The overarching story is that of young time travelers in search of treasure.

Attack at the Arena, the second book in the series, is a unique adventure story of two kids who are sent back in time to Rome.

Think of it like a mysterious, Christian version of Dr. Who, minus the Doctor.

Cousins Patrick and Beth were sent back in search of treasures for their friend, inventor Dr. Whittaker. In this particular book they are searching for a golden chalice.

The storylines weaves in some interesting historical facts about the Roman empire in the AD period. There were churches and monks, an Emperor still ruled, and arena games were still a huge event.

The book does alright at captivating the reader. There is a scene in the book where the children are zapped into the arena when they first time travel. During their time in the arena they are charged by a tiger, which may be a bit scary for children with a vivid imagination.

Overall, I’d recommend it for a younger reader, aged 7-11