13 year old Tony gets to spend Christmas traveling in time.

13 year old Tony Johnson and computer wizard, is of falsely accused of setting fire to his school. He is sent to stay with his grandparents over Christmas. Tony's grandfather invents things. He has designed a game called "The Time Game". Bored with being the only kid in the area and alone for many hours of the day, Tony takes to peeping into things not meant for him. In his grandfather's laboratory he finds the "Time Game", which can summon a Time Machine. He rationalizes that his grandfather's long disappearances is due to the machine and decides to follow in his tracks. During a series of adventures in the 1860's in the Australian outback and going right up to present day Tony meets a poor English girl, Emily, who joins him in his travels. He also gets to rescue his grandfather, restore Emily's wealth and clear his own name of the false accusation. On Christmas morning, when Tony's parents have joined the celebrations, we get the impression from the connection between Tony and his grandfather that the time travels may not be quite over and done with.—krabat

13 year old Tony Johnson and computer wizard, is sent to stay with his grandmother over Christmas. Rummaging in his grandfather's laboratory he discovers, what probably caused his grandfather to disappear. A "Time Game," which summons a Time machine. He decides to travel back in time and find his grandfather. Following his adventures in the 1860's in the Australian outback and up to the present day, where he restores a travelling friend to her rightful inheritance and naturally finds his grandfather, maybe all is not said and done about the purposes of such a machine.—krabat