Travel into the future in this abridged retelling of The Time Machine, part of the bestselling Classic Starts® series that has sold more than 8 million copies! After inventing a time machine, the Traveler leaves Victorian London and goes far, far into the future. At first, the world he discovers seems peaceful and prosperous. But as he looks farther below the surface, he realizes that things are not exactly as they first appeared. . . . This abridged retelling is the perfect way to introduce young readers to the imaginative world of science fiction and time travel.

Bealby is a young boy who is absolutely determined not to accept his lot in life as a servant. However, despite having thrown tantrums and argued with his mother about his future he has not been able to change his fate. He reluctantly leaves his home for Shonts, a big country house, to work as a steward's boy. What he hasn't anticipated, howver, are the guests that are arriving for the weekend at the big house, or for the arrival of the eccentric but captivating Lord Chancellor. What follows is an adventure that Bealby will not soon forget. Although better known for his science fiction stories, such as The Time Machine or The War of the Worlds - both of which have been turned into successful films - H. G. Wells was also a journalist, sociologist and historian and wrote over a hundred books, about fifty of them novels. First published in 1915 Bealby was originally entitled Bealby a Holiday.