On Etruscan Time by Tracy Barrett

OK, imagine being forced to spend the summer in Italy. It sounds great to me. How about you? Well, it doesn't sound so great to Hector. He is eleven and looking forward to spending the summer hanging with his friends. But now his mother is dragging him to Italy so she can work on an archaeological dig. Hector won't have anything to do all day. But one of the workers on the dig gets permission to teach Hector how to work the dig. It isn't a great way to spend the time but at least it's something to do. When Hector finds a stone with an eye painted on it, he is disappointed when it turns out not to be anything special. But little do the others know how special it will be for Hector. It has the ability to help Hector travel back in time. And there Hector finds an Etruscan boy who needs his help.