The Replacement The last time you lost something, you thought you were seriously never going to hear the end of it. First, you got some grief from your mother about how she can’t afford to keep buying new whatever-it-was-you-lost. Then
The Replacement
The last time you lost something, you thought you were seriously never going to hear the end of it.
First, you got some grief from your mother about how she can’t afford to keep buying new whatever-it-was-you-lost. Then your dad chimed in and gave you a lecture about blah responsibility blah. You might’ve even heard a grandparently grumble or two.
So you lost something. Things can be replaced.
But what about people? In the “The Replacement” by Brenna Yovanoff, a teenager finds out that his life is not what he thought it was.
One of Emma Doyle’s first memories was when she was four years old, peeking through the slats of her baby brother’s crib. Mostly, she remembered his black, black eyes and his sharp teeth as he tried to bite her.
Imagination? Maybe, but there was something different about sixteen-year-old Mackey Doyle.
Much as he longed to be just like every teenager in Gentry, that just wasn’t possible. Nobody else got violently sick at the smell of blood or iron. Other people could attend church or visit consecrated grounds, things Mackey couldn’t do. So when Natalie, the baby sibling of one of his classmates died, Mackey couldn’t go to the funeral.
Which was why he was surprised when Tate, the dead baby’s sister, told Mackey a secret: the “thing” that was buried in the coffin in the graveyard behind the church was not Natalie. It wasn’t even human, which was something Mackey was just beginning to understand.
Because, as he realized, neither was he.
Sick, maybe dying, Mackey hoped there might be some way to save himself and find Natalie. Emma tried to help, just like she’d tried to protect him ever since he was a baby, but her fix came with a price that Mackey wasn’t willing to pay.
Then, at a Halloween party where Living-Dead costumes weren’t costumes at all, he learned of a dark place known as the House of Mayhem.
There, some things look dead, some things are dead, and others will be soon.
So you say you like things dark and creepy – the darker and creepier, the better, right? Well, you’re in luck: “The Replacement” is dark as a dungeon and very, very crEEEEEpy.
But why, well, I can’t exactly put my cold, dead finger on it. Author Brenna Yovanoff presents quite a fine story about a changeling boy who learns that everything in Gentry is pretty rotten – literally – and that he can fix it, but it won’t be pleasant.
Or maybe it’s because of the performance by Kevin T. Collins, who brings Mackey to life (or would that be “death”?) and who does such a fine job on the mood and other characters that you’ll feel like you could visit them… if you dare….
Be aware that there’s profanity in this audiobook, so you might want to think twice about sharing it with a younger brother or sister. But for you, if you love your books dark as a moonless night, “The Replacement” is one to lose yourself in.
Sports Illustrated Kids: All Access
c.2010, Time, Inc. Home Entertainment $19.95 / $23.95 Canada 62 pages
Watching your favorite sports team in action is one of the best things in the world.
You love every scoop, every run, shot, bounce, and score. Sometimes, you get so excited and yell so loud that you forget they can’t hear you. And you’re favorite player? It would be so cool to hang out with him for awhile.
So why not have the next best thing? Grab “Sports Illustrated Kids: All Access” and get some awesome behind-the-scenes, back-room, up-close peeks at all the most popular sports.
A much as you possibly can, you catch your team in action on TV or maybe in person. You know your favorite players by their jerseys, positions, or maybe by height or team colors. But could you high-five Shaq? Or compare the size of your shoe to Chris Paul’s? You can, if you read this book.
Because you’re a big fan, you know what a field looks like. You’ve seen footage of a diamond on TV. Maybe you’ve even visited a rink or you might own your own snowboard. But have you ever seen the inside – the real, whole inside – of a baseball locker room or the heart of a NASCAR transporter? You’ll find both of those, as well as a look at the minute-by-minute transformation of a stadium from hockey to basketball, all in this book.
When the players on your team put on their uniforms, what do you suppose it all means? For instance, why does a football player pack on the padding? What’s inside a baseball that makes it fly so fast? How do they choose the wood to make baseball bats? Is the bat you buy at the store the same bat that Derek Jeter plays with? And what’s behind those colorful paintings on a hockey mask, anyhow?
Read this book, and you’ll find out why The Rock drives an hour just to work out. You’ll see what Rob Dyrdek does for fun (hint: his entire job is having fun!). You’ll see where the best candy “store” in the world is hidden. You’ll get a peek at Hannah Teter’s snowboard collection. And you’ll find out why Ernie Sims’ mother never goes into his bedroom without a big stick!
Like almost every other book you’ll find from the SI folks, “Sports Illustrated Kids: All Access” is jam-packed with information and pictures that will make a young sports nut smile. The five major pro sports (football, basketball, baseball, hockey, and NASCAR) are covered, as well as a few that are less-watched but are no less popular.
The surprising thing I noticed, though, is the lack of female representation here: just two women are mentioned; one of them, barely. It’s true that few women have made inroads in the kinds of pro sports covered by this book but – particularly for athletic, sports-loving girls looking for inspiration – the omission is glaring.
For a 7-to-12-year-old sports-minded boy, “Sports Illustrated Kids: All Access” will be his favorite new book. For girls of the same age, though, this book drops the ball.
• The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. She has been reading since she was 3 and never goes anywhere without a book.
