Customer Reviews

Replay

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Maybe it's because I've always been drawn to acting. Maybe it's because I've always been a (day)dreamer myself. Maybe it's because I have always struggled to connect with my family. Maybe it's simply the amazing power of Creech's writing. Whatever the reasons, Leo has become a character I will never forget.

Sharon Creech's "Replay" tells the story of the day-dreaming Leo, though he is better known to family and friends as "Sardine" or "Fog-Boy" -- both nicknames that Leo hopes to leave behind at some point in his life -- in a coming-of-age story that will ring true to any middle child in the chaos of a large family that is always on the go. How do you deal with being cast as the "Old Crone" in the school play? How do you grow up in a family that never seems to know you're there? How do you connect to a father you don't understand? Especially when you find the autobiography he wrote at age 13 and learn about all those passions he once had that now seem to have faded.

As a middle school teacher, I have shared this book with my class. In watching my students as we read it together, I have watched my students laugh at Leo's daydreams, commiserate with his failures, and share in his joys. Most importantly of all, however, is that as Leo learns to look at his father with new eyes, so too have I seen my students begin to look at their parents in ways they never have before.

In the end, not all of Leo's dreams have come true, but he succeeds in taking one step further in the process of growing up, and does so in an authentic way that will resound to anyone who struggles, or who struggled, with that greatest of tasks in life: Becoming who you are.

Sharon Creech is a favorite author for delivering surprises in format and style. It is fascinating to follow the way she develops the character of pre-teen dreamer, Leonardo. In the crush of a large household, Leo feels unnoticed much of the time, one of 4 kids who usually sound like a thundering herd. His discovery of an auto-biography written by his father at age 13 opens Leo's eyes to the question of a "missing" aunt, and to his father's dreams. He realizes there are watershed events in most lives that dictate change, and his father's was a heart attack.The author does not cater to lazy-minded readers. She exposes the family's past to daylight & reminds us that everyone agonizes over growing up.

Chapter books can leave one with a stand-out favorite; mine was "Chores" to which I related & laughed about the most. Every mother would be grateful for a similar solution to doling out family responsibilities! Braided into Sharon Creech's story is the mystery of Rosario, the 'lost' aunt; the chaos & stresses of everyday life; and the 3rd strand: a school play written & directed by an insightful teacher. Leo, in the undesired role of 'the old crone' discovers that happiness can be found in less-than-spectacular achievements.

Reviewer mcHAIKU will continue to enjoy this tale of every child's fantasies of success and delivers this opinion: DON"T MISS READING "REPLAY" !

A cast headed by Christopher Burns gives full voice to a large Italian family. Italian or not, 12-year-old Leo's family is very much like all others - sometimes happy, at other times in disagreement. But, somehow in the words of Newbery Medalist Sharon Creech Leo's household bursts with more laughter than most.

Like many young folks, Leo has a few nicknames - "Sardine" because he is sometimes sandwiched between his older sister and his two younger brothers. He's also referred to as "Fog Boy" because he's a dreamer. He's just been given a part in the school play and, as his Dad says, "Leo, you make gold from pebbles" because Leo fantasizes about starring on Broadway. At other times, he dreams he's going to be a genius. This is, a story about growing up.

Not surprisingly, there are sometimes conflicts between father and son. However, when Leo discovers a diary his father kept when he was Leo's age, understanding soon follows.

Highly recommended for listeners in grades 5 through 7.

- Gail Cooke

I love Sharon Creech and have shared her works with my students for years! This new book is excellent and will definitely be a "mentor" text for my students. The descriptions of characters and a young boys reading of a journal to learn about his father is terrific!

When you live in a big family of 4 kids and 2 adults, you might think you would get a lot of attention and love and live like "one big happy family", as the saying goes. Well, not in Leo's case. Join Leo through a story of love, comedy and pure happiness in Replay by Sharon Creech.
Leo's Italian family consists of his grouchy older sister, Contento, his two younger brothers, Pierto and Nunzio, and his mom and dad, who never really pay attention to them. With so many people, the house id never still and there is always something to do. However, no one really notices Leo, either, and his dream to become a famous actor on Broadway.
Suddenly the world is spinning. Leo finds out about an unknown, missing family member named Rosaria, who no one really talks about, he gets the part of a crone in the school play and then there's his friend, Ruby's mysterious, dead brother.
When I first read that Leo had a big family, and was never really noticed, I thought of one of my friends who lives in a family of seven. She is never really in Leo's case of "un-noticed-ness". I thought this was interesting and decided to compare the two families.
In the end, I realized it was the parent's fault for not paying enough attention to their kids. While my friend's parents were active in school projects and talked and played with them, Leo's mom often called them " a big band of useless goats". Leo's dad never really talked or played with them since his heart attack two years ago.
Toward the middle of the book, I noticed the conversations are turned into play-script text. I thought Sharon Creech was very creative to have done this. It gives the book an interesting touch. Also, at the end, she gives you the script for the play the main character performs, in case you want to read it or act it out.
My favorite part about this book is the comedy. The way Sharon Creech uses her language; just makes you want to laugh and laugh. I love a good book that's funny. Especially if I can relate to most of the characters in at least one way.
This book, Replay, by Sharon Creech is truly a treasure. It will make you laugh over and over again, no matter how many times you read it.

I've always been a mite bit cautious around Sharon Creech. She's one of those authors I have a great deal of difficulty wrapping my head around. I can never quite figure out if she's the greatest living children's author to set foot on God's green earth, or if she's a proto-Joan Bauer teetering on the edge of treacle. I was hoping that "Replay" might clear this problem up for me. Though I've read Creech's extraordinary, "Walk Two Moons" her amusing, "Love That Dog" and her difficult "Ruby Holler", the jury is still out on her as a writer. As it stands, "Replay" is a very amusing book. It uses an occasional play format to convey a single boy's journey from his private fantasy world to a place where he doesn't mind living. Along the way he solves a mystery and gains a small measure of small-time fame. I've read it through and thought it over, but "Replay" doesn't solve my Creech dilemma. All we have here is a very nicely written book that never becomes too dark or too malicious and ends in an exceedingly satisfying way.

Leonardo is our hero, but you'd never know who he was if you lived in his house. No one calls the boy by his real name. He's usually Sardine, after an amusing childhood incident, or Fog Boy, due to his dreamy nature. The second eldest child in a family of six (NOT including the million or so sundry aunts and uncles and other relatives that come over regularly), Leo's used to feeling invisible. He had hoped that maybe getting cast in the school's upcoming play, "Rumpopo's Porch", would give him the attention he feels he so desperately deserves. Instead, he ends up as the Old Crone. Not the most glamorous of parts. Still, Leo's a good kid. He's willing to tough it out. And while he does, he somehow manages to stumble across his father's diary from when he was thirteen. Reading this book, Leo begins to understand how a person like his dad can change as the years go by. And by talking to his friends and chipping through the topics the family is never supposed to discuss, Leo finds a way to come to terms with what it means to be alive, change as a person, and get what you want out of life.

Ms. Creech has narrowly avoided the trap that authors like E.L. Konigsburg have repeatedly fallen into. She is able to introduce big big themes (death, life, small dogs, etc.) without making her children talk like miniature adults. Leo is a kid from page one and despite his musings, you really do come to think of him as twelve years of age. His family is loud, obnoxious, and just the kind of group you absolutely would NOT want to be born into if you were a shy introspective person like our hero. The gentle arc of "Replay" skillfully balances the dark aspects of the book (Leo's no longer fun dad and his no longer caring siblings) with lighter amusing moments. Creech is not a laugh-out-loud author. She never has been. But you definitely sense a release to the tensions constantly building up in parts of this book. It's funny without ever making you come on out and smile (if that makes any sense).

When it comes to books where the narrator repeatedly inserts himself into a world of fantasy, I think that, "Ruby Electric" by Tess Nelson is better than "Replay" in terms of integrating dream worlds with real ones. I did enjoy the tiny black sardines that were printed on some of the book's pages to indicate to child readers that Leo was about to dive into a fantastical world of his own making. Once kids get a grip on Creech's style, they'll be able to figure out what's going on. I was pleased to find that in the back of the book, Ms. Creech has included the play, "Rumpopo's Porch", that Leo and his classmates perform throughout the book. For those of you with kids involved in reader's theater, this part of the story can easily be read by ten or so kids without difficulty.

"Replay" is probably not Creech's strongest work, but it may be one of her most touching. The book starts out tough and then works in a tenderness that's almost palpable by the story's close. Kids will enjoy the original format and those children involved with theater will recognize the flubs, fears, and pains Leo and his fellows go through as their first performance draws closer and closer. I still don't know if I'll ever be able to truly characterize Ms. Creech as a writer, but maybe that's okay. Maybe that's her charm. Just when you think you've figured her out, she pulls something like "Replay" out of her hat and gives you another reason to reconsider her as an author. As it stands, this is a book that every kid will relate to in some way. A lovely little work.

Replay is the story of a boy who feels lost in his large family. His siblings have talents that he views as more appreciated by his parents, like football and singing. During the story, the boy discovers that he wants to try his hand at acting and earns a part in a play written by his drama teacher. His best friend also earns a part. In the end, he learns that he is a fine actor and his parents are proud of his accomplishments.

While much of the story is surface bound and does not deal with the tougher issues of adolescence, the revelation of his friend's loss of a little brother earlier in her life brings some depth to the plot. As an only child, the busy, bustling family life that was so difficult for the main character sounded fantastic to me!

In the classroom, I would use the play script at the back of the story to act out the actual play prior to reading the accompanying story. In addition, it might be useful as part of a bigger study of family units and sibling relationships.

Although it was very hard for me to get past page 15, after that the book was great. It told a story about a dreamer who is always trying to escape his life and is always thinking that his life and his brothers and sisters are changing. Leo doesn't like what happened to his family after his father's horrible heart attack.
I liked the idea in the book of everyone in the world having a script. I personally would not want one, I like surprises in life. But the idea was amazing, and it was SO funny what they were saying about the script of their life.!!!-CC Wang age 9

Although it was very hard for me to get past page 15, after that the book was great. It told a story about a dreamer who is always trying to escape his life and is always thinking that his life and his brothers and sisters are changing. Leo doesn't like what happened to his family after his father's horrible heart attack.
I liked the idea in the book of everyone in the world having a script. I personally would not want one, I like surprises in life. But the idea was amazing, and it was SO funny what they were saying about the script of their life.!!!-CC Wang age 9

Sharon Creech is a master at young adult literature. This book had humor, emotion, and was an accurate depiction of families. It was also very touching. I really enjoyed it.