Replay
by Sharon Creech

Synopsis

Replay by award-winning author, Sharon Creech is alternately funny and tender. Leo, the teller of the story, dreams he is the biggest star on broadway. (It is his escape from the reality of his life in a large family where he is ignored.) Ms. Creech writes with true compassion and insight about family and sibling relationships and of a boy's maturing.

Description

Sharon Creech introduces the reader to Leo, lost in the crowd of his large family. Leo's world is his fantasy one in which he is a big star, the center of attention. The story weaves back and forth from Leo's real world where he feels like "a sardine squashed in a tin" to his dream of "biggest star on Broadway."

Leo's relationship with his father is a big part of the tale. Leo is continually wondering why his father seems sad. When Leo discovers tap shoes in the attic, his father's story slowly unravels.

As an addendum Ms Creech includes a the school play in which Leo had a part. All the directions and speaking roles are included so it could be performed by a neighborhood group.

Why a reader, ages 8 -12, will enjoy this book

Ms Creech seems to capture very well the feelings of a middle child in a large family. There is constant noise. The older siblings ignor or taunt; the younger ones cling and intrude. Yet there is family love and loyalty. Readers who are like Leo, in the middle, will probably identify with Leo and be able to understand their own feelings better after reading this book.