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Change-Up: Mystery at the World Series

(2009, Fiction - Mystery, Written by John Feinstein)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 7, age appropriate for kids over 9; suggested age 9.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Mystery and ethics in sports journalism.

Themes in this book include:   dating/crushes, honesty, substance abuse

Why We Rated This on for Ages 9 and Up

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    Contains information about sports and journalism.

  • Messages:

    The story revolves around a question of journalistic ethics, thus encouraging readers to think about ethical issues.

  • Role models:

    Stevie and Susan Carol are models of young gifted teens pursuing their passion for writing in an adult world, meeting deadlines, and being serious and dependable.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    A woman was killed in a car accident in the past, a girl slaps a boy, a man sets his dog after a boy, a brief fistfight.

  • Sex:

    Some kissing.

  • Language:

    A bit of mild swearing and one use of "asshole."

  • Consumerism:

    Soda, fast food, department store brands mentioned.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    One of the characters is a reformed alcoholic, and the mystery revolves around an accident that may have involved drunk driving. Adults drink and get drunk. A discussion of chewing tobacco.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Change-Up: Mystery at the World Series

Parents need to know that there is some discussion of drinking, drunkenness, and rehab, and the story revolves around a possible drunk driving accident in which a mother is killed. There's also a bit of mild swearing.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about journalistic ethics. When, if ever, is it right to look into and expose someone's personal life? Do famous people have different rights than ordinary people? Should they? Do they have more or fewer rights?
  • Does Stevie make the right decision here? Why or why not?
  • Is fame worth the loss of privacy? Would you want to be famous? What do you think it would be like? What are the upsides and downsides?
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