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Game Changer
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Game Changer is an alternate-world fantasy set in a reality where the importance of athletics and academics have been switched. The protagonist, an eighth grade girl, must learn to balance sports and and studies and respect the other interests of her family and friends. There's no profanity, sex, or drug or alcohol use. There's some violence, all accidental: a concussion, a medical collapse, and an injury in an explosion.
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Just in the middle
probably on me top 6 list of favorite book to read :)
What's the story?
Eighth grader KT Sutton's life revolves around softball until the day she blacks out during a championship game and awakens in a world where everything about her school and family has changed. Suddenly, nobody cares about softball or rewards athletic prowess. Everyone is obsessed with competitions in math, science, and geography. To find her way back to where she belongs, KT must change her attitude about what's truly important in life.
Is it any good?
GAME CHANGER has an intriguing concept, but it takes a very long time for it to develop. KT wakes up in a strange world, and while it's reasonable for her to be confused, it always feels as if she's a step or two behind the alert reader in sussing out what's going on. It also doesn't help that she and her family are all depicted as self-absorbed whiners for much of the book. Eventually, however, the plot takes an interesting twist, and the characters begin acting more sympathetically as the action builds to a suspenseful and affecting climax.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about Game Changer and what it might be like to live in a world where sports and academics switched their level of importance in society.
What determines whether a certain activity or interest is "cool"? Does it changes given different circumstances?
Why do parents sometimes seem to favor one sibling over another? What are good ways to alter this behavior and address alternatives?
Book details
- Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Sports and Martial Arts, Brothers and Sisters, Friendship, Misfits and Underdogs
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster
- Publication date: October 16, 2012
- Number of pages: 256
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
Themes & Topics
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.