The Daredevils
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- ¥850
発行者による作品情報
Readers on the cusp of adolescence will find much to love in this novel by the author of the beloved MR. TERUPT series, that follows twin siblings Loretta and Waylon, and new friend Louie, the summer before middle grade, as they embark on a series of adventures which also prove to be life lessons in the making!
Loretta and her twin brother, Waylon, are headed to middle school. Loretta has always been quick with her fists and her wits. Since Waylon is on the small side, Loretta doesn’t let anyone mess with him. But now she worries he won’t survive without her by his side. Her secret plan: bulk him up with muscle over the summer. Little does she know that Waylon has a plan of his own. He’ll show his sister he can take care of himself.
As each puts their strategy in motion, Loretta and Waylon spend the summer going into the woods behind their house, even sneaking there in the dead of night. That’s where they first encounter Louie, who is about their age but noticeably bigger. Louie is homeschooled, he explains when Loretta gives him the third degree. Loretta, Waylon, and Louie soon fall into a comfortable friendship and continue their nightly forest adventures. When they unearth a mysterious box, the past collides with the present, propelling the trio on a quest that will forever change their lives.
Rob Buyea’s spirited dual narrative drives this funny, touching brother-sister story, where even the best-laid plans sometimes backfire and feelings may get bruised, but family and friends always count. Letting go of childhood means boldly taking risks to face the future while learning from the past.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Twins Loretta and Waylon have always been inseparable at school, but as the siblings enter seventh grade, they'll be forced for the first time to spend their classes apart. To prepare, each makes a goal for the summer: stalwart Loretta, always ready to protect her "smaller, weaker" brother, wants to toughen Waylon up. Waylon, meanwhile, wants to prove that he no longer needs Loretta's protection. The twins take their training to the woods and soon meet homeschooled new-kid-in-town Louie, inviting him to partake in their forest adventures. Together, the trio discovers a long-buried box with a note daring them to "find and conquer your own rite of passage." Through arguments and shared humor, Loretta and Waylon each discover the upside of embracing independence while affirming their bond. The children's attempts to appease "Forest Spirits" by performing invented rituals, several of which borrow from various Indigenous peoples' traditions, lack cultural context and read as appropriative. Buyea (What Comes Next) uses the twins' heartfelt alternating perspectives, which include asides occasionally addressing the reader directly, to thoughtfully explore change, transition, and complicated familial histories. Ages 8–12.
