Do-Over

by Christine Hurley Deriso

Book Overview

Imagine having the power to turn back time. Not 100 years--just 10 seconds. Enough to take back those embarrassing missteps and wrong answers. Elsa's mom died suddenly one year ago, but she appears... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 038573333X
• ISBN13: 9780385733335
• Release Date: June 2006
• Publisher: Delacorte Press
• Length: 183 Pages
• Weight: 0.73 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.8" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

Do-Over by Deriso

As a middle school reading teacher, I have recommended Do-Over to a number of my students and found it to be a hit every time. Everyone would like the opportunity to 'take something back' and do it over. This appeals to all of us. I have purchased multiple copies of this book for literature circles in school and heartily recommend it. It is especially good for middle school girls.

A book anyone in middle school can relate to

DO-OVER is a coming-of-age novel by Christine Hurley Deriso that deals with the insecurities and self-esteem problems that plague middle-school students. After Elsa Alden's mother dies suddenly, the 12-year-old's father decides that they should move to Harbin Springs and live with Elsa's grandmother. Elsa always enjoyed visiting there and is eager to escape from her problems with the Slice Girls clique at her current middle school. Unfortunately, Elsa learns that all middle schools are basically the same. They each have a popular crowd that's very hard to get into. Her first day of school is so awful, she wishes she could just do it over again. Elsa gets her wish when her dead mother pays her a visit one evening. Her mom grants her the power to rewind time 10 seconds by using a special locket. Now she can undo all of those embarrassing moments, like spilling chocolate milk on her shirt or saying the wrong thing in front of the popular crowd. Her mother advises Elsa to stay true to herself, but that proves to be more difficult than she thought. Elsa uses her power to become friends with Darcy, Jade, Jen and Carter, the most popular girls at Harbin Springs Middle School. After a few weeks, though, Elsa isn't so sure these girls are really her pals. With friends like these, who needs enemies? Elsa does meet one nice person at school, Martin King, who is popularity suicide for her. He's brainy and wears both glasses and braces. Three strikes and you're out! Although Martin is the first person who treats Elsa like a real friend, she decides that she can't risk her new reputation as a popular girl by hanging out with a boy like him. Now that she has the popularity she's always dreamed of, why doesn't her life seem perfect? DO-OVER will appeal to both boys and girls in their middle school years. It is a tender, heartwarming novel with believable dialogue and realistic characters. Even though the plot is far-fetched, the author makes it seem believable. --- Reviewed by Renee Kirchner (renee.kirchner@usa.net)

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

There have been many times in my life when I've said or done something so incredibly stupid that all I wish is that I could go back in time and do it differently. In my case, and most everyone else's, going back and fixing our mistakes isn't a possibility. For thirteen-year old, Elsa Alden, however, the same rules don't apply. Sure, her life isn't perfect; after all, her mother is still dead, her father is still moving her away to Harbin Springs, South Carolina in the middle of seventh grade, and she'll be leaving her best friend, Lani, behind. But things are about to start looking up. First, she finds an old silver heart locket on a chain in her mom's old dresser at her grandmother's house. Her first day of school at Harbin Springs Middle School aren't as great as she had hoped, though. There's Queen Darcy, the most popular girl in the school, who seems to have already targeted Elsa as her next victim. Thankfully, her mother comes to her rescue by appearing to her in a dream and imparting the wisdom of that old locket, which just happens to have do-over power. Elsa can now turn back time--not years or even days, but by ten seconds. Which just happens to be enough time to redo whatever stupid thing she's just said or done. Elsa knows just what she'll use her new do-over powers for--instant popularity. Sure, Darcy and her gang are shallow and fake, but they are the epitome of what it means to be popular. Plus, she can look extremely intelligent to her teachers, or show that she knows what she's doing when it comes to makeup (even if her Dad would kill her for wearing it), or even just appear to know all the juicy school gossip before anyone else. Need to go back and make yourself look good? Simply touch the locket, utter the words "do-over," and time goes back to ten seconds before. Of course, Elsa's do-over ability causes some serious side effects that she hadn't planned on. Sure, there are some advantages to looking smart, and being popular, but there are also downfalls that she'd never imagined. As Elsa learns that do-over magic might not be as wonderful as she'd originally thought, she does learn about friendship, family loyalty, and dealing with the loss of her mother. DO-OVER is a great book that teens will definitely enjoy, especially when they think about what they could do with their own powers to turn back time. Funny, imaginative dialogue and interesting characters make this a truly enjoyable read.

Great book for pre-teens and teens!

This is a book that pre-teens and teens will love. It has all of the elements of a fun book - - it's contemporary, clever, and engaging. I'm ordering a copy for my school's library.