Replay

Module 5

Creech, Sharon. 2005. Replay. New York: HarperCollins Children's Books.

In this book, Creech uses a style of writing which switches back and forth between reality and imagination. The reality is that Leo, a 12 year old boy, is growing up in a large Italian family and sometimes feels very unimportant in the family scheme of things. Like many children in this age group, he is struggling to find something to make him feel significant. His love of acting is where the imagination of the story kicks in. He is constantly acting out scenes in his head. Leo spends a lot of time imagining scenes where he is a hero - a far cry from his reality. Some of the chapters are written like scripts, where family members have lines. The drama/play theme is carried out even further in Creech's use of scenes and a cast list at the beginning of the book instead of chapter titles. Leo's need to understand his quiet, moody father adds an interesting psychological element to the story. We watch as Leo begins to discover his strengths as he takes part in the school play. He continues to mature as he begins to figure out the mystery of his father's life and to understand him better. While Leo imagines his life like a play, the characters in his family are realistic and believable; large families often have many different personalities. Creech includes the full text of the play in which Leo has a part: Rumpopo's Porch. The book is recommended for grades 6-8.