The Daredevils - Hardcover

Buyea, Rob

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0593376145 ISBN 13: 9780593376140

Verlag: Delacorte Press, 2022

Inhaltsangabe

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.

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Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Rob Buyea is a former teacher and the author of the Mr. Terupt series, The Perfect Score series, and What Comes Next. As a young boy, he spent countless hours exploring the woods. He is a true country-music fan, as are his wife and children, though they won’t admit it.
 

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1

Loretta

A Girl Named Loretta

 

So much happened over the summer, but some things never change. If you’ve got a problem with my name, we’re gonna take it outside. You’ll shut your mouth after I get done slapping the stupid out of you. That’s still the same.

It’s not like I don’t know Loretta is an old-lady name. My father happens to be a huge fan of classic country music, okay, and Loretta Lynn was one of the queens of country back in the day, a real icon, a true inspiration, so I was supposed to be honored. Well, I’ve got news for you. When you spend your life dealing with people making comments about your name, it’s hard to feel that way--cursed was more like it.

My overly agreeable mother was just as much to blame as my father. She let Dad have his way because it was either that or she worried he’d try naming my twin brother Sue. If you don’t get that joke, it’s because you haven’t been tortured by the same music as me. Johnny Cash, aka the Man in Black, another country music icon, had a famous song called “A Boy Named Sue.” Give it a listen. It’s all about how a father naming his son Sue made the kid tough because of the obvious harassment the boy had to endure for the rest of his life. If it sounds ridiculous, that’s because it is, but don’t laugh. By naming me Loretta, my father achieved the same outcome. I had no choice but to sharpen my fists.

Anyways, long story short, I got tagged with Loretta and my brother got stuck with Waylon. Mom thought a modern name like Matthew or Nathan didn’t go well with Loretta, so she picked a throwback for my brother too. Dad was thrilled because Waylon Jennings happened to be yet another country music icon, but Mom didn’t choose Waylon to please my father. She did it because it was her grandfather’s name--my great-grandfather--and he was somebody Mom loved. (More on him later.)

Unfortunately, the name Waylon didn’t do anything to help make my brother tough--far from it--but that was okay because I had his back. My brother had been born smaller and weaker than me, so I owed him that much. Say something about me and we’ll take it outside; mess with Waylon and I’ll stuff your head up your rear end. You think I’m all talk? Just ask Leon Hurd.

 

2

Waylon

A Boy Named Waylon

 

My mother is a veterinarian, so she’s very knowledgeable about animals. She claimed I was an armapossum, which is the combination of an armadillo and an opossum. She reached this conclusion for two main reasons: (1) I’m on the smaller size, fifth percentile for my height and fourth for my weight, and (2) I’ve got thick skin--like the armadillo. I didn’t let teasing bother me. When kids tried to pick on me, I just ignored them--similar to how an opossum plays dead. It was a solid strategy. Eventually, the bad guys left me alone.

Disclaimer: Being an armapossum only worked if Loretta wasn’t around, which wasn’t often since we’re twins.

My sister was a wolf. But not just any wolf. She was the alpha wolf, quick to protect her pack--me--and not afraid of anything. If she was anywhere nearby when the teasing or bullying began, she put an end to it in a hurry--her way, which wasn’t always pretty.

Being twins meant Loretta and I had been together since the beginning. All throughout elementary school, she was always there to stick up for me--but that was about to change. Seventh grade would have us attending the middle school, where we might not ever see each other during the day. There were no two ways about it. I had this summer to show my sister I was capable of taking care of myself--so she could stop worrying.

When I was younger, it never bothered me when she came to my rescue, but I didn’t always want her jumping in anymore. That being said, I will admit, I was beyond grateful to have the wolf on my side the day I got tangled up with Leon Hurd.

 

3

Loretta

Leon Hurd Falls

 

Leon Hurd was your classic schoolyard bully. He was repeating sixth grade after having already repeated first. It was rumored that he shaved, and that he liked fights. No one knew whether the shaving thing was true, but there was no doubt he liked fights. He was notorious for shouting “Hurd’s the man!” after each of his daily triumphs. Everyone was scared of him--until me.

Since Leon was in a different classroom, he and I almost made it through sixth grade without incident, but then the inevitable happened. There was a day near the end of the school year--not that long ago, actually--when all of sixth grade was outside for free time. (Being sixth graders, we were too old to call it recess.) I was shooting hoops on the blacktop, and Waylon was sprawled out in the grass field rereading his favorite book, My Side of the Mountain, for probably the hundredth time. I swear, my brother fantasized about being like Sam Gribley, the boy in the story who survives on his own in the Catskill Mountains for close to a year. Anyways, it was while I was shooting hoops and Waylon was reading when all you-know-what broke loose. Leon didn’t see my brother and tripped and fell over him while playing Frisbee. You can bet Leon was madder than a rabid dog after that, especially when he heard kids laughing. He grabbed my brother and yanked him to his feet.

“I’m gonna hang you from the monkey bars by your ponytail, you little twerp!” he roared.

FYI--Waylon’s ponytail hung clear to his butt crack. It was beyond excessive, if you asked me, and was the result of his obsession with anything outdoorsman or wilderness-related. (More on that later.)

“But I didn’t do anything,” Waylon cried.

The instant my brother’s voice reached me, I dropped my basketball and took off running.

“Shut up, momma’s boy!” Leon growled.

“But I didn’t do anything,” Waylon pleaded.

“I said shut up!”

The laughing onlookers grew silent. Things had gone from funny to serious.

“You’re hurting me!” Waylon whined.

My brother was in trouble.

“Hey, Leon!” I called as I drew near.

As soon as he turned in my direction, I whipped a handful of dirt in his face--a trick I’d learned from watching Indiana Jones.

“Ahh!” Leon yelled, releasing Waylon and rubbing his eyes.

With the bully blinded and his hands out of the way, he was no match for me. I kicked him in the shins as hard as I could. He dropped to the ground after two blows--one for each leg.

Waylon ran, but I stepped closer and stood over the pile of wimp. “Hurd’s a turd!” I shouted across the schoolyard.

Laughter and cheers filled the air, followed by the repeated echo of my now-infamous victory call.

“Hurd’s a turd!”

“Hurd’s a turd!”

“Hurd’s a turd!” rang over and over.

Leon never told on me because admitting he’d been bested by a girl would’ve been more embarrassing than getting whupped by one in the first place, and no one else told because they didn’t want Leon coming after them--and also because everyone was happy to see him get what he deserved.

The moral of this story: Don’t mess with my brother.

 

4

Loretta

Head-Doctor’s Daughter

 

Loretta Lynn’s most-famous song was “Coal Miner’s Daughter.” It’s still considered to be one of the greatest country songs of all time. It was better than “A Boy Named Sue,” I’d give it that, but...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Delacorte Press
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2022
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0593376145
• ISBN 13: 9780593376140
• Einband: Gebundene Ausgabe
• Anzahl der Seiten: 240
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: preigu; mail@preigu.de; ; Lengericher Landstr. 19; Osnabrück; 49078; Deutschland