Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

*Thank you NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

I love the MG novels that leave little nuggets of wisdom. "Sometimes you got to break something perfectly good so you have the pieces to build something even better."

Danny Day lives the same day twice. The first is a "discard day" where he can pretty much do anything he wants and get into as much trouble as wants because the next day, the "sticky" day, is where the events stay put in everyone else's memory. On sticky day, Danny can fix anything he wants to make the day turn out differently. Oh, and add video games (and competitions) to the mix to make it even more interesting.

I really enjoyed this book. Danny is a relatable character with real flaws - ones that I think a lot of upper elementary students could relate to.

Students are going to like this story. It has gaming, fighting the bullies and friendship in double doses.

Danny Day lives the same day twice: one is a discard day in which he can pretty much do anything he wants and get into as much trouble as wants because the next day - the "sticky" day will be the one he has to take seriously. And based on what he knows will happen on the sticky day because of the events of the prior discard day, he can be prepared and fix anything he wants to turn out differently. The ability to have two tries at the same day is helpful for Danny as his family relocates from Texas to Idaho and he enters 6th grade as a new student. Danny quickly determines the bullies, the gamers, the popular kids, and the kids who have potential to be good friends. There is a big gaming event that happens daily during lunch; called the Brown Bag game and players ante up two dollars to play. The only glitch is, the same kid wins day after day after day. When Danny finally figures out the kid is somehow cheating, he begins using his discard days to prove the kid a cheater and take him down a notch. He enlists the help of two new friends, and soon realizes that he should be using his discard days for doing good instead of for selfish reasons.

This was a very unique and fun book. I love the premise of having a discard day and it would make excellent conversation with kids regarding how they would use a bonus day if they had one. I think this would make a great classroom read aloud. Danny is a great character with a good heart, and his flaws make him real. I plan to add this to my elementary school library collection for sure. I think this book has potential for state reading award lists.

Born on Feb 22 at 2:22am has some advantages for 12yo Danny Day. He lives every day twice. The first is a "discard day" because whatever happens that day is only remembered by Danny and the whole day repeats the next day. That day is a "Sticky Day" and crazy *try anything* Danny from the day before is replaced by a Danny who does well in school, is polite to adults and tries to keep his twin baby sisters out of trouble, because he knows just what is going to happen. Only Danny (and the therapist his parents got him when he was 4) know about this "double day" thing, but, moving from Texas to Idaho brings Danny all sorts of new experiences, including Braxlynn and Jaxson, a mean girl and her bully boyfriend; Noah, who might be cheating at a lunchtime video game gambling ring, and Zak - probably the only person in the world who won't think Danny is completely crazy if he shares his secret.

Oh, the kids are going to love this! Video gaming, time bending and getting the upper hand on the mean girls and bullies? What's not to love. Couldn't put it down and am going to book talk this to the gamers - both boys and girls. A super great plot idea and well executed.

This one started out a little rough for me– Danny isn’t really a compassionate guy at the opening of the book. He’s kind of disillusioned with his double-day ability and mostly uses it to goof off or have extra time to play video games. He’s more aloof and calculating.

Then he meets two new friends who begin to change how Danny sees things. One friend opens his eyes to the opportunity he has to make positive changes in terms of justice, and the other helps him find an opportunity that will make a big impact.

Once Danny began to have other motivations besides looking out for himself and having fun on his “discard day,” I got pretty hooked into the story. I liked the descriptions of the game that he and his friends played. I loved Freddie and her creative non-swearing and her grit and determination. I loved Zak and his deep sense of justice and his willingness to trust his friends.

This book reminded me a bit of the books about ROGER TARKINGTON AND THE MAGIC CALENDAR, and sometimes had a bit of a similar feel to it. I liked the character growth that Danny experienced and the way his relationships changed through the course of the story. I think readers who enjoyed MY LIFE AS A POTATO will also enjoy this book.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

For his whole life, Danny has lived each day twice. When he was very young, his parents worried about his assertion of this fact and sent him to a psychologist, who helped him come up with a system-- the first time around is a "discard day", so he can experiment and often makes questionable choices, and the second is a "sticky day", so he has to do well on tests and be nice to people, since these are the events that will be remembered by other people. When his family moves from Texas to Pocatello, Idaho, Danny isn't thrilled to have to adjust to a new school. Keeping notes to help him decide what to do the next day, he claims to be a mind reader and asks classmates to write down a phrase on a piece of paper, and carefully scopes out the hierarchy of the cafeteria. Braxlynn and Jaxson are two really popular students, but it's Noah who catches his attention. Noah runs an illicit video game competiton, where the $2 entry fees are collected in a brown paper bag, and the winner, usually Noah, gets to keep the proceeds. Freddie is welcoming to Danny and tells him about the ins and outs of the game, which she doesn't win, although she could use the money since her family is struggling. He also meets Zak, and gets along with him really well even though he is more into music and doing really well in school, and Zak's Ghanan born father is Danny's father's new boss! Danny is plenty busy, settling in to his new school and keeping up with his work, but he also has to keep track of his younger twin sisters who get into lots of trouble on discard days that he tries to remedy. He tells Zak about his situation, and with his help, figures out a plan to take down Noah's video game reign.
Strengths: This was sort of like a football book, but with video game on-field action. Video games take up a lot of mental real estate for many of my students, are there aren't many books that include them in the plot, unless they are fantasy books where children get sucked into the games. This is also innovative with the realistic fantasy of Danny getting two chances on each day; the reason given is that he was born on February 2 at 2:22. Enough of a reason for me! It was interesting that his family had him in counseling, and I liked that he spent so much time with his younger sisters. The field notes on fellow students and their social constructs was fun and not inaccurate. All in all, a very solidly fun middle grade novel! Definitely purchasing.
Weaknesses: This was sort of like a football book, but with video game on-field action. This means that I didn't understand some of what was going on and may have skimmed those parts. Also, Noah was handling a LOT of money, and I'm surprised that he hadn't gotten caught. Middle school students tend to give away situations like this by congregating in suspicious ways, and there's always one student who will spill all of the beans to the administration!
What I really think: This felt a little like Clements' Lost and Found, where twins only go to school every other day. I really like the idea of playing with a time loop or alternate reality in middle school, especially one where you get to test things out before doing them. It was also interesting that Zak and Danny's doctor encouraged him to do more with this opportunity than skip school to play video games. Thought provoking AND fun. Looking forward to seeing more from Mr. Thayer

Who wouldn't want to live every day twice? For as long as Danny can remember he has lived everyday twice, a discard day and a sticky day. This comical story of balance and trusting friends made me laugh and think deeply about choices young people make. Danny needed to balance the two different personalities he had created for each day to take down a video gamer who was cheating people out of their money. I love the friendships Danny develops with Zak and Freddie, learning to trust others with secrets is a huge step in middle school. Definitely a great story for conversation starters in middle school classrooms.
Thanks NetGalley!

I loved this book and it's unique premise! Danny lives every day twice. The first is a trial run that only he remembers. The second is the day that "sticks." He has developed a set of rules that he uses to keep track of what happens on the Discard Days, in order to make life run smoothly on the Sticky Days. When his family moves to a new town, he meets some friends who make him question how he is using the Discard Days, and whether or not he can be helping people and making the world better. With their help, he begins to take down some bullies and cheaters. Highly recommended for grades 4 and up. I really hope that there is a sequel.

I received an electronic ARC from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group through NetGalley.
Sixth grader Danny has an unusual condition - he lives every day twice. It's happened all of his life. His philosophy is to take all the risks on his discard days and then follow all the rules and be a model citizen on his sticky ones. He maps out his path through his second (sticky) days with everything he learns from his first passes. Readers see him figure out how to balance his two sides with help from two incredible friends, Zac and Freddie. He even risks sharing about his life with Zac at the advice of his doctor. In the end, they defeat the major video game cheater and Danny taking a risk to share his life with Freddie too.
Thaler captures the middle school atmosphere in this book. Though Danny has an unusual life, he still struggles with typical middle school issues. His other characters represent typical stereotypes found in almost all schools. Readers will relate and see where they fit in the groups. He exaggerates and emphasizes the bullying and gambling happening to make his points. Readers will enjoy the humor and see the messages beneath it.

Danny lives every day twice. Once for practice (what he calls a discard day) and one for keeps (the sticky day). Danny finds his discard days to be wildly entertaining, but that once everything counts on sticky days he is too reticent to do anything bold. After moving from Texas to Idaho, Danny encounters two people who help him focus his "gift." Whiz kid Zak gets him to think about using discard days for something other than self-indulgence. Then his budding friendship with fellow video game enthusiast Freddie (whose euphemisms for cuss words are hilarious) enables him to develop a plan to take on a cheater who's been conning kids out of a lot of money during video game tournaments.

Danny is a fascinating character, alternating between brash on discard days and unsure of himself on sticky days. He's conscientious, seeing the havoc his younger twin siblings cause on discard days and so taking steps to prevent that on sticky days. But also reckless - sticky days are a good opportunity to take the car out for a drive. And he thinks strategically, thinking what information he needs to gain on discard days to use for maximum effect on sticky days. While Danny doesn't do anything hugely heroic, his good deed of enabling Freddie to win the big tournament is something kids can relate to. This book reminds me a bit of the old TV show Early Edition in that characters who know what is going to happen in the future face choices about what to do with that information.

Calling all gamers! Best read of Summer 2021!
Mike Thayer, you nailed it, from gamers, mean girls, jocks, farm kids, and every kid who lives on the fringes of middle school culture. There's something for everyone here. Danny Day lives each day twice, trying to learn from his mistakes on "discard day and get it right on "sticky day". Like any kid, he isn't always thoughtful about his choices, but that's what makes his story so relatable.

The laughs and the plot are as fast and furious as the video game Danny and his classmates play at lunchtime trying to beat the infamous SpudMasterTex. Their gaming names are as creative as the video game they play. CatHissEverdeen, TexCalibur, Riga-Tortoise, and FreddieCougar..Eventually, Danny and his buddies realize there's major cheating going on and are determined to expose the cheater, but time is running out! The BIG game is fast approaching.

Teachers and parents, here's your next best read aloud! Perfect for classroom or home with teachable moments about real life using humor and creative writing. "Butterflies spun around my gut like rocks in a clothes dryer". This book is definitely destined to become a middle school classroom staple, as well as a family treasure. The June 15 release date can't come too soon! Great beginning to a new series.

Funny, quick read. Danny lives every day twice so gets to do over everything. Sometimes he plays pranks, sometimes he stops his siblings from writing on walls but it is always interesting!

What would you do differently if you could live every day twice? Ever since he can remember, Danny Day has gotten a second chance at everything. If he messes up on a “Discard Day”, no problem! He gets to fix everything on his “Sticky Day”, which is the only day everyone else remembers. When Danny moves to a new town during sixth grade, his secret circumstance is put to the test. Will he use his gift for the good of others, or will he keep all of the benefits for himself? Entertaining, witty, and a fun ride from start to finish, this book is a must-have for any middle grade fiction collection.

This book would be so great for a book discussion! I enjoyed it. My only complaint would be trying to keep track of what day it was. I am not great about reading chapter titles so that's on me. I liked the characters and the flow of the story.

I enjoyed this book and the journey that Danny goes through in realizing how he could use his "double day" to it's fullest potential. Students will enjoy Danny's humor and relate to the events in the story, even if they don't have a Double Day life. I can't wait to read this aloud with students!

I really enjoyed this book, much more than I was expecting. And I thought I would enjoy it since it sounded like a fun, interesting read with a very novel concept. And it was all that. Danny was a very likeable character, doing all the things you would expect any 6th grade boy in his position to do. On his throw-away day, he eats a ton of junk food that doesn't count, he plays a ridiculous amount of video games, he says the things we all wish we could say at school. But then on his permanent day, he saves his mom a ton of hassle by preventing his twin sisters from getting ahold of permanent markers, he aces tests he already took, he never touches video games. He is a complex character. When he moves to a new school, he meets new people: bullies and overachievers and everyone in between and you learn about his troubles with connecting the two halves of his personality. He makes friends with a person who would use this power to prevent actual crimes, or learn languages instead of eating junk food and it further makes him question if he is using his full potential. It also hits on bullying, doing things even if you are scared or have to deal with consequences (like everyone NOT lucky enough to have a double day), doing the right thing... It is surprisingly profound for a book that I thought would be about finding the best opportunity to prank bullies. I enjoyed it very much and definitely will recommend it to some of my older elementary readers.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Who wouldn't want a "do over" day? Kids will be intrigued to discover what Danny does on his "discard" day as opposed to his "sticky" days. This could be a great class discussion or writing assignment. Danny's secret is only known to his family and his therapist, who he left behind when the family moved. Trying to fit in at yet another new school, Danny uses his ability to "predict" things his classmates have written down. They don't know that he's lived this day before and already knows what they are going to write before they do! A blunder with the school bully and his girlfriend's clique puts Danny in the sights of the bully. By befriending a lonely and poor gamer girl who explains the "brown bag" game to him, Danny decides to use his discard days to find a way to beat the cheating students and give everyone a fair chance at winning. Danny learns to trust two new friends with his secret and decides by following their examples that he should be using his discard days for something more than goofing off and gaming. Mike Thayer has brought a great concept to the page; one that will inspire countless conversations about what you would do if you had a "discard day" in your life.

A fun read for kids when they find out Danny lives each day twice- the first day is like a practice run, and the second day is when actions and consequences stick. Danny makes new friends and gets involved with a gaming contest. As things heat up with the contest, bullies make it tough for Danny. He realizes one needs to experience the hardships to learn from it all. If you want change, you need to want the change. He thinks he can change the bullies. Does he?