The Daredevils is a great middle-grade novel for any kid who loves adventure! Waylon and Loretta's brother-sister bond made for an engaging read and their familial drama only added to the plot. Sneaking out at midnight to perform daring tasks, creating a fortress in the woods, and friendships between kids who don't traditionally fit in make for an excellent coming-of-age story for any middle school reader. I only wish the ending had been more drawn out. But, seriously, I can't wait to put this on my classroom bookshelf and share it with my kiddos!

Loretta has always seen herself as her twin brother Waylon’s protector. During the summer before they enter middle school, Loretta plans to “toughen him up” and help him build some muscle to prevent bullies from taking advantage of his small size and non confrontational manner. Their parents have other plans for them, and as they try to mesh plans together, they meet a new friend, Louie, who is about their age and is homeschooled. The three of them set off on a quest that will require them to be brave and look out for one another as they try to achieve their goals. I think kids are going to love this one, as they have with this author’s other books.

I wasn’t sure about this book at first. I felt it started off slow and used a lot of stereotypes, such as the kids calling the adults they didn’t like “Boomer,” or introducing the one mean teacher who of course has it out for the main characters. I admit I had a hard time getting into this book, and actually enjoyed the second half of so much more. At this point the storyline began to flow a little better, the pace picked up a little, and it became more fun as the twins began to add more partners in crime to their many adventures.

The Daredevils is a middle grade contemporary book by Rob Buyea. In this book, we follow twins Loretta and Waylon as they begin their last summer break before starting middle school. After spending all their time together growing up, this next school year will be the first time they are taking different classes. Loretta is tough as nails and fiercely protective of her brother. She doesn’t want to see him bullied when she won’t be there to protect him. So her goal this summer is to toughen Waylon up. Waylon usually has his nose in a book about nature and adventure. He wants to prove to his sister that he doesn’t need her constantly watching over him.

This book was so cute. It reminded me of the small adventure books I read growing up. The author has a note at the beginning about how “My Side of the Mountain” was his favorite book growing up and I think you can see that influence in this book. The kids spend a lot of time on their own exploring the woods so for me, it brought back a lot of memories of my childhood. The kids really learn about each other and themselves throughout the course of the novel in a truly heart warming way. I found myself almost tearing up at the end due to the way everything comes together.

This book tackles a lot of hard subjects like grief and depression but from an older child’s point of view. I think any adult reading this book would pick up on that stuff early but the kids unravel it slowly throughout the entire story in a way that felt very natural for children their age.

One thing that is always hard for me when a middle grade story is told from more than one point of view is that the characters usually feel the same. This author really took the time to make sure each twin had a very distinct voice. I think you could be dropped into a chapter and not know which twin’s pov you are in and you would be able to figure it out easily. Loretta uses a lot more slang and repeats a lot of phrases whereas Waylon’s chapters are much more to the point.

All in all I really enjoyed this story. I can see some people seeing the gym teacher as being a bully to be a bit overboard, but I think kids reading this book will relate. A lot of kids deal with teachers that they don’t like so even if it was a little too much at some points, kids will enjoy the way it works itself out. I don’t have anything negative to say about this and I will be buying a physical copy for my children when this releases.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in return for an honest review.

3.5 stars for this book. I know a lot of middle grade books have a bully, and I'm okay with that because the truth is that's the reality for many kids. And so, I think it's good for kids to be able to see themselves in the books they read. But it just doesn't sit well with me that the biggest bully of the twins, was one of their teachers. And that it's not really resolved.

This will appeal to students who are in love with Buyea's Mr. Terupt series. It's not the same type of story, but they will read it because they love his writing.

The Daredevils is a great middle-grade novel for any kid who loves adventure! Waylon and Loretta's brother-sister bond made for an engaging read and their familial drama only added to the plot. Sneaking out at midnight to perform daring tasks, creating a fortress in the woods, and friendships between kids who don't traditionally fit in make for an excellent coming-of-age story for any middle school reader. I only wish the ending had been more drawn out. But, seriously, I can't wait to put this on my classroom bookshelf and share it with my kiddos!

The Daredevils by Rob Buyea follows twins Loretta and Waylon in the summer before they start middle school. Loretta thinks she needs to toughen up her brother, and Waylon wants to show his sister he can take care of himself. While exploring in the woods near their house, they find a buried box that gives focus to their adventures. This book reminds me of a coming of age movie set in the 80s and the author often refers to them throughout the book. While I could totally see this happening in that time period, I don't find it very likely in today's culture of helicopter parents. But, if you can suspend belief on that point, it's a very satisfying summer of growth for both the twins as well as their new friend Louie.

I put this one down, as quick as I’d been to turn pages, because there’s a nonreflexive use of the ableist term “lame” about 11% of the way in. I read a few pages beyond it, and don’t suspect that the book will provide opportunities for its characters to consider the slur. I’m reading to contribute to the NYPL Best Book for Kids 2022 list, and we won’t justify including a book that demeans our readers.

This was a great middle schooler book.
I loved the twin bond as well as how different the twins were.
There were moments where I laughed and moments where I felt the powerless-ness of a teen/child.
It was a fast-paced read with lots of exciting things happening.
Enjoy!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC of this middle grade novel. This is a great book about twins, friendship, grief, depressions, and independence. I enjoyed this one, and think it will be hard to keep on classroom library shelves.

This was a fun summer adventure story about growing up, finding your independence and creating strong friendships. I enjoyed how the friendships and relationships progressed throughout the story. I felt that some of the mental health issues brought up in the book could have been handled better. Overall, this was a fun story. Fans of the author will likely enjoy this one.

The Daredevils is about a brother and sister, Waylon and Loretta, during the summer before they start middle school. The book is about the adventures the siblings have: making new friends, inventing rites of passage, and shedding old fears. This would be a great option for middle grade readers, sixth graders especially. The characters are interesting and relatable for kids and the story is fun and funny enough to draw in even reluctant readers.

Rob Buyea's novels are popular with middle grades readers for good reason. The characters have such a distinct voice that borders on childhood and maturity. In the Daredevils, the main characters are twins, though Loretta, the girl, is tougher than her brother Waylon. There are plenty of pop culture references and Loretta sometimes breaks the 4th wall to remind the character of things that are coming up or to cheer the reader on. I think this is something that makes his books distinctly appeal to tweens. These characters don't follow a formula and many that start out as a stereotype upend the characterization.

The story was a fun one to follow, and I can imagine readers enjoying it around their own campfire or outside on a summer day. The adventures are suspenseful, but never so dangerous that they aren't able to get out of a scrape. The story did start to drag for me in the middle but I really liked how they resolved the various storylines. This will be a hit with middle grade readers! Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.