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Parent Swap
Danny Bell's problems can be summed up in three simple Mum and Dad . His mother has left home, and his father spends all his time slumped in front of the TV, dreaming of the good old days when he was a nearly famous rock star. So when Danny hears about ParentSwap™, a secret London agency that helps kids find the parents they deserve, it doesn't take him long to contact it. Thanks to ParentSwap™, Danny's life is transformed. It's bye-bye to his misfit, loser family and hello perfect parents. But why does Danny have a niggling feeling that there is more to ParentSwap™ than meets the eye? Is it his imagination, or are the strange things that happen to him being somehow organized, directed - even watched over?
Terence Blacker's funny, clever, fast-moving story is set in a world just like our own - a world where reality is just another TV concept.
Terence Blacker's funny, clever, fast-moving story is set in a world just like our own - a world where reality is just another TV concept.
Hardcover
First published July 1, 2006
4 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
About the author
Terence Blacker
118 books43 followersTerence Blacker wanted to be a jockey when he grew and up. In fact, he could ride before he could walk, and his childhood hero was the great steeplechaser Mill House (a horse). He lives in Norfolk, England.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 29, 2013
Otro libro para la escuela, otro libro que no quería leer. La historia básicamente se centra en un niño llamado Danny Bell que odia su vida y su familia así que un día en su mochila encuentra una especie de anuncio que es sobre "Cambiar de Padres" y el es como (ok, porque no llamar y saber mas) y pues así transcurre la historia tan peculiar de este chico, la verdad es que no vale la pena espoliar este libro, creo que cuando le coges el ritmo te lo devoras, así como hice yo, la verdad me cautivo y me hizo sinceramente valorar los padres que la vida me dio y que no los cambiaria por padres "buena onda" o tal así como son mis padres, son ¡PERFECTOS!.
Cambia de padres es una lectura amena, divertida, que hace "reflexionar" y valorar.
Lo recomiendo, es como descanso de las lecturas a las que habitualmente estamos acostumbrados y si quieres un lectura amena y sencilla, esta es la apuesta segura.
Cambia de padres es una lectura amena, divertida, que hace "reflexionar" y valorar.
Lo recomiendo, es como descanso de las lecturas a las que habitualmente estamos acostumbrados y si quieres un lectura amena y sencilla, esta es la apuesta segura.
July 28, 2016
This book was just okay. It was nothing too special or exciting it was nice to read but not that great.
August 16, 2019
An interesting premise but I didn't particularly enjoy the actual story.
November 5, 2012
Reviewed by Marta Morrison for TeensReadToo.com
Have you ever wanted to live with another family? Have you ever been so exasperated with the parental units that you wanted to trade them in for new ones?! Well, that is the premise of PARENT SWAP by Terence Blacker.
Danny Bell is very tired of his family. His mum has left and his dad sits in front of the TV everyday writing terrible songs and remembering his glory days as a rock musician. His sister is argumentative, has a boyfriend, and is never home, while his little brother is suffering from not having enough attention. The apartment is a mess and Danny is the only one who is making an effort to try to keep the family together.
Then Danny gets a flyer which is advertising an organization called Parentswap. Danny decides to check it out. He goes and finds a business which will allow him to pick new parents. After a few weeks of contemplation, Danny decides to go through with the swap.
After he swaps, he gets the feeling that something is not right and decides, with the help of his friend and later his family, to find out what is going on.
I enjoyed this book because I know many kids who think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, but when they get there they find that their own life may be a challenge but it is their challenge. All families have problems, and even when Danny thinks that others have the perfect family, problems still arise. I liked the story but I wish I would have found out what happened with all of the main characters in the future. It kind of left things better but not complete.
So check out PARENT SWAP when you are mad at your parents -- it may change your mind!
Have you ever wanted to live with another family? Have you ever been so exasperated with the parental units that you wanted to trade them in for new ones?! Well, that is the premise of PARENT SWAP by Terence Blacker.
Danny Bell is very tired of his family. His mum has left and his dad sits in front of the TV everyday writing terrible songs and remembering his glory days as a rock musician. His sister is argumentative, has a boyfriend, and is never home, while his little brother is suffering from not having enough attention. The apartment is a mess and Danny is the only one who is making an effort to try to keep the family together.
Then Danny gets a flyer which is advertising an organization called Parentswap. Danny decides to check it out. He goes and finds a business which will allow him to pick new parents. After a few weeks of contemplation, Danny decides to go through with the swap.
After he swaps, he gets the feeling that something is not right and decides, with the help of his friend and later his family, to find out what is going on.
I enjoyed this book because I know many kids who think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, but when they get there they find that their own life may be a challenge but it is their challenge. All families have problems, and even when Danny thinks that others have the perfect family, problems still arise. I liked the story but I wish I would have found out what happened with all of the main characters in the future. It kind of left things better but not complete.
So check out PARENT SWAP when you are mad at your parents -- it may change your mind!
February 9, 2011
Danny is tired of his life--his dad has agoraphobia, so he never leaves the house, his mom has left to find herself and his siblings cause him grief. Things change, however, when Danny discovers a flyer for Parent Swap in his backpack one day. He decides to go through with it and give it a try. The first family Danny is put with seems to be perfect, but Danny gets blamed for all the bad things that happen, as the father and mother can't imagine their daughter would do anything wrong. So Danny tries another family--this time, they're rich and famous. Danny is suspicious, though, and soon discovers there is more than meets the eye to Parent Swap.
A fun read that is interspersed with interviews with various people involved in the Parent Swap project, giving readers a hint that everything isn't as it seems on the surface. Danny is a likable enough character--he realizes at the end that he really does love his original family, and gets to play a little detective work, making him become a much more aware teen. The answer to all of Danny's questions is that Parent Swap is really a television show, kind of like The Truman Show, and that Danny was supposed to be secretly filmed throughout the whole thing. But things backfire a little for the television studio, as Danny does discover their secret, and it makes for a happy ending.
A fun read that is interspersed with interviews with various people involved in the Parent Swap project, giving readers a hint that everything isn't as it seems on the surface. Danny is a likable enough character--he realizes at the end that he really does love his original family, and gets to play a little detective work, making him become a much more aware teen. The answer to all of Danny's questions is that Parent Swap is really a television show, kind of like The Truman Show, and that Danny was supposed to be secretly filmed throughout the whole thing. But things backfire a little for the television studio, as Danny does discover their secret, and it makes for a happy ending.
July 10, 2011
Over all I thought this was a nice book and it is good for summer reading. I liked how the auther, Terence Blacker explained things so perfectly that you new exactly what he ment. In the book the main character, Danny Bell, is unsure of himself and who he wants to be. Terence Blacker must have really thought about the mind of a Danny Bell and andwhat he would think about his family problems. In the middle of the book it started to get a little bit boring but if you keep reading you find some interesting things. Throughout the book Danny Bell becomes more self confident like Jay Daniel Bellingham, a character that Danny made up as the guy he wanted to be.This book explains to you that every family has good and bad things about them and that no family is perfect. Again I recomend this to anyone who needs a good summer reading book.
August 29, 2015
Creo que me esperaba algo muy diferente y por eso no lo disfrute tanto, es un libro bastante light que esta enfocado en un público entre infantil y juvenil, ese es otro punto por el cual creo que no fue una lectura que me cautivará por completo. Es muy ágil y la historia no tiene giros sorprendentes ni es muy profunda, simplemente trata de un chico que no esta muy contento con su familia (no lo culpo) y se le presenta la oportunidad de cambiar de familia mediante una "empresa" pero las cosas no son tan fáciles y descubre que hay algo detrás de esta compañía, lo cual es super X. Creo que el autor quería dejar como el mensaje de que por más que una familia tenga problemas siempre los pueden resolver y que no hay familia perfecta por más que lo aparenten. En fin, lo recomendaría para adolescentes que apenas están comenzando a leer, si ya eres un poco mayor pasa de el.
April 3, 2010
This book was very good. It is about a boy that lives with his dad, little brother and older sister in a very small apartment. He gets in offer to be on the new reality tv show "Parent Swap and get "New Parents" and takes it up, but he has to make this desicion if he wants to keep his new parents or go back to his old family.
What I have to say, is that whenever I'm bored and need something to read, I pick up this book. I love it so much. It's kind of cheesy, and probably could never happen in real life, but it's cute. I mean, there's really nothing like this book out right now. It has a good plot and is very well written. I would love to see a sequel.
I would recommend this book to really anybody. It's funny and you'll find yourself really enjoying the main character.
What I have to say, is that whenever I'm bored and need something to read, I pick up this book. I love it so much. It's kind of cheesy, and probably could never happen in real life, but it's cute. I mean, there's really nothing like this book out right now. It has a good plot and is very well written. I would love to see a sequel.
I would recommend this book to really anybody. It's funny and you'll find yourself really enjoying the main character.
August 26, 2011
This story has taught me a valuable lesson. I learned that even though we might hate or dislike our family and wish for a new family, no one else is as unique as them. You won't know that they're really special unless you don't see them for awhile. For Danny, he was invited to an organization that makes swaps for kids who want a fresh start in their life. He hated his life. The family was the worst thing he imagined: a sister with a weird boyfriend, mom who lives with her friend, dad who used to be in a famous band;who thinks he has a phobia of going outside, and Robbie seems to spend all his time playing his computer games. Wouldn't you want to make a switch?
December 19, 2012
Terence Blacker's book Parent Swap has a good plot and a realistic hero. It's original and very mysterious. The hero, Danny is just like any other kid,not some international super-spy or a homeless person , except the things that happen to him are exciting. I would give a positive recommendation to my friends, despite the looming fact it's a children's book. To be honest, It could be an adult book. Just change the boy to a man sick of his family, a bit like Wifeswap in a way, and it would be Familyswap!
Don't copy book idea unless you have permission from me...
Seriously.
Don't copy book idea unless you have permission from me...
Seriously.
December 17, 2015
I read it because I'm cleaning out my bookshelves and I didn't know whether to keep it. While I found I appreciated the story more now that I'm older, I still found it hard to follow and I didn't exactly know what the plot really was without having to think about it too much.
Still I think it's a lot more relatable now, reading this in 2015, because reality shows are so prominent and so is the idea that everything must be videoed and taped, especially "social experiments". It could've been better executed, so I'm giving it to the Salvos.
Still I think it's a lot more relatable now, reading this in 2015, because reality shows are so prominent and so is the idea that everything must be videoed and taped, especially "social experiments". It could've been better executed, so I'm giving it to the Salvos.
May 2, 2008
This book is hilarious. A British teen is struggling to accept his unusual dysfunctional family-Mom has flown the coop, Dad is a former rock star with Agrophobia.
Then our narrator learns about a service called Parent Swap.
He innocently signs up and learns that there are worse things than his crazy parents. He also begins to suspect that something is amiss.
I recommend the audiobook. There is a lot of British humor.
Then our narrator learns about a service called Parent Swap.
He innocently signs up and learns that there are worse things than his crazy parents. He also begins to suspect that something is amiss.
I recommend the audiobook. There is a lot of British humor.
November 15, 2010
This is my reading rocks book (my new one) but it was so good I finished it in 5 days even though it doesn't look long It is so good i reccomend this to boys and girls who think that there life is unfair and espcially people that feels like they want to switch parents sometimes but this book show you a good reason not to because deep down inside you know that you don't :D Now I have learned how lucky I am to have greaat parents like mine. :D
November 30, 2012
Its not a bad book at all, I like the story line but I think they could be a little more realistic to be honest, I mean like,
The company "ParentSwap" is run by a bunch of children. 12 Year olds running a serious business going around acting professional.
Its not the most realistic thoughts, although the story line was pretty good I must admit
The company "ParentSwap" is run by a bunch of children. 12 Year olds running a serious business going around acting professional.
Its not the most realistic thoughts, although the story line was pretty good I must admit
December 22, 2013
La historia es rara pero tuvo un nose qué que me hizo seguir leyéndolo hasta acabarlo. Creo que fue que a veces uno quiere cambiar su vida cambiando de padres pero la verdad es que no. Aceptamos y valoramos la vida que tenemos.
April 3, 2008
this is about a boy who is surching for a new family since his old one isn't the best
June 11, 2008
It was okay =/
Read
October 25, 2008This book was kinda weird but it was good.
unfinished
October 25, 2008Unfinished/skipped through a lot just to see where it was going. It didn't extremely capture me enough.
May 27, 2009
it was ok...
August 29, 2009
What if you could take on a new identity? The freedom to make choices about who to have for his parents is very appealing to Danny. Is ParentSwap a real organization, or is Danny being played?
February 2, 2010
It was an okay book. Not very many books that aren't fantasy can hold my intrest. This held my intrest pretty well. But it was just a book about a normal boy and it was just a very normal story.
March 2, 2014
it was okay but not a fan of it
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews