Flip

by David Lubar

If you could become anyone in the world...who would you be?

For Ryan and Taylor McKenzie the answer is anyone but me!

Eighth-graders Taylor and Ryan are twins. But that's where the similarities end.

Ryan never met a test he couldn't fail. Give him a foot, he'll take an inch. Given half a chance, there isn't anything he won't screw up. According to his teachers and parents, Ryan is the Big Disappointment.

Taylor, on the other hand, always turns in her homework on time. She's the perfect student. Her idea of fun is reading entries from the encyclopedia or planning long trips to the museum.

But lately Taylor and Ryan share at least one thing in nothing seems to be working out as they planned. It's like the rules have changed, and nobody told them what the new rules are. No matter who you are, everyone wants you to be someone else.

But who?

They may have found an mysterious disks that magically allow them to transform - to "flip" - into legendary figures from the past. Hercules. Cleopatra. Amelia Earhart. Einstein. The possibilities are endless!

Who knew being a hero could be so easy!

But as Ryan and Taylor will discover, it's being yourself that is really hard.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Middle Grade, Childrens, Teen, School

256 pages, Hardcover

First published May 16, 2003

About the author

David Lubar created a sensation with his debut novel, Hidden Talents, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. Thousands of kids and educators across the country have voted Hidden Talents onto over twenty state lists. David is also the author of True Talents, the sequel to Hidden Talents; Flip, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and a VOYA Best Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror selection; several short story collections: In the Land of the Lawn Weenies, Invasion of the Road Weenies, The Curse of the Campfire Weenies, The Battle of the Red Hot Pepper Weenies, and Attack of the Vampire Weenies; and the Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie series. Lubar grew up in Morristown, New Jersey, and he has also lived in New Brunswick, Edison and Piscataway, NJ, and Sacramento, CA. Besides writing, he has also worked as a video game programmer and designer. He now lives in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/davidl...

Reviews

[Arif Zulkifli · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

It was a decent read. Quite slow at the beginning but it get better towards the end. And who doesn't love a good ending right?

Definitely will find more of Lubar's works after this.

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Juvenile science fiction. Very good read for young people. Characters are believable for the most part. Enjoy.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ryan and his twin sister Taylor are just the opposite. Taylor excels at everything and is always #1. Ryan fails at everything. Then Ryan find some alien disks and discovers he can become--for a little while--people from history.

As with most middle-school books, the parents are pretty lame, the bully is unstoppable, and the main character's friends are pretty wimpy. It was a cute story and had a good ending, but I don't know why an author has to put swearing into a book for children. Can't he think of any other words to write?

[Kristin Abbott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I'd read this in middle school, but even at the age of 27 I would recommend this to anyone: my students, other teachers, adults with kids, other adults looking to form good reading habits despite not having read a book since middle school. Just when I thought this book was an allegory for middle schoolers doing drugs to escape the crushing weight of parental expectations, it became commentary on how quick some parents, teachers, and doctors are to medicate kids for being unable to sit through 8 hours of school a day.

[Aidan Brinks · Rating 3 out of 5]

it is a book about this group of friends that found alien artifacts and trying to figure out how they work.

[craniumknight · Rating 2 out of 5]

erm. what the flip!

[Cooper Hite · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a tween-teen fiction read, about alien disks falling from the sky, and the characters that "flip" with them. The says cover nothing about the book, the new cover looks way better, but it hasn't been updated on here yet.
See my full review at "https://cooperhite.com/book-reviews/"

[Eliot Swaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

i just read Flip. it was really good! Flip was written by David Lubar. This book takes place in present day. There are two main characters Ryan and Sara they are twins. One day they go in the woods and find these disks and they don't know what they do. They study them for weeks and still cant figure it out. Sara then eventually figures it out. what they do is when you flip them they sink into your skin and you become someone else for a certain amount of time. One time Ryan became Babe Ruth. Then Ryan has to use it to get out of a fight with this really tough kid. he became Ghandi and could not fight at all he was a peace maker. he lost but they became friends beacuse the bully said he had guts. It was a really good book!!!!!!

[Neill Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ryan Mackenzie finds some disks dropped from an alien spaceship that absorb into his palm when he flips them allowing him to be different heroes from various periods in earth’s history. Ryan never knows who he might become and he is still a behaviourally challenged student in a middle school – whereas some students feel Babe Ruth might have a place there, Albert Einstein does a little too well on Math tests. When Ryan is challenged by the school bully the character he becomes I probably not his first choice. Written in very short chapters the presents a compelling slice of the culture of a stereotypical middle school.

[Dotty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taylor and Ryan are twins but almost more different than if they were just sister and brother. Taylor is responsible, studious, conscientious and Ryan is NOT. But Ryan is inquisitive and advernturesome and when aliens leave behind some interesting disks, Ryan discovers the disks have an interesting effect. Flipping the disks, letting them melt into your hand transforms your personality into some pretty cool earthly historical figures. And where does the school bully Snooks (Billy) fit into the picture?

[Summer]

Flip is a story about twins Ryan and Taylor. They often wish that they could someone else. Then, one day, they get there wish. They find an alien disc which allows them to turn into anyone they that they want to be, include famous people and heros. Eventually, they learn that everyone has troubles to face. I would use this book to teach my students to appreciate who they are. After reading this book, I might do a project about individual gifts, talent, and faults/troubles. where they students can reflect on what it is that makes them who they are.

[Alice B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twins Taylor and Ryan find a coin that allows them to keep their body but have the mind of a historic figure while best friend Ellis dies his hair blond to escape the local bully who beats him up after Ryan turns into Babe Ruth and Ryan acts weird so his parents thinks he's on drugs and relys on Taylor to take care of him, but Tsylor has turned into a pirate. Don't make me explain the plot anymore. Just read the book.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really didn't care for this book that much. I would probably say that it was an "average" book. The characters weren't very interesting, I just couldn't relate to them. The story didn't seem to go far and I was soon tired of their "adventures." Still, I didn't think that this was a totally worthless book, but I'm not recommending it anytime soon.

*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2008...

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if you could be anyone?!
So profound an idea that was at the time I read it!
It's always stuck with me as I've stumbled through early adulthood.
Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Having the bigger stick isn't everything, as (spoiler alert) Ghandi and others have proven throughout the course of history.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

My son has read many of David Lubar books, including this one, Hidden Talents, The Curse of the Campire Weenies, Invasion of the Road Weenies, and In the Land of the Lawn Weenies. I have read some of his short stories and his book Punished...and can understand why his books attract many readers.

[Sandra McLeod · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the twins Taylor and Ryan (especially Taylor) a lot and thought she was very realistically depicted. I also liked their friend Ellis with all his idiosyncrasies. I thought the bully Billy was a little too stereotyped and one-dimensional, but the story itself was fun and a good read.

[Vicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ruan & Taylor are twins, Taylor is focused, gets all A's, Ryan comes across aliens disks which he discovers can make you a character from history-often leaving you not in control, yet making you like that character. Ryan in the end uses the last disk to get the school bully to back down. OK

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't too impressed by the premise of the book, but I liked the author so I gave it a read. I was pleasantly surprised to find this an interesting book about growing up and realistic trials of adolescence, which the science fiction added to instead of getting in the way.

[Carterkempgmail.Com · Rating 4 out of 5]

Middle school, middle school, middle school, middle school. Not because of any content, but just because it's about middle school/adolescent problems and situations. It's good- funny, with an appropriately small point to make about growing up.

[Jessica Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

cool book it talks about diffreant Earth legends and how 3 thirteen yr olds turn into those random legends i read this when i was 5

[Jacqueline Sanders · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute book - it explores how we can become legends in our own right by using our unique abilities. It also emphasizes the fact that no one is perfect and that that's ok.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun read. Good for sci fi fans, reluctant readers, and class read aloud.

[Mimi · Rating 2 out of 5]

What would it be like to become a legendary hero?

[Aubrey Kramer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a cute read, but not too much depth to it. Nevertheless, I finished it over breakfast in a few days.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was pretty good and the author had a big imagination!!!!

[Sarah Elwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about the same reading level as Holes. It's easy and fun. I really enjoyed it.

[Ruhee · Rating 5 out of 5]

suspense/cool/thrilling

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

not the best book in the world...

[Jannet D · Rating 3 out of 5]

so far im enjoying this book

[Sierra Rowland · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an okay, middle grade book. It held my interest long enough for me to finish it.