Publishers Weekly
Any child who has wished to fix a mistake by going back in time will appreciate the elation of fourth-grader Odessa Green-Light, when she discovers that she can step backward one day by stomping in exactly the right spot on her bedroom floor. At once, Odessa recognizes the advantages of this phenomenon, and when she attempts to make small alterations to the past, like improving her score on a spelling test and delivering just the right birthday gift to a lonely neighbor, all goes well. But when Odessa tries to solve bigger problems, such as her brother’s lack of popularity or her parents’ divorce, things quickly turn sour, causing Odessa to realize there is a down side to messing with fate. Deftly incorporating magic realism into her plot, Reinhardt (The Summer I Learned to Fly) introduces a smart, big-hearted heroine who isn’t afraid to go after what she wants. Odessa’s triumphs and mishaps will bring laughs and pangs of sympathy, and set imaginations spinning. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12. Agent: Douglas Stewart, Sterling Lord Literistic. Illustrator’s agent: Lori Nowicki, Painted Words. (May)
AUGUST 2013 - AudioFile
Fourth-grader Odessa discovers that she can relive her day by jumping through the magic floorboards of her attic room and going back in time. Narrator Lisa Breitman’s zesty reading captures precocious Odessa’s ups and downs as she uses her new power to solve her personal, social, and academic problems. Breitman’s inflections capture the range of emotions in Odessa’s interactions with other characters—from her father's stern disappointment to her friends' gasps of horror. Breitman’s silvery voice, perfect pacing, and fluid narration contribute to a scintillating listening experience as the complications escalate. M.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
Odessa Green-Light discovers a loophole in time. Now she can fix all kinds of things, especially the de-hyphenation of her family. In her first book of middle-level fiction, young-adult author Reinhardt (The Summer I Learned to Fly, 2011, etc.) offers the wistful tale of fourth-grader Odessa Green-Light, who, stomping in anger on the floor of her attic bedroom, discovers a loophole that allows her to travel back in time one day. What Odessa most wants is to re-hyphenate her family, getting Dad to remarry Mom. She soon finds that each time she jumps, she loses one hour of the previous day. So she has 24 chances to fix things, like the bangs haircut that was a big mistake, farting in front of the boy she like-likes or beating her brother to a $100 bill he finds first. The power Odessa initially feels at having a second chance soon diminishes; she realizes she cannot change what really matters. Realistically drawn, Odessa is a believable, likable kid on the brink of growing up, struggling with family changes. Regan's black-and-white spot illustrations are unexceptional. With humor as well as depth, this is an endearing story of a spunky girl who realizes that life gets more, not less, confusing as she grows up. (Fiction. 8-12)
