Additional information
by Jay Bird (Author)
Second-Hand Life
Taj misbehaved in the city, but a move to the country gives him a fresh start.
His new house seems perfect - until Taj learns that the previous occupants died in a tragic accident.
Things get really creepy when his family wear the clothing left in the cupboards and start behaving like the people who used to live there.
Will Taj stop history from repeating and save them all?
Themes:
coming-of-age
leadership
supernatural forces
moving schools
rebellion
stepfather and son relationship
domestic violence
respect
turning over a new leaf
family
This Read-Easy book is accessible, empowering and engaging.
Ideal for middle-grade readers (9-12); teens developing confident reading skills (12-16) and English as a second language learners.
Taj stares at Jack for a long moment. 'The Cullens are back, ' he says. 'They're possessing my family through their clothes.'
Jack takes another step back, her eyes wide with disbelief.
'I'm not kidding, ' Taj continues. 'Eden, Suki and Callum have been wearing the clothes from the cupboards and they've become different people.'
Jack looks down at the shirt in her hands and then hangs it over a chair before sitting on the end of Taj's bed.
She grabs a pillow and hugs it tight.
'So, you believe me?' Taj asks.
'Yes, ' Jack replies in a small voice. 'This morning when I came to pick you up for school, your mum answered the door. She looked and sounded like Diane.'
Taj sits on the other end of the bed. 'Diane was Ben's mum, right?'
'Yeah.'
'And Mum was wearing her suit.'
Jack nods. 'That's not all, ' she says. 'This morning at school when I first saw you.' Her eyes grow misty with tears and her voice fades.
'Yeah?' Taj prompts.
'I felt like I was walking around with Ben - until you took off his uniform. After that, the feeling was gone.'
Taj runs his hand through his hair.
'This is whacked, ' he says. 'I put on Ben's uniform and it changed my taste buds or something - I couldn't eat my normal breakfast. When I was riding to school, somehow I knew all the back roads and at school, I felt like playing soccer. I hate soccer!'
'Ben loved soccer.'
'Damn. It makes sense. Somehow, they're coming back through the clothes.'
'Yeah.'
Second-Hand Life has:Simple vocabulary
An achievable length
Easy to read font
Extra line spacing
No long paragraphs
Inclusive stories
Appropriate content
Unique, captivating tales
Teen protagonist
Teen themes
Boost reading confidence, fluency and stamina
