The Double Life of Danny Day
Danny Day gets two chances at every day. The first is a discard day: whatever happens disappears overnight, leaving only his memories. The second is a sticky day, when choices have consequences and everything counts.
It is a pretty great arrangement for a kid who likes video games and avoiding work. But moving across the country means Danny has a new school to navigate, new friends to make, and bullies who are not about to leave him alone.
When cheating threatens the lunchtime video game tournament, Danny puts his unusual advantage to work. With new allies beside him, he discovers that getting a do-over is one thing. Deciding what to do with it is another.
Awards & Recognition
- 2026 Bluestem Award Masterlist
Praise for the Book
“The Double Life of Danny Day starts with a clever premise that builds into an entertaining story. You may feel tempted to read it twice!”
“It’s a riveting premise and a cool spotlight on the social world of videogames, and readers will consider their double days with Danny to be time well spent.”
“In a clever time-loop tale reminiscent of Groundhog Day, a middle-schooler gets free do-overs by living through each day twice...After engaging in some awesomely reckless exploits (on the discard days), Danny at last takes on, with two new allies, a taunting, bullying gamer who, readers will readily agree, really deserves the schooling he gets.”
“Danny’s first-person narrative engages readers with wisecracking humor and sharp observations on the middle school social stratum.... Perfect for gamers who’d rather play than read, Thayer speaks their language and scores a direct hit.”
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