The Swap

Now a Disney Channel Original Movie, Megan Shull’s smart and funny twist on Freaky Friday is perfect for fans of Wendy Mass, Jerry Spinelli, and Jon Scieszka! This middle grade novel is an excellent choice for tween readers in grades 5 to 6, especially during homeschooling. It’s a fun way to keep your child entertained and engaged while not in the classroom.

With one random wish, Jack and Ellie are living life in each other’s shoes. He’s her. And she’s him. ELLIE assumed popular guys didn’t worry about body image, being perfect, or talking to girls, but acting like you’re cool with everything is tougher than it looks. JACK thought girls had it easy—no fights with bullies, no demanding dads, no power plays—but facing mean girls at sleepovers and getting grilled about your period is way harder than taking a hit to the face at sports practice.

Now they’re dealing with each other’s middle school dramas—locker room teasing, cliques, video game battles, bra shopping, and a slew of hilariously awkward moments—until they hopefully switch back! Told in both Jack’s and Ellie’s voices, The Swap offers a fresh and honest take on tween friendship, all while exploring more serious themes of family, loss, empathy, and what it really means to be yourself. And as Jon Scieszka says, it’s “seriously, truly, fearlessly funny!”

• A Hilarious Body Swap: Jack and Ellie trade places with a single wish, kicking off a laugh-out-loud adventure of mistaken identity and middle school mayhem.
• Walking in Someone Else's Shoes: He thought girls had it easy until he faced down mean girls and shopped for a bra. She thought popular boys had no problems until she had to live his life.
• Funny School Stories: Experience all the middle school drama from two sides—the popular jock and the girl trying to survive the mean-girl cliques.
• Heart, Humor, and Empathy: Beyond the laughs, it's a touching story about friendship, family, loss, and discovering who you truly are.