FICTION

The Two and Only Kelly Twins

illus. by Tuesday Mourning. 96p. Candlewick. 2013. RTE $14.99. ISBN 9780763656027; ebk. $14.99. ISBN 9780763667641. LC 2012947732.
COPY ISBN
Gr 1–3—Arlene and Ilene Kelly love being identical twins. The second graders dress alike, play together, argue, and make up. When a set of triplets enters their school, the girls start feeling that they may not be quite so special after all. When one twin jealously insists that they are triplets too, her sister can't help but join in on the prank. The girls set out to convince their new friends that they are more than just a pair. Through all their high jinks, the sisters remain so tight that it's hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. Things start to change when Arlene has her appendix out and the girls are separated for the first time. How can sisters who share everything have different experiences? And will they still be identical when one twin is missing her appendix? With spot art every few pages, the story should appeal to early chapter-book readers. The sisters are mischievous, but loving, and young readers won't have any trouble keeping up with their escapades.—Kelly Roth, Bartow County Public Library, Cartersville, GA
Hurwitz is spot on with the interplay between second-grade twin girls in this beginning chapter book. Arlene and Ilene do absolutely everything together, until Arlene gets sick and must go to the hospital. The pair's give-and-take rings true, natural language flows nicely, and Mourning's watercolor spot and full-page illustrations highlight points in the story well.

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