“Sixth grade!”

From Varian Johnson’s Twins.

Maureen and Francine are identical twins with several differences that people would easily see if they took the time to notice, but no one ever does. While Maureen is struggling to connect with friends through a class schedule that has her separated from her sister and friends, Francine is desperate to reinvent herself as an individual… even if her twin sister gets left behind. Part of Francine’s plan to be an individual involves her running for class president, which is fine with Maureen, even though it involves more things for Francine to do alone. However, when Maureen’s Cadet Corps commander tells her that her only chance to earn the much-needed extra credit would be to run for student government and Maureen decides to run for class president, too. The twins are soon fighting with each other, both at school and home, but the twins’ family, friends, and classmates also notice the twin war. When Maureen learns several family secrets she’s forced to decide if her campaign or her relationship with Francine is more important, but it quickly becomes apparent that repairing the hurt feelings is a lot harder than either twin ever imagined.

This story really highlights the often painful journey that is growing up, but also the unbreakable bond that siblings share through the rollercoaster of life. Wright’s illustrations are fun and full of life, making it easy for readers to connect with the characters and get drawn into their world. Twins is a fast-moving story that uses a unique cast of realistic characters to navigate the reader through the heartfelt happenings.