Twins by Varian Johnson

 

Twins by Varian Johnson 

         Johnson, V., & Wright, S. (2020). Twins. Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic. ISBN 9781338236132

Maureen and Francine Carter are twin sisters who do everything together.  Clubs?  You bet!  Partners for every assignment?  Duuuh!  Even like the same foods?  Of course!  They've been together their whole life, and are best friends, so of course they're basically the same... until they aren't.  Middle school is starting soon and Francine is now Fran and doesn't want to do everything Maureen does.  And even worse, they're now separated in their classes!   How will their bond as sisters and twins survive this middle school split?

Twins was written for all the twins out there who realize that they are slowly growing apart, and are a bit fearful of the change that comes along with it.  Don't have a twin?  Not a problem!  Imagine your elementary best friend, and now you're going to middle school where everything is different.  That worry and fear that you have that your friendship is never going to recover, is the fear that is very real and visible from Maureen in the book Twins.  Prior to middle school, Maureen and Francine were THE DUO.  Now in middle school, with all the new changes, Maureen feels lost and confused, and to make matters worse, she feels like she's missing her other half, Francine.  Everyone one of Maureen's (and Francine's) feeling are very real, and very justified, and well written.  Of course Maureen is allowed to feel anxious, sad and heartbroken over the changes that are happening, but in the same sense Francine is also allowed to want to become an individual and not just an extension of her twin.  There is drama in the book, as both girls run for Class President, and betrayal once Maureen finds out Francine was the one who requested to be in different classes, but in true sister fashion, they make up and learn that despite the changes, they still love and support each other, while slowly loving themselves as the individual "Maureen" and "Francine" instead of "MaureenandFrancine." Change can be scary, and that's something that both twins learn throughout the book, but just like we learn in real life, change is inevitable and it is up to us to make the best of it.  

The book was easy to read, with a good plot that never dragged.   Being that most people experience the change of elementary to middle school will help readers relate to the fear and hesitancy to change that the girls feel, even if they do not have a twin.  Every character in the book has some form of insecurity or flaw, which is not a bad thing.  It paints the characters in a more realistic and relatable light since no one is perfect in real life.  Even the girls' parents make the mistake of not telling Maureen the truth, but they own up to it, and work to make things right, as they should.  Even though it is a graphic novel, Twins does a fantastic job in telling Maureen's and Francine's story.  The entire book is well paced, well written, and has vivid images that adds life into the already relatable story.  While the book is aimed towards the ages of 8 years or older, a younger reader (especially one who is a twin) will enjoy this, if they have an adult with them to help them read when they need help. Readers of any age will enjoy reading Twins by Varian Johnson!

What do readers thinks? Kirkus Reviews says that Maureen's and Francine's "sibling bond is palpable and precious as each conflict and triumph pushes the apart or pulls them together [and] Wright's illustrations fill the pages with vibrancy and emotion."  Twins is a "touching, relatable story of identity, sisterhood and friendship."  If you enjoyed Twins, then you might also enjoy Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson, a book described as "a heartwarming graphic novel about friendship and surviving junior high through the power of roller derby." If you are reading this with any younger grade level students (especially those about to transition to middle school) use the graphic novel Twins to prompt the conversation about the transition to middle school.  Talk to them about how change can be scary, but they will overcome it just like hoe Maureen and Francine did, and while it might seem like the end of world, it will all work out for the better.

Some Praise for Twins by Varian Johnson

• A National Indie Bestseller
• BCALA Youth Literacy Award Winner for Best Graphic Novel
• Eisner Award Nominee
• Junior Library Guild Selection
• NPR Best Book of 2020
• Washington Post Best Children's Book of 2020
• School Library Journal Best Books of 2020

Citations

Johnson, V., & Wright, S. (2020). Twins. Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic.

Twins. Kirkus Reviews. (2020, August 17). https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/varian-johnson/twins-johnson-wright/

Twins. Varian Johnson, Author. (n.d.). https://varianjohnson.com/books/twins/