Twins: A Graphic Novel (1)

Product Description

Coretta Scott King Honor author Varian Johnson teams up with rising cartoonist Shannon Wright for a delightful middle-grade graphic novel!
Maureen and Francine Carter are twins and best friends. They participate in the same clubs, enjoy the same foods, and are partners on all their school projects. But just before the girls start sixth grade, Francine becomes Fran — a girl who wants to join the chorus, run for class president, and dress in fashionable outfits that set her apart from Maureen. A girl who seems happy to share only two classes with her sister!Maureen and Francine are growing apart and there’s nothing Maureen can do to stop it. Are sisters really forever? Or will middle school change things for good?

From School Library Journal

Gr 3-7-The start of sixth grade has not been smooth sailing for identical twins Francine and Maureen Carter, who are both Black. Francine, “the talker,” is eager for new challenges and experiences and more time away from her sister/best-friend-oh, and she goes by “Fran” now, please. Meanwhile, Maureen, “the thinker,” misses dressing alike and having all her classes with her twin, and is especially intimidated by the lunchroom and Cadet Corp. When Maureen discovers that the girls’ separate classes are due not to a scheduling error but to Francine’s interference, her anger spurs her to action and she challenges her sister by running against her for student council president. As the girls develop campaign strategies and try to best each other, will they permanently ruin the bond they once had? The twins’ transforming relationship captures all the fraught possibilities of adolescence-the fear of change and the excitement of potential. A fully realized array of friends and family who help with (and occasionally add to) the drama create a world that readers will wish they were a part of. Wright’s colorful artwork brings this endearing cast of characters to life with a dynamic range of expressiveness that suits the story’s emotional highs and lows and many warm laughs. VERDICT A must-read for middle grade comics lovers. Expect high demand from fans of comics like those by Svetlana Chmakova, Jerry Craft, and Raina Telgemeier.-Darla Salva Cruz, Suffolk Cooperative Lib. Syst., Bellport, NYα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Review

Praise for Twins:
National Indie Bestseller
Junior Library Guild Selection
NPR Best Book of 2020
Washington Post Best Children’s Book of 2020
Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2020
Horn Book Best Book of 2020
School Library Journal Best Book of 2020
Booklist Best Book for Youth
Barnes & Noble Best Book of 2020
Today.com Best Book for Kids, Tweens, and Teens in 2020
Nerdist Best Comic of 2020
Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2020
University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education Best Book for Young Readers
Recipient of five starred reviews
* “Wright’s artwork, crisp and colorful, does a masterful job of tracking the twins’s emotional arcs through expressive composition, and Johnson’s impeccable pacing keeps things moving while still making room for rich development. A beautiful reflection on sisterhood and coming of age that belongs in every collection.” — Booklist, starred review
* “The sibling bond is palpable and precious as each conflict and triumph pushes them apart or pulls them together…. A touching, relatable story of identity, sisterhood, and friendship.” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* “A must-read for middle grade comics lovers. Expect high demand from fans of comics like those by Svetlana Chmakova, Jerry Craft, and Raina Telgemeier.” — School Library Journal, starred review
* “Johnson and Wright have expertly teamed up to create a relatable story for all middle schoolers.” — The Horn Book, starred review
* “An engaging read that speaks to worries of burgeoning self-identity and tween change.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review
“There