Anyway, I was pleased to see a parent complain to the manager in defense of the girls. I couldn’t tell if it was racial bias because most of the ARC is in black and white (the illustrations will be in full color in the final book). All in all, a satisfying read from a great Black writer/illustrator duo.Īnything you didn’t like about it? Not with the story, but there’s an incident at a store (“Mercy Danger”!) at the mall where Maureen and her friends are browsing the clothing racks, and are ignored by a clerk.

There are lighter moments when Maureen and her friends go boy watching. There are thoughtful moments, such as when Maureen wrestles with when to tell Francine that she realizes they are both running for student council office, and how she bargains with God about it. The graphic style and middle school drama is akin to Raina Telgemeier’s works, and portrays the girls, who are Black, and their family as a loving blended family with great communication. It’s completely relatable whether you’re a twin or not. Through good parenting and the twins’ deep down love for one another, a happy ending caps off the story. When both girls end up running for student council president, there is a showdown which threatens their relationship. But when it’s time to enter 6th grade, Francine, outgoing, enthusiastically embraces a new group of friends, and starts to go by “Fran.” Maureen, shyer, is less sure about herself and founders at finding herself alone in the cafeteria and in class. What did you like about the book? Twins Maureen and Francine have always done everything together. Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 5 Twins by Varian Johnson, illustrated by Shannon Wright.

Varian johnson twins