Twins by Varian Johnson and Shannon Wright

Welcome Back, Booklovers! I'm taking advantage of the holiday weekend by reading some books I've been wanting to get to. I purchased Twins because it's a graphic novel starring Black twin girls. Looking at the art and reading a preview I thought it would be great for a young readers who still want an easy to read story with great imagery.

Twins Francine and Maureen are starting middle school and it's already different this year with them having separate lunch periods and some separate classes. Francine wants to embrace being seen as a separate person and is going by a nickname and dressing different. Meanwhile Maureen is struggling to find new friends and fit in. And then the opportunity to run for student council comes along and it's sister vs sister to see who will be 6th grade president. 

I really liked the representation of family in this story. The twin's father has an son from a previous relationship and despite Curtis being a college graduate they're still close to him. I felt the depiction of blended families was very positive and not always something showcased in books.

I highly recommend this book for young Black kids especially reluctant readers. Not only for the easy to read format but also because it deals with things kids entering middle school are going through. The illustrations are beautiful and I love how Shannon Wright depicts different hairstyles and skin tones. Also seeing the twins wear their bonnets to bed. Adorable and so true to life! And the little details like wide tooth combs and headbands and headwraps. I loved the attention to details throughout and found myself really paying attention to the decor in bedroom scenes, or people walking by in the mall scenes.

While I got my copy in paperback to pass along I also heard it views beautifully on Kindle too so don't let that stop you from downloading to your child's tablet.