Jerry Spinelli is a well-known and prolific writer of children’s stories, most notably Maniac Magee for which he won the Newbery Medal in 1990, and Wringer, which won a Newbery Honor in 1998. Jake and Lily is his latest work and is scheduled for release this spring.
Jake and Lily is the story of 10-year-old twins who have arrived at a pivotal season in their twin-ness — they each must learn how to become an individual and how to create a life separate from their twin.
It is the beginning of summer vacation and their parent’s have decided it is time for them to have separate bedrooms. Soon thereafter, easy-going Jake quickly carves out a life of his own and buddies up with a pack of bicycle-riding neighborhood boys, leaving hot-headed Lily to feel dumped, lonely – and mad!
Without Jake, Lily doesn’t quite know what to do with herself. With the encouragement of her grandfather, Lily tries to find friends and interests of her own, but with no success. She has a sleepover that goes badly, she tries various arts and crafts, but nothing fills the hole Jake has left behind. But Jake’s efforts at becoming an individual are troubled too. When he discovers that his neighborhood friend is a bully, he has to figure out what kind of individual he’s going to be.
On the whole, this is a terrific plot and could have been a really wonderful story – there is hardly a topic more fascinating than twins. But in my view, this book missed the mark.
One of the big issues for me is that all throughout the story, 10-year-old kids say “crap” and use other low language that doesn’t bring anything good to the story or the reader. It doesn’t make the story more authentic, it doesn’t make it funny; it just seems to be gratuitous. For that reason alone I would not recommend this book. (Note to publishers: I will not buy my son any book with the following words in the title: stupid, fartsalot, underpants, poop, idiot, butt.)
The other issue I have with this book is that the author uses the literary device of having the characters take turns speaking, as well as narrating alternate chapters, which given that they are twins “should” work, but I found it really hard to follow, especially in the beginning.
When I found this book in the box of books Harper Collins sent me to review, I was excited because my mother-in-law has a boy twin and they have another set of boy-girl twin siblings two years ahead of them, so I really expected I would like this book. I am disappointed to report that I did not — although I think the average 4th or 5th grader might.
Skip says:
Comments about foul language: good on you. Keep up the good work.
March 2nd, 2012 at 7:24 am
Kate says:
I’m totally with you on the language! I thought though, that several years ago you wrote a post about having said the word ‘butt’ in front of a young child who was shocked and their parents explained they don’t use that word. If this was indeed you who I am remembering, you were surprised that this word was taboo. So I was curious…is it now taboo in your house, too? For the record, it’s taboo in our house…we use ‘bottom’. Just being nosy and curious! I know we parents change our thinking as we go along and do things, or don’t do things, we never thought we would or wouldn’t!
* * *
The post to which you are referring is “The Word That Must Not Be Spoken” and yes, that was referring to an incident that happened to me before I had Sean. As you note, having a kid makes you re-evaluate everything. Every. Thing.
Semi-related rambling: While I still don’t think butt it is a “bad” word (especially when compared to some other words) I don’t allow my 8-year-old to use it (and other words like ‘holy crap’ also in the book). I don’t want Sean to think it is normal and accepted just because a children’s author uses it repeatedly in a story.
When we hear others use certain words, we tell Sean, yes, some people use those words but we don’t, and he gets that. But when you hand a kid a book or let him watch a certain show, I think that can infer upon it a sort of approval. We don’t want him steeping him in it.
March 2nd, 2012 at 7:35 am
Iota says:
Good review. I really like it when a blogger does a review that isn’t positive about the product. So important to keep an independence, and not just be in the pocket of whichever company has given a freebie. Good for you.
March 2nd, 2012 at 9:16 am
Iota says:
I’ve just read your earlier post, “The Word That Must Not Be Spoken”, and yes, words of the four-letter variety are totally culturally related. All I can say is, don’t go to England, unless you take ear muffs. I’ve had to clean up my language since living in America. I’ve probably shocked lots of people without meaning to. It’s not because I’m a bad person. It’s just because our antennae are tuned a little differently. We also breast-feed in public without a cover. And drink tea with milk in it. And instant coffee. I could go on…
March 2nd, 2012 at 9:20 am
Erica says:
We split our boy/girl twins into their own bedrooms when they were 3. Maybe that was a little early, but I can’t imagine waiting until they were 10. They’re 5 now and already have their own friends (even though they are very close.) I haven’t read the book, but it sounds a little unrealistic to me.
March 2nd, 2012 at 10:04 am
Jannette G Eppler says:
I love your reviews!
March 6th, 2012 at 8:20 pm
Maricris @ SittingAround says:
Thank you for being honest with your review. I totally agree with you with the use of those words.
March 8th, 2012 at 8:38 am
Debbie Owensby Moore says:
I also think it would have been great if the author broke stereotypes and made it the female that blossomed easily instead of her brother.
March 9th, 2012 at 8:49 am
edj says:
I find Debbie’s comment (the one above mine) interesting. I have b/g twins and I know a few other sets, and in my experience it’s the girl who blossoms easily. My twins stopped sharing a room at 4, because of the house we were living in at the time and also because of an older brother, but Ilsa was always in her brothers’ room till she was about 11 or 12, at which point she decided she liked her privacy.
It sounds like it could have been a really great book. Too bad it missed the mark. Great review, AM.
March 16th, 2012 at 10:00 am