Jake and Lily are twins who just turn 11 as the story begins, each chapter is written alternately by them. This is a lovely story about growing up and growing into individuals. Jake and Lily get to meet their long-missed grandfather, Poppy and discover that being twins doesn’t mean they have to do everything together. Lily reminds the reader of Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird with her independence and determination. There’s goombla, goobers and supergoobers-you’ll have to read the book to learn what they mean.
This is a great book to read this summer since that’s when the book takes place. ( )

Jake and Lily are twins, and all their life they have had a secret connection to each other. They can't play hide and seek, because the always know where each other is hiding. They can answer each others questions before they're asked. Things like that.
But after they turn 11, Jake starts wanting to hang out with a little gang of boys in the neighborhood instead of his sister, and their connection begins to fade. Lily still wants Jake to be her best friend forever, but he seems tired of her.
They tell their stories in alternating chapters. Lily's focuses on dealing with the loss of her brother. Jake, who has more or less abandoned her, focuses on his fiends - the leader of the gang being a neighborhood bully. Jakes chapters, around the middle section of the book, get a bit uncomfortable to read, because we're following this hateful bully, and Jake seems to be enjoying the meanness.
Of course, things all work out well in the end for everyone concerned.
Lily I felt a lot of empathy for. Jake, not so much through most of the book. Yes, he redeems himself in the end, but there are a lot of pages in which to dislike him. ( )

Spinelli charms, with insight & humor, as always. But he can do better ([b:Milkweed|69392|Milkweed|Jerry Spinelli|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1363264990s/69392.jpg|2915313], [b:Maniac Magee|139463|Maniac Magee|Jerry Spinelli|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1172109471s/139463.jpg|3264295]). The best part of this, imo, was not the twins, not the grandpa, but Ernie the Soop vs. Bump. Yes, I recommend you read it. But I cannot bring myself to rate it a full four stars. ( )

I've liked every book by Jerry Spinelli that I have read. This story is told in two voices. The twins, Jake and Lily, share alternate chapters to tell their story. The two voices do not really sound different to me but the characters are well drawn, 10 years old and growing. ( )

I could see it coming. I could see his goo-goo eyes every time we saw the Bumpsters riding around. I figured sooner or later Jake would join them. Just thinking about it made me mad. mad enough to decide that when it finally happened, I would just spit, burp, and call "Good riddance! Who needs ya? Who cares?"
What does she want? Does she want me to spend my whole life with nobody but her? Oh look, there's Jake and Lily, They're seventy-nine years old and they still play poker and ride bikes together. They still hear each other five miles away. Still sleep in the same bedroom. You can't tear them apart. Aren't they adorable. Twinny twin twins. ( )