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The Tapper Twins Go to War (With Each Other)


The Tapper Twins Go to War (With Each Other)
by Geoff Rodkey
Little, Brown, and Co. 2015. Fiction. 219 p.

It all starts with Claudia thinks her twin Reese took her toaster pastry.  She gets back at him by insulting him at school.  He gets back at her by calling her a name in front of her friends.  The war escalates with hilarious results. The story is told in notebook form, and includes transcripts of parent texts and interviews with friends and teachers.  The general tone of the story is humorous, but there are serious (and a little bit preachy) overtones. That said, the voices of the two tweens and the junior high atmosphere are spot on, and the book is illustrated with cartoons like Diary of a Wimpy Kid or the Dork Diaries, so kids will be willing to overlook the tiny bit of moralizing.  (219 p.)

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