Jake and Lily
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- ¥880
Publisher Description
Beloved Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli, author of Maniac Magee and Wringer, addresses issues of identity, belonging, family, and bullying in this humorous and heartfelt novel about twins.
Jake and Lily are twins. Despite their slightly different interests and temperaments, they feel exactly the same—like two halves of one person. But the year they turn eleven, everything changes. Their parents announce it’s time for separate bedrooms. Jake starts hanging out with a pack of boys on the block. And Lily is devastated, not to mention angry. Who is she without Jake? And as her brother falls under the influence of the neighborhood bully, he also must ask himself—who is the real Jake?
This is an often funny, poignant, and profound story of growing up, growing apart, and the difficult process of figuring out who you really are.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Spinelli (Wringer) adroitly balances emotional tension with introspective moments in this smart and funny story about a pair of twins growing apart. For almost as long as they can remember, Jake and Lily have shared a "special sense," which they call "goombla." Each knows what the other is thinking and if the other is in trouble. But their bond seems to be weakening as, at age 11, Jake starts spending more time with new friends than with Lily; upset and rejected, Lily has no one to confide in except her ex-hippie grandfather. Lily tries to find out who she is without her brother, but it's hard work, and most of her attempts are unsuccessful. Her feeling of abandonment is as sharply felt as Jake's need to test his independence. Though the twins eventually rediscover their "goombla" ("You can turn your back on it. Ignore it. Forget it. But it's still here," reminds their grandfather), Spinelli doesn't suggest that the two will go back to being the people they once were; rather, he celebrates each child's individualism and growing self-awareness. Ages 8 12.
