Jake and Lily

Gr 3–7—Twins Jake and Lily share an extrasensory connection they call "goombla." When they are apart, they sense if one is in danger; they can't play hide-and-seek because they know where the other is hiding. The most bizarre aspect of their relationship is that since they were six, they have shared the same dream and sleepwalked to the same train station in the middle of the night on their birthday. When they awake, they are holding hands on the train platform. (They had been born minutes apart while riding on a train cross-country.) As their 11th birthday approaches, Jake begins distancing himself from his sister as he meets a group of guys with whom he prefers to hang out. Lily doesn't understand why he no longer wants to be with just her, and she is devastated. She seeks comfort from her grandfather, Poppy, a memorable character in his own right, and he offers his company and wise advice. Spinelli turns the plot smoothly in a new direction as readers meet Jake's friends, one of whom is a neighborhood bully. Bump delights in searching for "goobers," or people he thinks are "different." When they target Ernie, a boy whose indefatigable attitude takes their mean-spirited actions with a smile, things go too far and Jake must decide who he really is and what he stands for. The characters and situations mesh together perfectly, and in the end Jake and Lily both realize that they can live separate lives and still be connected.—D. Maria LaRocco, Cuyahoga Public Library, Strongsville, OH