Sunday, August 28, 2011

Lost and Found by Andrew Clements

Following our very busy Book Week celebrations (we had daily thinking challenges, songs, lunch time craft days and more) I was very happy to just sit and read for an hour or so this morning and what better book to relax with than another title from master storyteller Andrew Clements.

I noticed a great quote on the front cover of this book - "'That could totally happen at my school' Fiction".... I think this will become a new subject heading or tag perhaps for my reading.

Twins have always fascinated me. I am not a twin but I was good friends with two sets of twins as a young child. One set of twins were totally different in every way - looks, interests, physical size and temperament. The other set of twins were so alike - two girls who did look almost the same and who had the same interests etc. although I could always tell them apart.

As a teacher I often find identical twins can be a challenge. Since I usually only see these students for a short time once a week it can take me years to confidently separate them. Teachers and other adults who constantly say - "which twin are you" must drive these kids crazy and that in fact is the premise of this little book by Andrew Clements and I was also interested to read Andrew Clements has twin sons. This might be why his insights into the issues of being a twin seem so authentic.

I will not say this is the best Clements book I have read - that would be Frindle followed by The Janitors Boy and Extra Credit - but Lost and Found is easy to read and as usual Clements seems to get right inside the head of Grade 5 and 6 students.

Jay and Ray discover the school has muddled up their records from the previous school and that only one student is enrolled. This opens the way for the boys to experience school as an individual and not as a twin. They take alternate days off but of course this must end in disaster!

You can read a little more of the plot here or just grab this book for a quick and enjoyable read!

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