Two Times the Fun by Beverly Cleary

Beverly Cleary is one of my favorite authors and I remember reading many of her books as a child. Two Times the Fun is about twins Janet and Jimmy and the adventures that they have. Each chapter is a new adventure. Chapter 1 titled "The Real Hole" is about a hole that Jimmy dug all by himself and afterwards he doesn't know what to do with it. Finally, his father comes up with the idea of planting a spruce tree in the hole. Chapter 2 titled "Two Dog Biscuits" is about Jimmy and Janet trying to find a dog to give their dog biscuits to. They end up finding a cat that eats them. Chapter 3 titled "The Growing-Up Feet" is when Jimmy and Janet go to the shoe store to but new shoes but they find out that their feet haven't grown. Instead, their mother buys boots that fit over their shoes and can stretch when their feet get bigger. Chapter 4 titled "Janet's Thingamajigs" is about random things that Janet collects and keeps all over her bed. When she gets a "big-girl" bed, she realizes that since she is grown-up she doesn't need all those things all over her bed.

I think kids would like this book because it is an easy read and the stories are so true to life. My favorite thing about this book is that Janet asks her mother what a word or phrase means. For example, Janet asked her mother "what does at my wits end" mean? And Janet's mother answers in a way that is easy for kids reading the book to understand. I also like the fact that even though Janet and Jimmy are twins, they make it known that they are not just alike. Some twins, especially when they are younger, may have a hard time showing other kids that they are two different people. Twins can find comfort in this book and it can help show other kids that twins aren't necessarily alike.

The book says that it is for kids ages 3-7 but I could definitely see older kids reading this. I wouldn't go any younger and I could even see a 3 year-old having trouble paying attention to the story because there aren't very many pictures and that pictures that are included are in black and white.