Monday 19 April. 1:15 pm.
Ah, I love the smell of blank paper in the afternoon! This is my third fabulous diary and it’s totally brand new. I started keeping a diary a few months back so I could have something for myself.
I have an identical twin sister, Portia, who is only two minutes older than me – although she thinks she’s so much cooler and more mature. She and I usually share EVERYTHING. Sometimes we even get mistaken for each other because we look so similar.
But I got this idea that keeping a diary would be one thing I could do on my own.
Persephone has begun a new diary, this time a travel diary. She and twin sister Portia are going to Fiji with their travel-writer grandmother. The only downside to this holiday is that they also have to take Dillon, seven-year old pest from next door. But it’s hard to stay too grumpy about that, when you are on a tropical island. As usual Portia makes friends really easily, which leaves Persephone on her own. Well, almost on her own. While Portia is off with her friends, and Gran is writing for her book, Persephone is stuck with Dillon. All the activities at Kids Club seem to be geared towards Portia’s interests and even Ash, the son of the resort owner seems to prefer Portia. Persephone records it all, ups and downs, adventures and dramas in her diary.
This is the third instalment in the Totally Twins series. This time the girls get to go on holiday, but although they are in a different place, their respective personalities mean that it’s business as usual. The twins are alike to look at but have quite different natures. While Portia is the more assertive, Persephone is the more observant and more aware of the feelings of others. But they are both excited to be on holidays, experiencing new things, even if some of those new things are a little frightening at first. This time, Persephone gets to know Dillon a bit better. She discovers that despite the petty squabbles with her sister, she wouldn’t have it any other way. She also realises that Dillon isn’t quite the pest she always thought he was. Recommended for mid-primary readers.
Totally Twins 3: Tropical Trouble, Aleesah Darlison, Serena Geddes
New Frontier Publishing 2011
ISBN: 9871921042690
review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author
www.clairesaxby.com