Totally Twins: Birthday Bonanza by Aleesah Darlison

Monday 3 May. 3:42 pm

In the kitchen, scoffing home-made caramel cookies.

Hi, and welcome to my fourth fabulous diary. I can’t believe I’ve managed to fill three diaries already.

In less than three months.

WOW?

Who would have thought I’d have so many amazing things to write down?

BTW (by the way), you simply must read my other diaries. They’re meant to be TOP SECRET, but I think I’ll let you read them. They’re too good not to share. So, when you’ve finished this diary go back and read the others – if you haven’t already. If you dare!

Monday 3 May. 3:42 pm

In the kitchen, scoffing home-made caramel cookies.

Hi, and welcome to my fourth fabulous diary. I can’t believe I’ve managed to fill three diaries already.

In less than three months.

WOW?

Who would have thought I’d have so many amazing things to write down?

BTW (by the way), you simply must read my other diaries. They’re meant to be TOP SECRET, but I think I’ll let you read them. They’re too good not to share.  So, when you’ve finished this diary go back and read the others – if you haven’t already. If you dare!

Totally Twins 4

Persephone Pinchgut is back with her fourth diary. It’s countdown time to her eleventh birthday and there are so many things to be done. Birthday wish lists to be drawn up, a party to plan, negotiating with Portia about party themes and with mum about how many guests they can have. Dill next door is still trying to make friends with Portia and asking Perse why it’s not happening. As if that wasn’t enough to keep a girl occupied, all the adults in her world are acting strangely. Even her father seems to be behaving oddly when she and Portia talk to him in England via Skype.

In this fourth ‘Totally Twins’ diary, Persephone continues to have a love hate relationship with her twin sister, Portia. They are both still adjusting to life since their parents divorced and began seeing other people. In their family, Perse is the thinker and Portia is the ‘doer’, as if each received an unequal portion of individual character traits. But when it is necessary, their differences are dwarfed by their connection and their ability to support one another. Together they ride the wave of change that typifies the goings-on of the modern family. Exaggerated as ‘Birthday Bonanza’ is for comic effect, there is an undercurrent of reality about the ties that bind families together. Illustrations by Serena Geddes are interspersed throughout and break up the text.  Different text types are included and make this a more accessible text for newly-confident readers.  Recommended for early- to mid- primary independent readers.

Totally Twins 4, Aleesah Darlison ill Serena Geddes New Frontier Publishing 2012 isbn: 9781921928208

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com