My Sister is Driving Me Crazy

Lately 13-year-old twins Pru and Mattie have been fighting over everything: their room, their haircuts and Cameron Sanders, the new boy who moves in next door. Mattie is tired of being lost in the shadow of Pru's ebullience, and she is determined to break free from the bonds of twin-dom and win Cameron's heart--even if it means alienating her sister. What Mattie learns from her adventure in separateness is rather vague, as she seems to know very early on in the plot that, ``Maybe, even back in the third grade, we just needed to make sure we were different.'' Ryan's ( Dance a Step Closer ) story is spirited and her portrayal of the teens and their quirky parents is intriguing enough, but the rivalry between the girls remains at a low boil. Unfortunately, the emergence of Mattie's distinct personality slips by unnoticed in the melee of a happy ending. Ages 10-14. (Sept.)