For 12 years, Ray and Jay Grayson have been “the twins,” nearly indistinguishable even to their parents. So when their new school unexpectedly combines their records, Ray and Jay decide to try out being just one person, taking turns going to school but keeping their experiment secret. Their deception lasts only eight days, but in the process they discover that they really are individuals after all. Clements’s understanding of sixth graders is amply evident in the dialogue as well as the action. Better at math and athletics than his brother, Jay is at a loss when it comes to talking with girls, which Ray finds easy. Their differences lead to rolling-on-the-floor fights. When Ray shares his secret with a girl in his class, word gets around as each girl tells just one best friend, but it is a boy who notices their distinctive running styles. Another fast-paced, believable and funny offering from a master of school stories (Frindle, 1996, etc., etc.) and father of identical twin boys. (Final art not seen.) (Fiction. 9-12)
