Shelly's Book Blog

Andrew Clements is the father of identical twin boys, and this made is easier for him to write Lost and Found, which is about twins named Jay Ray and Ray Jay. The boys start going to a new school because they and their parents just moved to a new city, but on the first day Ray is ill, so only Jay attends class. For some reason, the school has left Ray off the attendance list, but instead of reporting the oversight, Jay talks Ray into pretending to be one person. Each boy attends school every other day, and they both say they are Jay. This is a short book, written for about 4th grade, but Clements manages to pack in plenty of twin-style fun. Problems with the boys' scheme begin to surface almost immediately, and I appreciated how thoroughly Clements seems to have thought through the possible consequences of the boys' actions. I am also a parent of identical twin boys, so I may have a special appreciation for the drama and humor of this story, but I don't think you have to have twins in your family to appreciate the dream of having a second self to fill in for you when you are busy elsewhere, or just plain tired.
I have enjoyed several of Clements' other books, such as Frindle, Lunch Money, and A Week in the Woods, and I recommend Lost and Found, along with these others books, very highly.