I've read a lot of Jerry Spinelli's excellent work. I have yet to meet a Spinelli book I don't like, and Jake and Lily is no different. Spinelli likes switching among his characters voices to tell his stories, and it's a fun way to read and really get the whole picture. In this case, we hear from twins, Jake and Lily. Their grandfather gives them each a notebook and asks them to write their story. In places they are very connected and finish each other's sentences, but in others they are distant and we see their divergent thoughts as Jake reaches for his own identity, forcing Lily to find herself, too. Spinelli revisits familiar themes of individuality and connectedness, and while not as movingly done as in Maniac Magee, or Wringer, this is still an entertaining and insightful look at finding ones own way in life. I especially liked the comment my 10 year old made after she read it: "Jake had to figure out for himself why Lily didn't like (the bully)." She didn't know it, but she just got an introduction to the idea that people have to make their own mistakes and learn things on their own terms if they are to learn them at all. Over all, I'd recommend this book to upper elementary or middle school age readers.
