Cherishing everything about being identical twins, Arlene and Ilene are astonished when they discover that they don't share everything in like manner, from ice cream preferences to favorite nail polish colors.

What’s the same about identical twins — and what’s different? Sleepovers, poetry projects, and new haircuts are in play as seven-year-old Arlene and Ilene start coming into their own. Arlene and Ilene love so many things about being identical twins. They like sharing a room, sharing friends, and wearing matching outfits. But they’re in different classes at school, and one twin has a scar that the other one doesn’t. One morning, their friends Monty and Joey point out a new difference that takes the sisters by surprise and gets them thinking: if they are identical twins, why are there differences between them at all? Their tongues must be the same, so why do they like different kinds of ice cream? Why does Arlene wear pink nail polish while Ilene thinks it’s silly? Why is Ilene sleeping soundly when Arlene is awake, wondering how she can be sure that she is Arlene, not Ilene? Revisit the funny, lovable characters from The Two and Only Kelly Twins and take a peek at the wonders — and puzzles — of being an identical twin.

Johanna Hurwitz invites readers into the world of the funny, lovable Kelly twins, who are truly two of a kind. Second-graders Arlene and Ilene Kelly are twins — identical twins to be exact — and they love being a pair. They love to dress alike, they have identical pet ferrets, and they do everything together. But being a twin is not always easy. When a set of triplets comes to school, Arlene and Ilene wonder whether triplets are more special than twins. At Halloween, on different streets in identical witch costumes, some neighbors think that the girls are one person trying to get extra candy. And when Arlene gets sick and has to visit the hospital, the twins each find out what it’s like to be one instead of two. But whether they’re together or apart, Arlene and Ilene know they’re lucky to have each other.

A shy boy with asthma starts first grade — and comes into his own — in this appealing story for early chapter book readers. Six-year-old Monty doesn’t have a brother, a sister, or a pet. What he does have is asthma, which sometimes makes it hard to breathe and often makes him feel like he’d rather be somebody else. And now that he’s starting first grade, he’s very nervous about being with all those kids he won’t know. Luckily, he loves to read — even really hard books — and has a talent for finding things, from a cocooning caterpillar to classmates who want to be in his very own club. With familiar situations and gentle humor, Johanna Hurwitz follows an endearing character as he discovers that being himself can be pretty great after all.

Monty tries to master a magic kit — and finds some real-life situations tricky — in this spot-on story about an endearing, utterly relatable first-grader. First grade is almost over, and Monty will soon be seven. He’s now a big brother, too, which makes him feel very grown-up. But when he tries to use the magic set his grandmother gave him, he has a little trouble. Maybe the card trick would work if he were eight years old? Mother’s Day is coming, and Monty wishes he had something better to give his mom than the picture frame he made out of ice-cream sticks at school. But how is he supposed to guess from the TV call-in ad how much flowers cost, or that you need a special card to get them? Whether involving his baby sister in his library project, losing a sneaker while marching with his karate class in the parade, or learning that an exciting afternoon isn’t always a good thing, Monty’s familiar adventures embody the gentle humor of everyday life.

Noah struggles to impress the kids he meets when he and his family move to a new house.

100 Things Twins Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die will help fans of the Twin Cities' favorite franchise get the most out of being a fan. It takes 50 years of Twins history and distills it to the absolute best and most compelling, identifying in an informative, lively, and illuminating way the personalities, events, and facts every Twins fan should know without hesitation. Numbers with huge impact, such as 34, .388, and 1987; nicknames such as Puck and Kitty and Tony-O.