Flower Moon

October 1, 2017

Gr 4-6-Tally Jo and Tempest, 13, are blonde identical twins who've been opposites most of their lives. Tally Jo is the leader and Tempest the follower. However, Tempest's growing interest in science and making gadgets begins to change their relationship, as does the weird power she seems able to exert on Tally Jo. This year the sisters are allowed to spend the summer without their parents at Pa Charlie's Peachtree Carnival, a small traveling show. Pa Charlie is their maternal grandfather; they are hoping to learn more about their mother's own absent twin sister. Tally Jo enjoys spending time with her friends at the carnival, especially buddy Digger, and enlists his help in solving the family mystery. The Georgia coast plays a role as the tides and summer storms add to the novel's suspense. Heartfelt moments of self-discovery are touching, but the unresolved issues of what is magic and what is science keep this from being a satisfyingly solved mystery. VERDICT A quirky read perfect for those fascinated by twins, but oddly disappointing in its resolution.-Carol A. Edwards, formerly at Denver Public Library

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2017
Can mirror twins survive when forces begin to push them apart? It used to be "TallyandTempest. No spaces," for the two white Southern preteens. But with the end of sixth grade and their 13th birthday approaching, Tally's not only noticed that she and her sister have been drifting away from each other, but there's even a strange physical tension when they come near each other. Maybe it all started when Tempest became interested in scientific inventions and didn't need to rely on Tally as a leader anymore. Or maybe their circumstances are related to why their mother and her mirror twin, world traveler Aunt Grania, no longer see each other. Whatever the reason, "for creamed corn's sake," spunky Tally is determined to find out. Filled with food-inspired sayings, Tally's first-person narrative follows her mild adventures as she and Tempest spend their summer with their grandfather Pa Charlie's traveling carnival through rural Georgia. With the help of a boy who's the son of a carnival regular (and possibly Tally's first crush), the return of Aunt Grania, and Tempest's unusual inventions, Tally may solve the family mystery and stay connected to her twin without sacrificing their independence. An added tension between science and magic boosts interest and strengthens the theme. Even singleton readers will relate to the difficulties of growing up and growing apart. (Fiction. 8-12)

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December 15, 2017
Grades 4-6 Brash and popular Tally Jo and her twin sister, nerdy, science-minded Tempest, are looking forward to spending their birthday, as they always do, traveling with their grandfather's carnival. But this birthday is special: the twins are turning 13 on the day a flower moonhuge and close to the earthis rising. Something else is rising as well. A powerful feeling, one like the force that repels magnets, is growing between the girls, ripping them apart. This phenomena, which affected the girls' twin mothers and grandmothers, is one they are determined to overcome. As a plot device, this works fine if readers don't look too closely at the whys and hows. The real draw here, however, is Tally and her folksy, lively narrative that makes fantastical events ring true. Supporting characters, both carny folk and relatives, come across as fresh, as well. Readers will race through this, just as Tally Jo and Tempest work feverishly to find a solution to the dark phenomenon threatening to split them apart.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)