Mitch and Amy

So far so wonderful, as usual. Children see themselves in Cleary's characters (even if they're not both white and middle-class, I think) and parents & other educators can learn about a child's point of view. For example I agree that creative writing should not be marked up for spelling errors, "especially when the story was supposed to have been written by a rat."

Interesting details that make this a piece of history, as well. I had no idea skateboards have been around so long. But Amy wears a petticoat, and I only wore a slip on special occasions, usually wearing pants instead.

I love George Porter's illustrations.
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Ok done.

One of the most satisfying treatments of a bully that I've ever seen, especially in older books. Remember, it's show more only been a decade or so that schools have adopted a zero tolerance for bullying.

I have to admit that the mother needs to find another way to get the twins to stop bickering. But it's hard. I don't know if my brothers and I ever disputed who got the shiniest quarter, but my mother did no better, and we're still not close. And we had otherwise a happy childhood and were raised to be good citizens. I think the main thing is, try not to have the kids so close in age, so they have their own interests & perspectives. And make sure that you treat them as individuals, and spend separate time with each of them, don't expect them to be a team.

Maybe if you have little kids close in age (fewer than 3.5 years apart) you should read this and see if you can figure out what the parents could do better. Let me know what you've come up with, too! show less

Another winner from the author who has given us "Ramona the Pest" and other charming books about children. This story is about twins, who fight and fuss at each other a lot, their amiable parents, and the trials of being 9 years old. Amy hates multiplication tables, Mitch has trouble reading, but they are both typical 4th graders with worries about quizzes and bullies. Entertaining, engaging, and just plain fun to read.

I liked this book for a few reasons. For one, I liked the characters in the story because they were believable. The two main characters in the story are nine-year old twins who are constantly teasing each other. Since they are twins, the story explains that being a twin is, “special but sometimes difficult.” Throughout the story, the twins were referred to as the “Huff twins” instead of Mitch and Amy. I think when students read this book, they may be able to relate to the characters and their relationship with their siblings. Also, I liked the plot of the book because it is relatable to students who have siblings. Throughout the book, the siblings bicker and annoy one another. Also, in the story, there is a bully that picks on show more Mitch. Even though Mitch and Amy bother each other, when the bully bothers Mitch, Amy will not stand for it. I think students can relate to these conflicts because they are typical issues that arise in school. The big message of Mitch and Amy is that when someone is bullied, they should never be a bully back. In the story, Allen bullied Mitch but in the end, Mitch decided it would not be nice to bully Allen back. I think this is an important message for students in elementary school to learn and this story can help to set a good example. show less

Read this to my daughter - i remember it fondly from my childhood and I was hoping she would find something in the book to help her cope with some brother issues she has from time to time. Great book from a great author.

Mitch and Amy both think being twins is fun, but that doesn't stop them from squabbling. Amy is good at reading. Mitch is a math whiz. Amy likes to play pretend. Mitch would rather skateboard. They never want to watch the same television show. And they always try to get the better of each other.

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