________________ CM . . . . Volume X Number 8. . . . December 12, 2003

cover

Double Spell.

Janet Lunn.
Toronto, Tundra Books, 1968/2003.
133 pp., pbk., $11.99.
ISBN 0-88776-660-9.

Subject Headings:
Ghost stories.
Twins-Juvenile fiction.
Dolls-Juvenile fiction.

Grades 6-9 / Ages 11-14.

Review by Carolyn Kim.

*** /4

excerpt:

Their fingers touched the face gently, straightened the bonnet on its head, smoothed the old shawl. It was not a battered antique doll they held, not at this moment. It was a familiar loved thing, long lost, almost forgotten.

Are twins special in that they can share not just physical traits, but also their mental and emotional characteristics as well? Jane and Elizabeth, 12-year-old twins, have been experiencing similar dreams, and it had never happened to them before they purchased an old-fashioned doll from a Toronto antique store. To make matters more mysterious, they also know things the other knows about without having discussed it before.

     The twins cope with the situation by ignoring the fact that the doll may be the cause for the strange happenings, even to the point of arguing and not speaking to one another. Finally, they make a compromise and realize that the doll could be trying to communicate with them. Through some detective work with the help of the doll, the twins surprisingly discover a history in their family line that required their attention to be brought to resolution.

     Originally published in 1968, this 2003 edition features new cover illustration by James Bentley that will draw young readers again into a classic novel of twins, family history and mystery, set in one of Canada's largest cities, Toronto.

Recommended.

Carolyn Kim is an MA student in Children's Literature at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.
Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364
Hosted by the University of Manitoba.
 

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