About the Book

Author: Richard Levine
Genre: Children's Fiction
Number of Pages: 247
Synopsis: Tall, gawky, and twelve, D.C. Blau stumbles into her cousin Becky's birthday party wearing a neon yellow T-shirt so bright it could burn someone's eyeballs out. Towering above the boys there and self-conscious about her height, she prefers to think that it's the boys who are the outliers, that Becky has more "dwarf" friends than Snow White -- but one among them catches her eye, Rob, a definite Bashful.
Strangely, though they've never before met, the tall girl and the shy boy take to each other like long lost pals. So begins an unusual tweenage friendship, one that carries the two kids though a year both terrible and wonderful. There's banter, and fun with fantasy. Ballplayers so huge they're named after mountains. An island populated with up-chucking vampire birds. Freaky fortunes from a funky fortune-teller lady. A flukey fishing trip, and a rollicking, roller-coaster of a small plane ride. Father's Day blues. And in the end, a climactic, life-changing event that spirals down from "out of the blue."
My Review
During the summer before 7th grade D.C. attends her cousin's birthday party where she meets Rob. The two hit it off right from the start, but after the party the two fail to keep in touch. Over the remaining summer months tragedy strikes both of their families. When school begins Rob is surprised and grateful to see D.C. who has moved to the area and now attends his school. Their friendship deepens and happiness soon replaces the sorrow each experienced. The whirlwind year of field trips, plane rides, carnivals, school dances, and budding romance comes to an end as tragedy strikes yet again. Will Rob and D.C.'s friendship survive?
Two Kids explores the lives of two 12-year-old children and the struggles of growing up. The story is told from the perspective of the different characters which effectively gives readers and in-depth look at their thoughts and feelings. I felt the characters were well developed and got a kick out of their silly willy rhyming banter of made up names and words. I believe it shows just how special the friendship between Rob and D.C. is as well as the closeness Rob shares with his sister, even though he describes her as devilish. The story addresses many issues facing tweens and I found it to be an all around enjoyable read.
I recommend picking up a copy. Available on Amazon.