Johanna Hurwitz

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. 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....

First-grader Montgomery Gerald Morris enjoys an exciting year as his class acquires a pair of parakeets as pets, he loses his first tooth, and he becomes a big brother.

Lucas Cott, the most obstreperous boy in the third grade, finds it very hard to turn over a new leaf when he decides to become the perfect student.

When his owner's parents let him go in Central Park, a young guinea pig learns to survive in the natural world with the help of a "park-wise" squirrel while trying to find his way back home.

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,

...

Pee Wee the guinea pig and his friend Lexi the squirrel help a new guinea pig adjust to life in the wilds of New York City's Central Park, but are unsure what to do about the approach of winter.