The Tapper Twins Go to War (with Each Other)

Claudia and Reese are twelve-year-old twins who live with their parents in New York. They are bright and attend a private school. One day, someone announces a foul smell in the cafeteria. Reese tells everyone his sister farted and calls Claudia “Princess Farts-a-Lot.” Needless to say, she is embarrassed and angry. Claudia thinks long and hard about how to get back at her brother, and what she comes up with is masterful. Let’s just say it involves a dead fish, and when Reese’s favorite backpack is ruined, it’s on. The stakes are raised, reinforcements are called in, and battles are waged.

This incredibly funny story is told as an oral history by the siblings. Claudia acts as editor, and her editorial comments are worth the price of admission. Geoff Rodkey, a former screenwriter, has his pacing down to a science. He seems completely and comfortably in touch with his middle-school self. The voices of the two characters telling the story are absolutely pitch-perfect. The language is modern and the emotions shown by the characters are perfectly pre-pubescent. The situations are believable, while at the same time outrageously funny. Kids are going to gobble up this new series. Adults will enjoy this too.