When their father accepts a new job in England, July, Liberty, and their family find themselves exploring the foggy streets of London. The twins try to discover the source of the voice only they can hear--a voice that needs their help. Using telepathy and their individual talents, the twins uncover a long-lost manuscript of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s, along with the ghost of Sherlock Holmes’s forgotten twin brother.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 4-6-- If one set of twins is double trouble, then two sets of twins in one family is double trouble squared, especially when the twins in question have the power to communicate with oneother telepathically. The Starbuck family includes 12-year-old fraternal twins July Burton and Liberty Bell; their younger mirror image siblings, Charlotte and Amalie; the children's mother, herself a twin; her obnoxious sister, Honey; and, lastly, father Putnam Starbuck, who has just become an undersecretary at the U. S. Embassy in London. This change of jobs and venue takes the twins and their teacher Zanny the Nanny (oh, these names!) to the native turf of their hero, Sherlock Holmes, and a rendezvous with a mysterious spirit voice that has been invading the twins' telepathic turf. If all of this sounds complicated, it is; in fact, so busy is the author with introducing her cornucopia of characters and their eccentricities that it takes her 154 pages to orchestrate the pivotal encounter that will engage the plot. Granted this is the first of a proposed series and, accordingly, a good deal of background information needs to be imparted. But the fundamental problem remains that there are simply too many characters, both human and . . . otherwise (this is a ghost story of sorts, after all). One hopes that future stories will focus more on plot and less on the too literary complexities of characterization. Otherwise the terms ``Starbuck Family'' and ``adventure'' will join the ranks of such treasured oxymorons as ``jumbo shrimp.'' --Michael Cart, Beverly Hills Public Library
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
About the Author
KATHRYN LASKY's many books for young people have received such honors as the Parents' Choice Award,and a Newbery Honor. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
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More About the Author
Hi Readers! Thanks for coming by my author page. I've written all sorts of books - from fantasy about animals to books about science. One of my favorite animal fantasy series, Guardians of Ga'Hoole, is a major motion picture. I liked writing about Ga'Hoole so much that I decided to revisit that world in a new series, Wolves of the Beyond. Visit my website, www.kathrynlasky.com to see a slide show about the real wolves I researched for the series and for the latest update on the Guardians of Ga'Hoole movie. All my best, Kathryn
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Mystery Mix,
By "saraswathi" (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Double Trouble Squared (Starbuck Family Adventures) (Hardcover)
Double Trouble Squared is a great mystery about the Starbuck twins, their ability to use telepathy with each other and their interest in Sherlock Holmes. Liberty and July, twins, a boy and girl, born on the Fourth of July, hence the names, and their little sisters, the twins Charley and Molly, have long been able to telepath, communicate with thought, instead of words. In the recent weeks surrounding their move to London, mysterious things are happening with their telepathy. Echoes, sad, but not frightening, and static are begining to interupt their communication.The children must unravel the mystery, leadin them into fooggy London, wodded Sussex, the Tower of London, Stratford upon Frustration and finally back to their house at Devonshire Mews. It is a wonderful, engrossing, but not at all scary mystery mixing twins, Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle, and London in a splendid mix.This book about the Starbuck family will make you want more.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great book for anyone interested in mysteries!!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Double Trouble Squared: A Starbuck Family Adventure, Book One (Paperback)
12 year old twins,Liberty and July, travel with their parents, tutor, and twin little sisters, Charly and Molly, to London where they find a lost manuscript and meet a literary ghost. Both sets of twins can communicate telepathically to any of the others which adds a really interesting twist to the book. I really loved this book because it's a wonderful, fast-paced, interesting mystery and it tells what it's like to be a twin. Once you've read this book you'll want to read the next two books in the series.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Book to Be Read Over and Over Again,
By Beth (Minnesota) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Double Trouble Squared: A Starbuck Family Adventure, Book One (Paperback)
I am into Double Trouble Squared for the 3rd time and still love it. I recommend this book for anyone interested in Sherlock Holmes, twins (twinology) or if you just want to read a great book. Liberty and July are so life-like, and if you know twins, like me, you will notice the similarities! READ THIS BOOK--interesting for all ages.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
LIBERTY STARBUCK LEANED out the window of her bedroom. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
telepathic channels, swamp adder, speckled band, dim echoes, literary ghost, little twins, bell rope Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Aunt Honey, Sherlock Holmes, Pinchin Lane, Baker Street, The Sign of Four, Blue Carbuncles, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Madeline Starbuck, Devonshire Mews, Putnam Starbuck, Tower of London, Bow Street Runners, Devonshire Place, Ambassador Whitmore, Jonathan Swan, The Adventure of the Speckled Band, Fourth of July, Shadrach Holmes, Bartholomew Sholto, Davy Crockett, Samuel Johnson, Westminster Bridge, Dakota Street, Kathryn Lasky, Lloyd's of London New!
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Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
LIBERTY STARBUCK LEANED out the window of her bedroom. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
telepathic channels, swamp adder, speckled band, dim echoes, literary ghost, little twins, bell rope Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Aunt Honey, Sherlock Holmes, Pinchin Lane, Baker Street, The Sign of Four, Blue Carbuncles, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Madeline Starbuck, Devonshire Mews, Putnam Starbuck, Tower of London, Bow Street Runners, Devonshire Place, Ambassador Whitmore, Jonathan Swan, The Adventure of the Speckled Band, Fourth of July, Shadrach Holmes, Bartholomew Sholto, Davy Crockett, Samuel Johnson, Westminster Bridge, Dakota Street, Kathryn Lasky, Lloyd's of London New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 9
books:
See all 9 books this book cites
3
books
cite this book:
- The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle on 5 pages
- Sign of Four by Sir Arthur Co Doyle on 5 pages
- The Sign of Four (Penguin Classics) by Arthur Conan Doyle on 5 pages
- Speckled Band (Travelman Short Stories) by Arthur Conan Doyle on page 169, and page 208
- Speckled Band by Arthur Conan, Sir Doyle on page 169, and page 208
See all 9 books this book cites
- Celebrating Girls: Nurturing and Empowering Our Daughters by Virginia Beane Rutter in Back Matter
- True North by Kathryn Lasky in Front Matter
- Independent Reading Activities That Keep Kids Learning. . . While You Teach Small Groups (Grades 3-6) by Susan Finney on page 50
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