Customer Reviews

Mitch And Amy (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was my favorite book back in third grade. It told the story of two twins, totally different, named Mitch and Amy. Mitch was good at math but was awful at reading. Amy loved to read but couldn't get multiplication. Mitch preferred riding on homemade skateboards. Amy enjoyed reading Laura Ingalls Wilder with her best friend Marla. They were in the fourth grade where "TV in school" was a big deal, and girl scouts was Amy's afterschool activity. And they were totally different nine year old kids who didn't have anything in common. Except for Alan Hibbler, class bully and a pain in the neck to both Mitch and Amy. Because of him, the two kids might as well have something in common.

I read it then and still read it; wishing even now that Bev Cleary had written a sequel - wouldn't it be funny to see where Mitch and Amy ended up? But its a good book in its own. The new covers for all her work only attract more readers -- and the book alone just still appeals to me.... and hopefully to you, too.

There are actually two versions of this book- an newer one with illustrations by Alan Tiegreen, who has been doing the illustrations for Beverly Cleary's books since the 70's, and the original, which had illustrations by George Porter. I guess Mr. Porter was the intermediate link between Tiegreen and Louis Darling, the illustrator of Mrs. Cleary's books in the 50's and early 60's. It's a matter of personal taste over which illustrations are better. I grew up reading the version with Mr. Porter's illustrations, which depicts the characters as definitely children of the 1960's. On the other hand, Mr. Tiegreen's depictions of Beverly Cleary's characters are less realistic looking, but because of their rather cartoony appearance are not as susceptible to looking as dated as those by Porter and Darling.

Beverly Cleary always took experiences from her own life to include in her books, but "Mitch & Amy" is probably the most personal of her fictional books. She, herself, was the mother of boy-girl twins and actually lived in the San Franisco setting of the book. Maybe because it was about two subjects so close to her real life, her twins and her adopted hometown, that she never did a follow-up story. Thus, "Mitch & Amy" is one of Mrs. Cleary's very few "stand-alone" books.

It's the story of a twin sister and brother, Amy and Mitchell, who live in San Francisco. Despite their shared birthday, they are seemingly exact opposites who constantly squabble with one another. However, deep-down there is a very strong bond between the two of them and each one truly understands the other. Sometimes they forget that bond. Yet when a bully targets each twin individually, the two of them bond together to help each other overcome this mutual menace.

This is a typical Cleary novel- told with her usual sense of humor and wonderful ability to capture what really matters to children. Regardless of whether the illustrations show Porter's 60's era children with their flat-top haircuts and short pants or Tiegreen's pug-nosed characters, most kids will probably enjoy reading about these two regular kids who just happen to be twins.

You should read the book Mitch and Amy because it is a great book! This book is about a pair of twins(Mitch, Amy) who always fight. But then a school bully named Alan Hibbler start's bugging Mitch and then he bug's Amy too! This book is realistic and it shows that there are more important things to do than fighting. This book also will teach you lessons you'll never forget!

My b/g twins and I read this book together. They are soon to be 9 and the book describes the life of twins so well. Well we read this book I kept saying boy they sound like you two to my twins. This is a fun book to read. My twins would tell you it's a must have book.
We all know Beverly Clearly is an awesome writer and she wrote this book so well.

REVIEW- Mitch And Amy- Beverly Clearly- ISBN- 0-688-10807-5
"Being twins are harder then you think." Mitch and Amy said in unison. Trying to be able to win the argument over who got the bathroom this morning. I can believe it is. Mitch and Amy is one of my favorite books of all time. It has family life, twin arguments, and school issues. Over their summer vacation, Amy would brag on what page she is on, she knows Mitch has problems with reading. Then on the first day of fourth grade, Mitch brags about multiplication tests on the fist few days of school. Mitch knows Amy has problems with multiplication. , Mitch and Amy would often feel bad for each other.

I found this book tops because I can relate to it. Even though, my two little brothers, (5 and 7) equal one Mitch and my older (15) sister is another Mitch. I, unfortunately (13) am just one Amy. Only, just like Mitch and Amy, we do get along, sometimes. I do believe that it was a page-turner. I just had to know what Amy did at fights. So now when my two Mitches start a fight, like they always do, I will do just what Amy did. I would certainly say that the end of the chapters had a cliffhanger. Examples, "You'd be surprised, Amy." Amy went into her room and put "Mitchell was a pest," before drawing a skull with cross bones below it. Another ending was he did not want them to see him come with a broken skateboard and...

I read this in second grade, and it was (and is) one of my favorites. It shows how two people with very different interests and talents can find find common ground and form an alliance. Everyone you love doesn't have to be exactly like you!

This is a terrific book about two children growing up. It has a different subject in every chapter, so it doesn't get boring. Mitch, a boy, has a sister named Amy, and they have fun, friends, foes, and many problems in school, at home, or playing outside. You'll probably like other books by Beverly Cleary if you liked this. In my opinion, this is one of the best books that I've read!

I REALLY liked this one. A lot. A lot a lot. It was a great portrayal of twins, and I'm sure any twins reading would have gotten a kick out of it. Again, classic Ramona-type material/humor. The alternating chapters were great, and surprisingly for once, I found myself relating to the male character, Mitch, more than Amy, who struck me as kind of a stuck up spoiled brat. The problems the twins deal with are common ones, though, particularly the bully problem ("He's the type who's nice to grown ups but not to kids." How many of us know a person like that?) Minor detail, I adored that the kids considered "school" a bad word, I would have definitely done that as a kid. The only thing I disliked was the ending--I felt some more resolution, a more significant scene, was needed between the twins.

Rating: 5/5

Nine-year-old twins Mitchell and Amy are opposites -- he's good in math and bad in reading, while Amy's good in reading and bad at math. She is serious and worries about everything, while he just plain doesn't seem to care. And no matter what Mitchell or Amy does, it generally results in the other running to complain to their parents.

It seems the twins will never find common ground...until a bully comes along. Although he begins to torment them separately, it's working together that Mitchell and Amy will finally begin to see eye to eye.

Twins Mitch and Amy are totally different from each other.
While Mitch does best in his multiplication tables, Amy does best in her reading. They fight almost constantly, about the littlest things, and they like to annoy each other, like when Mitch had to read aloud to their mom, Amy sat in the same room, and kept on bugging him by gloating on which page she was on, and when their parents forgot about making Amy do her multiplication tables, Mitch reminded them. They never had anything in common, until Alan Hibbler, the neighborhood bully, bothered both Mitch and Amy. The twins set aside thier differences and then they went against Alan.


I think this is a good book, but then since I don't have any siblings, I couldn't really feel the pain that they go through at times, arguing and fighting. But then Mitch and Amy kind of helps. It also tells about standing up to bullies, such as Alan Hibbler.