Words apart

Word-obsessed 11-year-old Olive Spitz describes her 13-year-old artist sister Mattie as her sororal twin; they have no friends but each other. Because Mattie repeated kindergarten, the siblings have long been in the same class, and now navigate sixth grade together. But their relationship begins to fracture when Mattie--who often endures bullying about her intelligence and love for art--warns overly trusting Olive to stay away from Olive's crush, Max Tucker, and his newspaper crew ("If no one can see you, Olive/ then no one can laugh at you!"). Simultaneously, Mattie's poor grades imperil her attending a much-anticipated summer art program, and life at home feels incomplete with the girls' father away on weekdays at a new job. Short chapters by Lucido (Recipe for Disaster) make for a swift read, particularly as tensions at school and home mount. Olive's sections open with dictionary definitions and detail her emotional strife in verse, while Mattie's are rendered by the Corcutts (Too Much Clatter) via simple grayscale comics reminiscent of Raina Telgemeier's work. Olive and Mattie's skin tones match the white of the page. Ages 8--12. Author's agent: Kathleen Rushall, Andrea Brown Literary. Illustrators' agent: Georgia Tournay, Bright Agency. (Sept.)

Olive and Mattie Spitz are sisters and best friends who couldn't be more different, but they face problems big and small together. Eleven-year-old Olive loves words--she loves them so much that she constantly defines vocabulary, coins neologisms, and solves crossword puzzles. Thirteen-year-old Mattie loves art and drawing and can often be found doodling; reading is a challenge for her, and she was held back in school, so the girls are both in sixth grade despite their age difference. Olive calls them "sororal twins," a term she invented to express their strong bond. Yet, their closeness is put to the test when they encounter difficulties with bullies, grades, friends, a crush, and their parents. Their linguist father has been spending the week at his new job in North Carolina, a few hours away from their home in Richmond, Virginia. When he begins acting suspiciously, it puts the whole family on edge. Can the girls' special relationship withstand these tests? The sisters' narratives unfold in comics (Mattie) and verse (Olive). The poem titles resemble dictionary entries, with parts of speech and pronunciation guides, and several crossword puzzles that readers can solve are interspersed. The graphic art is expressive and evocative, clearly showing Mattie's feelings; her learning challenges form a thoughtfully handled throughline in the story. The Spitz family appear white, and in the black-and-white illustrations, the boy Olive likes has darker skin. A feast for lovers of words and comics alike that tackles real-life challenges. (crossword puzzle solutions)(Illustrated fiction. 9-13) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.