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Our 6 Favorite Fictional Twins
Anyone who’s ever solved a rough morning with a double shot of espresso knows that two is sometimes better than one. But if you really want a jolt, pick up a book with twin characters. Fictional twins sometimes complement each other, sometimes contradict each other; they sound alike or like direct opposites. But they’re never boring.
Since there doesn’t appear to be a novelization of the masterpiece Big Business, starring two Bette Midlers and two Lily Tomlins (honestly, don’t get me started), here are my six favorite pairs of twinsies in middle-grade lit.
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Fred and George Weasley (Harry Potter Series, by J. K. Rowling)
Having a twin who shares your sense of humor is like having a built-in comedy partner for life. The pranks don’t stop at the Weasley brothers’ joke shop, Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes. It’s no wonder that they were born on April 1. And it’s also no wonder that J. K. Rowling has said they’re two of her favorite characters in the series.
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Lisa and Lottie (Lisa and Lottie, by Erich Kästner)
These 9-year-old European sisters are the inspiration for The Parent Trap. So at the very least, you’ve got to respect them for launching Lindsay Lohan’s career. Here’s the rundown, if you’re not familiar: separated at birth, the identical twins discover each other at summer camp, and they’re each dying to meet the parent the other one lives with. So they switch hairstyles and clothes, and then switch places on a quest to get to the bottom of their parents’ relationship, and possibly mend it. Cue “Let’s Get Together” (and our happy tears).
Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield (The Sweet Valley High Series, by Francine Pascal)
Their personalities couldn’t be more different: Elizabeth is smart, responsible, and kind of nerdy, and Jessica is wild, snobby, and kind of awful. But who cares? They’re both blonde, popular, and kind of perfect. And we love to devour all 30 years of their high school saga, from one hunky dreamboat to the next.
The Bobbsey Twins (The Bobbsey Twins Series, by Laura Lee Hope)
Want to double your fun, then double it again? The Bobbsey family has two sets of twins, and they’ve all been solving crimes for over a hundred years. It doesn’t matter how many internet “Which Vampire Diaries Character Are You?” quizzes, et al., you take: you won’t truly know yourself till you’ve read this series and determined if you’re a Nan, a Bert, a Freddie, or a Flossie.
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Sarah Louise and Caroline Bradshaw (Jacob Have I Loved, by Katherine Paterson)
If you don’t think that an update of the Jacob and Esau bible story, set in 1940s Chesapeake Bay, sounds awesome, your 7th grade teacher obviously didn’t assign you this Newbery Medal winner. Caroline is the pretty, popular one, and Sarah Louise is the one we identify with as she tries to escape her sister’s shadow. You’ll gasp. You’ll swoon. You’ll get hungry for crabs. You’ll call your sister and tell her you love her.
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Sophie and Josh Newman (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel Series, by Michael Scott)
Twin telepathy, miraculously splitting zygotes—twins can be excused for thinking there’s something magical about themselves. But Sophie and Josh are the only ones who are actually magic. And they’d better figure out how to use their powers, or the whole world will be destroyed. Pretty high stakes for teenagers. At least if it doesn’t work out, they can always blame the other one.
What’s your favorite pair of fictional twins?