Lisa and Lottie

I don't remember ever reading this as a child, but I'm sure I would have enjoyed it if I had. Reading it as an adult, the book's underlying assumption that two nine-year-olds know better than their parents is a bit irritating, as it's meant to be. Kästner's views about adults are made clear by a

Show More

lovely comment part way through the book: he tells his reader that, if a grown-up is reading this over your shoulder and complains that you are too young to be reading about divorce, you should remind them about Shirley Temple being old enough to act in films she wasn't old enough to go to see in the cinema.

Otherwise, it is as charming, funny and down to earth as Kästner always is, and there's a good deal more psychological depth to the characters than meets the eye. The exchanged-twins plot may be as old as the hills, but that doesn't matter here, as long as he does something interesting with it. And he does. There is a wealth of lovely detail about the practicalities of swapping lives; the ending may be a little predictable, but the genre doesn't really allow any other way for such a story to end, so we can forgive him for that.

Show Less

I loved this book absolutely to pieces when I was a child and I have also watched and greatly enjoyed the German film version multiple times (the one from the 1950s that had the author, Erich Kästner, write the screen play). It is much more authentic than The Parent Trap (which took some rather

Show More

huge and for me, unforgivable liberties with the plot). Kästner has definitely managed to realistically portray the many problems faced by children of divorced parents, as well as the irresponsible behaviours that are at times exhibited by parents (separating very young twin siblings, and then not even telling them that they have siblings is NEVER an acceptable option, children are not objects). The novel takes children, their hopes, dreams and desires seriously and is also a reminder to adults (to parents) that children must not be ignored, that they deserve to know the truth, and that irresponsible adult behaviours can have problematic, difficult, even potentially dangerous consequences.

Show Less

Simple and sweet story about twins separated at birth who discover their parents' secret. Yes, it's the source of The Parent Trap, but is much more gentle and less raucous than the Disney movie.