Double Act (novel) facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Jacqueline Wilson |
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| Illustrator | Sue Heap Nick Sharratt co-illustrators |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Publisher | Yearling elodie rules (true) Books, Doubleday, Corgi |
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Publication date
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1995 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 192 pp |
| Reading age: 9–12-year olds | |
Double Act is a popular children's book written by Jacqueline Wilson. It's told like a diary, sharing the thoughts of two identical twins named Ruby and Garnet. Even though they look exactly alike, they are very different! Ruby is outgoing and loves to be the center of attention. Garnet, on the other hand, is quiet and a bit shy.
The book came out in 1995. It has cool drawings by Sue Heap and Nick Sharratt. Double Act won some big awards, like the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize and the Red House Children's Book Award. It was also highly praised for the Carnegie Medal, which celebrates the best children's book by a British author each year.
Contents
What is Double Act About?
Meet Ruby and Garnet
The story is told by Ruby and Garnet themselves. They write in an old "Accounts book," taking turns to share their feelings. The twins are ten years old. They live with their dad and grandmother. Their mom, Opal, passed away when they were younger.
Ruby and Garnet have always been super close. They even have their own secret language! They don't really try to make friends at school because they have each other. Ruby is the leader, always pushing them to try new things. Garnet is happy to follow along.
Big Changes for the Twins
Their lives change a lot when their dad gets a new girlfriend named Rose. He also gets a new job. This means they have to move far away to the countryside. They will live above a bookshop and leave their grandmother behind. This makes the twins feel like their dad is forgetting their mom. It also makes them very upset about leaving their old life.
Starting Over in the Country
Ruby doesn't like their new life at all. She tries to make sure they don't fit in. The twins even get into trouble with some local bullies. Garnet tries hard at their new school at first. She even makes a new friend named Judy. But Ruby gets jealous and ignores Garnet. To fix things with Ruby, Garnet quickly stops being friends with Judy. After this, the twins decide not to behave well at school. They also don't talk to anyone else. They feel angry and ignored by Rose.
A Chance for Fame?
Ruby finds out about auditions for a TV show. It's based on a book called The Twins at St. Clare's. Ruby is super excited and wants them both to try out. Garnet isn't so sure, and their dad doesn't agree either. Surprisingly, Rose supports the idea.
Ruby secretly plans for them to run away to London for the audition. When it's their turn, Ruby performs really well. Garnet is very scared. She is about to start her audition when their dad suddenly appears. Garnet gets too nervous and can't say anything. She feels terrible for ruining Ruby's big chance.
A Scholarship and a New Path
Later, Ruby realizes the TV show is being filmed at a fancy boarding school for girls. It's called Marnock Heights. She decides they should both try for scholarships there. But there's only one scholarship available! Their dad isn't sure about the idea at first.
They both take the entrance exam. Ruby is confident she will win. She thinks Garnet's writing is too grown-up. But it turns out only Garnet wins the scholarship. Ruby is heartbroken. She thought for sure she would get it. Garnet feels torn. She wants to please her sister, but she also wants to try something new for herself.
Growing Apart and Coming Together
Ruby is very upset and refuses to talk to Garnet. She starts to wander off by herself. She wants to be different from Garnet. She even cuts off her hair. For the whole summer, Ruby avoids Garnet. Both twins feel like something is missing. But Ruby is too proud to say sorry. Garnet wishes she could apologize.
Ruby eventually becomes friends with someone she used to think was a bully. This helps her realize something important. She and Garnet don't have to be exactly alike to be happy. They don't have to do the same things. She also realizes that being together would have helped Garnet feel better about leaving. Ruby also finds a friend in Rose. Rose encourages Ruby to apologize to Garnet.
In the end, Ruby says sorry to Garnet. They both understand that they can still be close, even if they are doing different things. Garnet goes off to the boarding school. She writes a letter saying how much she is enjoying it.
What Happens Next?
Older versions of Ruby and Garnet appear in another book called The Butterfly Club. Ruby becomes a children's TV presenter known as Ruby Red. Garnet becomes a scriptwriter and producer for TV shows.
TV Show Adaptation
Double Act on Screen
A TV movie based on Double Act was made in 2001 for Channel 4. It was shown in 2002. Twin sisters, Zoe and Chloe Tempest-Jones from Birmingham, starred in the film.
Fun Differences Between Book and TV Show
- In the book, the TV show the girls audition for is called The Twins at St. Clare's. But in the TV movie, it's called The Terrible Tempest Twins.
- The twins live in London in the book. However, in the TV movie, they live in Birmingham.
