Double Act (novel)

Last updated

Double Act
DoubleAct.jpg
First edition
Author Jacqueline Wilson
Illustrator Sue Heap
Nick Sharratt
co-illustrators
Language English
GenreChildren's novel
Publisher Yearling Books, Doubleday, Corgi
Publication date
1995
Media typePrint
Pages192 pp
Reading age: 9–12-year olds

Double Act is a children's novel by Jacqueline Wilson, written in the style of a diary, which features identical twins Ruby and Garnet. Ruby and Garnet love each other dearly but they are completely different. Ruby is loud, outgoing and wild though Garnet is shy, quiet and kind. It was published in 1995, co-illustrated by Sue Heap and Nick Sharratt, and it won both the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize (ages 9–11 years and overall) and the Red House Children's Book Award.

Contents

Double Act was "Highly Commended" runner up for the annual Carnegie Medal from the British Library Association, recognising the year's best children's book by a British subject. That commendation was approximately annual at the time. [1] The 1995 Medal winner, Northern Lights by Philip Pullman, was named one of the top ten by a panel of experts and was voted the public favourite for the 70th anniversary "Carnegie of Carnegies" in 2007. [2]

Plot summary

The book takes the form of the twins alternately narrating the story of their life in an accounts book. Ruby and Garnet are 10-year-old identical twins living with their father and grandmother since their mother, Opal, died. The two have always been close despite their differences—Ruby is sociable, headstrong, and dreams of being an actress, while introverted Garnet is content to let Ruby dominate their relationship. The twins have their own secret language, and they don't like to make friends at school because they have each other. When their father gets a new girlfriend, Rose, and a new job, their once stable relationship is thrown into turmoil, as the relationship leads to feelings of betrayal from their father to their late mother, and it comes with a price—leaving their grandmother behind for a bookshop in the country.

Ruby insists that the girls should not stand for their new lifestyle. They get into trouble with the village bullies after throwing mud at them. Garnet starts off well in new school and works hard, but once she makes a new friend called Judy, Ruby sulks and ignores her twin. Garnet quickly changes her actions to repair their relationship. After this, they do not behave properly in school and do not talk to anyone else. They never listen to Rose and feel angry and neglected.

Ruby finds an article about auditions for a TV adaptation of The Twins at St. Clare's , and is keen for the two of them to go ahead and audition, even though Garnet declines and their father doesn't agree. Surprisingly, Rose is supportive, although her efforts are for nothing, Ruby plots and succeeds in them running away to London for the audition. When their moments comes, Ruby confidently does her audition well. Garnet however is very scared, and is about to deliver a good audition but their father appears just as she is about to begin, and she cannot say anything. She feels terrible for spoiling Ruby's chance at fame.

Near summer, Ruby, realising that the TV movie is being filmed at a prestigious boarding school for girls, Marnock Heights, fixates on the idea of the twins becoming " the real Twins at St Clare's" and decides that the pair ought to sign up for scholarships—of which there is only one. Despite their father's early hesitation to the idea, he ultimately agrees, and they sit the entrance exam. Ruby is disgusted by Garnet's descriptive and mature writing but remains confident they will both pass. It is later revealed that only Garnet won the scholarship. Ruby is devastated as she was confident that she would win it if they both could not 'wangle one' together. Garnet is torn between pleasing her sister and doing something different, for once. Meanwhile, Ruby refuses to talk to her, and often wanders off on her own. She is determined to be different from Garnet and ends up cutting her hair short in pursuit of that goal.

She does not let herself be around Garnet for the whole summer, and even though they both feel as though they are missing something, Ruby is too proud to apologise while Garnet wishes Ruby would accept her apologies. After making friends with someone she previously considered rather a bully, Ruby starts to realise that she and Garnet do not need to be the same, and do not have to do the same things, to be happy. She also realises, alternately, that being together would have helped Garnet feel better about leaving. Ruby finds a friend in Rose, also, who encourages her to say sorry to Garnet. During this portion of the book, Ruby writes in a notepad she calls a MEMORANDUM.

In the end, Ruby apologises to Garnet, and they both realise that they can still be together while apart, as long as they remember each other. Garnet leaves for the school, and writes a letter about how much she is enjoying it.

A further story about the twins, where Garnet comes home for Christmas after her first term at Marnock Heights, appears in The Jacqueline Wilson Christmas Cracker. Adult versions of Ruby and Garnet also appear in The Butterfly Club. Ruby has become a children's television presenter named Ruby Red, and Garnet is a scriptwriter and producer.

Adaptation

The television film was made in 2001 for Channel 4 and aired in 2002, starring Birmingham twins, Zoe and Chloe Tempest-Jones. [3]

Trivia

In the book, the TV show the girls audition for is a TV adaptation of The Twins at St. Clare's. However, in the TV movie, the book is called The Terrible Tempest Twins.

In the book the twins live in London. However, in the TV movie, they live in Birmingham.

Critical reception

Publishers Weekly described it as "an unexceptional mix of familiar plot devices" and recommended it (or did not) for readers age 9 to 12. [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Northern Lights</i> (Pullman novel) 1995 novel by Philip Pullman

Northern Lights is a young-adult fantasy novel by Philip Pullman, published in 1995 by Scholastic UK. Set in a parallel universe, it follows the journey of Lyra Belacqua to the Arctic in search of her missing friend, Roger Parslow, and her imprisoned uncle, Lord Asriel, who has been conducting experiments with a mysterious substance known as "Dust".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacqueline Wilson</span> English novelist (born 1945)

Dame Jacqueline Wilson is an English novelist known for her popular children's literature. Her novels have been notable for tackling realistic topics such as adoption and divorce without alienating her large readership. Since her debut novel in 1969, Wilson has written more than 100 books.

<i>Toms Midnight Garden</i> 1958 novel by Philippa Pearce

Tom's Midnight Garden is a children's fantasy novel by English author Philippa Pearce. It was first published in 1958 by Oxford University Press with illustrations by Susan Einzig. The story is about a twelve-year-old Tom who, while staying with his aunt and uncle, slips out at midnight and discovers a magical, mysterious Victorian garden where he befriends a young girl named Hatty. The novel has been reissued in print many times and also adapted for radio, television, cinema, and the stage.

<i>Junk</i> (novel) 1996 novel by Melvin Burgess

Junk, known as Smack in the US, is a realistic novel for young adults, written by British author Melvin Burgess and published in 1996 by Andersen in the UK. Set on the streets of Bristol, England, it features two runaway teenagers who join a group of squatters, where they fall into heroin addiction and embrace anarchism. Both critically and commercially, it is the best received of Burgess' novels. Yet it was unusually controversial at first, criticised negatively for its 'how-to' aspect, or its dark realism, or its moral relativism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharon Creech</span> American writer (born 1945)

Sharon Creech is an American writer of children's novels. She was the first American winner of the Carnegie Medal for British children's books and the first person to win both the American Newbery Medal and the British Carnegie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caroline Alessi</span> Fictional character from the soap opera Neighbours

Caroline Alessi is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Gillian Blakeney. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 18 January 1990, alongside her twin sister Christina Alessi, played by Gillian's real-life twin, Gayle Blakeney. Both sisters reprised their roles in June 2019, and returned on 6 September.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mel Burton</span> Soap opera character

Mel Burton is a fictional character from the British television soap opera Hollyoaks, played by actress Cassie Powney. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 23 September 2003. Powney joined the cast along with her twin Connie Powney, who plays Mel's twin sister Sophie Burton. They auditioned for the roles six months after deciding they should stop putting themselves forward for twin roles. Mel was introduced along with Joe Spencer and Robbie Flynn, as new students attending Hollyoaks College. The character's family were introduced a month later. Mel is characterised as being clever, introverted and more controlled than her sister.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lauren Child</span> English author and illustrator (born 1965)

Lauren Margot Peachy Child is an English children's author and illustrator. She is best known for the Charlie and Lola picture book series. Her influences include E. H. Shepard, Quentin Blake, Carl Larsson, and Ludwig Bemelmans.

<i>Ruby Holler</i> 2002 fantasy childrens novel by Sharon Creech

Ruby Holler (2002) is a low fantasy novel for children by the American writer Sharon Creech, published by HarperCollins in 2002. It features adolescent orphan twins who are "trouble" and an eccentric older couple who adopt them and take them back to live in "magical" Ruby Holler (hollow).

Emily Gravett is an English author and illustrator of children's picture books. For her debut book Wolves published in 2005 and Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears published three years later, she won the annual Kate Greenaway Medal recognising the year's best-illustrated British children's book.

Double Act is a TV adaptation of Jacqueline Wilson's best selling book, Double Act. The telefilm was made in 2001 for Channel 4 and screened in 2002, starring Birmingham twins, Zoe and Chloe Tempest-Jones. It was directed by Cilla Ware. It was the last acting role of Charlotte Coleman before she died.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xavier Austin</span> Soap opera character

Xavier Austin is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by David Jones-Roberts. The character debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 20 November 2008. Jones-Roberts was cast in the role after previously auditioning for the roles of four other characters. Xavier has been portrayed as a caring character who has had to look after his family. Many of his storylines have been centred on his relationship with Ruby Buckton. Xavier departed on 3 July 2012, but made a brief return from 23 to 24 April 2013, for the funeral of his mother, Gina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruby Buckton</span> Fictional character in Home and Away

Ruby Buckton is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Rebecca Breeds. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 20 June 2008. Ruby was created by executive producer Cameron Welsh. When she was first introduced she appeared to hide her problems and pretends to be strong. She was characterised as a free spirited and independent girl. Her storylines have consistently followed themes such as romance, unrequited love and rejection. In what has been described as a "shock storyline" Ruby discovered her sister Charlie Buckton was in fact her mother. This had subsequent effects in her character development. She became out of place and confused about her life. It destroyed her trust in Charlie and their relationship never recovered. Ruby went on a journey of self-discovery and used men to redefine herself. Her relationship with Xavier Austin was characterised through their mutual friendship, which ended through lack of passion. She controversially fell in love with her music teacher Liam Murphy, the pair shared an emotional and creative connection through music. Yet, her advances were unrequited and it created problems with her state of mind and began binge drinking. Breeds felt the storyline differed to her romance with Xavier, as it showed Ruby "headstrong and unconfined". Breeds felt they were ill-suited to one another.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casey Braxton</span> Soap opera character

Casey Braxton is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Lincoln Younes. Casey made his first on-screen appearance on 17 February 2011. Younes was about to go travelling when he auditioned for the role of Casey. He changed his plans upon winning the role. In late 2010 the Seven Network began airing trailers for a new trio of characters known as "The River Boys". The trio consist of Casey and his older half-brothers Darryl and Heath Braxton. The River Boys arrive in Summer Bay from neighbouring town Mangrove River. Casey is characterised as being a "modern day Rebel Without a Cause"; who is intelligent and unsure about what he wants out of life. Younes has described him as the "epitome of teenage angst". The River Boys cause trouble in Summer Bay and producers were inspired by Koby Abberton's Bra Boys in the creation process. Casey is portrayed as wanting to distance himself from their bad reputation; but his anger issues often mar his attempts.

Josh Willis (<i>Neighbours</i>) Fictional character

Joshua "Josh" Willis is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Harley Bonner. The actor was cast in the role after being persuaded to attend the audition by his agent. He began filming his first scenes in early February 2013. Bonner's character and his family were created and introduced to Neighbours, as part of an ongoing overhaul of the show's cast and renewed focus on family units within the show. He made his first screen appearance during "Episode 6646", which was first broadcast on 20 May 2013. Bonner left Neighbours to pursue new acting opportunities, and Josh was killed off during the episode broadcast on 5 April 2016.

<i>Petals on the Wind</i> (film) 2014 American film

Petals on the Wind is a 2014 Lifetime movie sequel to the 2014 adaptation Flowers in the Attic, starring Heather Graham, Rose McIver, Wyatt Nash, Bailey Buntain and Ellen Burstyn. It is based on V. C. Andrews' 1980 novel of the same name, the second novel on the Dollanganger series. The film follows the surviving Dollanganger children—Cathy, Chris and Carrie—ten years after escaping the attic. Despite attempting to move on with their lives, after multiple failed attempts and tragedies occur, Cathy decides it is time to take revenge on her mother.

The Answer (<i>Steven Universe</i>) 22nd episode of the 2nd season of Steven Universe

"The Answer" is the 22nd episode of the second season of American animated television series Steven Universe, which premiered on January 4, 2016 on Cartoon Network. It was written and storyboarded by Lamar Abrams and Katie Mitroff. The episode was viewed by 1.384 million viewers.

Garnet (<i>Steven Universe</i>) Fictional character

Garnet is a character from the animated series Steven Universe, created by Rebecca Sugar. Based on the real world mineral garnet, Garnet is a Gem, a fictional alien being that exists as a magical gemstone projecting a holographic body. Garnet is a fusion — i.e., two Gems combining personalities and appearances as one shared holographic body — formed by two Gems named Ruby and Sapphire, who choose to remain permanently fused out of love for each other.

References

  1. "Carnegie Medal Award" Archived 27 March 2019 at the Wayback Machine . 2007(?). Curriculum Lab. Elihu Burritt Library. Central Connecticut State University. Retrieved 2012-07-13.
  2. "70 Years Celebration: Anniversary Top Tens" Archived 27 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine . The CILIP Carnegie & Kate Greenaway Children's Book Awards. CILIP. Retrieved 2012-07-13.
  3. Double Act (TV Movie 2002) ⭐ 6.2 | Drama . Retrieved 28 December 2024 via m.imdb.com.
  4. "Double Act". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2013-09-04. Bookseller presentation quoting several reviews.