With Twice the Love, Dessie Mei
Justina Chen
HarperCollins Publishers
Available May 7, 2024
Ages 8-12

Dessie Mei Breedlove always wanted a sister-twin. She spots Donna on the first day at her new school in the middle of sixth grade. “I do a double take. And another. Because the black-haired girl in the front row looks exactly like me” (p. 6). They have identical brown eyes, identical shiny black hair, and identical sassy smiles. The girls dive headfirst into their new maybe-sisterhood, enjoying every similarity they share like their favorite band, A2Z. Dessie and Donna must find out if they truly are sister-twins. They secretly take a DNA test without their parents’ permission. Astonishingly, Dessie and Donna are identical twins adopted from the same orphanage in China, and they were adopted by two separate families: a white family named the Breedloves and a Taiwanese family named the Lees. Despite the girls’ similarities, their differences soon create conflict, but Dessie does everything in her power to remain in good graces with Donna and the Lee family.

Early middle-grade readers will eat up the theme of this story: “Make Some Noise and Get into Good Trouble” (p. 302), which comes from one of Grammy’s protest posters and the famous activist John Lewis. When Amah, Donna’s grandma, suffers a brutal attack at the market because of her skin color, strong-willed and vexatious Dessie decides something must be done. She and her friends “get into good trouble” by standing up for Amah and the entire Asian community by organizing a rally at their school. Dessie’s character develops from being a regular uncertain tween into a girl who is passionate about family, community, and standing up for what is right. She is motivated by her strong friendships, tight bond with her multigenerational family, and keen sense of justice. Dessie says, “I have so much love to give. And so, so much love to receive” (p. 315). In fact, supplementary themes of the importance of friend love and family love give this book the tone of a warm hug.