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(4)
4-6
Magical realism motivates the action in this story of orphan girl-boy twins Penny and Parker, who try to revitalize New Hope, North Carolina, in a bid to stay permanently. Though narrator Penny doesn't know who their father is, she pretends she's descended from a panoply of famous Americans while she searches. Biographical information about these icons is inserted somewhat intrusively, but Penny's desire for roots rings true.
(3)
4-6
In 1977, after their father's death, eleven-year-old tomboy Chip and her sisters are taken to their grandmother, who immediately recruits them for the local beauty pageant. Chip doesn't stand a chance, until she discovers a charm school that may just be magical. Scott toes the line between fantasy and reality with aplomb, keeping readers hopeful that Chip's heartrending struggle will end happily.