Runaway Twin

by Peg Kehret, 197 pages

Runaway Twin is a 2011-2012 Mark Twain Award Nominee. Sunny has spent most of her life in foster care. Although she has finally been placed in a home she likes, she is still unhappy. Sunny was separated from her twin sister, Starr, when they were three years old. She has no idea where Starr is now, but the thought of a twin sister somewhere in the world, the only person who can really understand her, haunts her thought and keeps her from being satisfied. She's always felt that something is missing, and she won't be complete until she's reunited with Starr.

When Sunny finds a mysterious sack of cash while on a hike, she decides the time has come to find her twin. She runs away from her foster home with only a vague idea of where to begin her search.

Sunny is a quick-witted and engaging main character. Her intelligence and intuition keep what could be a pretty implausible plot from seeming unbelievable. While this wasn't my favorite Mark Twain Award Nominee, this book could have a lot of appeal for older kids/YA (Sunny is 13, and there are some scary parts), and boys, if they don't mind a female main character.