Twitches (novel series)

Twitches is a 2000s American children's fantasy novel series by H. B. Gilmour and Randi Reisfeld with cover art and design by David Loew and Joyce White. The authors are published by Scholastic Press, who also publishes the British Harry Potter septet for J.K. Rowling and the Canadian Anne of Green Gables quartet for Lucy Maud Montgomery. The Disney Channel's television film adaptations for 2005 and 2007 were based on "The Power of Two" alone.

Books

The 10-book series focuses on long lost twin sisters who discovered that they are witches of Coventry Island. Camryn "Cam" Alicia Barnes, also known as Apolla DuBaer, is a popular and preppy teen with a Sun amulet. Alexandra "Alex" Nicole Fielding, is a gothic teen that constantly changes the color of her hair, also known as Artemis DuBaer, wears the matching amulet of the Moon. The twins were separated on October 31, 1986 and years later, the two meet up as schoolgirls with ESP, Cam can see the future and Alex can read people's minds. Their legal guardians are the careless, young witch Ileana and the mischievous, aging warlock Karsh. The twins' birth parents are Coventry Island's witch and warlock, Miranda and Aron DuBaer. The twins' birth was foretold by their ancestors years ago. It is called the La Prophetic Aux Yeux Gris (The Prophecy of the Gray Eyes). The two lived completely different lives, miles away from each other, not knowing of their powers until they met in The Power of Two. The series follows the girls' preadolescence at the ages of 14 – 15 in the years 2000 – 2001 and ends with their 16th year in 2002.

Novels

1. The Power of Two ISBN 0-439-24070-0
2. Building a Mystery ISBN 0-439-24071-9
3. Seeing is Deceiving ISBN 0-439-24072-7
4. Dead Wrong ISBN 0-439-24073-5
5. Don't Think Twice ISBN 0-439-24074-3
6. Double Jeopardy ISBN 0-439-24075-1
7. Kindred Spirits ISBN 0-439-47219-9
8. The Witch Hunters ISBN 0-439-49227-0
9. Split Decision ISBN 0-439-49230-0
10. Destiny's Twins ISBN 0-439-49232-7

International

• Germany and France: Witches Hexengirls
• United Kingdom and Canada: T*Witches

Characters

Witches and warlocks

• Camryn Alicia Barnes/Apolla DuBaer is the younger twin. She was born as the sun was rising and wears the sun amulet. (Apollo, whom Cam was named after, was the Greek mythological sun god, and Artemis' twin.) Cam is the preppy, popular twin with an upbeat personality. She grew up in suburban Marble Bay, Massachusetts. She is an alumna of Marble Bay High School's Class of 2004. She is part of a social circle of six and her boyfriends throughout the series are Shane Antayus Wright and Jason Weissman. Her specialized powers are psychokinesis, telepathy, clairvoyance, hyperactive sight, blinding people temporarily, and pyrokinesis.

• Alexandra Nicole Fielding/Artemis DuBaer is the older twin. She was born as the moon was setting and wears the moon amulet. (Artemis, whom Alex was named after, was the Greek mythological moon goddess, and Apollo's twin.) Alex is the spunky, punky twin with a cynical personality. She grew up in Crow Creek, Montana and is an alumna of Crow Creek Regional High School's Class of 2004. Her closest friends are Lucinda and Evan, and her boyfriends throughout the series are Cade Richman and Andy Yatz. Her specialized powers are psychokinesis, telepathy, hyperactive sense of smell and hearing, remote viewing, cryokinesis, and premonition.

• Miranda Martine-DuBaer is the twins' mother. She wears a sun and moon amulet. After the birth of the twins and her husband's death, she lost almost all of her powers and she disappeared. No one knew where she was except Thantos. She thought her daughters were dead too until Thantos decided to tell her they were alive 14 years later. After she met them for the first time, she went back to Coventry Island and tried to connect to her home again. She did not know that Thantos was using her until he paralyzed her and Ileana trying to get Cam on his side. Her specialized powers are telepathy, precognition, and remote viewing.

• Thantos DuBaer is Illeana's father and an uncle to the twins. He owns a multimillion, multinational business and is extremely powerful in both worlds. He practices dark magic and was always jealous of his brother, Aron. He has tried to kill the twins numerous times but failed. Toward the end of the series he asked Miranda to marry him but she said no. In Book 10, he was to be ignored by everyone on Coventry Island at the end of the twins initiation. His known powers are cold and ice manipulation, telepathy, hyperactive sight, smell, and hearing, and blinding people temporarily.

• Aron DuBaer is the twins' father and the middle brother of Thantos and Fredo. From what we know, he was very powerful and was a generous wizard. His younger brother, Fredo, killed him, trying to please Thantos, the day his twin daughters were born. The twins were then passed into Karsh's and Illeana's care, who delegated the task to human foster parents. His known powers are telepathy, remote viewing, hyperactive sight, smell, and hearing, clairvoyance, and shape-shifting.

• Karsh Antayus is the guardian of Alex(Artemis) and a mentor to the twins. He guided many witches and wizards and saved the twins life many times which resulted in his death. He had separated the twins at birth by Ileana's command but 14 years later brought them together.

• Fredo DuBaer is the younger brother of Thantos and Aron. He has little power and is in the Coventry Island jail for killing his brother, Aron. He has lived in the shadows of Thantos most of his life and even tried to kill the twins for Thantos. He has two sons, Vey and Tsuris DuBaer. His known powers are telepathy and shape-shifting.

• Ileana DuBaer is a cousin to the twins and their guardian. Her parents are Thantos DuBaer and Beatrice Hazlitt. After her mother died giving birth to her, Thantos abandoned her and Karsh Antayus, a distant relative of her mother, raised her. Her mother had little or no power, but Ileana was a very powerful witch until she found out who her father was. Ileana is sometimes self-centered and has a temper but she is caring and dependable, unlike her father. Her boyfriend is Brice Stanley. Her specialized powers are telekinesis, precognition, hyperactive sight, levitation, shape-shifting, telepathy.

• Vey and Tsuris DuBaer are the sons of Fredo and cousins to the twins. They are only half-warlock, their mother, Coco Lopez, is human. They killed Karsh but have not been tried for his death. They were raised by their mother and are not very bright. Their known powers: They can trust their powers to get through a porthole.

• Brice Stanley A moviestar that is also a warlock.

Humans

• David Barnes is a lawyer and knew since Cam was a baby that she was a witch. Dave is known as a sensitive (a person with powers who is not a witch or warlock) and when he adopted Camryn he became a Protector. David had psychokinesis and precognition but hasn't used any of his other powers since he adopted Cam.

• Emily Barnes is an interior designer and had no idea that the twins are witches because she is a mortal. In the DCOM: She finds out Camryn is a witch after Cam and Alex meet. She is very fun and easygoing, and is very supportive of Camryn.

• Dylan Michael Barnes is the younger adoptive brother of Cam and the biological child of David and Emily. He and Alex hit it off right from the beginning. His known powers: Karsh had hinted to Dave in Book 2 that Dylan may be a Sensitive like his father once was.

• Sara Fielding is Alex's foster mother and a Protector who eventually dies of lung cancer. Sara was Alex's Protector until she died when Alex was 14. Her powers are unknown.

• Isaac Fielding: The adoptive parents of Alexandra. Isaac left Alex and Sara when Alex was almost 8 years old. In Book 4, we find out why. Isaac had found out that Alex had powers and wanted to use her to score some easy money so Sara threw him out. He showed up 4 months after Sara died trying to get Alex back but was killed by Fredo.

• Evan Fretts is one of Alexandra's best friends.

• Lucinda Carmelson is one of Alexandra's best friends.

• Elizabeth Fish is Camryn's best friend in her six pack.

• Marleigh Cooper is a celebrated teenage pop singer who is friends with Camryn's social circle. Marleigh and Cam share a different kind of friendship and silently agree that they cannot be friends at first sight. Cam's classmate, Tonya Gladstone, wants to use Marleigh for profit. When Marleigh disappears, Alex helps Cam find her. Cam and Alex rescue her when she is alone and in danger of losing herself and her place in society.

Settings

• Marble Bay, Massachusetts: Music & More Store, Marble Bay High School, Cambridge, Boston University, Endicott Drive, Webster Road, Barneses residence, Gladstone residence, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, Pie in the Sky pizzeria

• Crow Creek, Montana: Crow Creek Regional High School, Big Sky Resort, Big Sky, Fielding trailer park

• Coventry Island: Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Great Lakes

External links

• T*Witches page from Scholastic