Anna Penland might not have expected to meet her “twin” that day, but volunteering at Auburn University’s EAGLES Program during her freshman year brought her together with Anna Moates, a student with Down syndrome.
“It was like a ‘Parent Trap’ moment,” Penland said, who has since graduated and taken a job teaching first grade at Augusta Circle Elementary School in Greenville.
The two became fast friends, bonding over what they had in common — they love going out to eat, going to concerts and baseball games, they love pizza and surprise parties. They even look alike, leading them to call each other twins.
It’s through that friendship that they co-wrote the children’s book “Almost Twins: A Story about Friendship and Inclusion.” The book follows the two young women as they plan a surprise party and celebrate their similarities and differences.
The idea for a book featuring a character with Down syndrome came up after one of Penland’s childhood media classes. She asked Moates if she ever remembered seeing a book about someone with Down syndrome. Moates said she hadn’t, and Penland suggested they could change that.
“It’s been such a dream come true for [Anna]. She’s breaking all kinds of stereotypes.” — Anna Penland, co-author of “Almost Twins: A Story About Friendship and Inclusion”
Their wealth of common interests helped build the story. Penland said she wanted to “sprinkle that awareness into the story so it’s not an informative pamphlet.”
It took a year and a half to write, with them meeting once a week to hammer out ideas. They made a list of what they had in common and what was different.
Moates is finishing up her last year at Auburn. The book is doing well-there’s not a single review under five stars on Amazon and it’s being carried by retailers such as Walmart, Target, Books-A-Million, among others. To date, they’ve sold — as far as they can track — about 1,500 copies.
Penland said the book “sparked” in the Down syndrome community, and she’s been approached by others who’ve been affected by the book, including those whose lives have been touched by autism.
Moates says it feels good, knowing their story is making a difference.
“It definitely makes me feel overwhelmed by so many emotions of happiness and excitement knowing what kind of an impact the book is made on the world and I just love it,” she said. “We are so inspired to see so many children with Down syndrome at our signings and hear their stories, too.”
Penland has been able to use the book in her own classes, teaching students about what causes Down syndrome. Her students also often ask about Moates — even at random times like during a math lesson.
As for what’s next, the “twins” are seeing where the book takes them. But they’ve not ruled out writing another.
“It’s been such a dream come true for [Anna],” Penland said. “She’s breaking all kinds of stereotypes.”
