Trivia / Mitch and Amy

• Technology Marches On: The book hasn't aged particularly well for this reason. To cite perhaps the biggest example, the twins' father is rather staunchly opposed to his children watching television and doesn't even particularly like the fact that the family owns one. Meanwhile, it's a remarkable thing for the kids that they have a television in their classroom. Nowadays, many homes have multiple televisions, and schools have much more advanced teaching aids.
• Write What You Know: The title characters are fraternal twins. Beverly Cleary herself was the mother of fraternal twins, Malcolm and Marianne, and based much of the story on her own experiences with them.