Brothers and Sisters

Being stuck in between a busy older sister and a cute baby sister makes Zack feel out of place. Then he discovers being in the middle isn’t so bad after all. Lighthearted illustrations extend the recognizable situations described in the breezy text.

When Ossie, Jamaica’s older brother, goes out to play, Jamaica follows. Ossie tells Jamaica that she’s a tag-along. But Jamaica soon meets another friend and together they turn the tables on her brother. Realistic watercolors convey the children’s emotions.

Emma is thrilled that her family is adopting a 4-year old boy. She soon learns, though, that being an older sister isn’t what she thought it would be at all. Gradually, Emma and Max start to feel like siblings as each child begins to adapt to their family’s new configuration. Expressive, simply drawn illustrations extend the smooth text.

Daisy, a winsome young duck, never looses faith that her new sibling will emerge from the egg, despite her mother’s warning that some eggs just don’t hatch. Daisy’s perseverance pays off when her new brother Pip finally pokes his way out of the shell. Cozy illustrations capture Daisy’s child-like confidence in an appealing story of determination and loyalty.

Alfie, a preschooler, understands his baby sister, Annie Rose. Like most siblings, Annie Rose is both a delight and a trial. In this book, realistic illustrations depict real children in sometimes untidy but always recognizable settings.

Wilson, a third grader, struggles with multiplication. He wishes he were as smart as the other kids in his class, or even his little brother, Kipper, who is a kindergarten math wiz. Wilson perseveres, however, and not only passes his times table test but gains a pet!

No matter how hard Ruby tries to get her baby brother to say the names of the objects around him, Max will only say “Bang!” One day, however, Ruby gets a big surprise from Max’s first real word. Understated humor and bright, bold illustrations appeal to children and their adults.

Lilly is sick and tired of hearing about the wonders of Julius, her new baby brother. Because she wants him to go back to where he came from, Lilly spends a lot of time in the “uncooperative chair.” But when a cousin criticizes Julius, Lilly learns just how protective a big sister can feel. Deceptively simple line and wash illustrations show the intense emotions of Lilly and her mouse family.

Rhythmic language and luminous paintings show the joy of this warm and loving family as they rejoice in their differences.

Sam uses a great deal of initiative to make just the right birthday present for his mother. But when he combines all of her favorite smells to make the perfect perfume, disastrous (and odiferous) results permeate this worthy sequel to All About Sam.

Annie, a preschooler, and her caring older brother Simon share everyday activities in four adventures in each of the brief chapters. Together Simon and Annie explore nature, Annie nurses Simon’s sneeze, learn a bit about cats and dogs, and solve the mystery of the missing chestnuts. Line drawings depict the warm sibling relationship.

Ling and Ting, (first introduced in Ling and Ting, Not Exactly the Same (opens in a new window)), share many things including their birthday. After all, they’re twins! Their special day — from gifts to wishes — is celebrated in six short chapters in which they help each other in many ways.

Grandma Lou joins Judy, Stink and their parents to ride out a hurricane. When the power is off, does a pretzel-eating ghost join the family? Characteristic good humor, recognizable situations and likeable characters are hallmarks of this series.

Twins Callie and Charlie have a lot in common, but they are also very different: Charlie has autism. Callie narrates the story, describing what autism is and exploring the issues that come along with it. The theme is of love, patience, and acceptance. Endnotes give a few basic facts for children unfamiliar with autism. The authors, a mother-daughter team, based this story on personal experience. The bright, mixed-media illustrations depict the family’s warmth and concern.

Eleven year old Delphine and her younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern, leave their native Brooklyn to visit their long-estranged mother in California. Cecile not warm towards her daughters, seemingly concentrating only on her poetry. Delphine narrates the first of three books which is set in Oakland, 1968. While on their own, the girls learn about the Black Panthers, how political movements impact individuals, and even how to reconnect with Cecile.

Fifth-grader, Liam, is the oldest of the three with two younger sisters. Confident Dakota is a third grader just waiting until she can cure cancer; friendly second grader, Izzy, is a hugger and notices things that other kids miss. Their parents are divorced and money is tight. Can the kids figure out what is causing their beloved dog to urinate on the apartment’s carpet – before the landlord evicts them? Difficult themes are handled with a light touch by the author of Newbery-honor winning, Al Capone Does My Shirts.

Catrina and her family are moving to the coast of Northern California because her little sister, Maya, is sick. Cat isn’t happy about leaving her friends for Bahía de la Luna, but Maya has cystic fibrosis and will benefit from the cool, salty air that blows in from the sea. As the girls explore their new home, a neighbor lets them in on a secret: There are ghosts in Bahía de la Luna. Maya is determined to meet one, but Cat wants nothing to do with them. As the time of year when ghosts reunite with their loved ones approaches, Cat must figure out how to put aside her fears for her sister’s sake – and her own.

When the younger brother describes his sister, she’s pictured as a rhinoceros, a boring, bossy bully. Flip the book over, and it’s the sister who sees her brother as a noisy, annoying monkey. They come together to realize that maybe two kids in “the family isn’t so bad.” But then with a “Waaaa,” a third sibling arrives! This humorous look at sibling dynamics is sure to resonate.

Though identical twins, Francine and Maureen Carter couldn’t be more different. And their close relationship is changing drastically as they start 6th grade. Siblings will see themselves in this realistic, engaging, and colorfully illustrated graphic novel as the twins compete for student council president.