Siblings Books

In Getting the Girl, Markus Zusak takes us into the world of Cameron Wolfe, a high school boy living in the shadow of his older siblings: Steve who's smart and driven and successful at everything he does, Sarah who works hard, and Ruben, a fighter who earns the respect of all the guys in the neighborhood and who easily gets any woman he wants.

But Cameron is a loner, with no friends outside his family, no girls to go out with, and nothing to do at night but wander the streets around his home. Things start to change for Cam when Octavia comes into his life. Octavia is the latest in a long line of girls dumped by Ruben. Cam sees her as different from the rest, and when she makes it known she's interested in him, Cam doesn't hesitate. But how does he open up to someone when he's so used to being alone? And how does he tell Ruben that's he's dating one of his ex-girlfriends?

Cameron is an unlikely hero. Quiet and unassuming, he's caught between wanting to find someone who appreciates him for what he is and wanting to be more than what he lets others see of him. Getting the Girl delves into complex issues of family and the roles played by different members, and finding a way to be true to yourself while not being overshadowed by more forceful personalities.

Markus Zusak has a way of writing that makes you forget you're reading about a fictional character and instead think you could run into Cam Wolfe on the street one day. Excellent!

His first being Fighting Reuben Wolfe. Both are tight, crisp and strong. Both should be on your bookself if you love great, engaging stories with characters who jump off the page and plots that grip your heart, make you smile and leave you satisfied when you turn the last page.

I loved this book. It was a quick, easy read. A lovely story about a teenage boy becoming a man,discovering love and finding a comfortable place within his family and the world around him. I have enjoyed all Zusak's books and I am amazed that someone so young can write with such feeling and understanding.

3 Weeks ago I read The book Thief, loved it so much i ordered fighting ruben and getting the girl. Mr. Zusak is an amazing down to earth writer that I seem to keep craving more of. I'll be moving on to the messenger and waiting anxiously for whatever else he writes. Thanks for adding substance to my world.

Friday, I read "Fighting Reuben Wolf"...couldn't put it down. Saturday, I read "Getting"...do I need to say more? All I can say, in all truthfulness is: "Write more, Markus and write fast!"

I purchased this for my sister's birthday.
I had to read it first and loved the photos
with the attached sentiments. This makes
a good gift from sister to sister.

I bought this book for my sister to let her know how much she is appreciated. Since she lives far from me, I am hoping it will serve as a reminder. I added my own special notes to the quotes to add some additional laughs and tears. The quotes serve any sister well and remind us where we came from.

I bought this book for my sister who is going through some tough times and it conveyed my love and support for her in words and pictures that were endearing and heartfelt.

This is a precious book for sisters. The photos and quotes are magnificant. I read it every day. And when my sister and I have a problem, we quote from the book. Bonnie Kuchler did a beautiful job. My favorite is actually from an unknown. "A sister is one who will pick you up when you are down. If she cannot pick you up she will lie down beside you and listen". I'm so glad I could comment on this most beautiful book. Thank you.

I gave this to my big sister. It was a wonderful way of saying I love you. She was very pleased with it

Louisiana's Song is a wonderful book. Great for all ages. Once again, Kerry Madden takes you deep into the very heart of the Weems family and keeps you there! I found myself longing for more Weems stories!

Kerry Madden is a master at creating characters that existed in a real part of America - and allowing readers to understand the times and tribulations of a family in a time not too long ago. The importance of keeping recent history alive for young readers cannot be overstated. Real people, real problems, real characters that young (and old) readers can identify with and understand. Heartwarming, but not soft, Madden goes deep into the characters. This is the kind of book that keeps it real. The book stands alone, but to get the entire journey, start at Gentle's Holler.

This book can show about really good times and really hard times. It could definitely teach people that have an easy and carefree life about much harder times and much better times. It's adventurous and exciting, and if you love nature, this book is perfect for you.


Alexis...
8yrs. old

Louisiana's Song

In reading Madden's second book of the Maggie Valley series and of the Weems family, you find yourself lost in the story. At the end, you must return to the world of tv, canned music, microwaves, etc. Madden's stories of the beautiful Maggie Valley might well be set anywhere as a young girl struggles with her dreams and the reality of everyday life.

This series is a great read for middle schoolers, teenagers, and even to the more mature readers who just want to lose themselves in a time that was more peaceful, more in touch with nature, and families were closer.

Here's my general rule regarding sequels: If you can pick it up and read it through without knowing one teeny tiny detail about the previous book (and I am including the author's name in that statement) and still feel like it stands entirely on its own two feet, then that's a pretty good book, mister. And "Louisiana's Song" is a pretty good book. A soft novel. The kind of book for a certain kind of doe-eyed twelve-year-old girl, perhaps. Or maybe I'm just limiting the scope of the potential audience of this title. In "Louisiana's Song" you're dealing with personal loss, hardship, and disillusionment. The ending could have used a once over, but for the most part this is a strong title and one that is sure to become deeply beloved by someone out there somewhere.

All Livy Two really wants is for life to become "normal" again. Ever since her daddy got in that car accident all those months ago her life has been topsy-turvy. Mama is having difficulty getting ends to meet. Grandma Horace is always insisting that they leave their lovely mountain holler home in the North Carolina mountains to live somewhere industrial. But now it is 1963 and daddy is coming home at last! Surely everything will go back to normal now, right? Wrong. Having suffered severe head trauma from his accident, Livy Two's daddy needs to relearn everything about his old life slowly. To Livy Two's surprise, however, it's her quiet sister Louise that is able to provide daddy with the help he needs and who works up the courage to sell pictures to make money for the family. Will all that be enough to overcome Grandma Horace's campaign to get their mama a factory job and them into the city? Time will only tell.

It's funny that the hero of Ms. Madden's series is always Livy Two, but that the titles are always named after her siblings and not herself. It's probably the mark of the series that the heroine's tales always bear the name of her sibs and that she herself bears a name that serves as a constant reminder that she was not the first child named "Livy" in her family. This is a loving household, but one that gives its children certain weights to bear. At one point Livy Two's mama explains why she willingly had so many children. It was because their father wanted a big family and to live in the beautiful outdoors. Now he's been hurt and no money was put aside for his family in his absence. And when families are this large, it's the older siblings who get stuck with the brunt of the responsibility. Little wonder that Livy Two's older brother Emmett takes off the minute he thinks he can.

Madden gets the emotional quality of her story right. In fact, there are times when it feels like she's shooting you through with one feeling or another on the sly. Livy Two's daddy is a good example of this. When they bring him to a kind of fun park called Ghost Town to see his son, a faux gunfight breaks out. The next line reads that, "Daddy stops crying and watches the rest of the show from behind a post." We didn't even necessarily know that he WAS crying at that point. So really, in a way this makes me feel even more sorry for him than if Madden were giving you a play-by-play of all her characters' emotional states and actions. The same might be said for Grandma Horace. Since we're seeing all of this from Livy Two's perspective, we're not supposed to sympathize with her Grandma, but it's hard for adult readers not to see her point of view when she says, "Child, I'm sixty-one years old, and I'm surprised that this year has not put me in my grave." Her methods for getting the family to move to Buncombe County may be questionable, but you can understand why she'd want to give her grandchildren what she truly believes to be a better life. Admittedly, it was a bit precious for me at times. I'll acknowledge that. It's remarkably hard for an author, any author, to show sentiment without dipping into twee. For the most part Livy Two and Louise are able to give their younger siblings stories and fairy realms that feel of childish innocence. Other times it's a bit much for me, though I suspect that child readers won't mind a jot.

As I mentioned before, this book doesn't require any knowledge of its preceding novel, Gentle's Holler. Be that as it may be, there were a couple moments where I got a bit confused. There's someone named "Uncle Hazard", for example, who is not identified as a dog until you're onto page 12 and the barking begins. And if you're not a fan of series where the plot bleeds into its sequel, best that you avoid this book. I got to the end of the tale without a lot of the major plot points getting resolved and was shocked to suddenly find my nose in the Acknowledgments section. It's an odd choice on Madden's part, I'll admit. "Louisiana's Song" stands on its own right up until the end. Readers, particularly child readers, aren't fans of books that leave them hanging so I wonder if at least one of the dangling strings could have been resolved.

There's a class of sixth graders that comes into my library once or twice a month, and these kids have a huge range of tastes and preferences. I'd say that five or six of the girls, though, like a certain kind of book. They read Izzy, Willy-Nilly by Cynthia Voight, A Corner Of The Universe by Ann Martin, and Shug by Jenny Han. They eat these puppies up and then come to me asking, "Do you have any more of the same? Do you have anything EXACTLY like these books?" I don't, obviously. The best that I can do is to sloooowly introduce them to the notion of historical fiction. These are kids who prefer contemporary fare, but find the right historical novel with the right characters and emotions and they go to town. So the next time I see them, I'm going to have to booktalk "Louisiana's Song". It'll be right up their alley. The great characters. The feelings of love and frustration between siblings. Trying to strike out on your own. For a certain kind of reader, this is a book to love.

It is summertime and I wanted my daughter, who is eleven, to read at least one book. This was one of the books on a reading list recommended by her school. Once she started it, she couldn't put it down. She loved the "mystery" aspect of it. She said that it was the best book she has ever read!

This book was so fun to read, and so engaging, that I could not put it down. The characters are very real and endearing, and the plot line makes the reader think about how different people will see right and wrong differently. You gotta read this book!

Sallie March, 11 year old spunky, tomboy and her older ladylike sister Maude live with Aunt Ruthie until their Aunt has the misfortune to be accidentally shot dead by the notorious Joe Harden.

The two girls are taken in by Reverend Peasley and his wife, who immediately put the girls to work running the household while they take it easy. Maude, on whom falls the brunt of the work and being courted by an elderly gentleman, decides it is time to take her's and Sallie's fortune into their own hands and brave the wilds of the frontier in search of their last living relative, Uncle Arlen.

But Maude and Sally soon find that losing their Aunt Ruthie is only the beginning of their problems as they ride out of Cedar Rapids and into the kind of trouble Sallie has only read about in her beloved dime novels.

Told by Sallie as she tries to set the record straight and punctuated by the erroneous newspaper reports of "Mad Maude and her gang", this rollicking Wild West adventure story will leave you begging for more.

Very engaging story. Characters are likable, plot is well paced. The sequel is great, too.

If your child or student doesn't like historical fiction, try them on this one. They won't be able to put it down. The book also has enough period details to make it great supplemental reading for an American history unit.

There is an older brother and a girl who live with their grand parents. Babushka the grandma tells great stories. The older brother is mean to his sister when Babushka is not there. Older brother thinks he can do everything better den his sister. The older brother can get more berries than his sister. The sister said she can chew more sour rhubarb than the brother. He brother likes the rhubarb and the older brother still beats her. The girl sees a shooting star. She wishes to do anything better than her brother. The carnival comes to town. The older brother says that he can eat more hot dogs. The girl rode the merry go round even after her brother got off. The girl fell down. Her brother took her ton the bed. The girl woke up. Everyone was worried. The girl had fallen off the merry go round. Her brother had carried her home. She said "Thank you." The older brother and the sister felt happy. They were friends. I liked this book because the boy is mean but after he is nice.

By Jujay

I love the illustrations, they seemed to come alive. The expressions of the characters and the way the poses flow makes the story that more exciting. The moral of the story surely hit home. I will enjoy reading this book to my grand children.

I loved this book! It was hilarious! Trisha has a very mean older brother named Richard. Richard could do everything better than Trisha. He could: sit the longest, burp the loudest, get the dirtiest, run the fastest, climb the highest, and throw the farthest. Trisha was so angry! She wanted to be better at something than Richard. When she saw a shooting star she wished for something she could do better.
Her wish comes true-but you'll have to read the book to find out how!
Patricia Palacco is a great story teller. Sometimes she writes funny books and sometimes she writes sad and thoughtful books. All of her books are great!
by Rachel from Stockbridge Central School.

My Rotten Red Headed Older Brother, written by Patricia Polacco, is about a girl and her older brother. Her brother is always nice when their parents or their grandmother are around, but when they aren't around the girl's brother is really mean. He makes fun of her because she can't beat him in anything.

I like this book because it's kind of like the relationship between my brother and me. I recommend it for anyone who likes well-written picture books.

This story, based on Polacco's on experiences as a child, tells how Tricia's older brother does everything faster and better than she can, but soon she discovers that brothers aren't so bad after all, at least sometimes. The pencil and marker cut-out illustrations show Polacco's expertise with the media, highlighting the expressions on the characters' faces and giving a glimpse as to the lengths young Tricia will go to try and best her brother. This autobiographical story looks at one facet of Polacco's life, one that most children can relate to and understand, that is, if they have rotten older siblings like Tricia's.

Olivia Kidney is a first-rate kid in a first-rate book. Everyone feels lonely from time to time but Olivia's got it bad. Her father's job is working as a superintendent for apartment buildings. The problem is he's not very good at fixing things. So they're always moving. And since her mom left, things are especially hard.

Now they've moved to another new place. At her new school, Olivia hasn't made any friends AND she has to go see the school psychiatrist. It couldn't get worse, right? Wrong? When Olivia comes home, she can't find her key. Luckily a neighbor lets her into the building. But she still can't get into her apartment and that's when all the trouble really starts.

The author, Ellen Potter has done an excellent job in creating a wild ride through Olivia's adventure. The characters are fun, funny and bit freaky too. At first, I was a bit trepidacious as Olivia started adventuring from apartment to apartment. But she always landed on her feet, so I felt more comfortable as I suspended belief while Olivia met one character odder than the next. Finally all is well as - with a splash and a buzz - the story is brought full circle with a thoroughly wonderful and satisfying ending.

Olivia Kidney is an exciting book that I would recommend to kids of all ages.
Olivia Kidney is a girl that is constantly moving from apartment to apartment
because of her dad's job as a superintendent at the apartment. She meets this
woman in her apartment that has glass floors and walls, and she can see through
above, beside and below into the other rooms. Then Olivia goes to Master Clive
and he tells her a story. The story is about these ships hearing a beautiful sound.
They follow it and it turns out that its really a trap that lizards set up to kill the
people on the ship and steal all of there money. Olivia, ends up on the island of
lizards and finds the shell. Do the lizards kill her or not?
The setting in this book are very interesting. There are a lot of different
places she goes to. The first one is her new apartment. It has twenty-three floors
and she lives on the fourteenth floor. Everyone is annoyed with her because she is
too loud. The second place is Master Clive's house. She lives in a wooden, kind of
tree house thing. Its really dirty. Last but not least she ends up on the Beach. The
lizards are in charge of the beach.
This is for sure one of the funnest books I have ever read.

I thought this book was really cool and interesting because of all the scenes and problems she had faced. I thought the glass apartment was awesome i even read this book for my book repost for school and made a diarama of the glass apartment.!!! i recommened this book to any adventure lover.

Olivia Kidney


If you lost your apartment keys would you search all over for them? You probably would.
Well it all started one day when this girl named Olivia kidney lost her apartment keys at school. She had just moved into a new apartment and a new school, so as you would expect she didn't know her way around. As she was looking for her keys she ran into many strange things such as talking lizards, a rainforest apartment, ghosts that only she could see, and even an apartment made entirely of glass!!
Olivia Kidney is a shy and open girl, she is ready for anything coming her way as she is looking for her apartment keys she has to face almost death. My favorite character in this book is Olivia. She is an intelligent little girl who is on a mission and nothing can get in the way.
I would defiantly recommend this book to girls. I would also recommend this book to someone who likes adventurous, dramatic, and funny books.

Olivia Kidney is a great book about a girl that needs a friend. She has a good imagination and is a very good listener. She is able in just an ordinary everyday apartment house to use her skills and find herself in her own amazing adventures. She is like a good friend I would have if I knew her in real life! Check it out!

Maya, age 8

Fantastic book, Joshua Mowll can do no wrong beatifully presented and a brilliant plot. What a ripping yarn

10 Out of 10 for this book,
Bring on Storm City!!!!

I purchased this book as a holiday gift for "tween" members of the family. At this time, all I can say is that the book was accurately described and shipped promptly.

My kids loved the two books in the series, they hardly wait for the final volume.

My 11-year-old son reads everything he can get his hands on. When I asked him how he liked this book, he thought about it, and finally said,"I would have to say it's the best book I've ever read." 'Nuff said!

Having grown up with Edgar Rice Burroughs - this is exactly the sort of high adventure I loved. These are more sophisticated technically (no need for strange powers etc). I thoroughly enjoyed the first book and am not disappointed with the second. The presentation is superb, with excellent facsimile documents and photographs, made to look like a real journal, beautiful fold out maps and schematics of Ships, and submarines, captivate. The story is fast paced and has and authenticity to it. A real Indiana Jones meets the league of extraordinary gentlemen. Enough to stimulate the imagination of any reader, adult or child.

I found this book by literally crawling around on the floor of one of my favorite local bookstores. The title caught my attention and the front picture did me in. The Puppy Sister is an adorable read and very light-hearted. The story's easy to follow and the illustrations add the right touch to the story. The reading itself feels like it's somewhat for the younger set, but then again it's told from the point of veiw of an Aussie puppy.

For anybody who loves animals, I definatly suggest this book! It even serves as a good read-aloud book too!
If you happen to be a furre, you'll eat it up! :3

I read this book as a bedtime story to my son & I thought he'd never stop laughing & fall asleep! If you've never understood how a dog thinks, particularly an Australian Shepherd, this book is a must! I personally loved the description of how Aleasha (the puppy) couldn't stop herself from chewing things because her teeth just "itched" so badly! GREAT!!! I never thought of it that way! I raise Australian Shepherds & am going to be ordering a pile of these to go to my puppy's homes that have children.

I first read this book when i was 7 or 6 and throughly enjoyed it. Though when I read it very recently, I still found it good, but confusing at parts gramatically with the wording. It's about Nick, a boy who's always wanted a sister, and Aleasha, an aussie puppy who wants to be a girl. Overall, it was a pretty good book and I recommend it to people who enjoy a short, sweet story.

The Puppy Sister is a fantasy to be enjoyed by young or the young at heart. Alesha, a Aussie puppy doesn't understand why Nick (her owner)doesn't treat her like a person. Then, as she realizes that she isn't human, she decides that she can become a human. A true masterpice!

I have always loved reading, but when my first grade teacher gave me this book when i was six, I read a little of it, then put it down. It wasn't until six years later, I was browsing my book shelves filled with my childhood books that I found this book again. It was a school morning, but I picked it up anyways and started reading it. I couldn't put it down! Sure, it wasn't my reading level, but it was a sweet book, written in a way that makes you want to know what happens next. It's about a little boy named Nick who gets an Aussie puppy named Aleasha instead of his wish-a sister. Aleasha wants Nick to play with her like he would a real little girl, but he doesn't. So she comes up with a plan. She will turn into a human. What happens next? Read the book to find out, or read another review that theaches you more about it. Whatever!! But it's a really sweet book.

This is a wonderfully funny book with an engaging story about three sisters. My 8 year old daughter loved it so much that she insisted on reading it out loud to me. She was rolling on the floor laughing and had me in stitches too. Megan McDonald connects with kids in an utterly humorous way. Her other books...the Judy Moody series and the Stink series are equally as fun to read and excellent for kids reading easier chapter books. We will be keeping our eyes open for whatever Megan writes next. My daughter loves her books!

Sisters Club was the funniest book I have ever read. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes drama, acting, and likes to hear about plays. The book is about three sisters who have a club and like acting.

Although I must admit that this is a hilarious book, the author also provides lifelong messages which each and every one of you can relate to somehow in your lives. Three sisters form a club to bring each other closer together. However, through serious fights and arguments, the death of the club comes near, almost ending forever. But through forgiveness and laughter, three sisters learn how to live through some of life's toughest challenges and overcome them. This is sure to be a book you won't be giving away anytime soon.

This book is so good I'd read it over
and over again if I had the chance.
The greatest club is one with the
people you love. That's what the Reel
family girls think. Alex,Stevie' and Joey
have formed a club that they will never
forget. The have laughs, fun, disscutions,
and the elements of being girls. this book
is very apropriate and is good for ages
9-12. It is a good read and is waiting for
YOU to go and grab right off the shelf.

(A kid's review) I read and reread my copy of THE SISTERS CLUB over and over - it never gets dull or tiring! It's a wonderful work of literature for grade school girls. If I could rate this more than five stars, I'd jump at the chance. It's entertaining, funny, and there is no mention of anything inappropriate. It's a fun novel about three sisters, Alex, Stevie, and Joey Reel, who form a club for Reel sisters only! In between giggle fits, acting parts at the local theater, boy problems and sister arguments, they always have an awesome time together, because, as their mom likes to say - sisters are forever!

this was a very good book and i enjoyed it a lot. everyone should read it because it has a very good story line. i would reccomend this book to people who love to read.

My seven year old daughter and I finished this book last night. She was very sad to have it end. What a wonderful account of the devastating storm that hit the islands of Assateague and Chincoteague and the relief efforts to rebuild the islands and the devastated wild pony population.

It was very heartwarming to read in the epilogue excerpts from actual letters of children that sent in their hard earned money to buy back the ponies sold at previous Pony Penning Days to replenish the wild herds of Assateugue. These children and others like them preserved a tradition that had been maintained for over 100 years and because of them continues on today. In fact, Marguerite Henry dedicated this book to those very children that made it all possible.

Marguerite Henry does an excellent job of using local dialect in the telling of the story, especially with Grandpa and Grandma. You can not help but become involved in the characters and their concerns become very real to you.

I read this book many many years ago and had forgotten a great deal of the story. One of the things I did remember was Misty being put in Grandma's kitchen to wait out the storm.

If you are like me and read this book many years ago I encourage to reread it. You will be glad you did.

Marguerite Henry really did it again! She wrote another great book. The only bad thing about this book is they save the best parts for last! If you get bored while reading, keep on reading for it is worth it. You will love this book...Read it!

-Emily Patton

This is the true story of Misty, a famous horse who gave birth to a foal named Stormy during a raging, devastating storm. The book then presents an accurately detailed account of rebuilding the island of Chincoteauge after the storm.
The plot of this is exciting and suspenseful book twists just to the reader's liking, and has times of slow sadness. The odd regional colloquial speech of the characters may sometimes confuses the reader, but it is so well written you it presents a mental picture better than a movie.
This is a very interesting book to me. Its many scenes convey many different emotions: some humor, some happiness, and some intense sorrow. I am also extremely inspired by Paul Beebe, who shows courage and self-control as I would like to. It is a favorite of mine, and a worthy addition to any bookshelf.

No pony would want to be pregnant in the middle of the big hurricane that killed almost everything in Chincoteague and Assateague. Paul and Maureen love the fact that Misty is going to have a baby until the storm hits. When Paul and Maureen leave Misty, everyone is extremely worried. Misty needs to find a way to survive along with her unborn baby! This is a wonderful story that will have you hanging on to every page. I recommend this book to anybody who has read Misty of Chincoteague or anyone who likes horse stories.