Siblings Books

I love this book. The Illustrations are beautiful. It teaches sharing and shows love brothers have for one another. When I read this book to my boys they sit still and listen so carefully. They love this book as much as I do.

I was introduced to this book from a friend. My two boys love this story. I enjoy reading it as much as the two of them enjoy listening to it.
I think it is helpful to introduce when the sibling rivalry begins to pop up in the family. (Maybe even before.)
The illustrations are magical and brilliantly placed in the story line.
I highly recommend this book.

I bought this book when I was pregnant with my second son. By the time my older son was 2 1/2, he was reading it to his one year-old brother by memory!! The pages have been taped and retaped, they are so well-read!! The illustrations are exquisite! The story is beautiful!! What a sweet, sweet story that celebrates the love between two brothers!

I've seen my share of "sharing" books that attempt to teach kids sharing, and this is one of the best. Unlike some "sharing" books that teach kids that it's OK to be selfish, this one models good behavior while at the same time showing that when the brothers are selfish, they hurt the other brother's feelings.

The illustrations capture in exquisite detail the facial expressions of the children, so there is a lot more to this book than the written text. Children especially can read the subtext from the illustrations. Even small children recognize the mixture of surprise, frustration, and hurt that plays across the little brother's face as his big brother tells him he can't play with his truck.

I loved this book and so did my 4 year old and 2 year old. It seems like they can both really relate to the brothers in the book. It is a book that they want read over and over. The illustrations are fabulous!

this is a fantastic book!in this book elizabeth and jessica's cousin robin wakefield has come to live at there place! and over the weekend there is a dance(girls ask boys' one)so robin has to find a date and fast! she goes to the bowling alley with her frends and there she meets todd wilkins and she decides this is the guy for her! meanwhile jessica has her eye for juan a new exchange student who likes robin! so jessica sets up a skim so that robin can go with todd so she can go with juan...she thinks she is doing her sister,elizabeth, a favour by taking boring todd away from her but this is not what elizabeth thinks..............

I REMEMBER READING THIS BOOK WHEN I WAS 11yrs OLD. IT WAS VERY ENGROSSING AND GOOD. IT SEEMED REALISTIC. SINCE THEN I HAVE BECOME A FAN OF SWEET VALLEY-KIDS, HIGH ETC.

It is funny because of robin fall in love with Liz sort-of boyfriend Todd Wilkins as Liz ask Tood to be good to Robin! although the twin are excited of their favourite cousin coming! REad this book to Find out the solution !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is a realistic story in the way that 3 cousins behave together,screaming and laughing too much.Robin,the twins cuz,is visiting for a week and she gets a crush on Todd who is Elizabeths boyfriend.When Robin finds out Elizabeth dates Todd,she actually accuse Elizabeth of being a boyfriend-stealer!!!So annoying!

THIS WAS A GREAT BOOK.THIS WAS MY FIRST SWEET VALLY AND, I REALLY LIKED IT.IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THIS BOOK ----- THEN YOU ARE REALLY MISSING SOMETHING!!

This book is well writen and very highly recomended.This book shows the real life of some teens and what they go through to be cool, or popular. Macon,Iowa. A small town with very little people. Kyra has lived here all of her life, and everything was perfect. Until a new teacher arrives and mixes up everything. How did it go down hill so fast? Who was the cause? Read to find out.

This series is about the guilt three different people feel involving the death of Sammy, who is a twin brother to Kyra. This book is Kyra's point of view. This series is interesting because there are three different points of view and you get to see how each person tells the story. This book was absolutely amazing! Everything in this book was so real, I could actually see something like that happening in my town and in my highschool. Everyone can relate to something in the book, maybe even more than one thing. I could not put it down and found myself staying up late just to get further into the book! I can't wait to read the next book, Miranda's story. I would recommend this book to all teen girls out there or anyone else looking for a great read! You won't be disappointed, I know I wasn't!

i think this book was a very good book. it is a good book for young teens/adults should read before they go out and do something like partying or drinking underage without thinking first.and hopefully they will think before doing things. over all it was a great book and i would read it again. i recomend this book to young adults, and hope that everyone else who reads it too likes it.

Kyra's Story is about a girl named Kyra, and her troubles in life. She has a Brother named Sammy, and friends named Miranda and her boyfriend Ryan, and her best friend in the world Dylan. She is a senior and is so nervous about the play tryouts. She always gets the lead, and she is nervous that she won't get the part since they have a new English teacher named Mitch. When she doesn't think that her tryout is good enough she demands that she tryout again. She gets nervous and sneaks into his pills. After that she felt like she needed pills so she took her mother's pills and blamed it on her brother. When her brother finds out he makes her stop and then tells him that he's a geek and so shy and up tight. So after that she didn't see him until the night of the play. after the play they threw a party at Miranda's house but something went terribly wrong. Something Kyra and everyone their will regret for the rest of their lives.

Sammy James is dead. His twin sister, Kyra, believes that it's all her fault. He wouldn't have been in the compromising situation that resulted in his death if Kyra hadn't driven him to it. As she awaits her turn to testify at the trial for Sammy's murder, Kyra looks back at the past few months and ponders her role.

Kyra has held the lead in every play since kindergarten in her hometown of Macon, Iowa. She's a cheerleader who runs with the "in" crowd, and has already been accepted at NYU for next year. The charismatic new English teacher, Mitchell Wade, forges an instant connection with the students on their level. He is in charge of the senior play, and Kyra's tension mounts as she's not sure she will impress him enough to win the lead.

In contrast, Sammy is laid back and does his own thing. Kyra feels the stress building each day--the constant pressure to do, act, and be the best. She starts sneaking Xanax from her mother in order to take off the "edge", and that works for a while. As Kyra becomes more and more addicted, her perception of her relationships is altered. When Sammy finds out what Kyra is doing, will she stop? What exactly is Kyra's role in Sammy's death?

I was pulled into KYRA'S STORY from the first page. It is one of three books in the DEGREES OF GUILT series; each book is written from a different person's perspective. After reading the book, a code is included and the reader can go to the website and read that person's trial testimony. Also featured at the website is the final verdict naming who is responsible for what happened to Sammy.

Kyra could be any high school senior. Her struggles with perfection will hit home for anyone who is currently experiencing the drama of high school, as well as those who are looking back. My daughter is a senior, and she said, "Wow, this author really knows what we're going through!" Sammy is the innocent victim, and it will be interesting to see how everything plays out over the course of the next books. Mitchell Wade is the ultimate villain; he's cunning and integrates himself into the lives of the teens in a way that seems commonplace and natural.

A subtle faith message is included, as Kyra learns to depend on God rather than the drugs for her strength. KYRA'S STORY has universal appeal, and is highly recommended for both adults and teens. All three books are available now, and readers will want to pick up all of them to get the full picture of the events surrounding Sammy's death.

Courtesy of www.BookLoons.com

I discovered this book by accident @ our local library over 1 year ago with my oldest, then 3. She absolutely adored it and still speaks of it to this day. Now my youngest, now 3, is having his own bad dreams and this book instantly came to mind. We've since moved and our local library doesn't carry this book so yes, I'm buying our own copy. It's a great book to help ease the fears of littls one's, even if it's with a magic wand! :)

My son was having bad dreams and I was looking for some help- this book has lovely illustrations and a great story. We now have a "dream jar" by the bed-just in case- too cute!

This book is just beautiful - both the story and the art work. My 3-year-old daughter loves it so much. It is one of the first books she has wanted to read over and over and over again (generally she likes a variety). Not only is the story fabulous and the art work absolutely captivating, but the lesson learned in it is wonderful. I may just make a dream jar for my own children so that they don't have to worry about bad dreams. I'll bet it would really work. The descriptions are very well illustrated - I can't say enough about the illustrations - I just want to crawl inside this book and live in it. It inspires me to try to create something beautiful myself. This is the greatest gift that literature (children's or otherwise) can give us, I believe. If you have a little kid in your life who either loves to dream or is afraid of dreams, this book is for you.

This is author Lindan Lee Johnson's first book and I hope not her last. My nearly 4 year old daughter and I love it.

The story is about a little girl who has scary dreams. But thanks to her wonderful older sister whom she shares a room with she gets a number of pointers that change her nasty dreams into fantastic dreams. And they are the kind of practical suggestions that can help any child who suffers from nightmares.

The author, who has studied Jungian dream analysis, must have had her own dreams come true when Serena Curmi illustrated her book. The pictures are beautiful, fun, and--DREAMY!

The Dream Jar presents an engaging approach to dealing with dreams and nightmares. An excellent introduction to the concept of lucid dreaming, and a useful approach for parents working with their children's experience of nightmares. A warm and realistic story that children will enjoy and learn from.

I am delighted that this book is back in print, retitled My Father's Daughter.

E.L. Konigsburg is most well-known for her book From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, assigned to elementary school students nationwide, and generally enjoyed by all, despite being assigned reading. That's a good book, but this one is my favorite Konigsburg creation. (I am glad that the book has been reprinter, but you may notice that her publishers have chosen to bland down her weird titles, which is too bad.) If you once enjoyed her books, or have a kid who enjoyed her other books, it's worth reading. The wit, characterization and the keen social observations within are as fun (and relevant) now as they were when I was 12 years old.

The story concerns the members of a wealthy society family, the Carmichaels. The eldest daughter, Caroline, from the father's first marriage, was the victim of a kidnapping many years ago, and then disappeared. The mother died. After a time, the father remarried, and had two children (Winston and Heidi) by his second wife, Grace. Caroline was to have been a wealthy heiress, since her mother came from a rich family as well as her father. Mere months before the deadline to claim her inheritance, a woman shows up on the Carmichaels' front door and claims to be Caroline. Winston, the elder child, immediately decides that he will investigate her and discover the truth. He does, but not in a way that either he or the reader will be able to predict.

The central mystery of the story -- is Caroline an impostor? -- is compelling enough, but what makes this book outstanding is the voice of its narrator, 12-year old Winston. He is similar in character to Sport of Louise Fitzhugh's Harriet the Spy series, though Winston is less practical than Sport and more verbally clever.

The book covers serious themes such as social shame, disabilities, and the strength to face life's harsh truths. Yet the book is a funny, light confection of a read, and it is Winston's voice that is central to that effect.

Father's Arcane Daughter was one of my favorite books when I was little, and it still holds that spot now. The characters are realistic and interesting, the story moving and gripping, and the ending heart-warming and rewarding.
Winstong Carmichael is a seventh-grader with a priveleged upbringing and an impressive intelligence and maturity. Unfortunately, his undisciplined, overindulged, ten-year-old sister Heidi (short for Hilary) is a heavy weight on his shoulders. She requires constant entertainment from others, as she is not able to entertain herself, and has horrible manners and no consideration for others. Her hearing and coordination problems make her a bit dependant, but her behavior is what makes her a burden, one that Winston resents (he is actually unable to bring friends over because Heidi ruins the visits). Then,when he meets a woman claiming to be his long-lost half sister, Caroline, from his dad's previous marriage, Winston's life is turned around.
Caroline Carmichael was presumed dead years ago after a kidnapping, so many are suspicious of the new arrival's claims that she is Caroline, despite her physical resemblence to Caroline and extensive knowledge of Caroline's old friends and relatives. Is she really the person she claims to be, or is she trying to get her hands on the family fortune?
While the process of examination goes on, Winston gets to know a person who may or may not be his half sister, but is, without a doubt, a beacon of light in his life. The possible Caroline knows that Winston will be forever imprisoned by his sister's dependance if something is not done to help Heidi become as independant as she is able to be, so she starts down the road to teach Heidi proper, polite behavior, as well as teaching her how to best work with her hearing and coordination handicaps.
Through Winston's perspective, the reader will learn many hidden, sometimes ugly, truths about a seemingly normal rich family and about the woman who helps free the children from their gilded cage.

Father's Arcane Daughter was a childhood favorite that retains its appeal though I'm now in my 30s. As with all of Konigsburg's works, this book is a masterful tale that keeps you guessing until the very end. The central question of the book (is she or isn't she Caroline) becomes increasingly less important as her role in the family becomes increasingly more so. The unexpected ending is nevertheless satisfying, though I agree it comes all to soon. This excellent children's book is definitely on my must read list!

This was a truly wonderful book. The characters' actions conveyed their emotions accurately, and the story was suspenseful. I would recommend this to everyone looking for a good book.

ISBN 0440424968 - For ages 10-14, Father's Arcane Daughter seems a little more adult than even that age group. It's a pity the book wasn't written as the full, grown-up novel that it should have been, but since it wasn't... read this one!

Twice upon a time, Winston got a new sister. The first time it happened, his parents brought home from the hospital a "creature". Heidi is handicapped and Winston, made to be responsible for her, builds a vocabulary just to describe her - none of the words are particularly nice. The second time, his half sister returned home sixteen years after she was kidnapped. At first unhappy at Caroline's arrival, Winston slowly comes to appreciate her presence in their lives, just as he really begins to question whether or not she is really Caroline.

An interesting story, told in Winston's words as he speaks to his sister (which sister is not identified for some time) about what happened twenty years ago, when Caroline came home. Well told, the reader gets the feeling, eventually, that either answer to the mystery of Caroline would be fine. It is far less important WHO she is than THAT she is.

"From the Lightouse" is billed as a novel for young people because the point of view is that of a 13 year old Hudson River schoolgirl, Louise "Weezy" Bloom, in the late Nineteen Thirties. It does belong there, but it is novel that is as rich in its imagery and complex in its relationships as any novel written for adults. The great strength of this book, the lyricism and economy of the language. Liz Chapman has the rare gift of suggesting a totality with just a few disciplined strokes of her narrative brush. There are few, if any, wasted words.
The story itself is compelling, told in the first person, concerning the year following Weesy's mother's leaving her, her three brothers and her Dad alone to make their lives over again in the Hudson River Lighthouse that is both home and workplace. One gets the feeling that this is a story Louise is relating many years after; the language is that of an older person looking back. No reason is given for her mother's abandonment of her, just the sense that she was restless and wanted more than a life as the wife of a lighthouse keeper could give her. During that one difficult year, Weezy finds a way to let her mother go, not just the physical presence that she misses horribly, but also the hope that she will ever return.
She has to take over many of the chores her mother did; the other children are too small and her father can't do it all. He is a good man struggling to keep everything together in spite of the great hole left in the family by his wife's departure. In everything, he is a man who cares deeply about his children and the life they must rebuild. His is a welcome male role in a genre that sometimes doesn't give fathers their due. In spite of his best intentions, though, and his good heart, he is a flawed man. Perhaps a bit too accepting of his lot in life, he grieves, but then quickly moves on, locking the grief inside so he can function in the world. In this, he is very much a man of his time, and he is commendable.
No character is slighted, not the troubled Sid, the impetuous Rudy or Clayton of the eternally running who nose who make up the remaining members of the family, but also given full measure are the grocer, the music teacher and the post-mistress, minor characters, to be sure, but familiar, fully realized, a welcome thing in a genre in which minor characters are often "types."
The greatest compliment that can be given a work of fiction is that it is authentic, a detailed evocation of a specific time and place filled with events and characters that belong to it. There are no jarring anachronisms that take you out of the final days of the Great Depression. You believe these characters and care about them. This is a good read for young people and adults alike.

Ms. Chipman's book was just so well written and although it was a 13 year old girl who suffered a family member leaving, as a grown man, I could totally identify with her. It's amazing that despite the circumstances in life, we all feel the same pain, confusion, joy, regret, resentment, elation, and ultimately love. Ms. Chipman captured all those things and more quite well. Bravo.

From the Lighthouse uses fantastic depictive skills. I can see the personality and even physical description of the characters just through how they talk and act. Amazing job, Chipman!

Weezie and her brothers all go through quite a growth and maturation process in the span of just a year, as they all have to adjust to the knowledge that not only has their mother left them, but that she is not coming back.
I enjoyed this book for several reasons, one of which is the descriptive and elegant writing style, which is fitting for a setting as lovely as the Hudson River as nature changes it from one season to the next. I also appreciated the growing understanding in Weezie that her father is a devoted, loving parent who will always be there for his children no matter what.

anyone who likes Oprah book club style books will love this story. The characters are great and it is full of interesting historical facts! Loved it!

Fitzgerald puts out yet another good book in the Great Brain series with the Great Brain Reforms. It details a few more of T.D.'s swindles, and builds up to the point where the rest of the kids in town hate him. When he risks two of the kids' lives for thirty cents, they realize that it has gone too far. They hold a mock court meeting, and convict the Great Brain of swindling everyone in town, and as punishment every kid in town refuses to speak to him for a whole year. The Great Brain promises to reform, so they agree to talk to him as long as he stays reformed. Definitely an interesting and humerous read.

Overall grade: A-

Young Tom Fitzgerald is the "Great Brain" because he is always outsmarting the other kids in town and taking their money--or baseball glove, bat, air rifle...you name it! All the kids hate him: He's a swindler, blackmailer, crook, and an attempted murderer, according to them. In other words, "The Great Brain" is an all-around rotten kid. Yet, Tom doesn't consider himself a bad guy at all--just smart. Though he is a number-one con man, he does do some good things; and all his schemes--good and bad--are clever to read about. Far from a dull book!

[ASIN:1587365219: Submitted by the author of A Non-Workbook, Non-Textbook Approach to Teaching Language Arts: Grades 4 Through 8 and Up]

Once again the Great Brain aka TD manages to swindle his friends out of money by being smart enough to bet on a sure thing, but words it in such a way that his friends believe that they will win. For example, TD bets his friends that he can magnetize a wood stick. They fall for it since they know that he can�t possibly magnetize wood. Well, we later find out that he made a boomerang and pretends to use a magnet to bring it back to him. My favorite part of the stories in this book is how TD livens up the swindles and money-making schemes with his story telling. Who wouldn�t want to ride the raft, Explorer, after hearing him narrate during the ride? The author tells the story in such a way that it makes you smile. This book concludes with JD getting fed up with his older brother TD and devising a plan to make him reform. You won�t want to miss it.

John D. Fitzgerald, in the tradition of Mark Twain, wrote a semi-fictitious account of his childhood as a Mormon in Utah. The milieu and time for "The Great Brain" series is a Victorian, early 1900's era, making the stories more in the lines of Tom Sawyer and Huck Fynn. But that does not belittle this timeless classic written in the 70's. The Great Brain is in fact an interesting character to follow. The stories are told from the point of view of his younger brother, as he follows him through many schemes (all of which are money scams) and escapades, which somehow wind down to moral lessons. The Great Brain is a humorous, brilliant and witty work of historic fiction that is sure to touch every reader in some way. I first read the series as a young child myself, growing up in much the same way The Great Brain does- a strict religious family that promotes hard work and academic education. These stories are hard to find nowadays, Victorian morales having slipped away somehow in our modern day. I am glad to know that Amazon.com still has these great books and I recommend them to everyone, young and old. For me, reading the novels was a form of escape, as well as an insightful glimpse of a time that was far more innocent than our own- the violent gangs of today and MTV, Britney Spears, Joy of Pepsi, Ossie Osbourne generation compare nothing to the rebelliousnes of the Great Brain. All of the books are enjoyable, and it is not until the last book in the series, "The Great Brain Reforms" (the name says it all) that we discover the startling growth and changes the punky, swindling, intelligent adult-trapped in the body of a child Great Brain undergoes. A Must Read.

John Dennis Fitzgerald intended to chronicle his youth in Utah for adults, not children. His publisher thought otherwise and the result are these gems. I don't even call them children's lit gems because I find them just as enjoyable as an adult. Before I go on, you should know that Fitzgerald wrote one book about his youth that is for adults, called "Papa Married a Mormon". It is one of the most amazing books on the American west that I have ever read. Sadly, it is out of print, and you may, like me, have to pay an exorbitant sum to get a copy. Trust me, save up and do it. Now back to this book. Every single Great Brain book in the series is pure gold, and the entire set can be had cheaply, so I say buy them all at once. I "put my money where my mouth is" as Tom the Great Brain would say, and bought the lot.

If this is a tale oft told, I can think of no other than has been told so eloquently. The author's descriptions are as vivid as they are beautiful. Male or female, young or old, you will find this first work by M. H. Herlong touching and incisive. If the last portion of the book doesn't bring a tear to your eye, you are cold indeed. Add the information provided at the companion website [...] and you will double your pleasure.

The spectacular achievement of this book is that it shows dads what they look like to their teenage sons. It holds the mirror of your son's eyes right up close, where all the unflattering things show. Then it shows us that our sons love us anyway. I finished the book, wiped a way a tear -- something I almost never need to do -- and hugged my sons.

It is definitely a terrific sea yarn. Like all great books, it builds in some wise observations about life without being the least bit preachy. Perhaps that is because the wisdom comes through the voice of a fifteen-year old who, after struggling with dad, becomes the father figure through chance, or maybe through a choice (a question you will have to answer for yourself, Dad). There are also some sly allusions to Hemingway sea tales and to Hurricane Katrina (the author is from New Orleans), but maybe I just made that up.

Read the two-page prologue and you will be hooked. Give it to your son. Give it to your Dad. Read it with your son, or for your husband, or your brother. Sail in your son's boat (or your father, husband, or brother's boat) for a while.

This book captures the imagination both as a beautiful and harrowing adventure story and a drama of family loss. The aftermath of his mother's death challenges the narrator's relationship with his father. But when Ben confronts a life and death struggle at sea his bond to his young brothers becomes the focus of this gripping tale.

This incredible first novel is a gripping and extremely well told adventure tale that will keep you turning page after page. Though her vivid descriptions will have you feeling each toss and sway of the boat, you realize it is much more. Told through the eyes of the oldest son, it is a poignant story of a family coming to grips with a terrible loss and it is the bond between the father and his sons and the siblings with each other that will ultimately resound in your memory. This is a wonderful story of loss, love, perceived betrayal, and peace. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to future publications by Ms. Herlong.

As a fifth grade teacher, I find it difficult to find books that appeal to everyone in my class. I either please the girls, or the boys, and usually it's just the girls. Finally, I have found a book that all of my students enjoy. In fact, for the first time, both boys and girls are begging, "Don't stop. Please keep reading." I even have students begging to take it home so that they can find out what happens next. The Great Wide Sea, by M. H. Herlong, is spell-binding, (even for the adults)!

We studied digestion for Health. This book was the most fun and had the easiest content of the books we read. Told as rhyme with factual information and cartoon drawings it did get the point across of how the digestion system works. I would recommend it for grades K-2nd.

Great book. Funny, unexpected storyline. It serves up just the right amount of grossness to appeal to kids, but the story still retains a light sweetness. The factual info that accompanies the rhyme is concise and interesting. Bon apetit!

And why would someone swallow a fly? Maybe because his sister dared him! Kids will laugh and learn about the digestive system while reading this book. With silly verse and great facts, all the ins and outs are covered. The book's layout and design truly add to the fun of the story. My six year old loves this book but recommends: Don't read it right before lunch!

It's not easy to make learning about digestion fun, but this book does. I'm an elem. school librarian and am happy this book arrived on our shelves!

Digestion is an incredibly boring subject to many kids who visit my library (public). I now gleefully steer them toward this book. They love the title and are immediately intrigued. Because they find the story hilarious, they painlessly learn about digestion. Excellent book.

I think that Illustrated Mum is a really good book, but I think that it can be a little intense, so I don't recommend for readers younger than 10, unless you read with a parent. It was very realistic and I really cared about the characters, especially the main character--Dolphin. It is the kind of book that you wan to read over and over, and you most definitely want her life to get better. Jacqueline Wilson is a really great author.
I.P. San Francisco

This book was sad, interesting and emotional without being depressing. Issues handled sensitively. Easy to feel empathy for the characters. I'd recommend this for grades 5 and up. Some senstitive subject matter like mental illness and foster care.

I have not picked up and read a juvenile fiction book in a long time, but this one piqued my interest when I looked through the audio books at our library. I'm very glad I did! This is one of the best juvenile fiction books I have ever read, and I used to read tons of them as a young girl.

Dolphin and Star have a very flambouyant mother named Marigold who is a manic depressive/alcoholic, dies her hair bright red, and sports tons of tattoos; she's man crazy and dresses too young for her age. While Star, who is 13 is sick and tired of not having a normal mother, 11 year-old Dolphin adores her regardless of the torment she endures in school, and the fact that Marigold often leaves the girls unattended to fend for themselves, scaring Dolphin silly a lot of the time. Then one night Marigold brings home Star's father from a concert, and the girl willingly moves in with him, leaving poor Dolphin to deal incapably with her mother's craziness. This is a very good, realistic portrait of what an awful lot of children probably go through, and Dolphin tells the entire story. She is a sweet, smart, funny, and lovable character who truly loves Marigold though she can't always understand her mother's wild behavior, but she is also the one who inevitably must resolve to get Marigold help as her condition worsens.

I am related to someone very much like Marigold, so I could relate to Dolphin's story telling as I watched my relation's daughter go through similar experiences. Actress Josie Lawrence is an amazingly versatile talent who does lots of great voices, and her performance is so intimate, it never seems like she's reading from Wilson's book. A great story anyone remotely connected with a situation like this can relate to, and maybe you even know a few people who possess these very realistic traits. A superiorly well-done job, I would recommend this book to anybody and everybody.

This story deals heavily in the subject of "Manic Depressive illness" - I happen to know something about the illness but I won't go into that- and the dangers of being with someone who happens to have it if you happen to live with them. "The Illustrated Mum" is a gritty story told from the point of view of a young girl named Dolphin who struggles to stand by her mother even when her oldest sister Star doesn't want to. They don't live in the greatest conditions and their mother Marigold's behavior switches on and off when they least expect it, making it hard for them to communicate with her. The worse part of the story happens to be when Star's supposed father comes home with Marigold one night and Star decides to put her sister on the back burner, and leaves with her father (all because she can't take living with her mother any more), which has to be the worse thing to. Dolphin tries several times to get her sister to return but Star won't bend to her little sister's begging and Marigold only gets worse as the weeks go by; So worse in fact, she is admitted to a mental hospital. From there the story seems to fall further into the gritty storyline which it surrounds despite the light moments, however, that is not to say that this book isn't great to read. On the contrary, "The Illustrated Mum" is one of those rare books that actually have you thinking on the subject its writing about and the way it affects its characters. All in all, I enjoyed this book. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a bit of truth to their story. [a 5 out of 5]

This book is so wonderful. It's a story of children who have to take responsibility too soon. This book can teach us how to deal with bad situation and accept one another. The writer can catch the emotion of a ten-year-old girl and expressed them in sympathetic,but amusing way.She perfectly created her characters which seem to be alive people to the readers.It's so realistic.And it also make me laugh sometimes. You shouldn't miss this book.