Siblings Books

When Jessica selfishly wants Christmas Eve to be her night instead of Elizabeth,She doesn't buy a gift for Elizabeth[Her Secret Santa] instead she buys an Santa Dress. It looks good on janet but not her. She steals everyone elses Gifts instead of like Ellen's Gift of saying it was Elizabeth's gift from her. She also steals Winston's gift for Elizabeth.

Another Sweet Valley Twins fantasy edition.IOt is a copy of Groundhog Day.Jessica has to relive Christmas Eve over and over again until she learns to stop acting selfishly.Will Christmas Day ever come?!

This is a great book containing the story about two sisters, twins, who are throwing a Christmas party, hosted by the two great twins. But when Elizabeth leaks her ideas to their parents and they decide to do the party Elizabeths way and not Jessica's. Then she wishes that it never happened. Duh!the days happen all over again. In my openion, it is a very sexy and nice book.

I enjoyed this book, but i think the SV books are not original enough. Jessica is being selfish again and ends up ruining everyones christmas eve and really hurting her twin sister, Elizabeth. But when she wakes up she just keeps waking up into christmas eve's. I dont think its realistic because you'd realise that you had to stop being selfish. But its still a a good book.

I loved this book how it involved everybody in the storys mostly.

I kept up reading this at night.

I really liked the book

My daughters have found the software very easy to navigate. Along with being almost endlessly entertaining, it gives them a good understanding of how the mouse and keyboard interact with the computer. This story, with all the interactive pieces on each page, is by far the best computer game we have used, and we have quite a few!It has also held up over time - my almost 6 year old has been playing with it since her third birthday. I am online now looking for the other titles! The designers clearly very carefully considered the attention span and the comprehension of the target age group.

As Arthur and D.W. race around town reading words, your little reader learns too. D.W.'s ten words appear in the pictures, creating an "I Spy" atmosphere where beginning readers can locate and read a few simple words. Lots of fun, great pictures, and a cute story.

In this tale Arthur tells his sister if she can read ten words he will buy her ice cream. Ah! A challenge, what sibling could resist, certainly not D.W. They set off to town and D.W. wins the bet to the surprise of Author; and has a little fun at the end of the story with her brother.
Just a cute little tale about the fun of words and reading, and the joy of sharing with your brother or sister.
Shirley Johnson

This book is awesome!! Funny too. The reason i think it is funny is because the older brother puts his younger sister to the test on reading and he thinks she cant do it because she is younger. But then she proves him wrong and reads 10 words. And the deal was if she read 10 words he would buy her an ice cream cone. And she did so he bought her one. In the end it turns out the younger one can read and seems more smarter than the older one!

In this book Arthur and his sister D.W. have a reading contest to see if she could really read. So D.W. could read after all and Arthur ended up taking back what he said about her. He said she couldn't read but he didn't know she could.

I have read this book to my almost 3 year old daughter about 3 times now. Although it is a little bit 'old' for her (really only a little) it DOES open a lot of questions and dialogue about the soon to be arrival of her new baby brother and his Brit. Its nice because it lets her know how important she is and that she too had a party (a simchat Bat) when she was born. It is a little bit 'Jewish' with some typical stereotypes but overall is a great find.
Im a psychologist and definately recommend this book to help your little girl get prepared.

Outstanding children's book from which even an older brother (of the author) could learn. Was hoping for a pop-up book. Would highly recommend for readers of all ages. Best book all year. Waiting for sequel.

P.S. Mom didn't make me say this.

Baby's Bris is original in it's choice of topic, yet universal in it's appeal. People of all faiths can relate to the themes of faith, family and heritage portrayed so warmly in this book. Baby's Bris makes a great baby gift!

Susan Wilkowski in Baby's Bris has written a warm story withsensitivity, intelligence and humor. Her characters are so real theyare palpable. She has a wonderful ear for dialogue and has captured the authentic tone of a Jewish family so well that I hear their voices in my head. She has an ambitious goal; to portray the Jewish family at the time of a Bris and its special joy and the cultural tradition that Jews all over the world observe and the continuity of their people and their faith. There are no other books to my knowledge, on the market today that handle this issue and I urge all to run to their computer and order one immediately. The artwork also embraces the delicacy and joy of this sensitive subject. I also write and teach writing and when one writer praises another writer, it is indeed great praise. Muriel H. W. from Long Island.

Mrs. Wilkowski wrote a sensitive picture book for children relating a baby's bris. She does it brilliantly through the eyes of a young girl who is unaware of the significance of the event to come, and wondering what all the fuss is about. The story begins on the birth of "Baby"--not yet named--and goes on to reveal the happenings in big sister Sophie's household on the eight days that follow. While Nana, Grandpa and Auntie Luba get busy with the preparations for the big family gathering, Sophie comes to know the meaning of the Jewish ceremony and feels closer than ever to her loved ones.

This book is an excellent tool for all parents to help youngsters understand an important Jewish ritual in the context of a warm and delightful story. I highly recommend it!

A writing teacher from New York

I purchased this book for my three yr old grand daughter. It was in her Halloween sack, and got more attention than the candy! Well done.

This book gave me a few "mommy moments". Our son, Nick, is now a dance major in college. He started out wanting to learn tap dancing at about 4 years of age after watching a friend, so we found a tap and ballet class- never thinking that this would go beyond a session or two. He got through the "being the only boy", and "do I have to wear pink" (and later the "wearing tights") speed bumps successfully. Like Nate in the book, he loved the costumes, loved leaping and spinning, loved moving to the music. For boys in the U.S. who want to dance (especially if they want to do ballet) there are very few popular role models and a lot of grief from their peers. As one professional dancer noted in a recent magazine article, male dancers end up having to be tougher and more focused than many young men, due to the negative image of male dancers held by those around them. A young man in a local ballet production with Nick loaned him a copy of the video about four ABT danseurs Born to Be Wild - The Leading Men of American Ballet Theatre and Nick watched it so often that he memorized it! So, as a "danseur's mom" (danseur being the term Nick was told related to male dancers), I support any book that would encourage a young man to follow his dream of dancing. This one is really resonates with me: the pictures are detailed and funny, the dialogue echoed similar conversations around our house, and the ups and downs of Nate's emotions as the book progressed dealt with situations Nick also had to face. I want to buy several and donate them to local libraries for their collections.
After I got the book, I read it aloud to Nick's older brother, who teaches elementary school music and band. We both had a good laugh about the page mentioning Little League (both boys played baseball and soccer, as well as playing in the band) and smiled at the pictures. And, by the way, Nick's older brother's name is Ben, and he, too, would like it known that unlike Nate's older brother Ben in the book, he has always supported his younger brother in his desire to dance.
This book is a treasure! Thank you, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley and R.W. Alley for sharing it with the rest of us!

This frolicsome and high spirited story tells of a passion for dance through the eyes of a blossoming ballerina, who just so happens to be a little boy. After seeing a school ballet on the first day of his last week of kindergarten, Nate decides he wants to be a ballerina, but from the onset of his interest, his brother won't stop telling him, "boys don't dance." The ink and water color illustrations of canine characters dance throughout the book as smooth as a ballet itself. Slyly addressing gender stereotypes and the importance of following your dreams, uninhibited Nate ultimately overcomes his fear of being different after his mother takes him to a professional ballet and he meets a male ballet dancer. The dancer explains to Nate that although the word Ballerina is for women, men can dance too, and tells him that he is a Ballerino, leaving the reader with a joyously unrestrained look at dance from a refreshing male perspective.

My boy had been wanting to take ballet. I was looking into signing him up when one of this stoopid pre-school teachers told him that it was just for girls. After that, as much as he continued to spin and dance at home, and continued to love to watch professionals do it, he continued to not want to take a class. This book got him to understand what I had been trying to explain to him: yes, there are many more girls that take ballet, but that boys can do it too if they want to.

This is a great story about the fluidity of gender roles... and about dancing! When little Nate sees a student ballet production for a school field trip, he decides that he wants to become a dancer. His older brother teases him and tells him that boys can't be ballerinas, and that he'll have to wear pink dance shoes and a dress. Even though the teasing makes Nate anxious that "only girls" can dance, he isn't deterred, and with support from both his parents, he follows through and takes classes anyway. If you have a kid who is interested in dancing, particularly a boy, this is a wonderful, with warm writing and a complex emotional palette. Nice artwork, too, with lots going on to talk about while absorbing the message. Recommended! (ReadThatAgain!)

my neice LOVES this book :) the pictures are so cute and the baby loves the doggie ^^

I bought this book for my baby niece who owns a dog. It is a great children's book with the message of being nice to their little friends. (with very cute pictures!) The story can relate to just about any household with a little child and a pet, like of the author's. I highly recommend this book for even those without pets!

This is just a great book! My 3 year old daughter is on a bit (a bit is an understatement) of a rough side with the neighborhood animals. I saw this book from Borders and thought, 'this is just like my daughter' I ordered it from Amazon a week ago and my daughter is just pulled into the story and the bright and expressive illustrations. She really, really loves the book. The dog's expression is just adorable in a sympathetic way. The other day, my daughter actually, gently petted a dog....but pulled on its tail soon after, I guess this book isn't a 'how to' book on being gentle but it was sweet to see her imitating the scene.
I was in Borders today; this book is selected as the 'Borders Original Voices'and is on 20% sale...which is about the same price as buying on Amazon...at any price I think this book is well worth.

I recently came back from my honeymoon and could not help but purchase this book for my future baby. The colorful, yet simple illustrations are eye catching. Being a dog owner myself, I'm curious to see if this same kind of episode will happen in my household.

My two year old daughter loves this book. She loves the beautiful illustrations as well as the story. She asks "why the doggie looks sad" and it allows me to explain how you have to be gentle with doggies because we can accidentally hurt them when we are playing with them. I really love the book, it is written in a way that makes the concept easy to grasp for the child but not painful for the parent.

Review For: Becoming George's Brother
Reviewer: John L. Hoh, Jr. CRITIC Aug-03-2004

Sibling rivalry can be a bear. Especially if the younger sibling is assumed to be like the older sibling (i.e., the older one gets into trouble, the younger one must be a troublemaker; if the older one is smart, why isn't the younger one smart?). This book takes a look at such a rivalry, a rivalry where Johnny is always in George's shadow at their Pittsburgh home. Yes, even the teachers assume that if George is a troublemaker, Johnny must be one too. But each summer they go to their uncle's farm in Ohio, where they have to ride an old Model A truck with a bad exhaust. They are alone on the farm, so they bond. They have chores to do, one of which is cleaning the stable where the workhorses stay. But the workhorses don't move for Johnny and George ends up doing Johnny's work. According to George, Johnny is "chicken" and that hurts Johnny. But one day a loose bull charges the boys. How they react changes the dynamics of the relationship. This is an excellent book for any children with older siblings. Reviewed by John L. Hoh, Jr. for BookIdeas.com (http://www.bookideas.com) All Content Copyright © 1998-2004 Douglas J. Malcolm..All Rights Reserved. AMAZON.COM is the registered trademark of Amazon.com, Inc.

Having been an educator for 32 years and having spent many of those years tutoring young children, I have seen many changes in the values that children possess. What Ms. McCool does in Becoming George's Brother is truly bring home the close friendship that can exist between two brothers leading to a lasting relationship that many children of today often lack. The dialogue between Johnny and George on their uncle's farm combined with the colorful illustrations by Don Berry make this book one that can easily be read and enjoyed by young children. It also establishes a powerful message about how brothers can learn from each other, creating a friendship that will last for years. You can easily feel the pride and joy that young Johnny develops as he tackles a problem that gains the respect of his older brother George. You are left with a great feeling watching this bond develop between Johnny and George.

This book is a must not only for children but also their parents in learning to appreciate the importance of bonding that we often take for granted or often forget.

Richard J. Stanczak

Being the younger brother is a hard thing, and Johnny knows all about it only too well. His brother George is a full four-years older than him. And while that might not seem like a lot, to a younger brother it's lightyears away. George gets to do all the cool stuff, like hang out with his "gang," and stay up later. Johnny only wishes that he would be included, but George never invites him along. But each summer, when the two brothers head up to Uncle John's farm, suddenly they're equals, and very good friends, as well. They get up at the crack of dawn together, and they head to bed when the sun's still up. Johnny loves the time he spends with George at Uncle John's farm. But when George gets angry at Johnny for being scared of a large horse, and not finishing his chores, Johnny must find a way to get back into George's good graces, and learn how to become George's brother.

I read children's books all the time, but I felt that BECOMING GEORGE'S BROTHER was one of those books that really tugs at the readers' heartstrings. Maria McCool has done a fabulous job creating a book that will teach siblings how to truly get along. Her storytelling skills are wonderful, and I loved the fact that she included a character who has only one arm, as it will teach even the youngest child that even those who are plagued with a disability can succeed and become great at anything they set their mind to.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

Written by Maria McCool and illustrated by Don Berry, Becoming George's Brother is a picturebook without a spine that addresses a fundamental question in family relationships - can a younger brother ever earn equal respect and friendship with his older brother, who enjoys a reputation for being everything the younger brother is not? Following two siblings as they work hard on a family farm, Becoming George's Brother is a heartwarming tale that offers a strong, inspirational message of family togetherness and working to overcome difficulties. An enjoyable tale, Becoming George's Brother written with enough complexity to appeal to young readers just approaching intermediate level comprehension skills.

For Ages 6-10 Johnny and George are brothers. They spend every summer on their uncle's farm and help out with all the chores. But Johnny could not clean the horse stall because the horses would always smush him against the wall. Johnny got scared of the horses and George had to do his work too. This made George very mad. So mad that the two brother's wouldn't talk to each other. But Johnny proves he can pull his own weight around the farm by saving George from a bull! I liked this book because it reminded me of how I fight with my own big brother and how it is not good. This story was fun to read and I liked how Johnny helped his brother and saved him from the bull. If you like to read books that get your brain thinking then this book is for you! - Emma Reed -----------------------------------------------

Siblings should get along and be friends. That's the message of this book and a good one to remember! We may not always like each other, but sometimes family is all we have! This is a wholesome story with bright colorful illustrations that remind us to love one another! Emma's mom, Jennifer Reed.

This was the first SVT book I ever read it was good. I took a disliking to Janet striaght away. In this book Elizabeth and Jessica's brother Steven is in love with Jill Hale the twins decide it would be fun to set Steve up with his best friend Cathy. Janet things they can't do it so she makes a bet with them if they can get Cathy and Steve together within so many days they get Janet's tickets to appear on a tv show, if they fail Janet gets Elizabeth's new camera. Will Jess and Liz suceed in setting up Cathy and Steven?

When Steven[The Twins's brother] loves Jill Hale,but she isn't interested in him,so he gets a job at Mc? so does Cathy and They start falling in love.The Unicorns,especially Janet[I hate that Witch,with a B] wants Elizabeth's camera,comes up with a solution to get that camera,and Janet has 2 tickets to be on tv.Guess who wins.Elizabeth and Jessica.

I consider this book as one of the best!It was fun to read about the twins's brilliant plan at how they got Cathy and Steven together. I especially like all the confidence that Jessica has and I dislike the way that Jessica betted Lizzie's camera.My cousin Mubina also can't wait to read this book.

Steven goes to huge lengths to get Jill Hale(Bimbo of the universe)to love him.And it seems that he is also trying to keep away from Cathy who maybe he is secretly in love with but he doesnt know that yet himself....(phew)

I thought this book was very interesting .I especially liked the part about the food fight just before they kissed.

The book presents having a new baby in the family as positive experience. It is also fairly gender neutral. It talks more about developmental stages a baby will go through just like the older sibling went through.

I think this book helps big brothers and sisters to acept the new child and show that they can help the new child to understand the world around them. I really like the realistic illustrations, because it helps to understand the story, it shows good behavior and it is very interesting!

My 2 1/2 year old loves looking at all the pictures and talking about how he will soon show his new baby how to drink from a big boy cup, crawl under chairs, share dad's lap, and open birthday presents. Perfect length for toddlers to enjoy. Wonderful book!

Even though my children are 9 and 13 now, they still remember how this book spoke to my 13-year-old when her younger brother was born. Anna Grossnickle Hines captures the gentle wonderment and protectiveness that so many children initially feel toward "their" new babies. Sure, later on, there may well be rivalry, resentment, feeling less unique, etc., etc. (and there are plenty of books around that attempt to deal with this). But, I am so grateful that the author has so simply, respectfully, and eloquently recorded the essence of that very special relationship between two siblings, as it is born.

My 19 month-old son was "reading" this book when we brought his new baby sister home from the hospital! He had memorized all the words because of the beautiful way Ms. Hines rhymed every line! The first thing we had to do was sit his little sister beside him on the couch so he could "read" it to her!! How excited he was to know he could teach her how "to fly, we'll touch the sky!" He still loves this book and he is 7!

If you have a question about whether or not you need to great all the Max and Ruby books, don't hesitate to snap them up. These are the ones for buying, go get those other books at the library. This one is counting themed but not in any lame way. Max still wins and Ruby kind of does too and Grandma is still happy with everything.

That's what you need to know. Go buy now.

I have four young children. We love all the Max and Ruby books but this is one of favorites. Max's determination to invite his "friends" to Grandma's party is hilarious.

These are such cute books! They reinforce in a simple form the relationship of siblings. My daughter loves these two characters with sassy personalities. I reccomend the board books for the little ones.

Max and Ruby are my new favorite book characters in books for younger children. My kindergarten students love the short text, colorful illustrations, and of course, mischievous little Max. After reading the Easter book "Max's Chocolate Chicken" all Fall and Winter, I'm finally getting them some more Max books!

In "Bunny Party", Max's older sister Ruby, throws a party for their Grandma. Ruby's guest list includes her "Rapunzel", "Mr. and Mrs. Quack" and the "Tooth Fairy", but leaves no room for Max's favorite toys. Sneaky Max finds his own way to crash the party with his "Jellyball Shooter Spider" and several other guests.

I love Ruby because she is such a girl in the toys that she owns and in the type of party that she plans for Grandma. I love Max because he is such a boy in the toys that he owns and in the way he wants to be included in his older sister's party plans. And I love Rosemary Wells for creating characters that children will want to see to over and over again in stories that adults can also appreciate and enjoy.

I am rating this a 5-star book from the kids point of view. Kids just love the story, memorizing the names of all the toys that attend the bunny party, etc... My kids (a 4 year old boy and a 1.5 year old girl) drag out stuffed toys and a teaset at least three times a week to have a bunny party of their own.

If you buy this book, you will have to read it a gazillion times. From the parent's viewpoint, it's not the greatest book that you'll ever read a gazillion times to your kids, but it's way better than one of the books that you dread when they say, "Can we read it again tonight?" And hey, it's not our opinion that counts anyway, right?

This Halloween story explores sibling rivalry using the example of Halloween costumes. The younger sister, Angela, gets hand-me-downs and never really shines. Situations such as trick-or-treating in the rain will be very familiar to Oregon coast children, and will make them laugh. Angela finally gets her "moment in the sun" when her older sister comes down with chicken pox on Halloween (this won't be familiar to young readers of today, since immunizations, but will give an opportunity for an adult to explain). The conclusion is satisfying--Angela not only gets recognized but she learns to be compassionate towards her older sister. The simple, colorful illustrations are engaging and amusing. The classic typeface will be easy for a younger child to read. This will make a good read-aloud for primary grades, leading to a discussion of "what are you wearing for Halloween?"

Bernadette always has the best costume on Halloween, so how can her little sister Angela compete? Perhaps by wearing Bernadette's costume from last year? But once again Bernadette seems to preside in popularity with her fabulous new costume leaving Angela's in the dust: can she make changes which will make her the star? Any sibling who's faced Halloween will find the idea familiar in this fine story.

Here's a Halloween book you can read to your kids all year round. Children who love costumes (and who doesn't?) will enjoy The Costume Copycat full of dress-up fun and sibling rivalry. Put this charming book next to your costume box for a daily read with your little monsters.

Angela's big sister Bernadette always one-ups her on Halloween. One year, for example, Bernadette dresses as a bunny and Angela as a fairy. However, when the weather turns windy, Angela's fairy is all but covered up by her jacket, but Bernadette's bunny is unmistakeable. Mrs. Walker, the next door neighbor exclaims, "Oh, look at that cute little bunny," and takes two pictures of Bernadette. Angela only gets one picture.

So what's a little sister to do? Under a sort of "imitation is the best insurance against costume-wise sisters" theory, Angela goes the next year as a bunny. Smart! But the next year is muddy, and the white bunny suit soon resembles (according to Mrs. Walker) a rat. Bernadette's black witch's costume is only enhanced by mud. And so it goes, year after year, until Angela is 7. At that point, she gets tired of her copycat ways backfiring, and goes for an original design. Furthermore, Bernadette can best her because Bernadette has the measles, "So Angela went trick or treating with Gerard Schwartz."

Finally, Angela gets the attention that always went to her sister, even the gauche Mrs. Walker delights in her costume and gives her TWO cany apples. What's even more impressive, however, is that Angela's costume skills are matched by a new maturity: She gives the second apple to her measled sister!

Ms. McDonald explores several aspects of sibling rivalry, neither over-dramatizing nor shirking away from Angela's hurt feelings and anger. The year-over-year narrative feels surprisingly clear and natural, and the ancillary characters (Mrs. Walker, Mrs. Walker cat, the parents, young Gerard dressed as a TV) add to the depth. In playful, energetic watercolor and ink pictures, illustrator Anne Wilsdorf captures the collective energy and excitement of kids meeting on the street, as well as conveying Angela's emotions. It's an excellent mixture of outer and inner moments. Whether you have a sib rivalry problem or not, this is a fun, absorbing, humorous, and colorful book (I loved the pictures of the costumes). You'll want to read about Angela and Bernadette even when Halloween is not looming.

Maryann MacDonald's story of sibling rivalry, revolving around a Halloween costume, is quietly funny and uplifting. Every child who loves Halloween and wants to have the best costume will relate to this gem of a story. Parents, too, will find the text and illustrations endearing and enduring.