Siblings Books

My toddler and I enjoy the Charlie and Lola book series. This is one of our favorites. It has a nice lesson to teach which I don't think my two year old understands, but eventually he will. I enjoy the illustrations in the book. We refer to Charlie and Lola a lot in our home.

Seriously, Lola is such a sweet, silly little girl who makes us all laugh! We enjoy all her & Charlie's stories!

We love the series on TV and the books. Easy to read and wonderful illistrations.

This book makes a great bedtime story. It's fun to read out loud.

In "But I Am an Alligator," Lola teaches Charlie that you shouldn't be embarrassed about embracing your interests and being yourself. It also teaches some fun facts about alligators -- they live in swamps and rivers, lay eggs amd get bigger "than even our table!" Like the rest of the books in this series, the dialogue is real ("This is my favorite fancy dress costume and I'm not ever NEVER taking it off.") and the illustrations loose and quirky.

The story is also included on the DVD Charlie and Lola, Vol. 5 - But I Am an Alligator. If your child likes this skewed humor I'd also recommend the Skippyjon series.

My 6-year-old daughter designated this her favorite book on her class questionnaire. She cherishes her own copy and gave it to two friends for Christmas. Author Mary Eccles has a wonderful ability to write of family dynamics with humor and insight and to create very believable child characters and situations. The format is also appealing: Each chapter corresponds to a month in one year of 9-year-old Lizzie's life. I read the book aloud to my daughter--but it is a good read-alone for young people ages 8 to 10. And I won't give away one surprise but will say that, once you read this book, you will never again pour dry cereal from a box without first checking inside. My daughter is hoping for a sequel and a chance to share more adventures with Lizzie.

BY LIZZIE is an exciting novel.Lizzie is a nine year old in the middle of her family. She has an annoying older brother named Norman, and a younger copycat sister named Ellie. The story starts on January 1, the day after Lizzie's ninth birthday. Lizzie is looking for her dog Winston's leash,and ends up finding her mom's old typewriter. She decides to record and write down the year before she turns ten.Lizzie writes a story for each month. My favorite month is March, when Lizzie calls swimming lessons "water torture", because she's the oldest in the beginner class by far, and she can't swim! Mary Eccles uses many details in her writing. I highly recommend this book for eager readers.

By Lizzie is a great story with characters that young readers will identify with, laugh with, and care about through the end of this book and beyond. I am already looking forward to reading more stories "By Lizzie" and Mary Eccles. Young readers (and adults!) will enjoy this glimpse into Lizzie's year -- from the trials of family life to laughing through her escapades... mice in cereal boxes, secret codes, Brownie the puppy, getting even with her big brother and more. Lizzie and her story are both winners!

I enjoyed the way this book is structured: a 9-year-old girl is frustrated with aspects of her life, and desides to chronicle each month as she waits to turn 10. Each chapter is an account of a difficulty she faces at school or at home. The problems are ones all children would recognize--annoying siblings, worries about a new teacher, for example. The chapters are written with good humor and not a trace of condescension.

The first sentence grabs you and pulls you right into this story of a seventeen year old college girl named Lissa who suddenly finds out she must raise her little sister all by herself in the big city. This novel reads like a screenplay with snappy dialogue between the sisters as they try to carve out a new life for themselves in Chicago. I highly recommend this book!

This book is a very heartwarming book. This is the second book I have read by Julie Reece Deaver, and it is the second best book I have ever read,just falling short of the best which is "Say Goodnitght,Gracie", also by Deaver. Marnie is just a little girl who is forced to live with her older sister, Lissa who is just a child herself, because their mother has a drinking problem. I would reccommend this book to anyone who is looking for a heartwarming story about a little girl and her sister who have everyday struggles and have to survive with just each other.

This is a story of two girls who's mom is having drinking problems. The eldest is asked to take her little sister with her to Chicago. There is only one delima she doesn't want to stay with her, she wants to go home. They are having problems with getting along when suddenly their dad shows up and he is not approved by the eldest. He is always staying out late with her little sister without asking her. Are her problems solved? That's something you'll just have to find out when you read the book. This easy read book catches your attention and you can't put it down once you start!

This is a cool story of a seventeen year old girl who has to raise her little sister alone in the city. I loved seeing how the big sister, a talented art student, had to learn in a hurry how to be a parent a sister who was quite a handful! This is a story for any age! I'm not a teenager, but I loved it!

My daughter loves the Arthur books, especially the D.W. series. She recently got her own library card and really loved reading this book.

You've got to love a book that makes getting a library card magical.

This Arthur story begins with DW's desire to check out 'Hop-a-long the Frog'. She asks Arthur to do it for her but he refuses because he doesn't want to be seen checking out a 'baby book'.

DW retorts that when she gets her own card she will be free to check out whatever she wants. It turns out she's old enough, but before DW can get one she has to be able to sign her name. [Having just gone through this with my own 5 year-old, I can tell you that it *can* be an ordeal (LOL).]

DW practices and practices--a mini-lesson in itself - until she can do it. But the story isn't finished yet. First DW has to WAIT because someone else has checked out `Hop-a-long'. Then, after it's returned, the Tibble twins, who had the book, misinform DW and tell her that if the book gets damaged that the librarian will take away her library card... forever!

Of course, that's not true and eventually Arthur corrects her, but not before he discovers that the book *isn't* a baby book but a `great book' that he remembers checking out when he was younger. Arthur then reads the book to DW (she hadn't before because she was afraid it would get damaged) and explains that she can renew it and read it herself later.

Five Stars. All in all a great book that takes some of the 'mystery' out of the library process for small children. I like that it opens the opportunity to emphasize that while it is important to take care of books, that nothing horrendous will happen if a page gets wrinkled. I also like that Arthur is shown reading to his little sister, and that books, reading, and the library are cool.

D.W. wants her own library card, because her brother won't check out the books she likes, he says they're "baby" books.

Mrs. Turner, the librarian, explains how D.W. can get her own card - she has to learn to write her full name.

D.W. works & works at writing her name, once even in a dollop of mashed potatoes, until she gets it right!

Then new trials turn up when she tries to find a book & has to wait until it is returned, & then she has to learn how to treat the library's book properly! She resorts to kitchen mittens!

Great pictures & good ideas! Should be given to every single child by the age of five years old - better than starting a college fund - for if we do not imprint our children with the love of reading, what use college?

This is a fine book to start your children off on the thrills & spills of becoming a library kid, on being initiated into the wonders of our public lending libraries & into a lifelong passion for reading.

Those who watch the "Arthur" show know that the program places a huge emphasis on the enjoyment of reading. The characters are passionate about their books, from once organizing a group against parents who wanted to ban a particular book, to waiting in long lines to get copies of their favorites. One character, however, who was always left out the mix was D.W., Arthur's adorable, amusing and to Arthur sometimes annoying little sister. That is, until "D.W.'s Library Card." The television episode in which D.W. learned that all she needed to do to get a library card was to a write her name is now, appropriately, available in book form, ready to be checked out at libraries all over, or for your purchase. The old adage says "don't judge a book by its cover," but it's hard to pass up a book with a cover featuring what is probably the most adorable picture of the D.W. character ever. The inside of the book is fully illustrated as well and the original story is kept mostly intact, with only extraneous plot points left out, probably to make things easier for the younger audience it seems to be targeted at, as well as (most likely) the parents and older siblings who have to read it out loud. A fine addition to the "Arthur" series, for both its pure value as a story and the good it will do in the drive to get kids excited about reading.

My daughter and I absolutely LOVED this book when she was growing up. The story is beautiful and the drawings are fabulous. A book about the longings of a younger sister, who in her heart is ready to dance, even though she is told she's too little.
This is THE book I give to [kid] girls!! Their mothers will love it too.

Little Tanya loves to dance. Like her sister she practices plies, pirouettes and arabesques and the two often practice together, but as of yet Tanyette (as she is sometimes called) is too young for lessons.

This all changes one day when her family, celebrating the performance of big sister as a flower in Swan Lake, finds out that little Elise is no longer the cute toddler mimicking the actions of her older sister, but a little girl that is ready for academy

Five Stars. A delightful book that shows two sisters who share a love of dance. My five y.o. daughter loves the talk of `first, second, fourth and fifth' positions. Good read-aloud, the artwork is pleasing with it soft watercolor drawings.

A sample of text follows:

And while nobody was looking, Tanya found her tutu,
and her scarf. And Tanya danced too. All alone.

The music played loud and sweet, and she did a plie
and arabesque and five grand jetes right across the floor.

"Dance, Tanya," her sister said, and her mother held her breath.
Grandma looked over her glasses. "You have two dancers
in your family," she said. Everyone in the room clapped. Elise did too.

This was a childhood favorite of mine, and the pages are tattered from reading it over and over. A young girl wants to be a dancer and is saddened because her older sister can take lessons, but she is too young. She looks up to her graceful old sister and dances with her, but wishes she herself could be in the spotlight...The book is a wonderful story for all ages, young and old.

My 3 and 6 year old daughters enjoy the story for the talkabout dancing and for the "little sister looks up to big sister" and "little sister feeling left out" themes. The adults in the family get misty-eyed over a little girl's discovery of the beauty of dance (if you've ever shed a tear of joy when Linnea is finally atop the bridge in Monet's Garden, you'll know what I mean). This will be one to save for the next generation :-)

Beautiful water-color-ish illustrations appealed to all ages in our family.

As a fellow Adoptee who searched for and found my birth family as a teenager nearly 20 years ago, I found this story to be beautifully written, extremely eloquent and touching. It is a heartfelt account of one woman's search for her heritage, family and identity. A must read for anyone touched by adoption.

With the proliferation of books about adoption and adoptees on the market Asha Miro's story of retracing her roots in India will seem familiar.

However, what was truly wonderful about this book was Asha's gentle touch. Bitterness does not overtake this book.
There is so much love in this book. Usually, nuns in orphanages are portrayed as mean and cruel. Not so in this book. Instead, you find a group of women doing the best they can for Indian orphans with extremely limited resources. Usually, parents who give their children up in other countries are portrayed at best as pitiful and at worst as little more than savages. Definitely not so with this book.
Asha meets up with her biological family. It is a joyful reunion. By the time she finishes reconstructing why her family gave her up, and also her biological sister's life, her family feels about as exotic as people down the street.
And you understand why they did it. You're rather left with the feeling that you would have done the same in that situation.
I found Asha's portrait of her biological sister fascinating, and I kept thinking about it afterward.

This is lovely book about a woman now in her late 30's, adopted at the age of 6 by a Catalan couple, searching for her birth family in India. Very sensitively written, with great respect both for her adoptive parents (entries from her adoptive mother's journal form a part of the book) and her birth parents, about whom she discovers a great deal. A must for all adoptive families and recommended for anyone interested in Indian culture. This book was a huge bestseller in Spain and documentaries and a followup book have also been written by Ms. Miro. I have not read the English version; I hope it does the book justice.

This is a book about trying to find out about oneself, and Asha Miro is the young woman who is trying to piece together her fragmented past, from her life in India until she was six until the day she returned to India from Spain, in the hope of finding out more about her adoption, her birth family and why they had given her up.

This book is actually two books in one, the first being Daughter of the Ganges, which tells of Asha's initial journey back to India to find trace back the steps to her life in a Catholic orphanage, to the second book, Two Faces of the Moon, where she finds a sister she never knew exisited and realises that she has a whole "other" life that needs to be explored in detail.

Both books are fascinating, in the first book Asha paints a dour if not too unhappy picture of her life in an Indian orphanage which was run by Catholic nuns, who did their best with little they had for the girls in their charge. The seocond book deals with possible inaccuracies of the first book, Asha has memories of living in a two tiered institution, part orphanage, part school in which rich girls slept on beds and the orphans slept on the floor. However this was denied by some of the nuns, but Asha has clear memories that she does not doubt so we never know who was right and who was wrong but she handles this situation really well and slowly we move toward the meeting of Asha and her sister, also called Asha and the truth about her life before Spain is delicately told, by nuns, friends, and family members.

A wonderful book that is far from being sentimental, Asha has no illusions about her life, she is European and cannot give up the trappings of her westernised life but she promises herself she will not forget where she has come from and I would like to think that she keeps that promise, not just for herself but for the faily who lost her and then found her again after so many years.

I thought that this book wouldn't be as good as "Mystery Of Smugglers' Cove." But I was definitely wrong! "The Demon's Den" has some surprising text, teriffic, never-ending action, and the plot was totally freaky. Demons, superhumans, Old Sam, and so on. You just can't miss this one!

I thought that this book wouldn't be as good as "Mystery Of Smugglers' Cove. But I was definitely wrong! "The Demon's Den" has some surprising text, teriffic, never-ending action, and the plot was totally freaky. Demons, superhumans, Old Sam, and so on. You just can't miss this one!

I think that this just about beats Mystery of Smugglers' Cove. Matter of fact, it does. Sometimes in the book there's some scary (but not bad) language. It's surprising how Franklin Dixon got this idea for this sort of writing in the book. It's also a great book on genetic engineering and science. It's amazing about Rhee doing his tricks, and the action is normal, but wonderfully done. So take the time to read this book, and you won't think there's any better Hardy Boys book (and it's true, you'll believe me). Bon Reading it! (Enjoy reading it)!

I think that this just about beats Mystery of Smugglers' Cove. Matter of fact, it does. Sometimes in the book there's some scary (but not bad) language. It's surprising how Franklin Dixon got this idea for this sort of writing in the book. It's also a great book on genetic engineering and science. It's amazing about Rhee doing his tricks, and the action is normal, but wonderfully done. So take the time to read this book, and you won't think there's any better Hardy Boys book (and it's true, you'll believe me). Bon Reading it! (Enjoy reading it)!

Reviewed by Tabytha Joy (age 15) for Reader Views (8/07)

"Dream Spinner" is about a girl named Jori who must go into her sister's dreams in order to save her from death. Jori meets this old man when she and her friend, Newt, go to the house in which a dog disappeared with Jori's backpack. They both continue going back to the old man's house, wanting to learn more about going into their dreams.

From the beginning, Jori feels uncomfortable about living her dream instead of reality. She also thinks that it is all just a trick that the old man is playing. Jori chooses not to return to his home. That was until she realized that Newt, and her two worst enemies, Derek and Marisa, went back to the old man's house to trade their real life to live a dream.

While Jori is looking through the room to make sure Newt is really there, she discovers that her missing little sister, Lisa, has also chosen to trade her life for a fantasy. Now, Jori must go into each of their dreams and try to save them before it is too late. Can Jori do it alone?

Honestly, I didn't enjoy the ending of "Dream Spinner" as much as I liked the rest of the book. The reason I say this is because there was a lot of questions left unanswered. Did the other dreamers ever get out? What happened to the old man? What did Jori's mother say about the dog? What happened to Marisa? What did Jori's mother say when Lisa appeared home? How long was Jori in these dreams? There were also some really good parts to "Dream Spinner" as well. For instance, I liked how Newt, Derek, and Jori had to work together in order to escape and find Lisa. I think that this is a very valuable lesson as a lot of people, especially teens, don't understand that teamwork is the best way to go at times. I think this book would be best for someone thirteen and older.

A dream is a wish your heart makes . . . or so they say. It can also be a nightmare.

Dream Spinner, Bonnie Dobkin's first novel, weaves together the stories of two sisters, a popular teen couple, a mysterious professor, a dog, a tapestry, and a talented spider.

Jori lived through the car accident that killed her father. Scarred for life, both physically and emotionally, she is weighed down by her survivor's guilt. Her personality changes as she pulls away from her remaining family members - her mother and her younger sister Lisa - and is pushed away by her school friends.

After an afternoon in detention, she discovers a strange door, a barking dog, and a professor named DePris. Eventually, this strange old man shows Jori a spider with the power to weave dreams into a tapestry. When Lisa enters this dreamworld and refuses to leave, Jori goes on a quest to rescue her younger sister. Three of her classmates have also fallen prey to DePris' manipulative ways and are traveling through the tapestry. In order for any of them to get home, sacrifices must be made, and Jori is forced to confront her inner demons and darkest fears.

Jori's life is no longer as wonderful as it once seemed, due to the tragic car accident that killed her father and left her physically and emotionally scarred. Once a friendly, popular girl at school, Jori now walks the hallways a bitter loner trying to ignore the stares and whispers that follow her. Meanwhile, her family is gradually fraying at the seams, as Jori and her mother anxiously wait for the return of Jori's younger sister, Lisa, who has been missing for months.

When she is betrayed by her (former) best friend Marisa, Jori ends up in detention, where she meets Newt McAllister, a lanky blond-haired guy who likes to joke and act crazy, such as freeing the lab rats in biology class. Newt finds Jori interesting if not a little weird for liking spiders, and he offers to walk her home. However, Jori thinks that Newt pities her and angrily storms off.

Then Jori is forced to make a detour on her way home and ends up lost in a web of alleyways. While Jori looks for a way out, she crosses paths with a stray dog, who takes her to an abandoned enclosure. Jori freaks when a magical door speaks to her and she returns home. The next day, she apologizes to Newt and has him go with her back to the alleyway to retrieve her backpack she had left behind. They see that the dog has the backpack and chases him back to the strange place. This time, Jori steps inside the entranceway with Newt and both are stunned by what they discover.

Within is a beautiful garden and charming cottage, which is filled with various collections such as butterflies and fantasy books. There, the two schoolmates meet the owner of the unusual residence, the eccentric Professor DePris. The elderly man offers them to stay for a little while, and Jori and Newt reluctantly agree. By the end of their visit, however, Jori is ready to leave and is wary of the haunting dream and the odd behavior of Newt --- as well as Marisa's boyfriend Derek who had followed the two schoolmates to the house --- that seemed to result from the professor's captivating story.

The following afternoon, Jori joins Newt and Derek to visit the house once again, this time to see the mysterious item that the professor had wanted to show them the day before. Professor DePris shows them a mysterious tapestry and introduces them to his talking spider, Arachnea. The professor claims that each of the students could live out their dreams within the tapestry. Jori refuses but later finds herself entering the tapestry, not to live out a fantasy, but to rescue her family and friends from a nightmare that threatens to come true.

Fantasy and horror go hand-in-hand as readers are taken into a world where nightmares (one that is possibly creepier than spiders) lurk underneath the façade of childhood dreams. DREAM SPINNER is an original novel that puts a fresh spin on some familiar symbolic tales while adding realistic emotion that is not always pretty. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy fantasy but don't mind a few thrills and chills every once in a while.

Jori has detention. Punching your ex-best friend in the face will do that. Sitting in the classroom, Jori reflects on her life. In her opinion, Marisa, the ex-best friend, deserves a lot more than a punch in the face for the way she has turned on her. Not only has Jori lost her father in a terrible car accident that left her horribly scarred on her face and arm, but now her sister has disappeared. To make matters worse, Marisa decides to drop her as a friend and call her a freak in the halls where everyone can hear. This is what led to her detention sentence.

One evening when walking home from detention, Jori starts to follow a dog that leads her through some scary alleys, but eventually to a beautiful, cozy cottage. Once she reaches the front door she is startled by the peep hole. Strangely, it talks to her. Freaking out, she runs away, breathing a sigh of relief once she makes it home; until she realizes that she left her backpack lying on the ground close to the cottage.

The next day Jori dreads the end of detention, knowing she is going to have to go back to find her backpack. Luckily Newt, also stuck in detention, offers to walk her home since it gets dark so early in the evening. Not wanting to go to the cottage alone, she accepts his offer. Once they get there, they are sucked into a world of unimaginable consequences.

Mr. DePris is the owner of the cottage and inside he presents a very welcoming environment, offering snacks and a warm place by the fire. Mr. DePris offers to tell them a story and takes some glittery powder out of his pocket and blows it toward the flames. Once it is in the air, Jori and Newt become overcome by fatigue and drift into sleep to dream. Mr. DePris is able to watch their dreams and seems very excited by what he is seeing.

Jori, not completely asleep, sees Mr. DePris and is uncomfortable enough to rouse herself awake. She forces him to wake Newt up so they can leave. The problem is, Newt doesn't want to leave. He was enjoying his dream of being a warrior, fighting with William Wallace. Before Jori and Newt can get out of the cottage, Mr. DePris invites them back the next day to see a treasure. Newt is very excited to return, but Jori feels uneasy.

Returning to the cottage turns out to be the most dangerous thing they could have done. Once inside, Mr. DePris takes everyone to the second floor to see a beautiful tapestry that hangs on the wall. This tapestry is very special. The intricate designs move. It turns out that Mr. DePris has a spider that can take the dreams of the people he brings to see it and weave them into the tapestry after he puts them to sleep with the glittery dust. After their dream has been woven into the tapestry, the dreamer goes into the tapestry as well and remains there until they dry up and die. Jori realizes the dangers of this and, using the help of an unlikely ally, gets into the tapestry to save Newt and hopefully bring her sister home.

DREAM SPINNER is an interesting and unique fantasy that leads one lonely girl through the process of healing physical and emotional scars while finding her strengths and learning to rely on them to survive and rescue those she cares about.

Reviewed by: Karin Perry

My older daughter, a kindergartener, recently brought this book home from the school library. We bought it immediately after it was returned!

It's a huge hit with both my older daughter and her 3 year-old sister. This book could very easily have been written about their lives! The interaction between the sisters in the book is so natural - my girls really identify with it.

There's already a book #2 in the series (big sister gets a name - Bonnie!) and we're looking forward to more.

My 3 year old just adores this book! It is one of the few that she wants to read every single day. The sisters dance and even bicker a bit, its definitely a book she can relate to.

Love this book. Great for anyone who has two daughters. The illustrations are great.

"Ballet Sisters: The Duckling and the Swan" is an adorable book about being sisters. These two girls are gentle girls, who have learned the fine art of getting along, with an occasional outburst.

What really impresses me is their ease into play situations. The older Sister readily allows her little sister to play with her. But she does make her bow to her as queen.

When Mom puts Big Sister's hair in braids for her early morning ballet lesson, Little Sister tries to do braid her hair. Uh-oh, some hair is sticking out, snip -- Gone! Mom has to even out the hair cut. Big Sister to the rescue again. She takes old panty hose, splits the legs, braids them, and places the new "do" on Slyvie's head. Sylvie is delighted!!

At the ballet class, Sylvie must stay outside the studio because the girls are serious about their lessons. While her sister is rehearsing, Sylvie is having fun being that duckling again. On the way home, the big sister is the Swan and Sylvie is the duckling. They are both as cheerful as can be.

I really like the mother in this story. She rides her bike to school to pick up the older sister with Little Sister firmly entrenched in her booster seat. I guess the mother pushes the bike home. When Sylvie is annoyed to playing an elf, Mom picks her up and swirls her around like a buzzing bee. Calms her right down.

Another point about this story that is really noticeable. The nameless older sister is elegant in every picture. The ballet lessons show in her grace and style. The book is definitely a plug for dance lessons.

"Ballet Sisters" is a winner on many levels. Highly recommended!

What is it like to lose a twin? Diskin's brother had leukemia: Saul observed his slow decline and death and End Of The Twins reflects on his experiences and on the special nature of twins. Insights into the brothers' closeness and ties are followed by explorations of what it means to survive such a close loved one's death. Moving and engrossing.

Placing the words in the right order and injecting personal feelings to a story results in a successful read that will stay with you for a long time. This is such a book. You learn of the special relationship that twins enjoy (and infrequently "not enjoy")and the rest of us mortals can only read about. You learn of their life while a youth in the beginning, but the majority of the story concerns the illness of Marty. You learn a lot about bone marrow transplant and it is interesting. Marty is ill over a long period of time and the many procedures and decisions that have to be made are sometimes overwhelming. This story will keep you interested from beginning to end.

This marvelous book takes the reader deep into the intimate world of twins while pondering the sibling experience, the meaning of identity, and the terrors of loss. It is a sensitive, generous tale, both harrowing and comforting. In a word, wonderful

I was browsing in my neighborhood bookstore. As is always the case, my eyes quickly past over the section designated " Death and Dying,but a cover caught my eye. It was " The End of the Twins, by Saul Diskin. I pulled out the book and began thumbing through the pages with the kind of experienced movement that a shopper uses when going through a rack of clothes. I expected nothing and was truly surprised when I saw good writing on the page. Although I am not a twin and death and dying are things I have gone to great lenghths to avoid, I was hooked. The book puts into words the thoughts and feelings that we are afraid to face about our families and ourselves. Don't be an ostrich. Read it!