Siblings Books

This book is a must-read for anyone hoping to delve deeper into the intricate workings of the sister relationship. By speaking and engaging with numerous sets of sisters, Mrs. Vikki Starks thoroughly examines how a woman's childhood role as a sister has the remarkable power to influence and shape who she becomes later in life. As an identical twin, the topic of sisterhood has not only always fascinated me, but mystified me as well. There are so many complex emotions involved, such intense love, intimacy, and affection...and yet sometimes there is that simultaneous jealousy and resentment. This book was so refreshing to read because it is sometimes easy to lose sight of the fact that the sister dynamic is supposed to be messy and convoluted...that's what makes it so wonderful. As you read this book, you will laugh aloud with some of the cited sisters' happy memories, cry with some of the heartaches and struggles, smile to yourself as you relate (almost uncannily) to some of the stories, and most importantly, make you realize just how lucky you are to have a sister.

Sisters know it's not all hair ribbons and whispering about boys.

Ms. Stark's book was refreshingly real, based on sound qualitative research, exploring the sometimes ugly issues that are part and parcel of sibling rivalry, bullying, bossiness and babying, as well as the more common themes of friendship and interdependence. Often funny, sometimes sad, but always touching and informative, anyone who has ever had a sister should read this book.

When I review a book, I usually have a copy right next to the computer, so I can refer to key passages and even quote a few lines. But this time I don't because I gave away my review copy right after I read it. I have a friend who's very close to her two sisters and I knew she'd enjoy reading this book. And I just ordered a gift copy to give a professional associate who's very close to her own sister.

That's the kind of book My Sister, My Self is: destined to keep circulating and (unless you're very careful) dog-eared and pencil-marked.

The theme of this book is, Your position as a sister will influence just about every area of your life - family, career, personality. What drew me into reading and re-reading is Stark's assertion that she can guess the birth order of a woman with only a few brief clues. Accountants (if I remember correctly) tend to be middle sisters.

And what amazed me is, she got my number! I am an older sister -- the bossy kind, not the caretaker type. And I fit her description quite accurately: totally independent and enjoy being in charge. I can't help noting how many older sisters tend to seek entrepreneurial careers and never really fit in as "team players."

I suspect most readers will do what I did: fast-forward to the chapters describing themselves. But I hope therapists and coaches will also enjoy reading this book because a lot of behavior that seems dysfunctional can be attributed directly to birth order. And from what Stark tells us, these influences go deep and can be hard to change.

Stark focuses solely on families with sisters, which means someone else has to write the book about sisters with brothers and only children. But Stark has been quite comprehensive, even including a large chapter about being a twin sister -- an experience far from my own.

What puts this book in the five-star category is Stark's willingness to discuss the dark side of sisterly relationships. Presumably, as a therapist, she's heard everything.

In particular, she recognizes that some women will experience the sisterly relationship as a drain on their energy with no rewards in sight. She's carefully non-judgmental. Perhaps because her study would attract women who care about their sisters, she offers few examples of sisters who "divorced" their relationship. Rather we hear a few quotes from women who don't want to give up, although the effort seems pointless. Frankly, I think many women will recognize themselves and feel reassured to fit into a category.

Sometimes a book leaves you wanting more because there's a gap in what's presented. Here I found myself wanting more because the book raised provocative questions. For example, what's too much: when does a sister get dragged down by ties that no longer deserve to be honored? When women don't have sisters in their lives, do they tend to seek out special friends or do they always have a sense of something missing? When sisters are spaced far apart (i.e., one is eight years older than the other), do they experience birth order relationships differently?

And while I respect a study of 400 women, I would find it instructive to talk about famous and literary examples of sisters. Author Lisa Scottoline, herself a twin, has explored the twin theme in her superb murder mysteries. In one best-seller, a well-known lawyer is stunned by the appearance of a strange woman -- a low-life claiming to be her missing twin sister. And in the WNBA, twins Cheryl and Coco Miller are now playing on separate teams, after playing together in high school and in an elite college program. They're both doing well.

In summary, I recommend reading this book before making your next gift list. It's the kind of book that (I suspect) many women will want to share. It's perfect for book clubs with a psychological edge -- the kind of book that makes you want to start a conversation.

They say mothers most affect us. Women are our caretakers. Those of us who have a sister know the power of this relationship, so instrumental is it to our development and sense of self. Vikki Stark details this relationship, its dynamics, societal expectations, and taboos, elevating it to near Oedipal dimensions.

Women are complex individuals, more so in relationships with other women. To be a women in a sibling relationship with a sister is to know this relationship's most powerful influence. Vikki Starr details the sister relationship in all its forms offering practical measures to negotiate the relationship with the intention of strengthening the bond. Yet she does not shy away from the difficulties and the possibility that, in some cases, the relationship may fail. She is a reasoned voice who clearly articulates the struggle.

Moreover, she does not judge. She validates, supports, and comforts, quite simply, because one can so easily identify with all she writes. She is the therapist who has lived your experience. She is a psychologist whose observations are near psychic.

I am a star-crossed sister, and this book and its author are the sisters of my soul.

Ricki Jones
Pasadena, CA
New York, NY

Lots of stickers, I just wish they were more easily removed and reused once stuck.

another hit from Charlie and Lola! I only wish that there were more books (without the stickers) because my 2 year old is a bit young to fully appreciate the stickers. We read it like a regular book, and have taped the stickers in place (to keep her from curiously tearing them off again, which undoubtedly leaves her in tears). A good value for the money if you are looking for more Charlie and Lola to satisfy a little one who adores them, like mine does. This also accompanies one of the episodes we have on DVD, which is nice.

My daughter is obsessed with Charlie and Lola. This book is adorable and the fact that you can reuse the stickers is great. We take it to restaurants, waiting rooms, etc. and it provides endless entertainment.

We just can't get enough of Charlie and Lola these days. This book and all the other in the series are really neat. Lots of stickers to decorate as you follow the story. All stickers are removeable. We do a page a night, and it's such a treat for my daughter before she goes to bed!

Highly recommend.

I bought "The Night of the Fireflies" for my niece, who, like Miko, had never seen such a wonder. She was as entranced by the idea of little flying lights as she was by the wonderful story. The book exposed her to a different culture (At each page we pointed out differences between Miko's world and ours, i.e., on page 3 Miko has laterns lighting her bedroom with her bed on the floor and we see Japanese characters on her walls that we couldn't interpret; but, Miko also has familiar toys and a pet kittie!).

We concluded that America, too, needs a special night devoted to the fireflies so we can experience this magical gift from nature.

We love Karen Winnick's books and art (although she used a different illustrator for this story). Yokito Ito, the illustrator, did some beautiful drawings and we thought her work complemented the story very well.

Highly recommended book.

John and Nancy

I am a volunteer reading partner for struggling first and second graders. Children really respond to this author's work and they love the simple, straightforward storytelling and magical illustrations in Night of the Fireflies. I highly recommend it.

My granddaughter loved this wonderful story about a special night in Japan when chidlren chase fireflies. It is a story that speaks to children about the importance of preserving the beauty of nature all around us. I highly recommend this book.

I loved this book. I love the writer. Children who read it will be smarter. Too bad all children's books can't be like this one.

This book is a terrific insight on the different ways people are viewed, I give it two thumbs up!

Megan and her friends practically pop off the page. The hilarious descriptions of their prize-winning science projects are matched only by the true-to-life challenges they face in this charming book.

I'm writing this for my son Spencer. He has dictated:

I'm six years old. I liked that Alexis played soccer. And how Matt played baseball.

NOBODY'S PERFECT
by Marlee Matlin and Doug Cooney
Simon & Schuster
ISBN-10: 068986986X
ISBN-13: 9780689869860
Ages 8-12
240 pages



In this companion to DEAF CHILD CROSSING, fourth grader Megan is busily planning her Positively Purple Birthday Party. Meanwhile, Alexis, the new girl in school, thwarts all attempts that Megan makes to befriend her. Alexis is pretty, smart, and a good soccer player; in fact, Megan thinks she's nearly perfect. She learns that Alexis has a secret --- a little brother who is autistic. Through trial and error, Megan finally realizes that Alexis is not the perfect person she appears to be, and that no one else is perfect either.

Alexis is aloof with everyone, but Megan takes it personally and assumes that Alexis doesn't like her because she's deaf. Megan has been deaf since she was a toddler; she wears a hearing aid, can read lips, and uses sign language. She's used to her handicap, however, and has adapted quite nicely.

Their teacher assigns Megan and Alexis to work together on a science fair project. Neither girl is at all happy about this; Alexis thinks Megan is a bit stubborn and outspoken, while Megan is rather touchy about Alexis's constant rebuffs. After much arguing the girls finally decide on a project that will involve the school hamster, Zippity. They create a cardboard maze out of shoeboxes and paint the little rooms --- one is red, one is blue, and, naturally, one is purple. Their goal is to run Zippity through the maze several times and see which room he prefers to be in. They assume he will like the purple room best.

When Megan's brother develops a nasty rash from handling Zippity, the science project gets moved to Alexis's house. She's very unhappy that her family secret is out when Megan gets a good look at Justin's unusual behavior. But a strange thing happens. Megan seems to be able to reach autistic little Justin and teaches him, using sign language, to communicate for the very first time.

NOBODY'S PERFECT will have readers chuckling over how much the color purple is a part of Megan's life. It will help you understand the many ways in which people can lead fairly normal lives by learning to adapt to their handicaps. Co-author Marlee Matlin, an Academy Award-winning actress, is herself deaf.

--- Reviewed by Carole Turner

Betsy Kuhn has shown herself to be a gifted writer with this delightful tale of two young girls with big dreams. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Not Exactly Nashville is about two pre-teen girls who live in a small Pennsylvania town and love country-western music. These girls could have come straight from a small Texas town, as well, where folks are known to enjoy that music. I call this book "refreshing" because it seems that so many books for this age group nowadays deal with difficult, painful subjects, subjects that most children seldom come into contact with. I don't mean to put such books down because they serve a purpose. Ellen and Valery, the girls in "Nashville" also have problems, but they're the kind that most kids are familiar with, such as siblings and teen-age romance. The whole tone of the book, however, is upbeat and charming, right up to the end when Ellen and Valery lie in their tent listening to the cars speeding through the night on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. I got this book for our school library (Red Elementary, Houston, Texas) because I felt our girls would like it. They do!

This book harkened me back to my childhood of playing with friends in the backyard, pretending to put on shows. The book's conflict was resolved in a credible, positive manner, very appropriate for the readers for whom this was intended! Loved it!!! Read it!!!

This is a fantastic book and a lot of fun to read! Ellen is a good role model for young girls!

My kids ask me to read this book over and over again. A boy is supposed to keep his little sister quiet so his dad can sleep but he scares her with stories of ghosts, witches, werewolfs, demons, and skeletons. The rythmic text and spooky illustrations are sure to be one of your children's favorite Halloween books.

"Oh No, Not Ghosts!" finds a brother and younger sister still up at night while dad is sleeping as they try and remain quiet and not wake dad. But the brother soon gets the sister's active imagination up and running with his descriptions of ghosts, werewolves, witches, and skeletons. The story is told in a spirited rhyme as each monster described by the brother gets more and more terrifying and the sister gets more and more scared.

The brother parades about, pretending to be each of the frights as his sister stares wide-eyed and clings to her dolly. It's quite a humorous little tale and certainly most girls who had older brothers will be able to relate to being teased by their older sibling. It's a bit scary, but not too scary. Younger readers might need to hide a bit when the skeleton makes his appearance from the closet but it's all in good fun. My four and a half year-old enjoyed it quite a bit!

The story is written by Richard Michelson and it's a snappy tale with a quick cadence. Helping great are the illustrations by Adam McCauley. The illustration are bold and colorful and the brother, while telling his sister that there are no such things as ghosts and witches, still has a mischievous glint in his eye. He's clearly enjoying himself! A great book to read at Halloween but good enough to be enjoyed year round!

Reviewed by Tim Janson

Whatever evolutionary requirement is served by the fiendish delight we derive from teasing -- or terrifying -- our siblings is served, without the damage, by this fabulous book. Its spooky, stylized illustrations and rhyming text are a great substitute for the terrorizing we don't let our girls do.

Simple, repetitive and fun. With dad asleep and the kids SUPPOSED to be sleeping, this sister and brother embark on a self-induced fright fest which leads them from one kiddie scare to the next...each one a bit more outrageous than the last. This is great for young children and those just starting out on their own with reading, it's one of those books that is very repetitive (the Oh No, Not... line is repeated though out the book and kids can predict what the next line is going to be and "get in" on the fun by reading along even if they can't read all the words...this makes it a good, fun, silly and light-hearted read (for a "scary" story) that kids from ages 2-8 (ish) will love. The illustrations are dark and suitably campy kind of scary that are great for kids of this age! I'd add this to my permanent collection for reading during the fall and most especially leading up to Halloween! I give it a sold A and both the kids loved this so much they had me read it twice, then Girl read it to Boy several more times with him chanting along...Oh, No, not... Simply a fun story!

Baby Louis is quite a crier. Nothing her mom, dad, and grandparents do helps. Then Daniel comes home from school and whispers the magic words into her ear. She immediately stops crying and begins to smile. Everyone is relieved, until Daniel goes out to play and the crying starts again. Find out what Daniel does this time to stop his little sister from crying.

My 2 year old adores this book. The nonsense words that Daniel uses to quiet his crying baby sister delight my own little girl. That special relationship between siblings is expressed here with a simple text and colorful drawings. The balance between them is perfect for the younger reader.

Being the "David" to whom this book is dedicated to, and being the basis of the story, I must say I am biased. BUT! This is my favorite of my mom's books by far! It is a great story and a worthwhile read for anyone to read to their children or grandchildren. I would definetly recommend it!

Oonga Boonga is a great example of a positive sibling relationship. My sister and Mom picked this up at the library for my nephews.

This is a great book for a parent to read to an older sibling, because it helps to foster a positive relationship between siblings. Baby Louise is crying and no one is able to calm her down until her older brother Daniel whispers "Oonga Boonga" to her. Then, she just has the biggest toothless grin.

When Daniel goes outside to play, she starts crying again. Even though the parents and grandparents are saying Oonga Boonga to her, nothing seems to stop her crying. Daniel arrives back on the scene and whispers a new phrase and Louise stops crying.

Oonga Boonga has colorful illustrations that are wonderfully drawn. The writing is simple and direct so that a child can easily understand what is going on. I would recommend this book to parents who have more than one child to show the positive healthy aspects of having a sibling.

This book is simply great.

Peef and the Baby Sister is a children's picturebook about a young boy, a multicolored teddy bear, and the boy's baby sister - as told from the teddy bear's point of view! Peef the teddy bear is used to having fun with the boy, his Best Friend; when the baby sister enters their lives, they enjoy making her laugh with their magic tricks and shows. But when baby sister doesn't feel well due to the stress of teething, Peef and his Best Friend find a way the one way to make her feel better - by giving her Peef to have, hold, and keep. A delightful story with an important lesson about sharing joy through selfless giving, Peef and the Baby Sister is highly recommended.

First, last, and always, Tom Hegg is a teacher. Here, he revisits the lesson he first taught in PEEF The Christmas Bear; loving someone, or something, means letting go so potential is fulfilled. Funny, poignant, and beautifully true to all that PEEF has become, this is a story that perhaps provides a missing link in the story of the multi-colored Christmas bear.

It's a children's book that I love. I ordered it because I wanted a copy - just to have. I believe this is the book that I had a mix-up over. The sending company was absolutely wonderful about it and actually gave me a complete refund and had me keep the incorrect book that they had sent to me. I would do business again with them in a heart beat.

The PEEF series of books is one of my all-time favorites. The stories have a strong message, yet are entertaining and the illustrations are simply delicious.

PEEF and the Baby Sister is about loving, sharing and sacrifice. It's a happy but poignant story (especially if you've read the series).

PEEF and his Best Friend have lived a childhood of exciting adventures. And as the Best Friend has grown, his friendship with PEEF has matured. When the Best Friend's sister arrived, the duo makes her laugh with all their antics. But when Baby Sister isn't feeling well (she's teething) nothing PEEF and Best Friend do can make her happy.

PEEF and Best Friend discuss the situation and make a sacrifice that brings joy to Baby Sister.

Sometimes the biggest and best gifts cost nothing in terms of dollars, but cost a great deal in loving sacrifice. PEEF and Best Friend are true heroes who love Baby Sister enough to give her a gift that will give her great joy.

Armchair Interviews says: Another great addition to the PEEF series.

This historical fiction about the great fire in London is a sequel to "At the Sign of the Sugared Plum." It is a good book for young readers 10-13 years old. I used these books for my 6th grade elective reading. It is a very quick and easy read, with questions at the end of the book to help the reader gain a better insight to the devastation that happened during that time period.

The sequel to AT THE SIGN OF THE SUGARED PLUM is just as good and carries on the wonderful adventure of Hannah as she grows up to learn different things in different enviroments. Just as thrilling as the first this will keep you guessing what's going to happen. If you want your teenage daughter to read give her this book and the one before. She'll love it and feel the same feelings as Hannah. Seeing as i'm a teenager i know what i'm talking about.

This was an AMAZING book!!!! I was surprised to hear about all of the things that happend during the plague, but it was fun to read about a girl close to my age that lived during it. You will DEFINETLY enjoy this book!!!

Teenaged Hannah and her older sister Sarah barely managed to escape London alive during the great plague of 1665. Now a year has passed, and the plague has finally died out. Hannah wants to return to London to reopen their sweets shop, but Sarah wishes to remain at the family home in the countryside. So when Hannah returns to the city, she is accompanied by her younger sister, Anne. However, her life is once again interrupted when fire begins to spread through London. Can Hannah find the strength to survive yet another terrible calamity?

I highly recommend this book to all readers who enjoyed the first book about Hannah, "At the Sign of the Sugared Plum." I also recommend it to new readers who enjoy historical fiction and are interested in this time period. Hannah is a wonderful character, and her struggle for survival is riveting. I hope Mary Hooper writes another book about Hannah's adventures, as I would love to read it.

My children love to have this book read to them at bedtime!! They love the story of the to competing brothers and the silly ending. The pictures are beautiful and very colorful. A wonderful childrens book!

Tomas Aarrestad's new book is a great bedtime story for our children. Boys and girls will love to hear this story. The illistrations follow along well with the story for little eyes to watch and wonder. Enjoy!

I read this book to my child's first grade class. The children were very enthusiastic. They very much enjoyed the illustrations and the resolution of the conflict generated by the greed of the two competing kings.

This funny little tale begins with the artistry of Giselle, a potter who lives between two kingdoms, each ruled by a larger than life brother. Competition to own the biggest pot in town places Giselle in an impossible situation, but one that she has to find a way out of. This is an easy to read simple story that shows the pointlessness of greed. Easy to read, fun illustrations, and great to generate a not-too-heavy discussion, but important view on sibling rivalry. I liked this book.