Siblings
In this book from 1944, four children have a delightful series of adventures. Cousins/siblings George, Julian, Dick, and Anne have an adventure on an island. Smugglers, kidnapping, shipwrecks, and dungeons combine for a vicarious adventure I certainly wish I could have had as a child.
Like a Brit Bobbsey Twins, this series centers on a self-sufficient group of kids that has plenty of adventures and mysteries to solve. Presented in a way that is fun and unthreatening (despite ideas like kidnapping that could be scary if handled a different way), it is also delightfully free of interfering adults.
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Madeleine L’Engle has many good books centering on families, and this is one of them. In Meet the Austins, Vicky’s family is discombobulated by the arrival of a troubled orphan. Despite the difficulties Maggy presents, the family honors its commitment and makes a place for her.
Like many of L’Engle’s characters, Vicky cares about her family and her place in it. She is appreciative of her parents and siblings and is sensitive to what is right. She may be awkward and imperfect, but she is secure in her family’s love, which is a reassuring message for any child.
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Peter, orphaned, poor, and living with a crazy old man, searches for truth and deliverance in a European, fairytale-like setting. A series of seemingly unconnected people and events develops into a magical, sophisticated story. The tale is deeply layered with meaning, themes, characterization, loneliness, despair, suffering, and hope.
The style of this book is entirely different from that of most children’s books. There is a grown up element balanced with an innocent element. It is like the author assumes an intelligent, thoughtful reader willing to accept the unexplained and seemingly confusing and patiently wait for the connections to come.
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This book always makes me hungry! The food descriptions are plenteous, and even the ones that sound a little odd sound good when presented from Almanzo’s viewpoint. This story, set in the late 1800’s in upstate New York, chronicles a short period in the life of Almanzo Wilder, who grows up to become Laura’s husband. We read about life on a farm and the many duties and pleasures of growing up in such a place at such a time.
Aside from the instructive historical nature of the story, a nice feature of the book is the inclusion of peeks at Almanzo’s character. He is concerned with justice and fairness at the same time that he is wrapped up in boyish mishaps and sibling issues. Together, this makes for a real, enjoyable story that has depth.
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I loved this series as a child and was so glad to see that is being reprinted. These two sets of twins, both boy/girl, aged around 6 and 12, have all kinds of adventures in a world where kids could run freely around town and country. In this one, the Bobbsey family sets out on a houseboat adventure, with all kinds of mysteries, mishaps, exploration, and excitement.
Note that these books are old, like 1920’s and 30’s old. The Bobbseys’ black housekeeper, Dinah, sometimes speaks in a stereotypical way that readers might find offensive today. Explaining the context to your child would be helpful.
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Eight-year-old Alice moves to a new state with her father and brother (mom has died) and faces making new friends in a new school. She has a hard time with this but identifies her successes and slowly becomes open to friendships with more and more people.
I liked how Alice identified how silly it was to be feuding with a group of girls and then reached out to that group and befriended them. There is some incongruity between how this 8-year-old thinks and acts and how a real 8-year-old thinks and acts, but it did not significantly detract from the story.
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I just loved this book as a child. What fun to have the run of a huge museum at night! The story begins with 11-year-old Claudia, frustrated by the unfair circumstances at home, planning to run away in comfort. She chooses her brother Jamie to accompany her. After careful planning, they travel to New York and spend about a week living in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, with several interesting outside-the-museum field trips as well.
While there is plenty of focus on the adventure, there is also exploration of the sibling relationship and each child’s self-awareness, plus Claudia’s emotional development. None of this is done in a burdensome way; it is all woven into the delightful story.
If you go to the Met, ask about the book at the information desk. They have some handouts that address it so you can find some of the things mentioned in the book.
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I remember when I taught 5th grade and read this book aloud to my class. There was a girl whose mom would not let her listen because she did not approve of witches. In fact, this story is an allegory showing how Jesus sacrificed himself for sinners. The fantastic thing about this book is that the story is so well done that it can stand alone.
This imaginative story has so many fine elements to enjoy and to use to instruct and discuss. There are the London evacuations of World War II, sibling and heart issues, forgiveness, adventure, magic, battles, and talking animals. Underlying it all is the “parallel” story of man’s sinfulness and how that debt was paid.
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Wow, there is a lot in this book. In fact, there is so much that I would say this is probably suitable for ages 11 and up, even though the main character is 10. Sally Freedman, lover of movie stars and full of imagination, makes a temporary move with her family to Florida for her brother’s health. Her adjustment to the change, the new things she is exposed to there, and growing into the world form the majority of the book. We see an insider’s view of family life in the late 1940’s, complete with stereotypes.
Here are some of the topics covered in the book so you can make up your own mind: Hitler, how Jews were killed, drinking alcohol, racism, breasts, kissing, teenage pregnancy, and where babies come from. As you can see, this book has a lot going on. In fact, it is a little overwhelming from a parent’s point of view. Great fodder for discussion, though!
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I consider this one of Judy Blume’s “boy” books as the main character is male, but both boys and girls will find meaning in it. Set in New York City, the story details the downs of 4th grade Peter's life with a younger sibling. Peter’s brother Fudge ruins his stuff, embarrasses him, and commits the ultimate crime in regard to Peter’s pet turtle.
This book is good for sibling discussion, especially younger sibling discussions. Peter’s parents excuse Fudge’s behavior, inappropriately blame Peter, and expect things of him that are not always reasonable. While this is not everyday stuff for most of us (thank goodness!), it is a good start for a discussion on sibling rivalry. Using it, we can open the door for our kids to discuss what’s bothering them about living with siblings, rather than letting rivalry fester away. We can use it to acknowledge that life is not always fair among kids in a family, but that things usually end up evening out.
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