Book Review:

 

Bibliography:

Telgemeier, R. (2014). SISTERS. Graphix Publishing.

 

Plot Summary:

Raina can't wait to be a big sister, but once Amara is born, things aren't quite how she expected them to be. Amara is cute, but she's also a cranky, grouchy baby, and mostly prefers to play by herself. Their relationship doesn't improve much over the years, then a baby brother enters the picture. Soon after, something doesn't seem right between their parents, and they realize they must figure out how to get along. They are sisters, after all. Raina uses her signature humor and charm in both present-day narrative and perfectly placed flashbacks to tell the story of her relationship with her sister, which unfolds during the course of a road trip from their home in San Francisco to a family reunion in Colorado.

 

Critical Analysis:

The storyline goes back and forth from present-day road trip/family reunion to flashbacks from earlier in Raina’s childhood. The flashbacks show why Raina and her sister Amara have such a tense relationship with each other. Raina often references wishing she never had a sister. Although the focus is always on both sisters, this book also centers on a road trip from California to Colorado, and Telgemeier includes all the antics and details of a typical family road trip. Told from the perspective of Raina, it’s easy to find Amara incredibly annoying, although at times I feel bad for her. It is easy to empathize with her, she seems to be misunderstood and have a very difficult time expressing herself in a calm way. The familiar family dynamic draws you in and gives the reader insight on how certain events affect the family, such as the father losing his job and how the children react to it. The theme of the novel is determination. This was demonstrated when Raina experienced being an outsider from other kids and was determined to fit in. The author uses the narrative voice of Rania and her sister, which impacted the book by showing how messed up Raina’s relationship really is with her sister. The text is relatable in the storyline and the style it is written.

 

Review Excerpts:

Eisner Award-winner

Kirkus Starred Review: "A wonderfully charming tale of family and sisters that anyone can bond with."

Publishers Weekly Starred Review: "Alternately poignant and laugh-out-loud funny."

Booklist Starred Review: “Telgemeier keeps the surface story popping and zippy, even through the constant sparring between the awkwardly adolescent Raina and her firecracker younger sister, a relationship that will prove profoundly familiar to many readers. Telgemeier’s art complements her writing to great effect, offering a cheerful, vivid cartoon simplicity that allows readers to instantly engage even as it leaves room for deeper truths to take hold.”



Connections:

-Have students create a timeline of events throughout the story using Time Graphics App.

-If working with younger students, have them create a word journal for new vocabulary words they encounter while reading, or if librarian is reading a chapter aloud.

 

 

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