Growing up, my sister and I didn\u2019t get along. She was older, and I was the annoying baby sister. Our interests and temperaments couldn\u2019t have been more different. We eventually found peace as adults, but oh, the fights. When I found out I was having my second daughter, I worried history would repeat itself. However, I can confidently say that my girls are growing up as best friends. They look out for each other, bathe together, play in the sandbox, make up dances, and do each other\u2019s makeup (using my make-up, of course).<\/p>\n
This is not to say that they don\u2019t fight or get sick of each other, but they miss each other terribly when apart. As parents and caregivers, we hope our children will remain close as they grow up despite hormones, rivalries, life changes, and differing interests. Here is a reading list of books about sisters to help girls navigate the joy, laughter, fights, and tears of this incredible journey called sisterhood. <\/p>\n
yes no Picture Books 9780593433188 Smart Sisters<\/i> by Mechal Renee Roe <\/p>\n
You are missing out if you have not read one of Mechal Renee Roe\u2019s books. Her signature illustrations are cute, bright, and joyful. Reading her books always puts me in a good mood. Her fourth title, Smart Sisters<\/i>, celebrates best friends and sisterly love with rhyming text and empowering pictures of girls exploring their interests together, like baking, soccer, STEM, and being princesses. The refrain, \u201cMy sister and me,\u201d repeats on each page. This book is a fan favorite in our home. <\/p>\n
9781101938836 Snow Sisters!<\/i> by Kerri Kokias, illustrated by Teagan White <\/p>\n
Sisters don\u2019t have to do everything together. A snow day brings out different feelings and interests in these two siblings. One runs outside to play while the other relishes warm, cozy indoor activities like baking and snuggling under blankets with a book. By midday, the girls trade places and engage in the other sibling\u2019s activities in a unique way. The illustrator cleverly lays out the book with two-page spreads highlighting and celebrating the siblings\u2019 differences.<\/p>\n
9780593377581 Sisters in Science<\/i> by Linda Elovitz Marshall, illustrated by Anna and Elena Balbusso <\/p>\n
Did you know Nobel Prize winner Marie Curie had a sister? This picture book biography shares the atomic power of sisterhood between Marie Curie and her older sibling, Bronia. Secretly attending a school for women, financially supporting each other\u2019s college educations, war, and even loss could not shake their bond. These trailblazing women put a stamp on the fields of physics and healthcare at a time when women were expected to keep house and nothing more. It\u2019s an excellent read for your science lovers, especially during Women\u2019s History Month.<\/p>\n
9780593385814 Good Night, Sister<\/i> by Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt, illustrated by Lucy Fleming <\/p>\n
Named an instant New York Times<\/i> bestseller, this bedtime read-aloud touches on the emotions that accompany sleeping in separate rooms for the first time. While big sister Kate is excited to sleep in her new room, little sister Tina isn\u2019t thrilled about being left behind. When a thunderstorm rumbles in, Kate needs her little sister more than she expected.<\/p>\n
9780670062874 Big Red Lollipop<\/i> by Rukhsana Khan, illustrated by Sophie Blackall <\/p>\n
How do you feel about siblings attending birthday parties? If one sibling receives the invitation, do you send the other child as well? It\u2019s a social minefield with nuances that spark heavy debate in online mom groups. In Rukhsana Khan\u2019s Big Red Lollipop<\/i>, Rubina has difficulty convincing her Ami (mom) and her middle sister Sana that you can\u2019t bring an uninvited sibling to a party. So, Sana tags along to the party, where her antics cause havoc and embarrassment. She even steals Rubina\u2019s party favor (a big red lollipop).<\/p>\n
RELATED: Books About Siblings Getting Along (and Sometimes Not)<\/a><\/p>\n 9780399162831 Maple & Willow Together<\/i> by Lori Nichols <\/p>\n Lori Nichol\u2019s follow-up to the book Maple<\/i> is perfect for sisters who do everything together \u2014 until they don\u2019t. In sunshine and rain, in spring and winter, Maple and Willow engage in imaginative play and fun until Maple becomes too bossy. Willow gets frustrated, and the girls argue. This sibling series continues with Maple & Willow\u2019s Christmas Tree<\/i><\/a> when the siblings hunt for their first live Christmas tree.<\/p>\n yes no Chapter Books & Middle Grade 9780593619841 Kitty Quest: Sinister Sister<\/i> by Phil Corbett <\/p>\n The third book in the Kitty Quest series introduces us to Perigold\u2019s little sister, Princess Horribelle. This huge reveal will delight series fans. Perigold (a.k.a. Scarygold) was heir to the throne of Awfullia. She left the bad life and her willfully bad kingdom behind for a fresh start in Pawdor. With an old nemesis and Princess Horribelle in town at the same time, can Perigold and her faithful friend Woolfrik call on their new friends to fight both evil threats? This graphic novel series has old-school Saturday morning cartoon vibes and will appeal to Dog Man<\/i> and Zita the Space Girl<\/i> fans.<\/p>\n 9780593112298 The Many Mysteries of the Finkel Family<\/i> by Sarah Kapit <\/p>\n Lara is 12, autistic, and eager to start a detective agency without<\/i> her younger sister, Caroline. After much debate, Caroline changes Lara\u2019s mind by bringing the agency its first mystery. Yet, no sooner does she gain Lara\u2019s trust than Caroline begins to keep secrets. She spends all her time texting a friend on her assistive tablet she uses to talk. With several family members keeping secrets, Lara\u2019s \u201cinvestigating\u201d feels like snooping and drives the two girls apart. Told from alternating points of view, this middle school whodunit navigates sibling rivalry, Jewish family life, autism, and school drama with love and heart.<\/p>\n 9780593376478 Sweet Valley Twins: Best Friends<\/i> by Francine Pascal, illustrated by Claudia Aguirre, adapted by Nicole Andelfinger <\/p>\n Calling all fans of the bestselling Sweet Valley High series! Get ready to jump into these new graphic novels and follow identical twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield as they enter Sweet Valley Middle School. Sixth grade at a new school means the girls can start fresh and explore new interests. Jessica wants to join the exclusive Unicorn Club, and Elizabeth rolls up her sleeves and dives into the school newspaper. Can the girls still be friends if they are not identical in every way?<\/p>\n