TWO GIRLS IN SISTER DRESSES
by Jean Van Leeuwen & illustrated by Linda Benson
An author best known for her easy readers about Amanda and Oliver Pig again explores the love and friction between siblings. The tone here is more serious. At seven, shy, thoughtful Jennifer is too big to be adorable and too little to be independent; she resents her younger sister Molly, whose blond hair and friendly manner charm everyone. Still, when a neighbor steals Molly's favorite bear, Jennifer's love comes to the fore. In five brief chapters, Van Leeuwen deftly captures the inner world of a young child for whom riding a big wave, helping care for the new baby, or overcoming jealousy to comfort a younger sister are all milestones on the way to maturity. Quiet but insightful. (Fiction/Young reader. 6-9)