SHSU Book Review for SISTERS By: Raina Telgemeier

 


SISTERS 


Bibliography:

Telgemeier, R. 2010. SISTERS. New York, NY: Scholastic INC. 


ISBN 978-0545132060


Plot Summary:

Raina can't wait to be a big sister, but once her baby sister Amara is born, things aren't quite how she expected they would be. Amara is cute, but she's also a cranky, grouchy baby that mostly prefers to play by herself. Their relationship doesn't improve much over the years, and when their baby brother enters the picture, something doesn't seem right between their parents.  It is then that they realize they must figure out a way to get along. The story unfolds during the course of a road trip from their home in San Francisco to a family reunion in Colorado.



Critical Analysis:

Telgemeier tells the true account of her life with her siblings in such a way that readers feel as if they also went through that similar experience. Anybody with siblings can surely relate to what the author and her sister are going through. The book is full of humor which makes the storyline quite captivating. Telehemeier does such a fantastic job with the illustrations, it is remarkable.  The illustrations are full of detail, especially within the characters' faces. There are some conflicts in the story that although it is a book full of humor, it makes the reader actually feel a sense of sadness and sympathy.  The story goes back and forth as the author writes about her childhood and forwards to her adulthood. The text’s dialogue makes the story so much more interesting and engaging. The vivid dialogue makes the reader feel as if they are in the story next to the characters and listening to their conversations first hand.  This book was so much more interesting to read as an audio-book with the sound of a child reading it.  The prosody with which the script is read made the book even more enjoyable. 


Review Excerpt(s): 

 "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." -- Booklist, starred review


“Fans of Telgemeier's graphic-novel memoir Smile will be smiling through this companion, an often bittersweet but amusing story about Raina's intense, difficult relationship with her younger sister, Amara. Sepia-toned pages mark flashbacks, which fill readers in on the evolution of this battle. Telgemeier's art humorously captures fourteen-year-old Raina's emotions, drawing readers into the road-trip story, which doesn't depend on having read the first book.”- Horn Book


Connection:


*Students can compare and contrast their relationship with their brothers and sisters compared to Raina.

*Students can discuss, then write about the theme in the story. 


Other graphic novels:

*Krosoczka, J. 2018. KEY, KIDDO. New York, NY: Graphix.


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