By SLJ Staff
August 24, 2010
The relationships between brothers and sisters have been cited as life's most influential, lasting longer than ties to parents, spouses, or children. These sibling bonds can play essential roles in the development of teens as individuals. The following titles explore the range of emotions and situations experienced by brothers and sisters, from sibling rivalry to abuse at the hands of a parent.
CHALTAS, Thalia. Because I Am Furniture. Viking. 2009. Tr. $16.99. ISBN 978-0-670-06298-0; pap. $8.99. ISBN 978-0-14-241510-8. PLB. $17.99. ISBN 978-1-4487-3818-2.
Gr 7 up-Rather than feeling lucky that she's the only member of her family spared from her father' s physical and sexual abuse, Anke feels ignored. She knows that her brother and sister need her to stand up for themselves, since their mother can't or won't. As Anke becomes a powerhouse on the school volleyball team, she builds the strength and character necessary to finally stand up to her father and save her family. Written in verse, readers will sense fear, anger, and hope in Anke's poems.
PAUSEWANG, Gudrun. Dark Hours. Annick Press. 2006. Tr. $21.95. ISBN 978-1-55451-042-9.
Gr 8 up-Told from the unusual perspective of a German teen and her family during the end of World War II, Dark Hours is sure to stir up conversation. Fifteen year old Gisel and her younger siblings are separated from their parents during the Allied bombing of Germany, and she's forced to keep them fed, safe, and together. Add this to the usual list of World War II books to freshen and broaden your readers' views on the war.
SANDELL, Lisa Ann. A Map of the Known World. Scholastic. 2009. Tr. $16.99. ISBN 978-0-54506-970-0.
Gr 7-11-Fourteen year old Cora' s world is turned upside down when her older brother Nate is killed in a car accident. Now she's about to enter the high school he attended and his somewhat wild reputation makes for a very uneasy atmosphere. When Cora starts to cozy up to her brother's friend Damian, it gets tense as her parents blame him for the accident. The writing is lovely, and readers will enjoy watching as Nate's true character is revealed through Cora's relationship with Damian.
SHUSTERMAN, Neal. Bruiser. HarperTeen. 2010. Tr. $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-113408-1; PLB. $15.99. ISBN 978-1-4395-4793-9.
Gr 7 up-Brewster Rawlins earned the nickname "Bruiser" honestly-he actually absorbs the pain and suffering of those around him. When he and Brontë begin dating in high school, her twin brother Tennyson begins to doubt her sanity, but soon discovers that Bruiser's involuntary acts of compassion are literally killing him. Shusterman doesn't disappoint in this fast moving story of friendship and redemption, and the supernatural twist is an undeniably strong hook for reluctant readers.
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