7 Books About Sibling Rivalry
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Sibling squabbles are perhaps one of the few guarantees of having multiple children. They laugh, they play and they inevitably cross paths. Find comfort, empathy and a path forward in these great kids books about sibling rivalry…
Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dyckman. The Bunny family has adopted a wolf son, and daughter Dot is the only one who realizes Wolfie can--and might--eat them all up! Dot tries to get through to her parents, but they are too smitten to listen. A new brother takes getting used to, and when (in a twist of fate) it's Wolfie who's threatened, can Dot save the day? Recommended for toddlers and preschoolers.
The New Small Person by Lauren Child. Elmore Green starts life as an only child with a room to himself, where he can line up his precious things and nobody will move them one inch. But one day everything changes. When the new small person comes along, it seems that everybody might like it a bit more than they like Elmore Green. And when the small person knocks over Elmore’s things and even licks his jelly-bean collection, Elmore’s parents say that he can’t be angry because the small person is only small. Elmore wants the small person to go back to wherever it came from. Then, one night, everything changes. Recommended for toddlers & preschoolers.
Ish by Peter H. Reynolds. Drawing is what Ramon does. It’s what makes him happy. But in one split second, all that changes. A single reckless remark by Ramon's older brother, Leon, turns Ramon's carefree sketches into joyless struggles. Luckily Ramon’s little sister Marisol sees the world differently. She opens his eyes to something a lot more valuable than getting things just "right." Recommended for preschool & elementary school readers.
The Umbudgeable Curmudgeon by Matthew Burgess. Have you ever seen a curmudgeon that looks like your brother, but is in such a bad mood you hardly recognize him? You can try all the peanut butter sandwiches and brownies you have, but he is not moving. Nothing works, especially nudging, and he just makes you so grumpy that eventually you have no choice but to fight back--and then. Have you ever become a curmudgeon that just won't budge? Recommended for preschool & elementary school readers.
Judy Moody and Stink: The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Treasure Hunt by Megan McDonald. As soon as the Moody family drops anchor on "Artichoke" Island, they are greeted by Cap’n Weevil, a one-eyed buccaneer with a scraggly beard and a secret treasure map. Before you can say "Davy Jones’s Locker," Stink and Judy are racing across the island in search of gold. But, they’re not the only salty dogs lookin’ for loot. Can Mad Molly O’Maggot and Scurvy Stink beat out their rivals, Tall Boy and Smart Girl? Can they find the hidden clues, crack the secret codes, and solve the tricky puzzles before time runs out? Recommended for elementary school readers.
The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies. Fourth-grader Evan Treski is people-smart. He’s good at talking with people, even grownups. His younger sister, Jessie, on the other hand, is math-smart, but not especially good with people. So when the siblings’ lemonade stand war begins, there really is no telling who will win - or even if their fight will ever end. Recommended for tween/teen readers.
Sisters by Raina Telgemeier. 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, but when a baby brother enters the picture and later, something doesn't seem right between their parents, they realize they must figure out how to get along. They are sisters, after all. Recommended for tween/teen readers.
