Sisters by Raina Telgemeier

 

Sisters by Raina Telgemeier 

         Telgemeier, R. (2014). Sisters. Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic. ISBN 9780545540599

Raina was content  being an only child, that is, until she realized that having a sibling was a possibility.  Once she realized, there was nothing more she wanted, she begged and begged and begged, until finally, she had a baby sister!  Raina quickly realized that having a baby sister is not all rainbows and sunshine, and as she and her little sister Amara grow up, their relationship is strained.  Now, forced on a weeklong drive to visit family, we follow Raina as she reminisces about her and her sisters relationship, as she comes to the realization that they are sisters, and while they might not always get along, they are sisters and stuck for life!

If anyone ever wonders what life is like to have a sister, then they definitely need to read Sisters.  I have two sister (one younger and one older) and there were numerous times that I found myself laughing and relating to the story that Telgemeier portrays.  She perfectly captures the real life experiences that comes with having sister(s) in your life. Just like in real life, most siblings do not get along 100% of the time, and that is just the case for Raina and Amara.  The story is told in flashbacks (represented by tinted yellow pages) and current day (represented by white pages).  Those who do have siblings, know that everyday is not always rainbows and sunshine, and just like a rollercoaster, Raina and Amara have their ups and their downs.  While they might not always get along, by the end of the book (and I am sure in real life as well), Raina and Amara learn the important life lesson, that no matter what happens, they are sisters and they will always be there for each other and love each other no matter what!  One argument (or even many, many, many, arguments) will not be enough to disrupt the bond that connects you to your siblings, and Raina and Amara learned that throughout the book, as Raina reflected on her life with Amara as her younger sister.  

The story is very related for readers who do have siblings, as they will be able to easily relate to the story being told.  For those who are an only child, and wonders what it might be like to have a sibling, reading Sisters will give them a very good idea of what life would be like to have a sibling.  The story is easy to read, and humorous.  Telgemeiers' describes her art style herself on her website as "a pretty distinct style" and said that it has been described as "cartoony, rounded. smooth, appealing, friendly, retro, warm, young, and loopy;" all great adjectives that I agree with!  Her artwork is very bright and eye catching, with vibrant colors that helps bring the story to life.  There is the right amount of detail on each page, with just enough to where the reader does not get bombarded on each page, but enough to where a reader could still follow along with the story line without reading every line of dialog.  Raina and Amara are very expressive, with changes in their eyebrows and eyes being the biggest indicator of how they are feeling.  It is very clear how they feel at each point in the book, making it easy for readers to empathize with the characters on each page.  While Sisters is a follow up to Telgemeiers other novel, Smile, Sisters can be read as a stand alone title.

What do readers think of Sisters?  Reviewers at Booklist Online agree that, "Telgemeier keeps the surface story poppy and zippy [and the sister's] relationship will profoundly familiar to many readers."  TikTok user @graphiccomic says that Sisters is her "fav. Raina Telgemeier book" and she "thinks sisters is by far [her] fav. because [she] can relate to it the most having 3 siblings."    After reading Sisters, encourage the reader to talk about their life with their sibling and share what similarities or difference they may have!  Or if the reader is an only child, ask how they would feel about having a sibling after reading Sisters, and why.  Readers can also discuss a favorite moment in their life (including or not including siblings) and have them create their own comic strip narrating that moment in their life using the free comic strip creator here at Storyboardthat.com.  Enjoyed Sisters?  Then you will also enjoy the other books Guts, Smile, or Drama!

Awards for Sisters:

• Eisner Award for Best Writer/Artist, 2015
• USA Today Bestseller
• New York Times Editors Choice
• #1 New York Times Bestseller
• Indie Bestseller

Citations

@graphiccomic, S. (2021, August 10). TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/@graphiccomic/video/6994910896787180806?_r=1&_t=8lkngYJjeCR

Free Comic Strip Maker. Storyboard That. (n.d.). https://www.storyboardthat.com/comic-maker

Sisters. Booklist Online. (n.d.). https://www.booklistonline.com/Sisters-Raina-Telgemeier/pid=6796323

Sisters. GoRaina! (n.d.). https://goraina.com/sisters

Telgemeier, R. (2014). Sisters. Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic.

What is Style?. GoRaina! (n.d.-b). https://goraina.com/style