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Celebrate National Sisters Day with Books!

August 6, 2017 Claire Annette Noland 2 Comments

 

When I was nearly ten years old, my mother was pregnant with her fifth child. She went into labor when my father was out of town so his secretary whisked her to the hospital. My older brother, Bob, was left in charge. His way of caring for us was to lock us in our rooms while he watched television. My younger brothers, Frank and John, climbed out a window with me and we high-tailed it to a neighbor’s house. We were  relieved when Mom came home with a sweet little baby girl. A sister! I was thrilled and still am.

Though Jeanne Marie is nearly a decade younger than me, age has never seemed to matter. I took her most places with me when she was young. Together we have dealt with many difficult family situations including cancer, mental illness, and death. And there have been wonderful events – marriage, births, graduations, and many celebrations. We have been field trip companions and, most importantly, life companions.

 

Today is the day set aside to celebrate the relationships sisters share. Though Jeanne Marie and I aren’t in the same place today, I am celebrating National Sister Day – with books, of course!

 

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Written in 1868, the classic  Little Women is considered to be one of the top 100 children’s novels. The story follows the four March sisters – Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy as they grow up during the Civil War and then deal with the aftermath. They face many problems due to the family’s poverty and Beth’s untimely death is considered to be one of the saddest passages in children’s literature.

 

Little Miss, Big Sis by Amy Krouse Rosenthal (author) and Peter H. Reynolds (illustrator) HarperCollins 2015

This sweet book written by one of my favorite authors describes the delight of a little girl who becomes a big sister. With a simple rhyming text and softly colored line drawings, this book describes how life changes for a family with the arrival of a new little sister.

Unfortunately, Amy Krouse Rosenthal left us too soon. Shortly before she died she wrote an essay, You Might Want to Marry My Husband, which was published in the New York Times. You really need to read it and, if you are like me, you will want to read everything she wrote.

 

 

 

Big Sister, Little Sister by Leuyen Pham (author and illustrator) Disney-Hyperion 2005

This delightful book turns the normal narrative around because it is written from the viewpoint of the little sister. Though there are conflicts, love and friendship triumph over all.

 

 

 

Sisters by David McPhail (author and illustrator) HMH 1984, 2010

is a lovely picture book which describes the ways that sisters are alike and different and how the bond of sisterhood develops through shared experiences and memories. It is currently available as a board book.

 

 

 

Sisters by Raina Telgemeir GRAPHIX 2014

This autobiographical graphic novel explores the complex relationships between family members.  Raina can’t wait to be a big sister but things don’t turn out quite the way she imagines. The sisters argue and torment each other but they love each other despite the trials that take place in their lives. The main action occurs over a road trip the family is taking to attend a family reunion. There is humor throughout this engaging and heartwarming book which will be enjoyed by students in grades 3-7.

 

 

Filed Under: Books, Celebrate, Family Tagged With: Big Sis by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, Big Sister, Little Miss, Little Sister by Leuyen Pham, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, Sisters by David McPhail, Sisters by Raina Telgemeir, sisters day, Sisters in children's books

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Trine says

    August 6, 2017 at 4:00 pm

    Sweet post, Claire.
    Little Women is my favorite sister book of all time.
    AHH, take us back to those days…

    Reply
  2. evelyne holingue says

    August 7, 2017 at 12:47 am

    This is lovely, Claire. Beautiful story and great selection of books too. Like the matching outfit you and your sister wear.

    Reply

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Hello. I’m Claire Annette - reader, writer, teacher, and field trip planner extraordinaire. Here at A Field Trip Life you will find ideas for adventures large and small and the kids’ books that inspire them. Sign your permission slip. Let's go!

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claireannettenolandbooks

Author | teacher | Field Trip Planner
books that take you places
Raven’s Gift
Nancy Bess Had a Dress
Evie’s Field Day
Out and About w George series

Instagram post 18050455565169935 Instagram post 18050455565169935
Today’s the day! I’m the featured author on to Today’s the day! I’m the featured author on today’s Summer of Stories! Take a look and let me know what you think. The link is in my bio.

And then check out all the other great stories!

#summerofstories #floursackdresses #floursack #makedo #picturebookreadaloud 

@angelac.hawkins @gnomeroadpublishing @eringreneaux
I'm excited to share that the Crystal Kite Award v I'm excited to share that the Crystal Kite Award voting continues until July 18th for members of SCBWI. Our book, Nancy Bess Had a Dress, is in the Southwest Division (where illustrator @angelac.hawkins lives)

Members, you can vote for books in all of the regions.
Cast your vote at this link: 

https://www.scbwi.org/crystal-kite/CK8

I will be sharing Nancy Bess July 11th online for the Summer of Stories https://summerofstories.substack.com/

and I'll be doing story time and craft at the Three River Public Library on July 11th at 10:30

@gnomeroadpublishing @pbspree @eringreneaux @tularecountylib 
@scbwicencal #crystalkiteaward
Instagram post 18090291214629192 Instagram post 18090291214629192
We are enjoying a lovely summer’s day with CARL’S SLEEPY AFTERNOON thanks to our friends @laughingelephantbooks who sent us a copy signed by Alexandra Day and Carl!
Happy 40th Anniversary, Carl! You are such a good dog 🐾❤️
Carl has an opportunity to have a quiet and sleepy afternoon but does he rest? Not our Carl!
We’re on our 3rd generation loving this noble good dog and look forward to reading about his adventures for many more years!

#gooddogcarl #picturebookdogs #summerreading @mrernierecommends @christinabeeghly @laurennolandhajik @roxannenoland @gn705
Summer is the best time to beat the heat by taking Summer is the best time to beat the heat by taking your young ones to a museum. And I suggest, before you go, you share the delightful picture book, MousterWorks, written and illustrated by @angelac.hawkins
Young mice, Cosette and Pépin, join Grand-mère on a splendid adventure through a mouse hole into a museum. They gaze at brilliant interpretations of well-known painting by famous artists such as Claude Monet, Mary Cassatt, and Edward Banister. Cosette excitedly engages with the art while her brother, Pépin, searches for cheese in the art and eventually realizes that he can be an artist and paint his favorite things.

The final photo is 2.5 year old Alice at the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento. She was captivated by "Home Sweet Home" (after Seurat, Manet, and Pippin) painted by Wangari Mathenge

Art is for all ages.

To read my full review, visit my blog https://afieldtriplife.com/mousterworks-lets-go-to-a-museum/

@gnomeroadpublishing #mousterworks #artmuseumswithkids
@laurennolandhajik
Looking forward to simple unscheduled days! #july Looking forward to simple unscheduled days!
#july #afieldtriplife #summer
Look what we found featured at the library! #nancy Look what we found featured at the library! #nancybesshadadress 
Thank you @tularecountylib 
#summerreading #picturebooks #librarylove 
@angelac.hawkins @gnomeroadpublishing
Happy Summer! At the top of our summer "to do" lis Happy Summer! At the top of our summer "to do" list is visiting libraries where I love to see staff recommendations. SUMMER: A Solstice Story written by @kelseyegross and illustrated by @renataliwska is such a lovely picture book.
Owl, Squirrel, Raccoon, Bear, Sparrow, Rabbit, Woodpecker, and Deer gather to celebrate the arrival of summer with its gifts of light and new life. The friends share sprouts, fresh water, flowers, and fruit each accompanied by special wishes for the little ones to shine, glow, shimmer, gleam, and blaze bright with solstice light. They spend the day with festivities as they dance, splash, hop, and savor a forest feast.
I shared this with a group of children the night before the Solstice so that they understood how special this date is. Then, we read it again as the sun set on the longest day of the year after partaking of many of the same activities done by the woodland animals. They really enjoyed the center pages that fold out.
This is a soft, gentle, and breathtakingly beautiful picture book that should be enjoyed all summer long. @pbspree #summersolstice #summerasolsticestory
We have been Good Dog Carl fans for almost 4 decad We have been Good Dog Carl fans for almost 4 decades so we are excited to celebrate 40 years of our favorite picture book series! I love the book mom and Carl’s adventures are the best!
So let’s raise a toast to Carl, the very good dog, and to  @laughingelephantbooks Here’s to many more wonderful years of ❤️ filled stories.
#wewon #gooddogcarl #afieldtriplife #picturebookdogs @laurennolandhajik @christinabeeghly @roxannenoland
Military families are made up of heroes, those who Military families are made up of heroes, those who leave home to serve and those who stay behind. It isn’t easy to find books featuring military families, so I was excited to discover when AS MUCH as the STARS: A Story of Love Across the. Miles – A Child’s Goodbye/ AS MUCH AS THE STARS: A Story of love across The Miles: A Mother’s Farewell. I love flip books because they are clever and provide a fun way to read two stories told from different perspectives. AS MUCH AS THE STARS does an exceptional job of showing the love and emotions surrounding a deployment and then a joyous return. In this authentic, well-written story, one half follows a young girl and her relationship with her military father. The other half features the viewpoint of that girl, now grown, whose son leaves home to serve. warm and colorful illustrations add to the text showing the love that is shared even when they are separated by great distances.
This is a wonderful book for all families and will help everyone understand the sacrifices that our brave service members make. I just wish this book had been available when I was teaching children in military families.
Written by Forrest Zenone, Skyler Zenone, and Tricia Stone-Shumaker
Illustrations by Penny Weber
@poppysadventures1 @pennyweberart @laurennolandhajik #militaryfamilies #asmuchasthestars
#mrernierecommends
FYI… sweet peas are blooming on Old Creek Road a FYI… sweet peas are blooming on Old Creek Road around Whale Rock Reservoir
The story of how they got there reminds me of Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney “You must do something to make the world more beautiful.” 
Read how these delicate blossoms came to grace the highways in San Luis Obispo County: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/johnny-appleseed-sweet-peas-planted-120000196.html

Lupine, poppies, and wild mustard are also blooming.

#sweetpeas #jackcreekfarms #roadtrip #afieldtriplife #missrumphius
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