Judy Moody graduates take note: author Megan McDonald has a new series for older elementary and beginning middle-school girls. The first book in the series was simply titled, The Sisters Club and introduced readers to the Reel family: Mom, Dad and three sisters - Alex, Stevie, and Joey. McDonald furthers the escapade of the sisters with The Sisters Club: Rule of Three to be released on August 11, 2009.
In The Sisters Club: Rule of Three, the girls have to overcome rivalry as the two oldest girls try out for the same part in the school play. With the same clear, realistic writing style that made Judy Moody relatable, McDonald gives the three sisters believable voices. The story meanders between all three sisters, with pencil-scribbled notes, scripts, quizzes and illustrations adding to their individual charms. The sisters squabble and make some poor choices, but the ending resolves the drama with a strong message of family and forgiveness.
The strong literary references and the varying points of view make this title beneficial for language arts classrooms also.
Genre: Realistic Fiction. Age: Grades 4-8. Pages: 240.
Publisher: Candlewick. Date: August 2009.
Thanks to The Picnic Basket for my advanced copy.
The RIF site has a fantastic interview with author Megan McDonald and Reading Rockets has a great video interview too.
Teachers can sign up for Megan McDonald's Totally Rare Teachers' Club: Here.
Review also posted National Reading Examiner.