Sarah Sullivan (1)

This is such a charming book about finding inspiration where you least expect it. Lizzie loves to make up stories and the attention that comes with it. After the arrival of her little brother, Marvin, the spot light shifts. Lizzie draws inspiration from her brother to create tales of nasty pirates and a vicious fish. When her brother isn’t there, she quickly realizes that although he is bothersome, he’s her greatest inspiration.
This book would be very relatable for students who have show more younger siblings. I think it accurately depicts the jealousy and annoyance an older sibling might feel once the attention shifts.
I also love how there is a subtle lesson in not knowing what you have until it’s gone. Marvin is her muse, but she doesn’t know it until he’s away. Sullivan does such a fantastic job of making writing appealing to children by adding small tidbits of Lizzie’s adventurous stories throughout the text. Witnessing Lizzie’s passion and enthusiasm for writing could make other children see the magic and fun of storytelling. show less

Lizzie is a storyteller. She writes them, she tells them, and she's the center of attention. Until her little brother, Marvin, comes along and suddenly there's no one to listen to her stories anymore except her loyal dog, Big George. Marvin loves Lizzie, but she can't stand this little creature who has taken away all the attention - and messes up her room, and is just annoying. So she writes stories with herself as the hero and Marvin as the villain. She writes and writes and writes...until show more one day Marvin goes to visit Gramma. Suddenly, Lizzie doesn't have anything to write about anymore! Will she get her inspiration back? Will she ever write again?

Verdict: You don't have the option to buy one younger sibling book this year - you have to get two. Flora's Very Windy Day and Once upon a baby brother are the definite must haves of the year! Lizzie's feelings, dreams, and responses are perfectly spot-on and this is an excellent book for reading aloud to kindergarten through 2nd grade. show less

This Young Adult book was a fun, easy read about an eleven-year-old boy learning about difficult family relationships. Arlo's parents are killed when he is two years old and he is raised by his maternal grandfather, with no contact with his father's side of the family. When his grandfather develops memory issues and is hospitalized with a stroke, Arlo is sent to a scary shelter. Through his own ingenious conniving, he took his situation into his own hands, and found his paternal grandmother.

Simply put, this book is pretty cool. With a story that retains charm and interest throughout its entirety, "Once Upon a Baby Brother" has a artistic style which drives the action. Penny, an artistically talented and vibrantly imaginative young girl, struggles to adjust to life no longer as an only child and to find motivation her school assignment, which is to create a comic book from scratch. It is only with the departure of her infant brother for a weekend with their grandparents that she show more realized just what her inspiration is. Sullivan and Tusa, the respective author and illustrator of this charming tale, use metafictional tactics to create a substory within Penny's comic book pages that sums up her feelings for her sibling. A perfect book for someone welcoming a new brother or sister into the world. show less