National Sisters’ Day!

National Sisters’ Day occurs on August 4th, 2024, so this month we are celebrating the relationship between sisters. In this month’s S-Collection blog, we are highlighting books featuring stories that explore the different facets of sisterhood. Sometimes having a sister feels like having an automatic best friend and supporter. Other times, sisters can clash, change, or have secrets come between them. Sisterhood is complicated. This collection of picture books, middle grade books, and young adult novels invites readers to delve into the complexities of sisterhood and accompany sisters as they share in adventures ranging from the everyday to the extraordinary.

Picture Books

Goth, Shane
Illustrated by: Yong Ling Kang
The Midnight Club. 2021. Picture Book.
Sisters Milly and Becca are both members of the Midnight Club. Tonight is Milly’s first adventure! The sisters sit in Dad’s big chair, try on Mom’s coat, eat jellybeans, and overcome their fear of a scary shadow. There is so much fun to be had in the middle of the night! As their adventure ends, the sisters put away any evidence of their shenanigans. Remember, the most important rule of the midnight club is that the club must remain a secret.
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Hager, Jenna Bush & Barbara Bush
Illustrated by: Romona Kaulitzki
Sisters First. 2019. Picture Book.
A little girl’s wish is granted when her new sister comes into the world. While her baby sister cannot do much, the sisters become inseparable. As they grow together, the sisters are constantly laughing, dancing, and playing. With their wild imaginations, the sisters learn that they are better together than they ever were apart.
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Kokias, Kerri
Illustrated by: Teagan White
Snow Sisters! 2018. Picture Book.
It’s a snow day! Each sister approaches the day in their own way, with one playing in the snow and the other enjoying the indoors. As their day progresses, their roles reverse. Each sister gets to spend their days exploring the joys of a snow day both outside and inside.
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Miura, Tomo
Little Sisters. 2024. Picture Book.
What would it be like to have a little sister? An only child imagines what her life would be like if she had a little sister or many little sisters. They could play hide-and-seek, build towers, share a treat, and jump on the sofa. As each scenario plays out, more little sisters appear — until all the sisters disappear, and the only child is once again alone. This book is full of joy and mischief as our main character questions what life would be like with more siblings around.
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Middle Grade

Fawcett, Heather
The Islands of Elsewhere. 2023. Middle Grade.
The Snolly sisters are staying with their grandfather for the summer. Their grandfather’s property is home to the three mysterious Fairy Islands: Fairy, Little Fairy, and Ghost. The locals of Misty Cove claim that the islands are full of magic. Unbothered by the potential magic, ten-year-old Bee Snolly is more focused on helping her ill grandfather. As the Snolly sisters’ journey into the Fairy Islands, they may discover a secret that can help them all.
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Johnson, Varian
Illustrated by: Shannon Wright
Twins. 2020. Middle Grade Graphic Novel.
Sisters are forever, right? Maureen and Francine Carter are twins and best friends. They do everything together from school projects to after-school clubs. Things begin to change as the girls move into sixth grade. Suddenly, Francine starts going by Fran and starts participating in things that would set her apart from Maureen. It seems like the sisters are growing apart and there is nothing that Maureen can do to stop it. Will their transition into middle school change their relationship forever?
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Kim, Graci
The Last Fallen Star. 2021. Middle Grade.
Riley Oh’s family is a part of a powerful lineage of Korean healing witches called the Gom clan. Her sister, Hattie, is finally going to be initiated into the clan. Riley is so excited to follow in her sister’s footsteps and participate in the clan. Unfortunately, Riley is adopted. She does not possess the heritage magic. Riley’s lack of magic makes her feel alienated from her family. Hattie, wanting to share her magic with her sister, comes up with a plan. This plan involves an old family spell book, breaking ancient laws, and puts the sisters’ lives at risk. When things go wrong, it is up to Riley to save her sister and find out what it means to be a witch.
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Zahler, Diane
Goblin Market. 2022. Middle Grade.
Lizzie and Minka are complete opposites. Lizzie is shy and sensitive, while Minka is outgoing and cheerful. One day, Minka meets a boy, Emil, at the market and is immediately charmed. Minka falls ill after eating a strange fruit given to her by Emil and is taken into the home of the goblins, the dark forest. It is up to Lizzie to find Emil and save her sister before it is too late. Inspired by Polish folklore, this fantasy-horror book captivates readers with its detailed world building and timeless tale of saving a loved one from hidden dangers.
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Young Adult

McCullough, Joy; Sharpe, Tess; Spotswood, Jessica; Richmond, Caroline Tung
Great or Nothing. 2022. Young Adult.
Set in the spring of 1942, this Little Women retelling is told from each March sister’s point of view as they experience loss, love, and self-discovery. The story takes place after the death of the youngest March sister, Beth. This loss creates intense tension between the remaining family members and pushes the March sisters away from one another. With each point of view written by a different author, this retelling sheds a different light to an already classic story about the trials and tribulations of sisterhood.
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Tian, Xixi
This Place is Still Beautiful. 2022. Young Adult.
Annalie and Margaret agree on only one thing, that they have nothing in common. Margaret is ambitious, driven, and has a passion for social justice. She could not wait to escape her small town. Annalie is sweet, popular, and loves that town that she grew up in. Until, one day Annalie comes home to find a racial slur painted on her family’s house. Margaret comes home, outraged by the incident. She expects her family to take a stand on the issue but finds that they would rather forget about the event entirely. Tensions rise between the sisters and untold secrets threaten to tear them apart. A complicated story about family and sisterhood that will captivate readers until the very end.
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