#MMGM: Dear Brother by Alison McGhee, illustrated by Tuan Nini
REVIEW
Sister wants a dog more than anything else. But as with everything else in her life, her brother gets what he wants (a bearded dragon) since dogs aren't allowed in their apartment building. Sister writes letters to her brother about her feelings regarding being 'overlooked' and told to wait until she's older to get what she wants. She shares all kinds of examples of being "America's Most Overlooked Sibling". Her brother gets the best room in the apartment, chooses where to go on vacation, and now, gets to choose the family pet. On top of that he gets to go to music camp even though sister loves music too. Using letter segments, mostly addressed to brother, and numerous drawings, 'photographs', texts, and other notes, sister tells her story of unfairness and frustration. And things don't start to look up when she has to take care of the bearded dragon while her brother is at music camp. But as with many siblings, sister eventually realizes that things aren't as bad as she thinks and that her brother has his own struggles too. The story will appeal to many young readers both with and without siblings. The highly-illustrated nature of the book makes it visually appealing and a quick read. The black, white, and orange illustrations wonderfully emphasize the feelings that sister wrestles with, demonstrating how real such feelings are for her. Overall, the book makes for an enjoyable, relatable read for young middle grade readers who love lots of illustrations in their books.
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