[( How to Drive Your Sister Crazy )] [by: Diane Z Shore] [Jan-2009]

Bradley Harris Pinkerton #1

by Diane Z. Shore

Do you have a big sister? Do you know how to drive her crazy?It's easy, really easy.Take it from me, Bradley Harris Pinkerton.Does your sister hog the bathroom? Does she spend hours on the phone with her friends? Then this book is for you!All you need is a rubber snake, some bubble gum, and a little bit of sneakiness.Oh, and a "really" good hiding Do not let your sister read this book!

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books, Family, 1st Grade, Humor, Juvenile

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Diane Shore says that she never grew up past the 3rd grade and admits that she still thinks like an impetuous nine-year-old with ADD. She is the author of, Bus-A-Saurus Bop, winner of the 2004 Childrens Choice Award, Look Both Ways, winner of the 2007 Kansas Reads to Preschoolers Award, and her most recent picturebook, This Is the Dream, which received a Booklist starred review and was named a 2007 Once Upon a Child Honor book. Her I-Can-Read series with publisher HarperCollins titled How to Drive Your Sister Crazy! will be released this summer. She lives in metro Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband and two teenagers, and loves visiting schools. Visit her website at www.dianezshore.com"

Reviews

[M.K. Aneal · Rating 4 out of 5]

My little sister loved reading this book!! She kept chuckling. I hope she didn't learn any new tricks XP

[Karen A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I brought this home for my son to read and he immediately picked up. For the rest of the evening he was completely engrossed in the book. He only paused to laugh maniacally. Very dramatic. I think the topic, the humor, and the illustrations are very engaging and would appeal to any young boy.

His sister picked up later and also read it cover to cover - probably to see what was in store for her immediate future.

[The Library Lady · Rating 3 out of 5]

This seems too old for a "beginning reader", especially since all the little geniuses in my area (except for my girls) tend to start reading when they're 4 or 5. The kid here is clearly older.

Don't get me wrong. It's funny and older reluctant reading boys will love it--though their sisters may not. But I think the beginning reader format is wrong for this story.

[Eunchu An · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a good transitional book by using half of the book are pictures and the other half are texts. It is configured to be readable without any burden before going directly from the picture book to a book with only text. Sentences are simple and sometimes used repeatedly. It is a book about everyday topics that can occur between brothers and sisters, and it is not difficult but fun to read. It is interesting content that makes children laugh, allowing children with siblings to empathize. Even children who can't concentrate on reading books and are naughty seem to easily read books with this content. The illustration is bright and the line is clear and pretty simple however, the facial expressions are depicted variously. The illustration is in some ways more interesting because it is like a cartoon.

[Arleigh Stiff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great transitional book from simple, easy-to-read picture books to chapter books. The book uses simple sentences and often repeats some of the sentences. The illustrations will also keep readers engaged. I think that the humor used in the plot of the story would appeal a lot to boy readers.

At a little over 40 pages, this book serves really well as a transitional book for young readers learning to read independently. The "how to" aspect of the book and the ideas it provides for younger brothers to annoy their older sisters could definitely make readers laugh and cause them to want to continue to read.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The original book was written in 2008.

The reviewed copy is the audiobook version. The original book is approx 48 pages (according to Goodreads). The audio version is less than 13 minutes long.

One of the things mentioned in the book is picking up the phone when a call comes in for your sister. It is a pretty small population of folks who have land lines anymore.

The audio was very well done. But the book text seemed very childish and outdated.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio Childrens for the opportunity to listen to the advance review copy of the How to Drive your Sister Crazy audio in exchange for an honest review.

[Nichole Walter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fiction
Grades 2-4

This is a great book about siblings who can't get along. I read this to my girls. This is meant to level two kiddos but has great lessons in it. So children at a higher level can read it for that purpose. So, I like it for that reason. It's also great because for a parent/ teacher it can be used at home or in the classroom. It has longer sentence structures meant to encourage those second level readers to move up. Great read over all and super silly and fun.

[Applemily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't have an older sibling, but I still really enjoyed reading this book and I figure that the pranks the kid pulls in here would work just as well on younger siblings as they they would on older ones. I would not suggest you give this book to your younger sibling unless you're ready to have several pranks pulled on you, but still, I'd have fun with this book no matter what age I was.

[Samidancergirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hope my brother never reads this 😋

[fiona · Rating 1 out of 5]

just pissed me off…

[DPM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I've ever read in my life!

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Tempestt (temppatt) for TeensReadToo.com

Bradley Harris Pinkerton has an older sister named Abby. Bradley loves driving Abby crazy. He feels it's a brother's job to drive his sister crazy. That is why Bradley was nice enough to create this step-by-step guide on how it's done. He even gives brothers a fair warning not to let their sisters read this book!

HOW TO DRIVE YOUR SISTER CRAZY is a really fun and easy read. The story flows and is perfect for a child who is well on their way to reading but still needs a little help. The pictures really enhance the story. Seeing Bradley sneaking around every corner and seeing Abby's reactions to what Bradley does just makes you laugh.

The characters are very easy to relate to, whether you're a Bradley, one who would get enjoyment out of driving their sibling crazy, or an Abby, one who has a sibling who is driving them crazy. There is something for everyone with a sibling in this story. All the Abby's who manage to get hold of this book will know what to look out for. All the Bradley's will find his antics hysterical and might even gain a few tips. I know my sister will.

Be sure to add this adorable book to your collection.

[Caitlin W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mischievous guide book for boys looking to irritate their older sisters, this Easy Reader is silly enough to hold the attention of a boy reading with the help of his parents. The illustrations wouldn't seem out of place in a Saturday morning cartoon-- the lines are clean and thing, the colors bright without being obnoxious, the faces fairly simple but with expressive eyebrows. The pranks described in the book are harmless for the most part-- rubber snake hijinks, alarm clock hidden in a sock drawer, turning on the sink while the sister is in the shower to make the shower cold, being annoying to one's sister's friends on the phone-- but there are some pranks it might be best not to get into the heads of more impressionable children. For instance, it advises putting chewing gum on light switches and teddy bears on ceiling fans. The one can be messy and easy to do, and the other could be dangerous if actually attempted. If you think your child can tell that the naughtiness in the book is for entertainment and not to be reenacted in real life, then this book would be a chance to have some laughs. If, however, you don't want to put ideas into anyone's head, this book might not be the best choice.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

We are reading a lot of the various "Level" books for our youngest to get confidence in her reading and because, well, frankly, they are short and usually pretty entertaining. The only issue I have is with the disparities in the labeling of what is "Level 1" versus "Level 2," "Level 3," and so on. For example, this is a Level 2 book, but it's a chapter book and fairly long, so I would've likely given it a three. Whatever, it was a fun book to read aloud, although I read it to our girls (rather than them reading it to me or to themselves.)

The relationship between a brother and sister is not something I have first-hand knowledge of, nor do our girls. But we laughed along with the hijinks that the brother gets into while trying to annoy (and then make up with) his sister. It's a fun tale and it has great illustrations. Warning to those parents with extremely impressionable younger children; they may get some mischievous ideas here!

[Heather Leipart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a childs' reader at stage 2, reading with help. My son and I read lots of books daily and to be honest, most of the time he thinks I am torturing him in some way, but this book- wow! It was the first book I think he has ever read that he was completely excited about, laughing all the way through, and scheming to take ideas from the book to play tricks on his siter. I am SO thrilled that finally SOMEthing sparked his interest and got him reading joyfully! More than that, I could see he was actually comprehending what he was reading the instant he read it, while other boring books he is glossy eyed and going through the motions. GREAT book, highly recommended- especially for boy with sisters to tease!!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

So brilliant!

This book is really funny. The "I Can Read" editors at Harper Collins placed it under Level 2, "High Interest Stories for Developing Readers." That sounds about right! Lots of little brothers (the kind whose big sisters pick on them) will enjoy this one ... plenty of good, not-very-mean ideas here. I'm going to book-talk it to first and second graders when I go visit classes this spring.

I am the big sister in my family, so I'm glad my brother didn't have this book when we were growing up...

[Laura Osborn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audience: The audience for this book is definitely early grades. The story talks about a brother who does nothing but bug his sister and then apologizes at the end. Teachers could use this story as an introduction to social skills and the consequences for decisions that are made.

Appeal: The pictures and storyline tell it all. Any primary grade student would love to get new ideas on how to bug their siblings. The story is also a very simple chapter book for those students who may be ready for them.

Award: New Jersey, Garden State Book Awards, 2011

[Margaret Chind · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books where I could have sworn that I'd read and reviewed it for you guys already, but see a blank space here so I have to remedy that. This is about a boy and his sister, but coming from me - a little sister to a few, this definitely hits a cord and makes me laugh out loud. This is a fun and family friendly early reader from the Level 2 developing readers category and it's a good one for all audiences.

*Thanks to HarperCollins for providing a copy for review.*

posted: http://creativemadnessmama.com/blog/2...

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is cute for early readers! Bradley considers himself the best brother ever because he knows all of the ways to prank his older sister Abby. She is the star of his jokes in every place he can think of. He hides things in her room and puts things in her bathroom. He even goes into her underpants drawer, a place he was forbidden to go. Easy to read but a bit mischievous.

[Sagan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Older kids with siblings would probably relate to this better than an only child not quite four. It took us two days to finish it because he thought the main character was mean and was confused by his behavior.

It led to a philosophical discussion about personality types, so there's a plus, but I rate these on my son's opinion, not mine.

[Lorri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this story. Not only was it funny, but I can just see young boys doing the exact same things Bradley does in this book! He makes it his 'job' to scare and irritate his older sister.

I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my opinion.

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first grade son thinks this book is hilarious, but I've cautioned him that should he try any similar pranks on his older sister (stealing towels, putting things on ceiling fans) he'll be in trouble!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Be careful when suggesting this book. Little brothers will be totally capable of doing these practical jokes. :>

[carissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grades 1-3

High-interest stories for developing readers

[Annika · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like it because he drived her crazy. He played hide and seek
with a snake.

[Kate Hastings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grades 1-2. As if younger brothers would need a manual!! Boys with older sisters will adore this funny book.

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

My kids ove this book! Me, not so much!! Do kids really need more ideas on ways to drive their siblings crazy?

[Tate Rytky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ha ha, 10 stars from Tate!

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read during Kindergarten class visit on 1/11/13: http://storytimesecrets.blogspot.com/...

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

don't do it .it won't work.