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The Sisters Impossible
The sisters impossible (A Bantam-Skylark book) [unknown_binding] Landis, James David [Jan 01, 1981]
169 pages, Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1979
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 8, 2019
I read this when I was a kid, and remember loving it. I want to read it again. I didn't remember the title, but found it by searching "Meredith Meredith", which is the name of the sisters' arch enemy.
***
2019 review: every bit as fantastic as I remembered it!
***
2019 review: every bit as fantastic as I remembered it!
July 16, 2019
I was confused by this book. And I blame the edition I had, which really appears to be a YA novel. Our protagonist Lily, however, is nine. This story could be shortened into a picture book, or at most, a middle grade novel. But really, the target audience should be eight- and nine-year-olds, so not even middle grade.
It's long and drawn out, repetitive, the conversations drag.
I picked it because I like the cover art, and I like books about dance. Just not this one.
The one redeeming detail, and it's a great one, is that the mother is not only a lawyer, but a judge. In 1979, that's a great thing in a children's book.
It's long and drawn out, repetitive, the conversations drag.
I picked it because I like the cover art, and I like books about dance. Just not this one.
The one redeeming detail, and it's a great one, is that the mother is not only a lawyer, but a judge. In 1979, that's a great thing in a children's book.
August 14, 2017
I enjoyed this one. It is a quick read, but there is a decent amount of substance. I liked the family interactions, especially, of course, the sisters, but also the father and the younger daughter. It might have bordered on the didactic a bit at the end, but that was OK.
April 11, 2022
Nine-year-old Lily admires her rather haughty but beautiful teenaged sister Saundra, who's a dancer. But that doesn't mean Lily wants to go along and enroll in ballet school. Saundra doesn't want her there either. But the girls' parents insist in The Sisters Impossible by author J.D. Landis.
It took digging through rather numerous performing arts/ballet-themed books for me to find this late '70s novel I first discovered and read back in the '90s. While I'd forgotten the title and author, I distinctly remembered the sisters pictured on the (Bantam Starfire) cover. Ah! There they are!
And, gee. I don't know exactly what gave my kid-self the impression that I was reading something more grown-up than children's fiction, at the time. Maybe it was Saundra's teen-ness displayed on the cover? Or the serious way the story gave my kid-eyes an enlightening glimpse of some unlovely elements behind the loveliness of the dance and the dancer's life? Or was it the inclusion of a bit of language in the story? (A few instances of "hell" used for nonliteral purposes and one instance of the eight-letter variation of "bull.") Dunno.
But this is very much a middle grade read rather than YA. It's all from Lily's perspective. It's technically simple, child-level reading with repetition that seems to be there to help young minds understand.
It's kinda weird. It's kinda funny. It's sometimes in some in-betweeny place where I can't tell if it means to be funny or if it's just what it is. It's kinda on the dull side at times, belaboring over rather mundane moments.
But at its core, it's a meaningful story of sisterhood, and not in a shallow or even particularly juvenile sense. There's notable depth in what these two sisters experience, learn, and ultimately decide, and the ending trusts the reader's intelligence.
A nice visit down memory lane for me, even if I didn't remember it all.
It took digging through rather numerous performing arts/ballet-themed books for me to find this late '70s novel I first discovered and read back in the '90s. While I'd forgotten the title and author, I distinctly remembered the sisters pictured on the (Bantam Starfire) cover. Ah! There they are!
And, gee. I don't know exactly what gave my kid-self the impression that I was reading something more grown-up than children's fiction, at the time. Maybe it was Saundra's teen-ness displayed on the cover? Or the serious way the story gave my kid-eyes an enlightening glimpse of some unlovely elements behind the loveliness of the dance and the dancer's life? Or was it the inclusion of a bit of language in the story? (A few instances of "hell" used for nonliteral purposes and one instance of the eight-letter variation of "bull.") Dunno.
But this is very much a middle grade read rather than YA. It's all from Lily's perspective. It's technically simple, child-level reading with repetition that seems to be there to help young minds understand.
It's kinda weird. It's kinda funny. It's sometimes in some in-betweeny place where I can't tell if it means to be funny or if it's just what it is. It's kinda on the dull side at times, belaboring over rather mundane moments.
But at its core, it's a meaningful story of sisterhood, and not in a shallow or even particularly juvenile sense. There's notable depth in what these two sisters experience, learn, and ultimately decide, and the ending trusts the reader's intelligence.
A nice visit down memory lane for me, even if I didn't remember it all.
October 8, 2021
Another childhood favorite- read this book in a quick sitting and immediately realized that, unlike the Little Gymnast book, this was one I remembered absolutely everything about- I must have read this book 30 times as a kid at least and rereading it 30-35 years later, was an incredibly comforting experience. The story is about two sisters who live in NYC- the older (Saundra) is an established ballerina and the younger (Lily) is reluctantly beginning ballet lessons. Their parents are clearly wealthy- a lawyer and a judge- and the girls are not very close at the start of the book. As the story progresses and Lily comes to understand how difficult but rewarding ballet can be and Saundra begins to realize that her little sister is more than a nuisance, I remembered how much I related to Lily as a kid with 2 older siblings who desperately wanted hwr brothers to see her as a person- the fact that ballet seemed like magic to me was a bonus in the book, and I suspect why I loved it so much. Was surprised as an adult that this book was written by a man- originally the author only ever had his initials on the book, but in the 1991 edition I got, his full name is displayed. While the book includes some minor fat shaming that probably wouldn't go over well today, I think the story holds up well. I genuinely enjoyed revisiting this one. In my heart, its a classic. 4 stars.
September 9, 2017
At first Lily balks at attending dancing school, but she eventually finds it brings her dancer sister closer to her.
I remember reading this and liking it as a kid. Lily seemed a little too well-spoken to be a real kid but I enjoyed the confidence she gained as she began feeling comfortable in her body.
I remember reading this and liking it as a kid. Lily seemed a little too well-spoken to be a real kid but I enjoyed the confidence she gained as she began feeling comfortable in her body.
April 25, 2024
don’t get it twisted mama…don’t get it twisted.
December 13, 2016
A childhood favorite - fun to go back and read it for the first time in years!
September 4, 2007
If you've ever yearned to run away from home and travel with a ballet company, this book is for you. It's about a graceful, beautiful girl who is trying to get a spot in the New York Ballet Company. Saundra is thin, willowy, and haughty, but her confidence is about to crumble. Along comes help in the form of her chunky, clumsy sister. Although Lily doesn't look it, she knows enough about human nature to help Saundra summon the courage to compete.
This book isn't just about ballet -- it's about what it means to strive for greatness in any field. In addition to closet ballerinas, I recommend it for athletes, artists, business people -- anybody who has ever been crazy enough to pursue their dreams.
This book isn't just about ballet -- it's about what it means to strive for greatness in any field. In addition to closet ballerinas, I recommend it for athletes, artists, business people -- anybody who has ever been crazy enough to pursue their dreams.
July 13, 2014
My eight year old read this in 3rd grade this year and wanted to reread it this summer, so I decided to read it when she was done with it. I enjoyed the story about a younger sister starting dance years after her sister did, but it was odd that she hadn't heard anything about dance and hadn't seen the dance studio at all. Maybe I just think that because any dancer's family I know kind of lives there...
I was also disappointed that there was some swearing in this book (and that it was at the elementary school where my third grader read it).
The story was good because it did help the sister relationship, but I won't be checking this out again or reading anything else from this author.
I was also disappointed that there was some swearing in this book (and that it was at the elementary school where my third grader read it).
The story was good because it did help the sister relationship, but I won't be checking this out again or reading anything else from this author.
April 12, 2011
Graceful Saundra is an accomplished dancer about to audition for a famed dance company. Her little sister Lily is just taking ballet for the first time . . . the two sisters could not be more different, and yet through dance they finally begin to understand and support each other. I loved the descriptions in this book, of dance classes, of wearing leotards and legwarmers. It all felt so very real. I will confess: I started wearing my old leotards from jazz dance classes under jeans and sweatshirts like Lily does . . .
January 6, 2008
I wanted to be these little girls---both of them!
January 22, 2009
This was a book that I remembered loving as a kid, but only liked as an adult.
January 17, 2013
A childhood favorite!
October 1, 2013
One of my favorite stories from when I was a kid, re-read it as an adult and I was not disappointed!
July 11, 2012
A favorite book when I was in middle school.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews