Ten Rules for Living with My Sister

Pearl Littlefield

by Ann M. Martin

Pearl's older sister Lexie is in eighth grade and has a boyfriend. Pearl's only boyfriend is the family's crabby cat, Bitey. Lexie is popular. Pearl is not, mostly because of the embarrassing Three Bad Things that happened in school and which no one has forgotten. Everything Pearl does seems to drive Lexie crazy. On top of that, their grandfather is moving into their family's apartment and taking over Pearl's room. How will these sisters share without driving one another crazy?

Pearl is good at making lists of rules, but sometimes, life doesn't play by the rules!

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Family, Juvenile, Childrens, Friendship

240 pages, Hardcover

First published September 27, 2011

About the author

Ann Matthews Martin was born on August 12, 1955. She grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, with her parents and her younger sister, Jane. After graduating from Smith College, Ann became a teacher and then an editor of children's books. She's now a full-time writer.

Ann gets the ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences, while others are based on childhood memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events. All of Ann's characters, even the members of the Baby-sitters Club, are made up. But many of her characters are based on real people. Sometimes Ann names her characters after people she knows, and other times she simply chooses names that she likes.

Ann has always enjoyed writing. Even before she was old enough to write, she would dictate stories to her mother to write down for her. Some of her favorite authors at that time were Lewis Carroll, P. L. Travers, Hugh Lofting, Astrid Lindgren, and Roald Dahl. They inspired her to become a writer herself.

Since ending the BSC series in 2000, Ann’s writing has concentrated on single novels, many of which are set in the 1960s.

After living in New York City for many years, Ann moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York where she now lives with her dog, Sadie, and her cats, Gussie, Willy and Woody. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework. Her favorite thing to do is to make clothes for children.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/annmma...

Reviews

[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yet again, another one of the few books I read when I was younger.

You know, I've noticed something. Older siblings, usually older sisters, are portrayed as popular, and kinda stuck up and shallow, whereas the MCs which are usually the younger ones, are shown as quirky, and cool.
I'm an older sister... really hope I ain't any of the former adjectives lol!

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pearl is an energetic, curious nine-year-old who usually speaks without thinking. Sadly, this often results in friction with her popular older sister Lexie, who is frequently embarrassed by Pearl's comments, questions and actions. Pearl is commonly banned from Lexie's bedroom and given the silent treatment. But the sisters must find a way to get along when their grandfather, Daddy Bo, can no longer live alone and comes to live with them until space is available in an assisted living center. Pearl gradually develops a list of rules for living peacefully with Lexie, and they make their shared living space work. But Daddy Bo's increasing memory lapses trouble Pearl. Should she tell her parents about the things she notices even though she know Daddy Bo wants her to keep them a secret? When Daddy Bo's memory loss leads him and Pearl into an adventure that could be very dangerous for them both, Pearl must rely on herself and what she has learned from living with her sister to keep them both safe.

Martina's latest is a nice addition to middle grade selections. It deals with multiple themes, including the weighty one of relationships with aging family members (possibly the onset of Alzheimer's), without being heavy-handed. Pearl is a , dynamic protagonist with strong appeal for readers in 3rd through 5th grades.

[Dimity · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided to enter the Goodreads giveaway for the newest juvenile book by beloved author Ann M. Martin somewhat on a whim. I was pleasantly surprised to win although I also felt some trepidation at the prospect of writing a review on it. I’m not really one of those adults who read juvenile and YA books so I always feel a bit unsure rating and reviewing books for young readers as someone not in the intended audience for these books. However, Ann M. Martin holds a special place in my heart, partially for her iconic Babysitter Club series (even the cool kids read those in the 1990s when I grew up), but my first Martin love was Ten Kids, No Pets. In that book about a huge, quirky alphabetically named family, Martin’s characters seem so much more vivid than the somewhat formulaic pre-teens and teens of the Babysitters Club. I read the Babysitters Club because they were popular but Ten Kids, No Pets was a meatier reading experience for my young self; Martin delved into the imperfections and joy of being a kid in a family unit in a way that really resonated with me, even though I grew up in a Three Kids, Two Cats family. I found that Ten Rules for Living with My Sister managed to incorporate a lot of the charms I remember as a young reader of Martin’s novels.

Our heroine is Pearl, a young for her age girl who doesn’t quite fit in at school or with her older sister Lexie. Despite Pearl’s best intentions at interacting with her sister, she always manages to play the Ramona to Lexie’s Beezus. Pearl’s attempts to gain access to her sister’s alluring junior high world are given a boost when the girls are forced to temporarily share a bedroom in the family’s New York City apartment. The sisters’ grandfather, Daddy Bo, is no longer able to care for himself and moves in with the family while he awaits an opening at a senior living facility. The shared living situation turns out to help ease the girls’ relationship as both learn better how their sister acts and reacts to the other. Pearl’s new relationship with her older sister helps her blossom in the fourth grade while Lexie learns to think less of the almighty popular opinion at her middle school.

This book was charming and readable even as an adult. I also tried to keep in mind how I would feel if I read this book when I was a child myself. My grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s when I was 12(although she’d begun the descent before formal diagnosis) and to this day, watching my grandmother suffer that disease remains one of the most hellish experiences of my life. Papa Bo’s forgetfulness stroke a painful chord for me and I wonder how I would react to this book if I had read it when I was also a kid dealing with scary grownup things (even though I was somewhat older than Pearl). Martin dealt with the uncertainty of watching a beloved and capable adult struggle with losing their independence in a somewhat tame and digestible way for a young reader, proving that Martin still has the ability to bring to life the most ordinary of family situations and make it compelling and readable.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought "Ten Rules for Living with my Sister" was well combined with humor and seriousness. When reading the book, I often wondered, why did the older sister,Lexi, always get mad over everything? I realized that she's had to put up with her little sister, Pearl's, tricks more often then just in the book. When Pearl and her best friend, Justine, are playing together it's nice and funny. When DaddyBo, grandfather, hurts his shoulder then it isn't so happy and friendly. Everyone is concerned for DaddyBo. DaddyBo's accident causes him to stay with Pearl and Lexi's family. This causes Pearl and Lexi to share a bedroom. Since they don't get along, Lexi is horrified. Pearl on the other hand is very happy. Since Lexi's room is a "Pearl free" zone, sharing a room with Lexi gives her the perfect chance to see what Lexi does in her room. I think the great part is that towards the end of the book the two sisters start to get along. Lexi actually is disappointed that Pearl moves back to her old room. When all of this happens it gets exciting. That's what makes the Book entertaining.

[Lexi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book because I felt like I caught a glimpse into Pearl's life and how she is feeling. Also, this book kind of relates to my life because I have an older sister who I annoy a lot, and the girl's name was Lexie. Pearl is 9 years old, and her sister, Lexie, is 13. Pearl thinks that as soon as Lexie became a teenager, Lexie thought she was too cool for everything Pearl does. When their grandfather comes and lives with them, Pearl and Lexie have to stay together in Lexie's room. Lexie is furious to receive news that she was sharing her room with a 9 year old. Pearl then makes a list of rules that she follows. She uses them as a guideline so that she won't keep being a little pest to Lexie. Before Pearl says something, she looks over the rules in her mind, to prevent her from irritating Lexie again. Will Lexie finally learn to live with her little sister? Read the book to find out what happens.

[Josiah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love, love, love this book! Every so often, I come across a junior novel that represents all the vast potential of the art form, everything good about books for kids and why they mean so much to us: naturally funny characters; a fresh, vibrant narrative voice, entertaining but also enlightening; a relevant story that also feels different and new; handling of a variety of personal issues that does justice to the characters' feelings as well as our own, providing solutions but not necessarily resolutions to problems too big for a quick fix. Ten Rules for Living with My Sister accomplishes all these things beautifully. The book is an absolute joy to read, bursting with all the happiness and quirkiness and unapologetic enjoyment of life that comes with being a kid, having friends and loving being a part of a family even when things aren't going perfectly. There may always be highs and lows in any family, but it's amazing how far a little understanding can go in bringing people together, allowing them to see the best intentions of each other and coexist happily no matter how circumstances change.

There's a gulf of perceptions separating Pearl, age nine, and her older sister Lexie, fourteen. That's the best way to say it, I think, since it's not as much a matter of actual differences between the two sisters as it is the ways in which the real meaning behind their words and actions tends to go right by each other because they're not always attuned to how the other one thinks. Pearl, through whose eyes we experience this story, is several years away from adolescence, and not especially interested in looking "cool" if it comes at the expense of having fun. She can't understand why Lexie is bothered by so many little things that would make no difference whatsoever to Pearl. So many areas of Lexie's life are made off-limits to Pearl, too, such as her bedroom. Lexie doesn't allow Pearl into her bedroom very often, and when she does there's a strict code by which little sister is required to abide. Pearl is never there for any of the really interesting stuff, either, like when Lexie talks on the phone to her friends (and even her boyfriend, Dallas), making plans and trading secrets at a faster pace than Pearl can keep track. Pearl is the one who gets left behind in all this, never included in the action or clued in on what's going down in her older sister's world.

Lexie, for her part, has just as hard a time understanding Pearl. As teenagers do, Lexie is changing, and a lot of that changing is taking her away from her younger sister. Lexie's priorities are shifting; things that didn't used to matter much are growing in importance so that they dominate her thoughts, and Lexie has a difficult time sympathizing with the concerns that still rule Pearl's younger world, the same ones that she, herself, used to have. Despite their differences, though, Pearl and Lexie have much more in common than Lexie recognizes. Both of them are anxious to get along well with their friends, and become upset when valued friendships are lost, however that loss happens. Neither sister wants to look foolish in public; though many of Pearl's zany expressions of her fun-loving character convince Lexie that this must not be true of her younger sister, it certainly is the case. Bad nicknames can stick to a person long after the events that earned them; the events, themselves, can linger long in the memory of classmates looking for fodder to tease someone about, resurfacing time and again when the unconsenting butt of the joke wishes it would just go away. Lexie might see herself as a progressing adolescent and Pearl as just a little kid, not mature enough to appreciate the parts of life open to junior highers, but she's just as human as Lexie, just as vulnerable to hurt, sadness and being left out by those she likes and admires.

What could bring together a pair of sisters who are so often at odds, whose basic understanding of each other often fails just because they don't see where the other is coming from in her thoughts and actions? Might sharing the same room do the trick? In swoops Daddy Bo, somewhat unintentionally, to shake things up a bit. Pearl and Lexie's grandfather, Daddy Bo has come to the end of his days living by himself. The effects of old age have eroded him around the edges just enough that it's no longer safe for him to live on his own, and Pearl and Lexie's parents have arranged for Daddy Bo to move into an assisted living facility nearby in the near future. "In the near future" isn't today, though, and so for several months he's going to be living with them in what had been Pearl's bedroom, and Pearl and Lexie will be bunking in Lexie's room during that time.

If only proximity were a cure-all, this would be all that's needed for Pearl and Lexie to gain a greater understanding of each other. Unfortunately, that's not the case, and Lexie is no more inclined to let Pearl listen to her phone calls or include her in on her plans than she was when they lived in separate rooms. Pearl is confused by the way her sister treats her, but I think she's the one who really begins to "get it" first, to comprehend that there might actually be more she has in common with Lexie than she doesn't. After all, she's not trying to understand another species; Lexie is a person, too, even if she seems a little bit weird to Pearl at times these days. What if Pearl were to try figuring out what Lexie wants, then how her own behavior affects that, and study the intersection to see what she could learn from it? Might Pearl have the power to change things between her and her sister simply by listening more closely and paying more careful attention?

The Ten Rules for Living with My Sister that inspire the title of this book are, in fact, an honest and insightful list of observations. Just by getting her thoughts down on paper and examining and organizing the results, Pearl sees a definite pattern emerge to Lexie's behaviors and attitudes. When she sees this, it becomes a lot easier to trace cause back to effect and begin understanding what types of things it is she does that seem to annoy Lexie, and why it might be that these specific actions bother her. While not all of Lexie's motivations make sense to Pearl, she wants these months that she'll be spending with her older sister to count for something, not just be an uncomfortable interlude that will reach its merciful end once Daddy Bo moves on to his new housing facility. The road to sisterly peace is unevenly paved and full of potholes, but Pearl is really willing to give a go at being more respectful to Lexie and trying to get along with her. With each unintentionally divisive remark she refrains from making (and there are many of them in this book!) and every new thoughtful action propelled by her ever-increasing understanding of her sister's feelings, Pearl builds trust with Lexie, always continuing to build even when part of her construction is torn down by an argument or misunderstanding. I think Pearl comes to realize that there isn't any natural law saying that siblings will like each other or have a lot in common or be the types of people who would have anything to do with each other if they weren't related, so forming relationships with them takes work, and patience. Since there's no automatic cohesive that forces siblings to gel together, without understanding and forbearance it might never occur, so it's up to us to do what's necessary to make it happen while we have the chance. Because a good brother or sister can be one of life's sweetest gifts in ways we might not even yet know, and so much of building our relationship is up to us.

There is so much that I liked about Ten Rules for Living with My Sister that it would be impossible to talk in-depth about all of it in this review, but I want to mention at least a few things that caught my attention. I love when Pearl realizes that she actually may be on the brink of getting Lexie to share a secret with her―a real, bona fide Lexie secret!― and thinks: "I felt like I was in the wild and I had just spotted a rare animal, but that if I moved too quickly the animal would dart away." What a great description of the moment! I think of how many times I have been in situations in which I felt the exact same way, surprised that something was going how I wanted it to but afraid that I might accidentally blunder and cause the rare animal to scamper back to its natural habitat. What do you do when you know the slightest wrong move could set you back a long ways, and you have little idea what would be the right move, or if there even is one? Another scene I liked very much is when Pearl and Lexie are discussing the idea of Pearl trying to find a new best friend, and Pearl responds to her older sister's opinion on the matter by saying "Well, it isn't like going to the store. You can't just point to somebody and say, 'I want that one.'" How true, but wouldn't it be nice if we could? Pearl recognizes that adults often seem to dismiss the friendship concerns of kids, as if any two kids the same age, regardless of personality, could suddenly become lifelong friends just because they're both kids. What's so bad, then, about one friend going away when there are dozens waiting to take his or her place? But just as adults don't take to friendship with every adult they meet just because they're adults, not all kids are compatible with each other. Friendship takes work and devotion no matter what the age of the prospective friends, and years of adjustment and customization with one friend can't be replaced in just a few days. Lexie's affirmation of Pearl's somewhat unconventional friendships is also a nice moment, which we encounter after Pearl's concentrated effort to change her relationship with her sister has really begun to bear fruit. "A friend can be a boy or a girl or any age", Lexie assures her. What Lexie has come to see is that friendship has a way of springing up from the most curious types of soil, where one might think that a relationship would never take root. Friendship plays by its own rules, often choosing our partners before we even know it's what we want, throwing us together so we can figure it out as the friendship is already beginning to form. And while years of friendship certainly cannot be replaced in a short time, it takes but a moment to plant the seed of a new friendship and start it growing; and once the seed is planted, who knows how tall and strong it can eventually become? Even, perhaps, between two sisters who thought they were so different that they might never grow to understand each other.

It's been a long time since I was more impressed by a juvenile novel than this one. The cover styling and basic description of the story might make Ten Rules for Living with My Sister seem like it's just for girls, but that is not at all the case. Pearl's voice stirs up memories of Barbara Park's Junie B. Jones, a scintillating, energetically charged narrative voice that seems to leap up off the page, and is certainly entertaining for readers of any age or gender. Ann M. Martin's writing, as always, is marvelous; her characterizations all ring true and the story is comical and emotional and silly and thoughtful all at once, perfectly tuned to every aspect of each of those attributes. Here is a book that could easily have been a Newbery winner or at least a top contender for the awards in nearly every Newbery year, though it received much less acknowledgement than most other eligible contenders in 2011. I truly loved this book and will not soon forget it, another wonderful offering by an author who has few equals, and almost no superiors, among writers for kids. I don't hesitate for a moment to give Ten Rules for Living with My Sister three and a half stars, and I even considered rounding it up to four. Books as good as this one do not come around every day.

[Kait · Rating 3 out of 5]

i read the book Ten Rules For Living With My Sister by Ann M. Martin. the book is about 2 sisters names Lexie and Pearl. their grandmother moves in with them and takes Pearls room forcing the sisters to live in the same room. the 2 sisters need to figure out a way to get along so they both dont suffer the consequences. i give this book an 8/10 because i liked the book, but i didn't like all of the lists in the book.

[Taylor]

i loved it so much thank you for letting me borrow it

[Kristin Nelson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pearl seemed way too insightful for a nine year old. Early in the book she was immature and clueless and then suddenly she had her thirteen year old sister all figured out. I mean, who can do that?! 🤔😁 I did enjoy the story though.

[Francesca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Girl wakes up every day and chooses CHAOS

[Infosifter · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Jaimie · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Ten Rules For Living With My Sister’ is the newest book written by Ann M. Martin, who is best known for her ‘Babysitters Club’ series. While ‘Ten Rules’ is intended for a slightly younger audience it is an interesting, gripping and ultimately satisfying book; though, it did not engross me a much as the ‘Babysitters Club’ books did when I was younger.

This is a YA book that best suits those from 7-12 and deals with a lot of important issues, namely how to deal with alzheimer’s disease. I thought that the inclusion of a grandfather with alzheimer’s was very timely and would allow for children who read the book to see what the characteristics of the disease are and allow them to learn more about the disease.

While the book was light in other places, it seemed to me that it was pretty cliche: older sister dislikes younger sister, younger sister keeps a journal, younger sister not well-liked at school, parents don’t have much time for the kids. It was not that the book wasn’t well written, it just didn’t seem very original. However, for a YA audience that won’t matter as much.

Overall, ‘Ten Rules For Living With My Sister’ is a fun and interesting read and recommended for YA readers.

http://likeitido.com/2011/08/24/ten-r...

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's never easy to live with an older sibling, especially when that sibling is a popular sister as in the case of nine-year-old Pearl Littlefield and her sister Lexie. Lexie has many interests and many friends, and values her privacy. Pearl, on the other hand, has one friend, a much younger neighbor, and spends her free time with her and her cat Bitey. Her classmates still remember three embarrassing incidents that occurred when Pearl was younger, and won't let her live them down. When the girls' grandfather comes to stay while waiting for an opening in an assisted living facility, they are forced to share a room. This necessitates some negotiation since both girls approach life differently. Over the course of the book, though, they come to a mutual understanding and appreciate each other for different reasons. By the time Pearl plans her birthday party, she is confident enough to take risks with the food and activities, an ending that clearly shows she has gained in self-confidence and is not likely to follow the lead of the mean girls at school. The book is uplifting and filled with possibilities for the future while exploring the development of imperfect but likeable characters facing real-life challenges.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that "Ten Rule for Living with my Sister" was a well written book. The book was written by Ann M. Martin. This was one of the few books I didn't feel forced to read. I felt this way because I was really able to connect with the characters. The characters are sisters. I have a younger brother. When the younger sister spoke, it sounded like something my brother would say. I think the author must have had a brother or sister to be able to really picture this story. This book wasn't only happy and cheerful towards the end. But it was also able to relate to.

[Angelica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is good, because it is realistic. The author shows what having a little sister can be like, and it shows what having an older sister is like too. Some parts could have been more interesting, but Overall, I liked this book. I would recommend this book to whoever has older or younger siblings, because many people could relate.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not groundbreaking but my 8-year-old daughter loved it so much she begged me to read it. It's definitely got redeeming qualities -- particularly the main character. I'm glad my daughter shared it with me.

[Horace Mann Family Reading Challenge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was funny and taught me how to live with my sister. If you have a sister and you need to learn how to work withher, this is the book for you! A.T.

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book when I was way younger but it's such a cute story!

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it to actually really love it.

[AnistainL · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the book Ten Rules For Living With My Sister, by Ann M. Martin. The Lexile range is 790. The Book was mostly about a 9 year old girl named Pearl and her sister Lexie. Pearl had a hard time at school because of the 3 bad things she did, and constantly got reminded of it and had no friends, except for her neighbor Justen who is in first grade, But things aren't much better at home. Her sister keeps giving her the silent treatment because Pearl's making her mad, but then their grandpa falls down and has to come and live with them. He has to live in Pearls room so the girls have to share Lexi's room. At first it didn't go that well but after Pearl made her list of rules she had to follow so her sister would not get mad at her things started to get better. But in the meantime her best friend moved and she didn't know what to do and she was really sad. But then she made a new friend towards the end, James Booker the 3rd. They enjoyed hanging out together and she made more friends because of it. Also he grandpa moved out into a nursing home basically and the girls got their rooms back.
I think the theme of the Book is to entertain because there is a lot of drama and the book kept me engaged and i wanted to keep reading it because it was entertaining.some of the pars that were entertaining to me were when the cat brought lexies bra out and and her boyfriend saw it, that was really funny. Lexie was like “he saw my bra”. Also another entertaining part of the book was when Justen and pearl got stuck in the basement at their apartment and could not get back out and pearl was hitting the window with a paint can while Justen was trying not to cry. One other entertaining part was when her grandpa took her to New Jersey with him to go to his old house because he didn't understand that he was living with them.
I really enjoyed this book because it kinda shows me what it would be like to live with a sister since I don't have one that lives with me. I didn't think this book was confusing, it was really self explanatory. It was a good book but I think I might do a little bit harder next time. I liked the ending because the sisters were finally getting along and Pearl made new friends. My favorite part of the book was when Pearl's grandpa took her to New jersey.

[Mia Belitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was very interesting because it is very related to me and my sister. I had learned not to say anything back whenever my sister or anyone annoys me by correcting me and asking me to do things properly. Perl makes ten tules for living with her sister, Lexie, and I thought that those ten rules could be very useful for me to have as well. There are other things that Perl and I am the same. For example, she likes to be creative and likes art like I do, she doesn't like hard school work like I do, and she doesn't get along well with her sister. I also really like this book, because the things that Perl does to or with Lexie is very entertaining. For example, whenever Perl goes into Lexie's room with only her underwear, Lexie would hang a sign on her door saying "no Perl" or sometimes "no underwear visits" or even "only Lexie's room." If I were asked to recommend a book, I would recommend that you should read this book if you have a sibling that you don't get along well. Even though you don't have a sibling, it is also related to how to be good friends and how to cooperate with other people.

[Jacqueline · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid 3.5. I think youth will enjoy reading this book, because it portrays a lot of common struggles, including a variety of friend issues, homework issues, and sibling issues, in an empathetic way while still offering hope for solutions without being overly optimistic. There are multiple plot points to keep everything interesting. I love the portrayal of a grandparent who is changing as well as the Manhattan setting, which will likely resonate with both those who live in urban areas and those who like to learn about families who live in different types of communities from themselves.

I didn't give this book 4 stars because there are several times when the story doesn't seem quite realistic, and those places interrupted the flow for me.

[KB · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book, even though it it's a "kids" book and I'm a so-called grown-up. At the beginning, I wasn't sure if the main character (Pearl) might be a bit too annoying, but one of the nice things about this book is how she gains a good amount of self awareness as she deals with changes that are happening in her young life. It is fun and funny as narrated and illustrated by Pearl. It appears to be part of a series, as the end of the book includes the beginning of the next book and I'd like to continue with this one as well. P.S. I especially love the cat named "Bitey" ha ha!

[AE Goldberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this book. Personally, I related to Lexi more because I have a little sister who can be annoying sometimes and funny at other times. When Pearl had to move into Lexi's I didn't exactly relate to her, but I would also be annoyed if my sister had to move into my room also. But in the end it turned out to be a great thing because it changed Lexi and Pearl's relationship in a good way.

[Sarah Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My nine year old girl and I laughed so hard at this book! It probably helps that she also has a thirteen year old sister. Pearl is an absolute gem. We loved the comparison chart and the no underwear visits (even if you are wearing slippers!). All of this was spot-on as to how sisters behave and it was so nice to hear my daughter laugh and say, "Exactly!!" So many times. I highly recommend!

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

it’s tough living with a sister sometimes

I liked Pearl and her thoughts and how she was learning to be nicer to her sister and making new friends. I hope she gets along with more kids at school and they are nicer next year!

It would be fun to have a book from Lexie’s perspective one day too.

[dearlittledeer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of life Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing but in this case the 4th grader is the pain in the butt little sibling. And they are girls. Love the NYC setting, and just like Judy Blume, AMM really knows kids.

[Winky D · Rating 5 out of 5]

My granddaughter selected this book for us to read and talk about. I am so glad she introduced it to me. What a wonderful book for us to bond with! Illustrations were fun as well as the story. Thank you!

[Leia Skywalker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book because I love Baby -sitter club . I liked Rain reign ; her book with a main character that is autistic . However this book was Mediocre . 2 and a half stars. It had its moments so I gave it a half star.

[lylah ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book although it is a more kids book , was pretty sad. I found myself feeling bad for the main character and the grandpa. It was a good read to just unplug and it doesnt really require you to think to much.