I was Born to Be a Sister [Hardcover]

Akaela S. Michels-Gualtieri (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Series: I Was Born to Be A...

A young girl learns it's a lot of work, and a lot of fun, to have a younger brother (no CD)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

reS-Gr 2-A young narrator decides that being a big sister is fun. She enjoys bathing her baby brother, teaching him how to eat, and clapping his feet to make him smile. However, once he starts to get in her way, she asks if he can be sent back. She is relieved to leave her sibling behind to go to school, but he is there to be taught new things when she returns home. The final page has the lyrics and score for an original song, "I Was Born to Be a Sister." Realistic illustrations depict a family engaging in everyday activities such as preparing food, celebrating a birthday, and reading. The child's expressions of emotions are appropriate; however, the amateurishly executed art done in muddy colors is less than mediocre. Marc Brown's Arthur's Baby (Little, Brown, 1987), Eloise Greenfield's She Come Bringing Me That Little Baby Girl (HarperCollins, 1993), Lucy Cousins's Za-Za's Baby Brother (Candlewick, 1995), and Russell Hoban's A Baby Sister for Frances (HarperCollins, 1964) all do a better job of addressing the topic.

Olga R. Kuharets, Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County, NC

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 3-7. The narrator of this story is thrilled when her parents bring home a new baby brother from the hospital. She loves singing to him, playing with him, and teaching him to slurp spaghetti. But as he gets a little older and starts destroying her toys and interfering with her life, some of the joy wears off, and she's less enamored: "Maybe he can move into his own apartment." In a rather abrupt ending, however, she realizes that she loves her brother and is glad he's around. The emotions ring true, but the simple story, written by a sixth-grader, offers little that is new. Best is the watercolor artwork, which has solid child appeal. Not a first purchase except, perhaps, in places where stories written by kids are in demand. Marta Segal
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Platypus Media (July 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1930775032
• ISBN-13: 978-1930775039
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,981,594 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Covering the ups and downs of getting along, April 6, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I was Born to Be a Sister (Hardcover)

Written by a sixth-grade girl, and featuring an audio CD of the story and original songs for brothers and sisters to sing, I Was Born To Be A Sister is a charming and informative picture book about learning to adapt to and cherish the presence of a new sibling in the family household. Covering the ups and downs of getting along, teaching new things, and the wonder of reliving things through younger eyes, I Was Born To Be A Sister is very highly recommended reading -- especially for children ages 3 to 7 whose families are anticipated the arrival of another child.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Valuable as a True Story Written by a Child for Children, November 8, 2004

By 

Aunt Kiki (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I was Born to Be a Sister (Hardcover)

This book deals with sibling relationships in a unique way: it is "a true story" actually written by an older sibling who was in sixth grade at the time of publication. Sshe recaps her experiences with her younger brother from his birth to approximately preschool. With the older sister as narrator, this story has a very realistic tone. She discusses her mixed feelings about her brother at various stages of his development - from initial excitement to frustration to acceptance and love. Unfortunately, she leaps a bit from frustration to love. The reader is left wondering about the cause for this transformation. The watercolor illustrations are nicely done and compliment the text. But, they lack that indescribable "something" that brings true energy, life, and spirit to a great picture book, as opposed to just a nice one. Recommended children aged for aged 4 to 8 who are interested in books written by children.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review of 'I Was Born to Be a Sister', October 23, 2001

By 

Susan Emdin Osmun (Silver Spring, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I was Born to Be a Sister (Hardcover)

This is a delightful story written by a 12 year old 6th grader living in Washington, D.C. about her own life. Written as a picture book with realistic colorful drawings, this story will appeal to most big sisters. Akaela can't wait to be a sister. But she quickly finds that babies aren't as much fun when they grow into toddlers. This book presents a positive view of family life and is a good readaloud for young children.