Sisters by Raina Telgemeier...

How I Heard About It:  I remember a few summers ago when I first found out about the graphic novel called Smile.  I bought a copy and loved it.  I also enjoyed Raina's second book called Drama.  It was exciting to see the third graphic novel out this summer.  I read it last night and really enjoyed it!  

What It Is About:  This time the story takes us on a road trip with Raina's family.  They are traveling from California to Colorado for a family reunion.  The story goes back and forth between present day (road trip) and flashbacks to when Raina's younger sister was born and other various episodes between the two sisters.  Raina finds her younger sister quite annoying and would prefer her not to be in her life.  As the family heads out on the open road, the car contains the mother, Raina, her sister, and younger brother.  There are the ever famous family road-trip scenes which are quite funny and relatable.  When the family arrives in Colorado for the reunion, Raina finds that her cousins have all grown-up and aren't quite the way they use to be.  She learns her own sister may be the one person she can depend on during all these changes.  Even though they have had many "disagreements" throughout their growing up years, they lean on each other when family life gets tough and may not stay the way they would like.

What I Thought Of It:  These graphic novels are the best.  I love the story lines and the beautiful graphics.  As the reader, I liked how this story went back and forth between the road trip and different events in the family life.  It was interesting to see the girls starting their life together when Raina's younger sister was born and moving toward present day.  The plot moved along quickly and nicely and had a satisfactory conclusion.  This will definitely be a hit with my students this fall.  

Who Should Read It:  Being a full-color graphic novel, this book needs to be in the hands of the individual reader.  As I mentioned earlier, I can't wait to share this book with my fourth graders.  I always book talk Smile and now I can add this one to the books I share with my students.  In my opinion, this graphic novel would be perfect for readers in grades four and above.  If you know of a reader that has read Smile and/or Drama, then you need to share the newest edition with them.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:  4 STARS out of 5 Stars