Dear Brother

McGhee, Alison. Dear Brother

August 8, 2023 by Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
 

Sister feels that she is America's Overlooked Sibling and that her parents favor her older brother over her, and she offers proof of this from the family photo album. They applaud his activities  but trivialize hers, don't care about her safety at the hands of her brother, and ignore her requests while fulfilling his. She would very much like a dog, so of course her parents decide to let her brother get a bearded dragon that she does not want instead. Nevermind that the apartment building in which they live doesn't allow dogs; the choice is clearly motivated by favoritism towards her brother. He also gets to go to music camp with his banjo, and Sister has to watch the stupid bearded dragon while he is gone. Doubly not fair! Of course, she lets her parents and brother know what an imposition this is. Frightful (whom she didn't even get to name!) requires a lot of care, and Sister grudgingly provides it. She even texts her brother pictures of his pet. Her friends Jorrinda and Kareem come over to play with the animal, which makes her jealous as well. There is a scary moment when a window is left open and Frightful gets a chill in the middle of the night, but Sister wakes up in time to save him. She slowly gets used to the pet and withdraws some of her complaints about favoritism. When her brother returns from camp, the two spend more time together and get along a little bit better. This is by the same author (but different illustrator) of Dear Sister, but I'm not entirely sure that the two are connected. 

Strengths: Sister's longing for a dog will resonate with readers who have similar desires, so fans of Lloyd's Allergic will understand Sister's large collection of stuffed dogs and her well developed arguments trying to convince her parents to get a dog. While she starts out in a very negative mood about her brother and the pet, there is some forward progress in dealing with her negative emotions, and by the end she is even making outfits for Frightful and she and her brother have a banjo bongo band. The facial expressions on the characters are particularly engaging, and the yellow color scheme makes this graphic novel feel upbeat. 
Weaknesses: Sister was very, very negative and rather entitled for most of the book. While I see this a lot at school with my students, it's not an attitude I enjoy very much. 
What I really think: Sister seems very young, so I will pass for middle school. I would probably purchase this for an elementary school, since the illustration style is attractive and the story is good. Perhaps we need a graphic novel about her brother's experience at banjo camp!