Supersister

Lately I have trying to buy my daughter some comic books, and show her some old school female superhero movies and tv shows.  Currently Supergirl is our favorite.  This book, staring a ‘super’ sister looked like something we needed to check out.

Author: Beth Cadena
Illustrator: Frank W. Dormer
Publisher: Clarion Books (2009)
Prices: Hardcover - $15.90, Ebook - $9.99
Reading level: 3 to 8 years old
Interest level: Lower Grades
Physical Characteristics: 8 x 10 inches, 32 pages
ISBN: 0547010060
Genres: Children’s Fiction

Subjects:
Siblings
Superheroes
Helpfulness, Fiction

Annotation:
This little girl will do anything to help her mom but why is she a Supersister?

Summary:
A little girl, clad in a superhero mask, bounds out of bed and down the stairs.  She gets her own breakfast, cleans up after herself and gets ready for school all by herself.  As she races off to school she kisses her mom goodbye and ties her mom’s shoes.  At school, she thinks about ways that she can help her mom.  At the end of her day, her dad carries her to bed.  But, before she can sleep she runs downstairs to kiss her mom goodnight and to untie her shoes.  This is when the reader finds out that the mom is pregnant, and supersister is trying to help her any way she can.


Evaluation:
This is a wonderful first book for Ms. Cadena.  The simple story is about a girl who is empowered and trying to help her mom as she gets prepared for a baby is refreshing.  So many books these days have the older sibling whining or freaking out because of the incoming baby, and while that is a totally valid emotion, it is noce to have a book represent another perspective.  The comic book style is fitting with the “super” theme of this book.  This is a great book for any only children who may be expecting a sibling

Similar Titles or Authors:
The New Baby by Mary Packard
The Obstinate Pen by Frank W. Dormer
The New Baby by Fred Rogers

Websites:
http://www.bethcadena.com/

http://www.frankwdormer.com/

Awards & Recognition:
A Junior Library Guild selection

Professional Reviews:
Horn Book

Kirkus


All images (c) Frank Dormer