10 of the Most Memorable Siblings in Middle Grade Literature
by Margaret Mincks
When I was growing up, some kid stole my little brother’s bike. I raged. I scoured the neighborhood, determined to root out the gutless thief. I even called 911. (I didn’t know it was illegal to call 911 in a non-emergency situation, so the operator wasn’t super supportive.)
As the second oldest of eight children, I’m an expert in the ups and downs of sibling relationships … the intense bond that can turn, in a flash, into a fight over who takes the first shower. Brothers and sisters may push each other’s buttons, but they’ll always have each other’s backs.
In my book Payback on Poplar Lane, 12-year-old Peter Gronkowski is the most successful entrepreneur on his cul-de-sac. His worm-eating little brother, Daniel, seems determined to undermine his businesses. He even gives away Peter’s valuable merchandise for free! But Peter still reads Daniel bedtime stories (well, stories from Peter’s favorite business newsletter) every night.
Children’s literature is littered with brothers and sisters, from Little Women’s March sisters to the Penderwicks to the Weasleys. Here are 10 of my favorite middle grade books about the ups and downs of sibling relationships: the fierce love, the turtle-eating, and everything in between.
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Peter and Fudge Hatcher
Available from:Peter Hatcher is in the fourth grade. His two-and-a-half-year-old brother, Fudge, may seem adorable, but Peter knows he’s a toddler terror. Fudge smears mashed potatoes on walls, throws temper tantrums in department stores, and destroys Peter’s homework. Still, this book shows that if your sibling relationship can survive eating a pet turtle, it can survive anything.
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Anastasia and Sam Krupnik
How can your little brother annoy you when he hasn’t even been born? Ask 10-year-old Anastasia Krupnik. Anastasia loves life as an only child, but out of nowhere, her mom is pregnant. Anastasia isn’t having it, not even when her parents say she can name her sibling. First Anastasia picks the worst name she can think of: One Ball Reilly (overheard on the playground). But later she chooses the more conventional “Sam” to honor her deceased grandfather.
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Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield
Who has both nothing and everything in common? It’s not a riddle … it’s the Wakefield twins! As you learn in the intro to every book in the series, the girls share DNA (golden locks, peaches-and-cream complexions, eyes the color of the Pacific Ocean, etc.), but that’s about it. Elizabeth is studious, prim, and proper, while Jessica is wild and outgoing. My friends and I would agonize over whether we were a Jessica or an Elizabeth. (Really, I longed to be Jessica’s rich, conniving, and misunderstood best friend, Lila Fowler.)
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Claudia and Janine Kishi
Claudia is artsy, while her older sister Janine is book smart. The girls often butt heads — even a simple board game turns into a battle royal (I relate, as I’d often storm out of family game night in tears). But after weathering a crisis together, the sisters learn to become their own version of friends.
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Naomi Marie and Naomi Edith
It’s hard when your divorced parents start dating. It’s even harder when the person they date has a daughter with YOUR name — Naomi — and suddenly you’re “Naomi Marie” so people don’t get confused. And it gets WAY harder when your parents sign you up to take a class with the other Naomi, who you’re not even sure you like, but is suddenly forced into your life. I feel for both Naomis in this charming, dual-POV book about two families coming together in NYC.
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Claudia and Jamie Kincaid
Every sibling has his/her strength. In this middle grade classic, highbrow Claudia relies on her tightwad brother Jamie to keep them grounded during a runaway adventure of a lifetime. Claudia and Jamie have two other siblings: Kevin, who they think is a brat, and Steve. What is it with unmemorable siblings named Steve? (Remember Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield’s older brother, Steven? Neither do I.)
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Patina (Patty) and Maddy Jones
Warm, intimate details can bring a sibling relationship to life, like older sister Patty braiding little Maddy’s hair before church. Forced to grow up quickly after a series of tragic family events, Patty protects and cares for Maddy while still trying to be a kid herself.
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Jessie and Evan Treski
Jessie Treski is skipping third grade … right into her brother Evan’s fourth-grade classroom. Evan lashes out, and Jessie fights back. The two make a wager, riding on who can sell the most lemonade before school starts. Will Evan’s people-smarts or Jessie’s book-smarts prevail?
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The Hatford Brothers and the Malloy Sisters
Available from:In this hilarious and delightful series, the Hatford brothers wage war against their new and unwelcome neighbors, the Malloy sisters. (The allusion to the feuding Hatfields and McCoys is not coincidental.) My favorite part? When the Malloy sisters fake the death of one of their own to throw the brothers off. Now that’s commitment.
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Ada and Jamie Smith
Available from:More war, Margaret? What is it good for? (Absolutely nothing.) In this moving historical fiction, it’s two London siblings against the world during World War II. Ada, 10, is born with a clubfoot. She teaches herself to walk, but she’s not going anywhere without her brother, Jamie, 6. Ada leads their escape to the countryside, away from their abusive mother. And now I’m crying.
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What sibling stories would you recommend to young readers?