Sibling Stories

I have been thinking a lot about stories with strong sets of siblings lately. I have been reading The Penderwicks to Bit, rereading Harry Potter, and we recently checked out the Ramona and Beezus movie to watch so it is not hard to see why it has been coming to my mind. I love stories where the siblings are different yet incredibly close. I only have one sibling myself, my sister (who is awesome). She is my best friend yet we are very different. She is the extroverted, sensitive, artistic, flighty, dramatic one. I am the introverted, practical, nerdy, sensible, bossy and controlling one. And if I just made us sound like Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, that is not too far off the mark. I am enjoying watching my children's sibling relationship evolve too. It is fascinating to think about the bonds brothers and sisters share. My sister and I can fight like cats and dogs one minute and be laughing together like mad women the next. My husband, an only child, was completely freaked out the first time he witnessed this. There are some books that I have loved over the years that have awesome examples of siblings and I thought I would share my favorites.

The Ingalls Sisters
I wore out my childhood copies of the Little House books. I can't tell you how many times I have read them and the draw for me was largely the relationship between the girls. The way they fought with and loved each other, the way they depended on and supported each other. It is awesome.

The Murrys
A Wrinkle in Time and company were my next big obsession after the Little House books. I love how the Murry family operates and how the relationships between the different Murry children are portrayed. Siblings facing major hardships show how strong their relationships truly are, and when your hardships are of the fantastical kind it makes for an even more awesome story.

The Pevensies

I don't know how they could miss anyone's list of great sibling tales. They are the ultimate example of the power of the sibling bond. I think it is just as interesting to see their interactions with each other in A Horse and His Boy when they are adults in Narnia as it is to watch their interactions as children.

The Weasleys
I really love them in ways that can not be numbered. My only small quibble with the way they are written is that Fred and George are almost a little too much alike at times, but I like the way the work in sync so it doesn't bother me that much.

The Penderwicks
I love how the Penderwicks are all so different and yet can work together as a unit so well. I am also impressed by the way Birdsall is growing them all up, changing them and their relationships in a way that is natural and believable.

There are others who come to mind too:
The Bennets
The Dashwoods
The Cassons
Beezus and Ramona Quimby
The March Sisters
Claudia and Jamie Kincaid
The Stephenson Sisters
The Hardscrabbles
The Bastables
Jena and her sisters
Francesca and Lucca Spinelli

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