When Bigger Is Better: 8 Unforgettable Books About
Big Families
by Liz Lesnick
I was having a hard time coming up with an idea for my latest Brightly post, so I decided to put together a list of my favorite books when I was ten. As I reviewed the list, I realized that many of the books featured big families. I came up with a couple of explanations as to why this might be. When you’re part of a big family you always have a playmate (or so I thought), and it seems like you often have adventures. Another reason why books about big families are so appealing is that there’s almost always a main character that readers can relate to — a quality I still look for in my “grown-up” reading.
From sweet to silly, I hope that you’ll discover some new favorites from this list to share with the middle grade and tween readers in your life.
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All-of-a-Kind Family
Available from:One of the selfish pleasures of parenthood is getting to reread favorite books from your own childhood. (Of course, this goes hand-in-hand with the fear that your precious offspring won’t share your enthusiasm!) So it was with delight and trepidation that our family started reading All-of-a-Kind Family. Well, we had nothing to worry about. Our daughter loved hearing about the adventures of Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte, and Gertie — five sisters growing up in a Jewish family on New York's Lower East Side in the early twentieth century.
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The Exiles
Here’s a novel whose central premise is a problem that many families wish they had: children who read too much. Much to their dismay, the four Conroy sisters, bookworms all, are shipped off to spend the summer at the seaside with their forbidding grandmother. “Big Grandma” tries to break them of their reading habit by substituting fresh air and hard work for books, and the results surprise everyone. This delightful story is considered a contemporary classic in the UK and deserves to be better known in the States.
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The Fantastic Family Whipple
My nephew is a funny kid — not weird funny, ha-ha funny. I wanted to give him a book that would make him laugh and capture his imagination — a tall order! Our local librarian recommended The Fantastic Family Whipple, and boy was she right. My sister-in-law couldn’t thank me enough for finding a book that my nephew couldn’t put down. So if you have a funny kid or a kid obsessed with the Guinness Book of World Records, make sure you get your hands on this story of 11-year-old Arthur Whipple and his fantastic family of world-record breakers.
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The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher
Most of the books on my list feature families with a traditional structure (though often the head-of-the-household has been widowed), so I was pleased to discover The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher. The Fletcher family has two fathers, four adopted boys, not to mention a variety of pets. Dana Alison Levy’s novel is contemporary and timeless, and, most importantly, entertaining. Your reader will relish the Fletchers' misadventures as they manage the ups and downs of a school year and a grumpy new neighbor.
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The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy
Available from:My daughter and I were sorting through her bookshelves trying to make space for some recent acquisitions. When we came across The Penderwicks, my daughter declared, “I’ll never give away The Penderwicks. It’s one of my all-time favorite books!” Published in 2005, yet possessed with a timeless quality and refreshing lack of contemporary references, this charming tale of four very different sisters vacationing with their widowed father in the mountains will enchant readers of all ages.
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The Saturdays
When I brought The Saturdays home from the library, I wondered if my daughter would find it too old-fashioned. Luckily, as soon as she met the Melendys, she was hooked. Tired of wasting Saturdays doing nothing but wishing for larger allowances, the four Melendy siblings start the Independent Saturday Afternoon Adventure Club (I.S.A.A.C.). Before long, I.S.A.A.C. is in operation and every Saturday becomes one to remember.
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Surviving the Applewhites
If you’re looking for big family fiction with an edge, try Surviving the Applewhites. Jake Semple, the main character, is a troubled orphaned teen who’s been kicked out of more than a few schools. The only place that will take him now is a home school run by the Applewhites, a chaotic, funny family of artists with four children. Jake thinks surviving this one will be a breeze ... but is he really as tough or as bad as he seems? Older kids will find themselves rooting for Jake and, maybe, wishing their families were a bit like the eccentric, unforgettable Applewhites.
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The Willoughbys
Available from:Lois Lowry turns the family fiction canon on its head in The Willoughbys. Abandoned by their ill-humored parents to the care of an odious nanny, the four Willoughby siblings do their best to fulfill their roles as good children. However, it takes a ruthless act to lead them to their salvation and to happy endings not only for the four children, but also for their nanny, an abandoned baby, a candy magnate, and his long-lost son, too. Replete with a tongue-in-cheek glossary and bibliography, this hilarious and decidedly old-fashioned parody pays playful homage to classic works of children’s literature and will delight readers young and old alike.
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