Smaller Sister is a super-cute story of two middle school sisters fighting body dysmorphia and anorexia nervosa.
I have seen some parents, teachers, and librarians concerned about mature themes, and I do understand those concerns. Not every book is for every reader, and this is certainly a title where emotions can run high among young readers and their adults.
I’ve also included a free, editable Canva quotation poster for Smaller Sister! You can see the poster and get the link below.
Author: Maggie Edkins Willis
Illustrator: Maggie Edkins Willis
Publication date: June 14, 2022
Genre: graphic novel, realistic fiction
Recommended for: reviews recommend Grades 3-7; I recommend Grades 5-8
Setting: Indianapolis, Indiana and Boston, Massachusetts
Themes: sisters, sibling rivalry, middle school, eating disorders, healing, body image, body dysmorphia, anorexia nervosa, peer pressure, social issues, based on a true story, growing up
Protagonist: two sisters, both white, one is Grade 5-6 and one is Grade 6-7
Starred reviews: SLJ and Kirkus
Pages: 320
PUBLISHER’S SUMMARY
Lucy’s always looked up to her big sister, Olivia, even though the two are polar opposites. But then, Lucy notices Olivia starts to change.
Olivia doesn’t want to play with Lucy anymore, she’s unhappy with the way she looks, and she’s refusing to eat her dinner. Finally, Lucy discovers that her sister is not just growing up: Olivia is also struggling with an eating disorder.
While her family is focused on her sister’s recovery, Lucy is left alone to navigate school and friendships. Lucy feels lonely and like she’s always on the verge of messing up.
But with time, work, and self-love, both sisters begin to heal. Soon enough, Olivia and Lucy find their way back to each other―because sisters are forever.
AWARDS AND KUDOS
- SLJ starred
- Kirkus starred
MY REVIEW OF SMALLER SISTER
I LOVED this story! As an oldest of three sisters, I can absolutely relate to the older sister wanting her own room and her own space. I love the sisterly bonding that happens and how the sisters learn to communicate better with one another.
This is a fiction story, but it is based on the author’s personal experience with disordered eating. She also went through this with her own older sister. It lends authenticity to the story, which makes it feel very real.
I like the double-meaning of the title. This is from the younger sister’s perspective, but it also alludes to both sisters wanting to become “smaller.”
Illustrations are cute, cheerful, and colorful. I always love graphic novels with a clean look and lots of white space. Characters are easy to distinguish from one another.
Download a FREE quotation poster for this book! This is an editable Canva link.
SOME CONTROVERSY FOR ELEMENTARY LIBRARIES
I have seen discussions on social media about pulling this book from elementary libraries and book fairs.
I personally lean toward having this in middle school, but not elementary. It reminds me of This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki, a graphic novel that won a Caldecott Honor in 2015. Some elementary librarians bought the book without reading it because it won a Caldecott Honor. This One Summer is most definitely a YA book and should not be in elementary school libraries.
(This is why many librarians, including me, would like to see a separate award category for graphic novels.)
Jennifer Holm’s Sunny series also tackles mature issues (mental health and addiction) through brightly-colored illustrations. The Sunny series is also controversial at the elementary level. I would personally keep Sunny in an elementary library that went through 5th grade.
Like This One Summer and Sunny Side Up, Smaller Sister has a bright, cheerful illustration style that will appeal to younger readers. But the story has more mature themes of eating disorders, body dysmorphia, toxic friendships, and suicide ideation. I do agree that this is misleading for browsers who pick up the book because of the cheerful illustrations.
On the other hand, I think adults tend to underestimate kids’ maturity when it comes to tough topics. Some readers will love this book; others won’t be ready for it. And for some, Smaller Sister will be exactly what they need at the exact time they need it.
Middle grade realistic fiction can be like that.
Smaller Sister can also give elementary readers the vocabulary to talk about the things they are feeling. Eating disorders can develop as young as age 5, and this book could be the catalyst that triggers a child to seek help. Or to sound the alarm if they are worried about a friend or family member.
My best advice for elementary librarians here is to read the book yourselves and make a decision based on your school’s community. It’s a great story and a quick read. At the end of the day, you know your school community. Trust yourself to do what is best for your library.
If you do decide to buy it for your elementary library, know that it will FLY off the shelves. The illustrations are bright and cheerful, and you will likely encounter 1st and 2nd graders who want to check it out. Read the book and decide how you will handle that before you add it to the library.
DIVERSITY
Main characters are a white American nuclear family with two daughters. Both parents are married to each other and seem happy together.
Secondary characters include Black and brown characters. Other reviewers have pointed out that the Black characters have unusually large lips, which can be construed as racist. I didn’t notice it until the reviewers pointed it out, but they are correct. I went back and looked again, and there are other non-Black characters that also have large lips. This is all mainly in the camp scenes near the end.
There is a boy with lots of freckles and another background character in a wheelchair. Characters have various body sizes.
ARTWORK/ILLUSTRATIONS
I love the illustrations! They are bright and colorful and on a clean background with plenty of white space.
The illustrations will appeal to a younger-than-intended audience, but that is true of many graphic novels.
Click the images below to see them larger. The middle and third image show the “big lips” characters. You can see three characters have them – one Black, one brown (Latina?), and one white.
LIBRARIANS WILL WANT TO KNOW
Would adults like this book? YES, I certainly did! I think anyone with a close sister relationship will especially love it.
Would I buy this for my high school library? MAYBE – The characters are only 10-12 years old, but the themes definitely work for older readers. If I bought it for high school, I would booktalk it as “this has young characters, but the themes are mature.”
Would I buy this for my middle school library? YES! This is perfect for middle school.
Would I buy this for my elementary school library? I personally would not, but I wouldn’t fault anyone who did. If I did buy it for elementary, I’d probably limit it to Grades 4 and 5. Professional reviewers recommend Grades 3-7, so elementary librarians should mostly be covered if your school requires you to purchase only within your grade levels.
MATURE CONTENT
Language: No concerns; I don’t remember any profanity at all.
Sexuality: mild; the 6th grade main character goes on a “date” to the movies with a male friend; a couple of scenes show female characters wearing their bra and/or underwear, but they are not sexual.
Violence: none
Drugs/Alcohol: very mild; the older sister mentions being on medication for her anorexia
Other: suicide ideation (two mentions of the same journal entry), anorexia, body dysmorphia
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