The Sisters Club: Rule of Three

By Megan McDonald

Book Overview

The play's the thing when sibling rivalry takes center stage in a funny, spot-on Sisters Club story by the inimitable creator of Judy Moody. Alex has always been the Actor-with-a-capital-A in the Reel family, and middle-sister Stevie has always been content behind the scenes. But when the school play turns out to be a musical, Stevie (the natural-born singer of the family), decides that she may just be tired of being the Sensible One. Maybe, for once, she'd like to be the one in the spotlight Alex isn't so keen on vying for the same role as her younger sister, however, and soon the dueling divas -- with little sister Joey egging them on -- are engaged in a fierce competition to find out who's got what it takes to play the Princess. Has Stevie broken the rules by going for what she wants -- or will it be Alex who hands down the biggest betrayal of all?

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0763641537
• ISBN13: 9780763641535
• Release Date: August 2009
• Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.78 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.6" x 7.4"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Funny, Realistic Story About Sisterhood

Sisters, Blisters and Tongue Twisters! The Reel sisters are back in a new book. Oldest sister Alex, the drama queen is excited to try out for the school play but this time she has competition from middle sister Stevie, who has a much better singing voice but hates to act! Stevie is also thinking of entering a cake bake-off. Will she be able to do both? Little sister Joey is obsessed with Little Women and mom is in danger of losing her cooking show, Fondue Sue. The tension rises as the sisters compete against each other for the starring role in Once Upon a Mattress while Joey is placed in the middle. May the best sister win! Stevie shares the ups and downs of sisterhood as Alex's thoughts come in the form of a script and Jo's (don't call her Joey!) as notebook lists and doodles. This charming little book is sort of a contemporary Little Women. It's very much a story about sisters, first and foremost, with the plot secondary in importance. The Reel sisters are incredibly believable and I can relate to sensible Stevie as my sister is a DRAMA QUEEN! I loved Joey's obsession with Little Women and how she's able to relate situations involving her own sisters to the novel. Though this is a sequel, it works fine as a stand-alone novel. The Sisters Club stories are a nice break from the angst and drama of typical pre-teen and teenage literature these days. I highly recommend them and hope to see more about the Reel sisters in the future!

Sisters Sequel

The three Reel sisters, Joey (8), Stevie (10), and Alex (12 and three-quarters), are thick as thieves. Dramatic Alex, the oldest girl, is an aspiring actress who, despite her attempts to appear mature and sophisticated at times, still secretly confides in her beloved sock monkey. Stevie, the middle sister with a beautiful singing voice, prefers to work behind the scenes. Young Joey finds joy in almost everything. All of the girls are creative and enjoy writing in some form, which is expressed through the narrative: Stevie is the main narrator, telling the majority of the story in first-person past tense, while her sisters' contributions (handwritten and illustrated pages from Joey's journal, typed scenes from Alex's life-as-a-screenplay) are placed between Stevie's straightforward chapters. Each girl has a distinctive voice and different hobbies as well as shared interests. Their parents are fun. Though the girls have their spats from time to time, which only makes the characters and the family seem more realistic, their house tends to be filled with love and laughter. Megan always does such a great job writing for and about this age group. I absolutely adore her books about Judy Moody and her little brother, Stink. I read The Sisters Club right when it was released, and I absolutely loved it. I consequently regularly and regularly recommended it to 8- to 12-year-old readers, especially young girls who had sisters close in age. I was thrilled when the sequel, The Rule of Three, came out in 2009. I'm pleased to say that it not only met my expectations, but exceeded them. The Rule of Three offered compassion, cupcakes, and song. When Stevie and Alex both try out for a school production of the musical Once Upon a Mattress, chaos ensues. Stevie isn't sure whether or not to try out, not only because she's shy, but because she doesn't want to upset Alex. Alex is not used to competing with her younger sisters, and she really wants to be the star. Soon, the girls become irritated with each other. I'm a sucker for a good story about productions, especially musicals. Meanwhile, Joey works her way through the novel Little Women. She is so moved by the scene in which Jo donates her hair that she decides to do the same. Throughout the book, she bugs her sisters to measure her ponytail until it's long enough to donate to charity. Stevie bakes dozens and dozens of cupcakes - different types, depending on her mood - which Joey not-so-secretly snitches. Credit and kudos to Pamela A. Consolazio for illustrating Joey's cute journal entries and lists. I really hope that Megan McDonald continues writing and sharing the adventures of the Reel sisters. I'd love to watch them continue to grow, and I'd follow their stories all the way through high school.

More Reel Fun

Alex, Stevie and Joey are back for more fun! In this second book in the Sisters Club series, the three Reel sisters are struggling to keep their Sisters Club together. Alex is the actor and playwright, Joey is the reader and journal writer, and Stevie, who tells the story, is a singer and a good cook. But what would happen if they wanted to change roles? When Stevie wants to try out for the same play that Alex is auditioning for, sparks are bound to fly. Can their friendship survive? The book is written in the same style as the first Sisters Club, with Stevie as main narrator, Alex inserting her family plays, and Joey spicing things up with her lively journal entries and sketches. The book moves quickly, and will keep girls 8-13 entertained all the way.