Gr 3-4 Life with her siblings is anything but sweet for Dessert Schneider. Fed up with the antics of her younger sister and brothers, the third grader creates an Annoying Siblings Club, a well-meaning but less-than-useful support group for herself and her school chums who also suffer offending family members. Dessert's class is studying the American Revolution, and she is intrigued by the idea of gaining her own kind of freedom from Charlie and the Beasties, but there is another parallel to the class unit on American independence that will have very real, negative consequences for Dessert. Much like the British did when they taxed their expats in the New World, she collects fees from her club members, but she does not consult them on how she spends the funds, which is mainly on cafeteria food forbidden by her parents. Dessert has to disband the club and repay the money, but she does learn the greater value of friendship and family in the end. Durand's writing is clunky at times, but overall the book is an enjoyable read. Youngsters will identify with the protagonist's frustrations as the oldest child and see their own families reflected in hers. The real-life application of taxation without representation is clever, providing an entertaining "aha" as it develops. Pen-and-ink wash illustrations are scattered throughout."Alyson Low, Fayetteville Public Library, AR" Copyright 2010 Media Source Inc.
In this sequel to Dessert First, the main character's young siblings are giving her trouble. She rounds up schoolmates with similar problems and starts the Annoying Siblings Club. After collecting dues, Dessert discovers that she is ill-equipped to handle the club's accounts, let alone sibling rivalries. Tidy black-and-white illustrations depict Dessert's road toward sibling appreciation.
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