Rule of Three

Gr 4—6—Stevie, her older sister Alex, and younger sister Joey believe that things are better when they come in threes. When Stevie and Alex audition for the lead in the school musical "Once Upon a Mattress," their competition complicates life for all three sisters. Alex, an actress with a passion for all things Shakespeare, may unwittingly have ruined her sister's chance at the lead role. Stevie, who sings like no one else, will enjoy the music but not the acting. Her baking reflects her feelings ("Don't-Bug-Me-I'm Baking" cupcakes or the "I-Burnt-My-Sister's-Hair-and-Feel-Bad" cupcakes) and saves her mother's television show. When Joey can pull herself away from her beloved Little Women, she devises a princess test with many small things to put under Alex's and Stevie's mattresses. Alex plays the lead but has to cut her damaged hair, and Joey gives her ponytail to Locks of Love. Stevie cuts her hair short too, so all ends well. Megan McDonald's second book (Candlewick, 2009) in the series features Stevie as the principal narrator, while Alex's scripts and Joey's lists give a quirky dimension to their ups and downs. Suzy Jackson, Michal Friedman, and Jessica Almasy voice the sisters, making them believable girls with tons of talent and even more heart. Fans of Jeanne Birdsall's Penderwicks series will find much to enjoy in the girls' relationships with each other and their humorous efforts to find their own places in their world.—Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN