SuitabookBig Sister Stephanie
Susan Saunders
- Reading
- Read it as a conversation-led story: pause when Stephanie’s behaviour changes, compare the girls’ feelings, and revisit the title afterwards to consider what being a ‘big sister’ might involve.
- Themes
- Becoming an older sister: Stephanie resents her baby siblings and later spends time helping Melissa with clothes, shopping and dancing. The story presents both frustration and purposeful involvement, leaving readers to consider what changes between them.
- Jealousy and understanding: Kate recognises Stephanie’s complaints because she has her own difficult feelings about Melissa, then becomes curious about Stephanie’s new behaviour. The parallel experiences create an opportunity to examine whether recognising a shared feeling leads to greater understanding.
- Children creating and performing: The friends plan a film about a day in the life of a fifth-grader, alongside their conversations about siblings and friendship. The project provides a setting for the friends’ interests and interactions, rather than establishing a broader claim about school or creativity.
- Worth knowing
- Notice the contrast between Stephanie’s frustration and her later efforts with Melissa. The story also includes dressing up, shopping, dancing, school friendships and a child-made film project.