This time of year, I think a lot about my sister. The start of school reminds me of our times growing up together. As kids, we got along reasonably well, but it wasn't until my sister left the country for a year that we really started to become great friends (she was an exchange student during her junior/my freshman year). Nothing like a sixteen-hour plane flight to give a teen some space! Not long after that, she went off to college, so we really came to appreciate our time together.

Siblinghood is a funny thing; sharing so much allows you to know just exactly how to needle each other, but it also means that you can finish each other's thoughts in a way that no one else will understand. Who but a sibling can fully appreciate the foibles of your family, after all? In exploring the library's catalog, I ran across this new arrival that explores the complexity of the sister bond: The sister knot : why we fight, why we're jealous, and why we'll love each other no matter what / Terri Apter. (306.8754 A)

After we had been out on our own for a while, my sister gave me a copy of Sisters, by Carol Saline and photographer Sharon J. Wohlmuth. It's a coffee table book; but it beautifully illustrates how important sisters can be to each other.

Of course, there's that nasty sibling rivalry problem that most families deal with. I don't know whether my parents--avid readers--ever felt the need of some outside help, but there are now plenty of titles on sibling rivalry out there. If you like to browse, a good place to look is the parenting shelf in the children's room. Among the parenting books you'll find:

Understanding sibling rivalry : the Brazelton way / T. Berry Brazelton, Joshua D. Sparrow. (call number JUV 649.143 B)
Loving each one best : a caring and practical approach to raising siblings / Nancy Samalin with Catherine Whitney. (call number JUV 649.143 S)

More on this topic is available in the adult nonfiction collection. For example:

The baffled parent's guide to sibling rivalry / Marian Edelman Borden. (call number 649.143 B)
Birth order blues : how parents can help their children meet the challenges of birth order / Meri Wallace. (call number 155.924 W)

Or just try subject searches for "sibling rivalry" or "brothers and sisters" (or just "brothers" or "sisters"). We have several more books on the topic.