Critter Club – Amy Meets Her Stepsister

Callie Barkley's Amy Meets Her Stepsister is a gentle Critter Club story for 5 year olds about a very nervous first meeting.

What happens

Amy's staying with her dad for the weekend, and he has big news. He and his girlfriend Julia are getting married! Julia has a daughter called Chloe, who's eight, just like Amy.

So Amy is about to get a stepsister. She's shy at the best of times, and suddenly there are a million butterflies in her tummy. What if they've got nothing in common? What if Chloe doesn't like her?

Things don't start well. Chloe hardly says a word. She says animals are dirty and smelly (which is a bit awkward when Amy helps run an animal shelter). Then she blames Amy for knocking over a glass of water.

A shopping trip is even worse. Amy ends up in an outfit that's crazy with a capital C, and she's sure Chloe is trying not to laugh.

Then a Dalmatian comes charging out of the bushes in the park, and Amy knows just what to do.

This is the fifth Critter Club book, and it's a lovely one for any child with a new family on the horizon. It doesn't make a big deal of divorce. Amy's parents live apart, she loves them both, and that's that.

What it does really well is show how differently two children can be nervous. Amy's face goes bright red whenever she feels shy. Chloe's nerves come out in other ways.

There's plenty of the club too. Back at the barn, a dozen chicken eggs are waiting to hatch, and Amy's three best friends are keeping an eye on them.

What to read next

If this one goes down well, Ellie and the Good-Luck Pig is in the library too. The club take in a little pink pig called Plum, and Ellie starts to wonder whether her luck has changed.