The Sisters 8 6 – Petal’s Problems

Lauren Baratz-Logsted's The Sisters 8 - Petal's Problems is a daft, cosy adventure for 6 year olds about the one sister who really doesn't want her turn.

What happens

This is the sixth Sisters 8 book. The Huit girls are octuplets, nearly eight years old, and their parents vanished on New Year's Eve. Annie, the eldest, runs the house (and does the driving!). Each month another sister gets a special power and a gift. Now it's June, and June is Petal's month.

Petal is the worrier. Petal is terrified. So she hides under her bed every single morning, and every morning Rebecca has to grab her ankles and yank her out. That little routine gets funnier every time it comes round.

Meanwhile an invitation has arrived. Aunt Martha and Uncle George are getting married in France. Annie says no straight away. They have no passports and no grown-up to take them. And how do you explain where your parents are when your usual excuse is that one of them is in France?

Luckily there's Pete the mechanic. He knows a man who knows a man. So passports are sorted, Mrs. Pete takes them shopping for a wedding present, and a carrier pigeon turns up with a very helpful note.

The book is told by all eight sisters together as "we", which is lovely and a bit unusual. Every girl gets her moment. Zinnia is desperate for presents, Rebecca loves being grumpy and Petal panics about absolutely everything (swimming to France, flying to France, time running backwards). If your little one has ever been nervous about something new, they'll probably feel for Petal while laughing at her.

One thing to know is that the girls live on their own because their parents are missing. It's played for fun rather than sadness here, and there's lots of kind grown-up help from the Petes.

It's a great pick for early independent readers who like big families, magic powers and plenty of silliness.

What to read next

If your reader hasn't met the Huit girls yet, start with Annie's Adventures. That's the night their parents disappear, and eight very different sisters have to work out what to do next.