Roommates

From Publishers Weekly Mimi and Beth are sisters who are quite dissimilar: Beth is neat and tidy, while Mimi is messy and likes to boss her sister around. Though each has always had her own room, the pending arrival of a baby in the family necessitates that the girls share one. Their differences begin to predominate during the enforced togetherness, and constant squabbling ensues. But when Beth needs help with her spelling, Mimi volunteers, and gradually, the sisters learn to get along in their shared space. When the baby is born, Beth decides she wants to be a big sister just like Mimi . . . sometimes. Sibling rivalry is a familiar theme, but Galbraith treats it with a fresh tone. Beth and Mimi are portrayed realistically, their antagonism and friendship believable. Graham's pencil drawings invite beginning readers to tackle the story on their own. Ages 6-9. Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. From School Library Journal Grade 1-3-- The arrival of a new baby forces Mimi and Beth to share a bedroom--not a pleasing prospect to either sister. Mimi is messy, and Beth pinches. Things work out, however, in five brief, easy-to-read chapters as Mimi drills Beth on her spelling words and Beth prompts Mimi's lines for the school play. Both delight in the baby, and their expanded roles as sisters, which have become more satisfying with recent practice. The text is liberally illustrated with Graham's thoughtful, carefully shaded pencil drawings. Mimi and Beth are vividly drawn in both words and pictures, and their liveliness is sure to appeal to readers. --Ruth Semrau, Lovejoy School, Allen, TXCopyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.