Getting along with your brother can be hard enough, but now there is a new family member involved.
Mallory vs Max, by Laurie Friedman (Carolrhoda Books), is written for girls in the 2nd and 3rd grade. The story, written in large type and illustrated throughout its pages, features a girl, Mallory, who is 8 and 3/4 years plus 1 month old.
Needless to say, Mallory is your typical 8-year-old: cute, a bit bratty, and having problems getting along with an older brother.
Mallory vs Max opens up with Mallory complaining about her parents letting her brother, Max, get a puppy. Mallory already has a cat named Cheeseburger and feels that the family doesn’t need another pet. After all, what’s wrong with having just a cat?
Max, on the other hand, feels that since Mallory has a pet of her own, he should be allowed to have a pet that he can care for. The parents agree with Max and take him out to get a puppy.
As we all know, puppies are cute and adorable, but they also need a lot of attention and, of course, Mallory gets jealous. She feels that she is no longer a part of the family and that her brother and the new puppy are getting all the attention. Who cares about poor Mallory and Cheeseburger?
Mallory vs Max is a story about working together, family teamwork, and honestly shows that there are two sides to every story. In this case, there is how Mallory feels and how Max feels. Children often feel that their parents are choosing one side (a siblings) over their own. Mallory vs Max shows children that parents don’t “take sides.” Instead, parents help each child as needed. Mallory was helped by her parents when she got her cat and now Max is being helped with his new puppy.
Aside from all the lessons that can be learned from Mallory vs Max, the story is also funny. Laurie Friedman did an excellent job of capturing the voice of an 8-year-old, and had me laughing at all the silliness of Mallory and her crusade of “sisters against brothers getting puppies.”
A fun and easy read.
