Raksha Bandhan reading list: 6 books on siblings and ties that bind and chafe

Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes (8-12 years)

Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes. (Generated using AI)

This is a coming-of-age book about two biracial siblings, Donte and Trey, who are treated very differently based on the colour of their skin. Being among the few Black students at school, 12-year-old Dante is bullied or looked over so much so he wishes he were invisible. He is dubbed the ‘Black Brother,’ and is ultimately framed by the captain of the fencing team, leading to a suspension; he later trains to take down the Captain. This is a book about resisting prejudice, and siblings shielding one another against the world.

One by Sarah Crossan (8-12 years)

One by Sarah Crossan. (Generated using AI)

Written in free verse, this is the story of conjoined twins Tippi and Crossan, who learn what it means to be dependent and autonomous at the same time. Most siblings can relate to feeling tethered to each other while still being their own person, and One, which won the United Kingdom’s most prestigious book prize, the CILIP Carnegie Medal, offers insight into that relationship.

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson (teenagers)

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson. 9generated using AI)

Another novel focused on twins, this time fraternal. Nelson serves us the sibling relationship in all its complexity, the competition, the jealousy, the vying for a parent’s undivided attention. The novel plays on the heartstrings of anyone who had a close relationship with a sibling as a child but, as they grew up, unfortunately, grew apart. The protagonists, Noah and Jude, find their relationship strained by misunderstandings and betrayals, but they still love and care for each other. The book won the 2015 Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature.

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett. (Generated using AI )

The book centres on siblings Danny and Maeve who are raised in a Philadelphia mansion, but are disinherited after their father’s death. The siblings forge an unbreakable bond as they park their car near the mansion as grown-ups and try to make sense of their past, which is full of abandonment, first from their mother, exacerbated by their father’s indifference and their stepmother’s cruelty. It is interesting how siblings living through the same traumatic past perceive reality differently.

Who’s the Favourite? by Catherine Carr

Who’s the Favourite? by Catherine Carr. (Generated using AI)

This is non-fiction, drawing on real-life anecdotes to examine multiple facets of sibling relationships, such as birth order, favouritism, blended families, only children, siblings with additional needs, and the pain of estrangement and bereavement.

Whether you miss your sibling or are sending a book, these stories will help you relate to your sibling.