Constantly upstaged by her older sister, ten-year-old Sprig enjoys imagining the ways she might get rid of her. Once her friend, 12-year-old Dakota seems to have become her personal tormentor. Perfectly capturing the constant bickering that is part of the daily life of siblings, each chapter describes incidents that both drive them apart and bring them together. But Sprig is bothered by more than sibling rivalry. She misses her traveling father, worries about his working in Afghanistan, doesn't care for the new long-term substitute teacher, quarrels and makes up with her best friend, tries to stop crying so often and begins to think about boys. Tween readers will recognize this stage of life, though the first friendly kisses and kissing games may surprise those who feel that fifth grade is early for these activities. A master at describing family dynamics, Mazer reveals the ups and downs of middle-school friendship, as well. This contemporary addition to her admirable body of work should bring new readers. (Fiction. 9-12) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Mazer's (What I Believe) engaging if somewhat familiar novel centers on a 10-year-old girl's mixed feelings for her older sister. Sprig and Dakota used to play and giggle together, "but when Dakota turned twelve in August? Boom, just like that, something fell out of the sky and hit her on the head, she also turned bossy and know-it-all." Sprig's resentment intensifies when their father, an architect/engineer, leaves on a lengthy business trip that later extends (without so much as a quick flight home) to a month or two in Afghanistan. Dakota chides Sprig for crying when she misses their father, and when Sprig worries out loud about the dangers of Kabul, Dakota tells her she's being stupid. And why does Dakota get to talk to Dad first each time he calls home? Mazer weaves in subplots that are slightly too neat-Sprig visits an elderly neighbor (whose attention the sisters compete for) at just the right moment to save her from a stroke; a fight, also well-timed, with her best friend teaches Sprig the perils of jealousy-and she wraps up the conflicts rather tidily. But the author excels at depicting the complexity of preteens' emotions and relationships, especially sibling relationships; many readers will recognize their own feelings here. Ages 9-12. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Ten-year-old Sprig wears her heart on her sleeve, so when her father, an engineer and architect, leaves to build schools in Afghanistan, she has trouble making the adjustment. Tears also flow when it comes to the teasing dished out by her older sister, Dakota. In small, but well-defined moments, Sprig deals with the superiority of place granted to an older sibling, squabbles with friends, and the faces first love, both for Dakota, and rather surprisingly, for Sprig herself. This short book is best catagorized as slice of life, brought under  the umbrella of Dad's absence. It's the characters, though, who really make everything come together. Mazer hits just the right note with each, from the children to the elderly neighbor Sprig saves when the woman has a stroke. In an astute bit of push-pull, Sprig is called a heroine, even though she knows she could have gotten help sooner. A solid choice for an underserved age group.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2007 Booklist

Gr 4-6-Sprig's world would be great if only she could make her older sister go away. Tired of Dakota's teasing and telling her how to behave, the 10-year-old copes by imagining creative ways to rid herself of her sibling, envisioning everything from baking her like a cookie to shipping her off to the Antarctic. Further distressing to her is the fact that her best friend is starting to notice boys, and this is leading to quarrels between them. Toss on top of that a father in Afghanistan and a neighbor who falls ill before her eyes-it's no wonder Sprig frequently breaks down in tears. Captured in these trying relationships are deeper understandings of the dynamics of friendship and sisterhood. Important lessons about decision-making and age-appropriate responsibility are effortlessly delivered. Sprig learns that jealousy and anger are poor companions and that seemingly insurmountable differences can sometimes lead to surprising unions. This entertaining and true-to-life book is an excellent introduction to the world of boys, sibling rivalry, and loyalty. Mazer's telling of age-old struggles will easily find a home with reluctant readers and sisters alike.-Erin Schirota, Bronxville Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(Intermediate) Mazer precisely captures sister dynamics in this story told in the present tense from ten-year-old Sprig's point of view. Sprig is still very much a little girl -- talkative, emotional, and distressed by changes, especially the changes in twelve-year-old Dakota. Dakota is on the verge of adolescence and has acquired a very superior way of speaking to her sister, as well as an irritating habit of being two steps ahead of Sprig at every turn. Sprig channels her frustration into making a mental list of all the ways Dakota might disappear: ""Like smoke, she rises into the air, and, poooof...."" Like Beverly Cleary before her, Mazer catches the intense love-hate relationship that can develop between siblings in the way they separate and reconnect; she also retains a pitch-perfect ear for the way siblings today speak to each other without incorporating vocabulary that would inevitably date the book. Sprig's generally sunny disposition and interest in her world helps keep the novel fresh and funny despite her woes, and the sisters' reconciliation at the end rings completely true. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.